1972 Boston Red Sox season


The 1972 Boston Red Sox season was the 72nd season in the franchise's Major League Baseball history. The Red Sox finished second in the American League East with a record of 85 wins and 70 losses, ½ game behind the Detroit Tigers. Due to the cancellation of games missed during the 1972 Major League Baseball strike, Detroit played one more game than Boston, allowing them to finish with a record of 86–70, winning the division by ½ game.

Offseason

After the 1971 season, the Red Sox management decided on drastic changes. First there was a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers. George Scott, who had fallen out of favor with the Red Sox management, was packaged with Billy Conigliaro, outfielders Joe Lahoud and Don Pavletich, pitchers Ken Brett and Jim Lonborg and exchanged for pitchers Marty Pattin and Lew Krausse, Jr. and outfielders Tommy Harper and Pat Skrable. It was a big deal and, as it turned out, a bad one for Boston. Lonborg won 14 games for Milwaukee in 1972, with a 2.83 ERA, and later was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies, where he won 13, 17, 18, 8 and 11 games during five seasons. Scott batted.263,.266,.306,.281 and.285 in his five seasons with the Brewers, driving in 88, 107, 82, 109, and 77 runs during those same years and clouting an average of 23 homers a season, with 36 in 1975 alone. Meanwhile, although Pattin was 17–13 for Boston in 1972 a 15–15 in 1973, he was then traded away. Harper batted.254 and.281 in his two years with the Sox before being traded.

Regular season

Following the 1972 Major League Baseball strike, and Commissioner Bowie Kuhn's ruling that no games cancelled due to the April strike would be made up, the Red Sox wound up with 155 games on their 1972 schedule. They finished a half-game behind the AL East champion Detroit Tigers, who played 156 and won one more game than Boston. In the second-to-last game of the season, shortstop Luis Aparicio fell down rounding third, possibly costing the Sox a chance at victory in a game that could have made the difference. Thus, the Sox finished one-half game out with an 85–70 record.

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Notable transactions

Roster

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
PosPlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI
CF144546141.2541449

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
PlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGIPWLERASO
3825317133.24168
16105584.4652

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGIPWLERASO
2460.2136.3835

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGWLSVERASO
210152.9327

Awards and honors