List of Boston Red Sox captains

Jason Varitek in 2009 with the captain insignia on his chest

The Boston Red Sox, a professional baseball franchise in Major League Baseball (MLB), has given the title of captain to select players since the team's inaugural season as a member of the American League in 1901 (the team was known as the Boston Americans through the 1907 season). For various seasons during the team's history, the position has been vacant; while in early baseball a captain was responsible for many of the functions now assumed by managers and coaches, ^[1] the title is purely honorary in modern professional baseball. Since the end of World War II, only three players have served as captain of the Red Sox. The most recent was catcher Jason Varitek, who was captain during the 2005–2011 seasons, and wore a distinctive "C" on the left side of his jersey, similar to captains in the National Hockey League. ^[2]

Captains

Jimmy Collins was the franchise's first captain, when the team was known as the Boston Americans.

Dick Hoblitzell was captain in 1918.

Jimmie Foxx was captain for three seasons during World War II.

Carl Yastrzemski served the longest tenure as Red Sox captain, 1966 and 1969–1983.

Jim Rice was captain during 1985–1989.

The history of Red Sox captains was researched by baseball historian Howard W. Rosenberg in 2004. The Red Sox front office contacted Rosenberg in advance of Jason Varitek being named captain, after learning that Rosenberg, author of a 2003 book featuring captains in 19th-century baseball, had disputed the official count of captains in New York Yankees franchise history. ^{[3] [4]}

‡	Elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame

Player	Position	Years active	Years as captain	Ref.
Boston Americans (through 1907)
Jimmy Collins ‡	3B	1895–1908	1901–1905	[5]
Chick Stahl	OF	1897–1906	1906	[6]
Bob Unglaub	1B	1904–1910	1907	[7]
Boston Red Sox (1908 to present)
Deacon McGuire	C	1884–1912	1908	[8]
Doc Gessler	RF	1903–1911	1909	[9]
Harry Lord	3B	1903–1911	1910	[7]
Heinie Wagner	SS	1902–1918	1911	[10]
Jake Stahl	1B	1903–1912	1912	[11]
Heinie Wagner	SS	1902–1918	1913–1914	[10]
Jack Barry	2B	1908–1919	1915–1917	[12]
Dick Hoblitzell	1B	1908–1918	1918	[7]
Harry Hooper ‡	OF	1908–1925	1919–1920	[7]
Everett Scott	SS	1914–1926	1921	[13]
Del Pratt	2B	1914–1926	1922	[7]
George Burns	1B	1914–1929	1923	[13]
Mike Menosky	LF	1914–1923	1923 [a]	[14]
No captain 1924–1939 [7]
Jimmie Foxx ‡	1B	1925–1945	1940–1942	[15]
No captain 1943–1965 [7]
Carl Yastrzemski ‡	OF	1961–1983	1966	[16]
No captain 1967–1968 [7]
Carl Yastrzemski ‡	OF	1961–1983	1969–1983	[16]
No captain 1984 [7]
Jim Rice ‡	OF	1974–1989	1985–1989	[7]
No captain 1990–2004
Jason Varitek	C	1997–2011	2005–2011	[17]
No captain 2012–present

Notes

• ^a Served as acting captain for one game.

References

1. Dickson, Paul (1999). The New Dickson Baseball Dictionary . Mariner Books. p.  101. ISBN   0-15-600580-8.
2. Hoch, Bryan. "Trio of captains treasure role". MLB.com. Archived from the original on June 24, 2008. Retrieved June 4, 2008.
3. Mallozzi, Vincent (March 25, 2007). "Author Says Yankees Are Missing Something". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 13, 2019. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
4. Heuschkel, David. "It's Now Captain Varitek". Hartford Courant . Archived from the original on October 24, 2014. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
5. Abrams, Rodger (February 15, 2007). "Jimmy Collins: Pride of the Irish". National Baseball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on August 20, 2007. Retrieved June 4, 2008.
6. "The Boston Pilgrims". Celebrate Boston. Archived from the original on January 11, 2019. Retrieved June 4, 2008.
7. Glen Stout; Richard Johnson (2000). Red Sox Century: The Definitive History of Baseball's Most Storied Franchise . Houghton Mifflin Books. ISBN   0-618-42319-2.
8. Flietz, David (2008). Shoeless: The Life and Times of Joe Jackson. McFarland & Company. ISBN   978-0-7864-3312-4.
9. "Gessler to be Captain of Red Sox". The New York Times . January 19, 1909. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved June 4, 2008.
10. Lieb, Frederick G. and McNally, John The Boston Red Sox. Southern Illinois University Press. 2003. ISBN   0-8093-2493-8.
11. Richardson, Bob (March 23, 2008). "Visionary views: Several innovators get credit for the evolution of managing". The Boston Globe . Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 4, 2008.
12. "Jack Barry Laid Up". The New York Times . September 26, 1915. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved June 4, 2008.
13. Wood, Allan (2000). Babe Ruth and the 1918 Red Sox . iUniverse. ISBN   0-595-14826-3.
14. David S. Neft; Michael L. Neft; Bob Carroll; Richard M. Cohen (2005). The Boston Red Sox Fan Book. St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN   978-0312348496.
15. Daniel, W. Harrison (2004). Jimmie Foxx: The Life and Times of a Baseball Hall of Famer. McFarland. ISBN   0-7864-1867-2.
16. McBroom, Kathleen (1981). The Lincoln Library of Sports Champions. Frontier Press Co. ISBN   0-912168-07-2.
17. Edes, Gordon (December 24, 2004). "Sox re-sign Varitek, name him captain". The Boston Globe . Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 4, 2008.