1965 Boston Red Sox season

The 1965 Boston Red Sox season was the 65th season in the franchise's Major League Baseball history. The Red Sox, with Billy Herman at the helm, finished ninth in the American League with a record of 62 wins and 100 losses, 40 games behind the AL champion Minnesota Twins, against whom the 1965 Red Sox lost 17 of 18 games. The team drew only 652,201 fans to Fenway Park, seventh in the ten-team league but the Red Sox' lowest turnstile count since 1945, the last year of World War II.
One of the team's few bright spots was that 20-year old Tony Conigliaro led the AL with 32 home runs, becoming the youngest home run champion in AL history.
On September 16, 1965, at Fenway Park, third-year right-hander Dave Morehead, 22, threw the club's first no-hitter since August 1, 1962, and 13th in its history, when he defeated the Cleveland Indians, 2–0. Morehead, only 10–16 on the season after today, fanned eight and permitted only one baserunner, Rocky Colavito, who drew a base on balls in the second inning.
From a long-term viewpoint, September 16 was also consequential when, prior to the game, owner Tom Yawkey dismissed longtime confidant Pinky Higgins as executive vice president and general manager. Higgins, 56, had been associated with the Red Sox continuously since May 1946, as a third baseman, minor- and major-league field manager, and front-office executive. His successor, fellow senior executive Dick O'Connell, 51, the club's business manager, will supervise the team's successful rebuilding and win two AL pennants and two The Sporting News Executive of the Year Awards during his dozen years as general manager.

Offseason

October 14, 1964: The Red Sox release veteran outfielders Al Smith, 36, and Dick Williams, 35. They will later name Williams the 1965 manager of their new Triple-A affiliate, the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League.
November 29, 1964: The Red Sox trade first baseman Dick Stuart, 32, to the Philadelphia Phillies for left-handed pitcher Dennis Bennett, 25.
November 30, 1964: In the first-year draft, the Red Sox select, among others, southpaw Sparky Lyle, 20, from the Baltimore Orioles, and lose infielder Tim Cullen, 22, to the Washington Senators. In the minor league draft, the Red Sox select right-hander Gary Waslewski, 23, from the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Regular season

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Notable transactions

March 30, 1965: The Red Sox purchase the contract of nine-year veteran centerfielder Lenny Green, 32, from the Baltimore Orioles.
June 8, 1965: In the first-of-its-kind 1965 Major League Baseball draft, the Red Sox select outfielder Billy Conigliaro, 17-year-old brother of their star sophomore right fielder, from Swampscott High School in the Boston suburb, as their first-round selection. They also pick Amos Otis, 18, then a shortstop, in the fifth round.
September 14, 1965: The Red Sox trade veteran relief pitcher Jack Lamabe, 29, to the Houston Astros for pitcher Bucky Brandon, 25, then a minor-leaguer.
Opening Day lineup

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

Pos	Player	G	AB	H	Avg.	HR	RBI
C		111	368	79	.215	6	35
1B		151	521	141	.271	22	75
2B		150	534	147	.275	18	92
3B		106	364	87	.239	3	34
SS		103	323	75	.232	13	33
LF		133	494	154	.312	20	72
CF		119	373	103	.276	7	24
RF		138	521	140	.269	32	82

Other batters

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

Player	G	AB	H	Avg.	HR	RBI
	112	367	99	.270	5	37
	81	324	83	.256	9	35
	107	296	67	.226	8	25
	71	171	41	.240	3	9
	60	163	48	.294	7	23
	59	137	37	.270	0	11
	33	107	17	.159	3	9
	24	45	9	.200	1	2
	4	4	1	.250	1	1
	1	1	0	.000	0	0

Pitching

Starting pitchers

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

Player	G	IP	W	L	ERA	SO
	36	230.0	13	14	3.98	164
	35	228.2	10	18	3.70	110
	34	192.2	10	18	4.06	163
	32	185.1	9	17	4.47	113

Other pitchers

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

Player	G	IP	W	L	ERA	SO
	34	141.2	5	7	4.38	85
	15	52.0	1	5	6.23	49

Relief pitchers

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

Player	G	W	L	SV	ERA	SO
	63	9	11	22	3.91	121
	57	0	1	0	3.63	47
	44	1	2	2	3.17	55
	39	4	2	1	3.78	27
	27	0	2	0	7.16	42
	14	0	3	0	8.17	17

Awards and honors

Carl Yastrzemski, Gold Glove Award
Farm system

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Toronto, Pittsfield
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