Nicknamed "Teddy Ballgame", "The Kid", "The Splendid Splinter", and "The Thumper", Williams is regarded as one of the greatest hitters in baseball history.

In Game 7, Cardinals manager Eddie Dyer called for a hit-and-run with Enos Slaughter on first base. Left fielder Harry Walker lined the ball to left-center field. Leon Culberson fielded the ball and threw a relay to shortstop Johnny Pesky as Slaughter rounded third base, ignoring third base coach Mike Gonzalez's stop sign, and dashing for home. The play caught the Red Sox off guard. Slaughter's score would prove to be the winning run, and the Curse of the Bambino would continue for another 58 years.

Jimmie Foxx played six years for Boston, including a 1938 season in which he hit 50 home runs, drove in 175 runs, batted .349, won his third MVP award, and narrowly missed winning the Triple Crown.

In 1914, his second year in the major leagues, Dutch Leonard led the American League with a remarkable 0.96 ERA--the MLB record for single-season ERA when not counting Tim Keefe's record of 0.86 in his first MLB season, since it was only in 105 innings pitched.

Hall of Fame center fielder Tris Speaker retired in 1928 with 792 career doubles, still a league record. The only other players with more than 700 doubles are Pete Rose (746), Stan Musial (725), and Ty Cobb (724).

During spring training, player-manager Chick Stahl died by suicide. Cy Young reluctantly took over as manager but was replaced six games into the season by George Huff who was replaced eight games later by Bob Unglaub who was replaced 29 games later by Deacon McGuire.

Red Sox right fielder Jackie Jensen was named the AL's MVP in 1958 after hitting 35 home runs and leading the league with 122 RBIs but retired in his early thirties due to an intense fear of flying as MLB expanded westward. He tried to return in 1961 but retired again when his panic attacks at airports became unbearable.

Regarded as one of the top defensive second basemen of his era, Bobby Doerr led AL second basemen in double plays five times, tying a league record, in putouts and fielding percentage four times each, and in assists three times.

Smoky Joe Wood's best season came in 1912, in which he won 34 games while losing only 5. Since 1900, pitchers have won 30 or more games only 21 times, with Wood's 34 wins being the sixth-highest total.

Ted Williams' .344 career batting average is the highest of any MLB player whose career was played primarily in the live-ball era, and ranks tied for 7th all-time (with Billy Hamilton).