Editing Boston Red Sox (section)

====1975====
The Red Sox won the AL pennant in 1975. The [[1975 Boston Red Sox season|1975 Red Sox]] were as colorful as they were talented, with Yastrzemski and rookie outfielders [[Jim Rice]] and [[Fred Lynn]], veteran outfielder [[Dwight Evans (Baseball)|Dwight Evans]], [[catcher]] [[Carlton Fisk]], and pitchers [[Luis Tiant]] and eccentric junkballer [[Bill Lee (left-handed pitcher)|Bill "The Spaceman" Lee]]. Fred Lynn won both the American League [[Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award|Rookie of the Year]] award and the [[Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player|Most Valuable Player]] award, a feat which had never previously been accomplished, and was not duplicated until [[Ichiro Suzuki]] did it in 2001.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/roy_rol.shtml |title=Rookie of the Year Awards & Rolaids Relief Award Winners — |website=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=October 31, 2013}}</ref><ref name="oezowb">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/mvp_cya.shtml |title=Most Valuable Player MVP Awards & Cy Young Awards Winners – |website=Baseball-Reference.com |access-date=October 31, 2013}}</ref> In the [[1975 American League Championship Series]], the Red Sox swept the [[1975 Oakland Athletics season|Oakland A's]].

[[File:Carlton Fisk 1976.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Carlton Fisk]], best known for his "waving fair" home run in Game 6 of the [[1975 World Series]]]]
In the [[1975 World Series]], they faced the heavily favored [[1975 Cincinnati Reds season|Cincinnati Reds]], also known as [[The Big Red Machine]]. Luis Tiant won games 1 and 4 of the World Series but after five games, the Red Sox trailed the series 3 games to 2. Game 6 at Fenway Park is considered among the greatest games in postseason history. Down 6–3 in the bottom of the eighth inning, Red Sox [[pinch hitter]] [[Bernie Carbo]] hit a three-run homer into the center field bleachers off Reds fireman [[Rawly Eastwick]] to tie the game. In the top of the 11th inning, [[right fielder]] Dwight Evans made a spectacular catch of a [[Joe Morgan]] line drive and doubled off [[Ken Griffey, Sr.|Ken Griffey]] at first base to preserve the tie. In the bottom of the 12th inning, Carlton Fisk hit a deep fly ball that sliced towards the left-field foul pole above the [[Green Monster]]. As the ball sailed into the night, Fisk waved his arms frantically towards fair territory, seemingly pleading with the ball not to go foul. The ball complied, and bedlam ensued at Fenway as Fisk rounded the bases to win the game for the Red Sox 7–6.

The Red Sox lost game 7, 4–3 even though they had an early 3–0 lead. Starting pitcher Bill Lee threw a slow looping curve which he called a "Leephus pitch" or "space ball" to Reds first baseman [[Tony Pérez]] who hit the ball over the Green Monster and across the street. The Reds scored the winning run in the 9th inning. Carlton Fisk said famously about the 1975 World Series, "We won that thing 3 games to 4."