The team is best remembered for its change of fortune following its change of manager; after John McNamara was replaced by Joe Morgan, the team won its next 12 games in a stretch nicknamed "Morgan Magic".[3]
The 1988 team seemed to start much better than their chaotic 1987 predecessors, going 14–6 in April;[6] however, the team went sour thereafter, especially for Jim Rice as he moved from left field to designated hitter. Dwight Evans also had problems when he played first base, and the usually reliable Lee Smith had problems closing, including giving up a game-winning home run to the Detroit Tigers on Opening Day.[14]
The Red Sox had an 11–16 record in May,[6] followed by a slightly better June with a 14–12 record,[6] but lost pitcher Jeff Sellers when he was hit by a line drive in Cleveland that broke his hand. Wes Gardner was moved from the bullpen to the rotation, but the team and its fans were losing patience.
On July 15, the first game after the All-Star break, the Red Sox and Roger Clemens beat the Kansas City Royals and Bret Saberhagen, 3–1.[17] This began a 12-game winning streak,[17] which launched the Red Sox to first place over the slumping Tigers and New York Yankees. The Red Sox would later set an American League record of 24 straight home victories. Two months after Morgan became manager, the team was 81–63 and in first place by 4+1⁄2 games.[18] The team cooled off in the final two weeks of the season, finishing with nine losses in their final 13 games,[17] but held on to win the AL East, finishing one game ahead of the Tigers, for their second division title in three seasons.
^The Red Sox list 1987–2001 as Harrington's tenure as president,[1] although the team's 1988 media guide listed Jean Yawkey as president.[2]
References
^"Club Executives"(PDF). Boston Red Sox Media Guide. Boston Red Sox. 2020. pp. 23–24. Archived from the original(PDF) on June 22, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2020 – via Wayback Machine.
^ abJohnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 3rd edition. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 2007