The Boston Red Sox, from Cy to the Kid

Book excerpt: Boston and the American League have shared a history since the circuit's debut in 1901. The Boston Americans outdrew their established National League counterparts the first year of their existence and never looked back. The century-long love affair between Boston and the team that soon became known as the Red Sox began to blossom in 1903 as the Americans captured the first-ever World Series. The Red Sox: From Cy to the Kid depicts the early history of the American League franchise from Boston, beginning with pitching legend Cy Young, center fielder Tris Speaker, and a young phenomenon named Babe Ruth, who defined the team's era of dominance that culminated with the 1918 World Series. The franchise's descent in the 1920s is chronicled, followed by the renaissance of the Yawkey era and the arrival of the game's greatest hitter, Ted Williams, the most significant of several additions that made the Red Sox one of baseball's premier teams of the postwar era.