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The 1979 Boston Red Sox season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Red Sox finishing 3rd in the American League East with a record of 91 wins and 69 losses. Boston finished 11 games behind the eventual American League champion Baltimore Orioles, and 4 behind the second-place Milwaukee Brewers.

Regular season

In 1979, Fred Lynn hit a league-leading .333 and had 39 homers and 122 RBIs. Jim Rice batted .325, with 39 homers and 130 RBIs, but Dennis Eckersley fell to 17 wins, and Mike Torrez had 16 wins again.

Another highlight was Carl Yastrzemski's 3,000th hit and his 400th home run. He was the first American Leaguer ever to do that and the 15th in Major League Baseball history. Yaz joined the 3,000-Hit Club with a single off Jim Beattie on September 12.^[1] The hit came against the New York Yankees. The same game also marked the final appearance at Fenway Park for Hall of Fame pitcher Catfish Hunter.

Season standings

Notable transactions

• June 13, 1979: Pete Ladd, a player to be named later, and cash were traded by the Red Sox to the Houston Astros for Bob Watson. The Red Sox completed the deal by sending Bobby Sprowl to the Astros on June 19.^[2]
• August 17, 1979: The Red Sox traded a player to be named later and cash to the Chicago Cubs for Ted Sizemore. The Red Sox completed the deal by sending Mike O'Berry to the Cubs on October 23.^[3]

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

Other batters

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

Pitching

Starting pitchers

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

Other pitchers

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

Relief pitchers

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

Farm system

LEAGUE CHAMPIONS: Winston-Salem, Winter Haven

Notes

References

• Johnson, Lloyd; Wolff, Miles, eds (1997). The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball (2nd ed.). Durham, N.C.: Baseball America. ISBN 978-0963718983.  
• 1979 Boston Red Sox team page at Baseball Reference
• 1979 Boston Red Sox season at baseball-almanac.com