Collapses, errors, heartbreak … the numbers behind Boston's 86-year World Series title drought
1,289,422
number of fans that saw the New York Yankees play at home during the 1920 season (Babe Ruth's first as a Yankee), marking the first time in baseball history that a team's home attendance exceeded one million.
425,000
price in US dollars ($125, 000 in cash, and $300,000 in the form of a loan) that Red Sox owner Harry Frazee sold Ruth for on Jan. 3, 1920. Frazee made the deal with the rival New York Yankees so he could finance a play called 'No, No, Nanette.'
1918
prior to 2004, year the Red Sox last won the World Series.
104
number of games the Red Sox won during the 1946 regular season. Considered 2-to-1 favourites to win the Fall Classic that year, the Red Sox succumbed to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games.
86
number of years between World Series titles for the Red Sox.
49
number of home runs hit by Ruth with the Red Sox. He went on to hit only 665 more after that.
26
number of strikeouts by Cardinals pitchers Bob Gibson in the 1967 World Series. Gibson threw three complete games (all wins, including one shutout) and posted a 1.00 ERA in leading the Cards to victory in seven games.
14
number of consecutive losing seasons suffered by the Red Sox after selling Ruth to the Yankees.
13
number of consecutive post-season loses by the Red Sox (1986-1995), a Major League record.
11
inning in which Aaron Boone hit his walk-off homer off Red Sox knuckleballer Tim Wakefield in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS to send the Yankees to the World Series.
6
number of World Series won by the Boston Red Sox. The Yankees have won 26.
4
number of home runs hit by New York's Bucky Dent in the 1978 season before he smashed a three-run shot in the famous playoff game that cost the Red Sox (who led the Yankees by 14 games on July 20) the American League pennant.
3
number of runs the Red Sox led the Cincinnati Reds by (3-0) in Game 7 of the 1975 World Series. The Reds scored four runs in the final four innings to win the game and the series.
2
number of games then-pitcher Babe Ruth won for the Red Sox in their last victorious World Series. The Bambino was 2-0 with a 1.06 ERA in the series, which saw the Sox down the Chicago Cubs in six games.
2
number of current MLB teams with longer World Series droughts than the Red Sox. The Chiago Cubs haven’t won a Series since 1908. The Chicago White Sox's last title came in 1917.
1
number of strikes the Red Sox were away from winning the 1986 World Series against the New York Mets. Bill Buckner's infamous error in the tenth inning of Game 6 capped an amazing Mets comeback, who then went on to win Game 7 and the series.
0
number of World Series titles won by the Red Sox since 1918, before defeating St. Louis.
