2013 Boston Red Sox season
The 2013 Boston Red Sox season was the 113th season in the franchise's Major League Baseball history. Under new manager John Farrell, the Red Sox finished first in the American League East with a record of 97 wins and 65 losses. In the postseason, the Red Sox first defeated the AL wild card Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS. In the ALCS, the Red Sox defeated the American League Central champion Detroit Tigers in six games. Advancing to the World Series, the Red Sox defeated the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals in six games, to capture the franchise's eighth championship overall and third in ten years. The Red Sox became the second team to win the World Series the season after finishing last in their division; the first had been the 1991 Minnesota Twins.
2013 Boston Red Sox
97–65 (.599)
1st
The Red Sox led the major leagues in runs scored (853), extra-base hits (570), on-base percentage (.349), slugging percentage (.446) and OPS (.795).
Beards[edit]
Throughout the regular season, numerous Red Sox players sported considerable facial hair, which drew media attention and later drove team marketing. The trend began during spring training, when outfielder Jonny Gomes arrived considerably unshaven. This caught the eye of first baseman Mike Napoli and catcher David Ross, who decided to also stop shaving. With time, other players joined, including second baseman Dustin Pedroia; designated hitter David Ortiz; outfielders Mike Carp and Shane Victorino; pitchers Brandon Workman, Ryan Dempster, John Lackey, and Clay Buchholz; and catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Other players joined from time to time.
The trend grabbed the attention of the audience, who started wearing real and fake beards to the stadium in support of the team. Team marketing started campaigns to take advantage of the beards' popularity. They even gave nicknames to each player's beards such as "The Ironsides" (Gomes), "The Siesta" (Napoli), or "The Saltine" (Saltalamacchia).[38] Steve Rushin wrote an article and interview for Sports Illustrated, "The Hirsute of Happiness", exploring how the beard trend had helped unite the team.[39] The team has also developed the custom of tugging each other's beards to celebrate a hit or home run.[40]
After the team won the World Series, some of the players decided to shave their beards. Victorino and Ortiz shaved theirs during a charity event sponsored by Gillette. At the event, the Boston company donated $100,000 to One Fund Boston, a charity dedicated to the victims of the April 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.[41]