1918 Boston Red Sox season

{{Short description|Major League Baseball season}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2013}}

{{Infobox baseball team season

| name = Boston Red Sox

| season = 1918

| misc = World Series Champions
American League Champions

| image = 1918 Boston Red Sox.jpg

| image_size = 250

| caption = 1918 Boston Red Sox team photo, with Babe Ruth fourth from left in the back row

| league = American League

| ballpark = Fenway Park

| city = Boston, Massachusetts

| record = 75–51 (.595)

| league_place = 1st

| owners = Harry Frazee

| managers = Ed Barrow

| espntn = bos

| brtn = BOS

}}

The 1918 Boston Red Sox season was the 18th season in the franchise's Major League Baseball history. The Red Sox finished first in the American League (AL) with a record of 75 wins and 51 losses, in a season cut short due to World War I. The team then faced the National League (NL) champion Chicago Cubs in the 1918 World Series, which the Red Sox won in six games to capture the franchise's fifth World Series. This would be the last World Series championship for the Red Sox until 2004.

With World War I ongoing, a "work or fight" mandate was issued by the government, requiring men with non-essential jobs to enlist or take war-related jobs by July 1, else risk being drafted.{{cite web |url=https://www.axios.com/coronavirus-spanish-flu-baseball-1918-f498f2d4-7726-4a02-a5f5-59c63d982764.html |title=Special report: War, fever and baseball in 1918 |first1=Kendall |last1=Baker |first2=Jeff |last2=Tracy |website=axios.com |date=April 6, 2020 |access-date=October 8, 2020}} Secretary of War Newton D. Baker granted an extension to MLB players through Labor Day, September 2.{{Cite web |last=Verducci |first=Tom |author-link=Tom Verducci |date=June 22, 2020 |title=Love, Loss and Baseball: Letters From the Hub, Chapters VI - IX |url=https://www.si.com/mlb/2020/06/22/boston-babe-ruth-1918-spanish-flu-part-2 |access-date=October 8, 2020 |website=SI.com}} In early August, MLB clubs decided that the regular season would end at that time.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/60721539/cutting-down-baseball-season-favors/ |title=Cutting Down Baseball Season Favors Present Club Leaders for Final Honors |newspaper=Star-Gazette |location=Elmira, New York |page=8 |date=August 5, 1918 |access-date=October 8, 2020 |via=newspapers.com}} As a result, AL teams played between 123 and 130 regular-season games (including ties),{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1918/Y_1918.htm |title=The 1918 Season |website=Retrosheet |access-date=October 8, 2020}} reduced from their original 154-game schedules. Later in August, Baker granted a further extension to allow for the World Series to be contested; it began on September 5 and ended on September 11.{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1918/YPS_1918.htm |title=The 1918 Post-Season Games |website=Retrosheet |access-date=October 8, 2020}} World War I would end two months later, with the Armistice of 11 November 1918.

Due to the entry of the United States into World War I, several Red Sox players enlisted with the military over the winter of 1917-1918. Notable players who enlisted included Pitchers Ernie Shore and Herb Pennock, Outfielder Duffy Lewis, as well as Manager Jack Barry.{{Cite book |last=Golenbock |first=Peter |title=Red Sox Nation: The Rich and Colorful History of the Boston Red Sox |publisher=Triumph Books |year=2015 |isbn=9781629370507 |edition=4th |location=Chicago, Illinois |pages=54}}

The Red Sox' pitching staff, led by Carl Mays and Bullet Joe Bush, allowed the fewest runs in the league. Babe Ruth was the fourth starter and also spent significant time in the outfield, as he was the best hitter on the team, leading the AL in home runs and slugging percentage.

After this season the Red Sox would fall into mediocrity as they traded away most of their star players to other teams, most notably sending Ruth to the Yankees in 1920. The team would not have another winning record until 1935, 18 years later.