During the last week of September the Red Sox moved into the lead for the first time in '49, and were in first place heading into the final weekend - one game ahead of the Yankees with just two games left to play. Just one more win would mean a pennant for Boston.

At Yankee Stadium on Saturday Boston rocked New York's Allie Reynolds for four runs in the first two and 2/3 innings. However, the Yanks fought back, aided by six and 1/3 innings of shutout relief by ace Joe Page, and the scored was tied 4-4 going into the last of the 8th. Then, outfielder Johnny Lindell cranked a solo homer and the 'Damn Yanks' won 5-4.

In the final game of the season, the Yankees, aided by pitcher Vic Rashi, were leading 1-0 after seven innings. Rashi was halting the BoSox big hitters and out-dueling Ellis Kinder. Boston's manager Joe McCarthy pulled Kinder for a pinch-hitter during the top of the 8th. The Yankee bats pounded relievers Mel Parnell and Tex Hughson for four runs in the bottom of the 8th. (Parnell was 25-7 during the regular season and won more games during the season than any other major league pitcher).

Boston did score three runs in top half of the 9th, but still lost 5-3... And, for the second straight year lost the pennant on the final day of the season.

When the major leagues lost numerous players to military service during World War II, the Red Sox fell to seventh place in 1943 with 68-84, a full 29 games behind the pennant winning Yankees.

Red Sox Leading Pitchers:

Joe Dobson, Right-handed - after debuting in the big leagues with Cleveland as a 22-year-old in 1939, the 6-foot-2, 196-pounder was traded to Boston prior to the 1941 season. Dobson found immediate success in the Sox starting rotation - posting a sparkling 12-5 record, 4.49 ERA with 2 complete game shutouts. He went 11-9 in '42 and although his record fell to 7-11 the next season, he had a solid 3.12 ERA.

Dobson proudly service the next two years in the military and returned to Fenway and regained his brilliant pitching form - going 13-6, 3.24 ERA... 18-8, 2.95 ERA... 16-10, 3.56 ERA... 14-12, 3.85 ERA... 15-10, 4.18 ERA from 1946 thru 1950. In those post-war seasons, Dobson completed 9-of-24 starts in '46, 15-of-31 in '47, a career-high 16-of-32 in '48, and 12-of-27 in both '49 and '50 before being traded to the Chicago White Sox in the winter of '51.

Joe Dobson career record: 137-103 W/L, 3.62 ERA, 414 games, 273 GS, 112 GC, 2170 innings, 2048 hits, 851 Walks, 992 strikeouts, 22 shutouts... Cleveland 1939-40, Boston 1941-50, 1954, Chicago 1951-53.

=========================================

Tex Hughson, Right-handed - born in Kyle, Texas... a power pitcher, he was 5-3, 4.13 ERA as a rookie with Boston in 1941. The next season, he vaulted to success leading the AL in wins - 22-6 record, 2.59 ERA and posted the 3rd-highest winning percentage - .786 and led the league with 22 complete games and tied for the league-lead with 113 strikeouts.

Hughson went 12-15, with a nice 2.64 ERA and again led the AL with 20 complete games in '43, then recorded a league leading winning-percentage of .783 in 1944, going 18-5, with an outstanding 2.26 ERA - third-best in the AL.

Hughson missed the entire 1945 season due to the war, and returned to the Red Sox in 1946, posted his second 20 win season - 20-11, 2.75 ERA and the big 6-foot-3, 198-pounder completed an amazing 30-of 35 starts. He was 12-11 in '47, then 3-1 and 4-2 in his final two seasons.

Cecil 'Tex' Hughson career record: 96-54 W/L, 2.94 ERA, 225 games 156GS, 99GC, 1375.7 innings, 1270 hits, 372 Walks, 693 strikeouts, 15 Shutouts... Boston 1941-44, 1946-49.

========================================

Mike Ryba, Right-handed - a 10-year major league Veteran and a durable moundstay, he was one of this era's best long-relievers.

He pitched his first four major league seasons with the Cardinals, 1935-1938, before joining Boston in 1941. Occasionally used as a starter, he appeared in 38 games with St Louis in '37, completed 5-of-8 starts - working 135 innings and had a solid 9-6 win/loss record.

In his first year with the BoSox, 1941, Ryba won 6 games in relief and collected 6 saves, started 3 games, worked 131 innings and had a 7-3 record, 4.46 ERA.

Ryba's best season was 1944, when he posted a 12-7 record, 3.33 ERA in 42 games, 7 starts, allowed just 119 hits in 138 innings.

Dominic Ryba career record: 52-34 W/L, 3.66 ERA, 240 Games, 36GS, 16GC, 783.7 innings, 307 strikeouts, 247 Walks, 16 Saves, 2 Shutouts... St. Louis 1935-38, Boston 1941-46.

=========================================

Oscar 'Ossie' Judd, Left-handed - Born in Rebecca, Ontario, Canada on 2/14/1908 - after pitching for various minor league teams, Judd joined the Red Sox as a rookie in 1941 at age 33. An outstanding hitting pitcher, in his 8-year major league career, he collected 83 hits in 206 at-bats, for a .262 average, and slugged 3 homers.

In 1942 Judd went 8-10, 3.89 ERA in 150.3 innings, spanning 31 games in 1942, and completed 11-of-19 starts. He posted a solid 11-6 record, 2.90 ERA in 1943.

After pitching just 2 games for Boston in '44 he was traded to the Phillies and registered a 5-5 combined mark. With the Phils in '46 he was 11-12, 3.53 ERA.

Thomas William Oscar Judd career record: 40-51 W/L, 3.90 ERA, 161 games, 99GS, 43GC, 771.3 innings, 304 strikeouts, 397 Walks, 7 Saves, 4 Shutouts... Boston 1941-45, Philadelphia 1945-48.

=========================================

Dick Newsome, Right-hander - Born in Ahoskie, N.C. on 12/13/1909 - he had a remarkable rookie year with Boston in 1941, winning 19 games - third best in the American League. The 6-foot, 185-pounder went 19-10, a 4.13 ERA, and completed 17-of-29 games, 213.7 innings, and also, relieved in 7 other games.

Newsome pitched just two more big-league seasons - both in Boston, then served his country during the war, and then returned to his farm in Ahoskie, North Carolina. In '42, he went 8-10 W/L and then 8-13 in '43.

Heber Newsome career record: 35-33, 4.50 ERA, 85 Games, 74 GS, 36GC, 526 innings, 138 strikeouts, 214 Walks... Boston 1941-43... baseballhistorian.com - The History of Professional Baseball

One Boston writer in the late-'40s summed up Dobson's roundhouse curveball this way: 'It started out somewhere around the dugout and would up clipping the outside corner of the plate. There are curveballs, and there are curveballs.'

Dobson broke in with Cleveland back in '39, and worked mainly as a reliever for the Indians his first two-years. Traded to Boston in 1941... he stayed in a Boston Red Sox uniform from 1941 thru 1950 before being traded to the White Sox in '51. In Chicago he rang up records of 7-6... 14-10... and 5-5.

About his early days in Boston, Dobson recalled Ted Williams played a big part in my becoming a successful pitcher. Dobson said: 'My first year in Boston was 1941. I would pitch to Williams in practice, maybe for 45 minutes. I learned a lot from that man.

baseballhistorian.com - Archives - Boston Red Sox 1940s