Winter Haven Red Sox
| Winter Haven Red Sox | |
|---|---|
| |
| Minor league affiliations | |
| Previous classes |
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| League | Florida State League |
| Major league affiliations | |
| Previous teams |
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| Minor league titles | |
| League titles | 1 (1979) |
| Team data | |
Previous names |
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Previous parks | Chain of Lakes Park |
The Winter Haven Red Sox were a
Team history
The franchise began in 1966 in Deerfield Beach, Florida, as the Deerfield Beach Sun Sox, a Class-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. However, on June 27, 1966, the team moved to Winter Haven becoming the Winter Haven Sun Sox. It was the city's first entry in Organized Baseball since the 1919 Bartow Polkers played part of their home schedule in Winter Haven. The Sun Sox were managed by Don Bacon and Bruce Andrew and had a 55–83 record overall.[citation needed]
In 1967, the Sun Sox were renamed the Winter Haven Mets after their new parent club, the
The Mets left Winter Haven after only a single season, then the franchise lay dormant during 1968. In 1969, the
The Winter Haven Red Sox effectively folded after the 1992 season, when, after 27 years, the parent Red Sox moved their spring headquarters to
The ballpark
The team played home games at Chain of Lakes Park, located at 500 Cletus Allen Drive.[1] The park still exists as part of the Chain of Lakes Sports Complex.
Notable alumni
Baseball Hall of Fame alumni
- Jeff Bagwell (1989) Inducted, 2017
- Jim Rice (1972) Inducted, 2009
- Nolan Ryan (1967) Inducted, 1999
Notable alumni
- Brady Anderson (1986) 3 x MLB All-Star
- Oil Can Boyd (1981)
- Ellis Burks (1984) 2 x MLB All-Star
- Rick Burleson (1970) 4 x MLB All-Star
- Roger Clemens (1983) 1986 AL Most Valuable Player, 7 x Cy Young Award
- Scott Hatteberg (1991)
- Bruce Hurst (1977) MLB All-Star
- Bob Ojeda (1979)
- Ben Oglivie (1969) 1980 AL Home Run Leader
- Paul Quantrill (1990) MLB All-Star
- Ken Singleton (1967) 3 x MLB All-Star
- Bob Stanley (1975, 1988) 2 x MLB All-Star
Year-by-year record
| Year | Record | Finish | Manager | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | 55-83 | 8th | Don Bacon & Bruce Andrew | |
| 1967 | 94-46 | 2nd | Pete Pavlick | |
| 1969 | 76-53 | 3rd | Rac Slider | |
| 1970 | 61-71 | 7th | John K. Butler | |
| 1971 | 58-79 | 10th | ||
| 1972 | 61-70 | 10th | ||
| 1973 | 50-94 | 10th | Al Lehrer | |
| 1974 | 59-71 | 6th (t) | Rac Slider | |
| 1975 | 57-70 | 5th (t) | ||
| 1976 | 65-76 | 6th | ||
| 1977 | 70-66 | 5th | ||
| 1978 | 82-56 | 2nd | ||
| 1979 | 79-58 | 2nd | League Champs | |
| 1980 | 60-80 | 10th | ||
| 1981 | 62-77 | 9th | ||
| 1982 | 59-74 | 8th | Tom Kotchman | |
| 1983 | 49-83 | 9th | ||
| 1984 | 70-74 | 8th | Dave Holt | |
| 1985 | 71-68 | 7th | ||
| 1986 | 80-47 | 2nd | Lost in 1st round | |
| 1987 | 67-71 | 8th | Doug Camilli | |
| 1988 | 45-94 | 14th | ||
| 1989 | 52-87 | 13th | Dave Holt | |
| 1990 | 40-94 | 14th | ||
| 1991 | 43-85 | 14th | Mike Verdi | |
| 1992 | 51-86 | 13th | Felix Maldonado |