The Boston Red Sox

From 1901 to 1907, the team had no official nickname. They were known as the Boston Americans simply because they played in the newly formed American League, and it helped differentiate between the city's two teams.

When the Red Sox first decided to retire player numbers, they had two criteria: the player had to have ended his career with the Red Sox and be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The first players to pass that threshold were Joe Cronin (No. 4) Ted Williams (No. 9).

Johnny Pesky's No. 6 was retired in 2008. Babe Ruth's number was not retired by the Red Sox because players didn't wear numbers when Ruth played for them.

With both teams finishing the regular season at 99-63, the Red Sox and Yankees played a tie-breaker at Fenway Park to determine the winner of the American League East. With the Yankees trailing 2-0 in the top of the seventh, shortstop Bucky Dent, who'd hit just five home runs all season, hit a three-run dinger over the Green Monster to give the Yankees a lead they did not relinquish.

Although the "Cowboy Up" mantra did fade somewhat following the end of the Red Sox's curse in 2004, it remains a reminder of the grit it takes to win a championship. While center fielder Johnny Damon is known for calling the team a "band of idiots," it was first baseman Kevin Millar who brought the "Cowboy Up" mentality.

 The main reason the Minnesota Twins let David "Big Papi" Ortiz go was his supposed lack of power. Through parts of six seasons with the club, he hit 58 home runs; in fourteen seasons with Boston, Ortiz clubbed 473.