Red Sox Nation

Red Sox Nation is a term given to fans of the Boston Red Sox. The phrase "Red Sox Nation" was first used by Boston Globe feature writer Nathan Cobb in an October 20, 1986 article about split allegiances among fans in Connecticut during the 1986 World Series. The phrase was popularized by the 1996 book At Fenway: Dispatches From Red Sox Nation () by Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy. The term has since been become a commercial trademark of the Boston Red Sox. It is also widely copied both inside and outside sports, e.g. "NASCAR Nation", to describe various subcultures.

Players of significance to Red Sox Nation

• Ted Williams: a Hall of Famer remembered by many as one of the greatest hitters of all time. His career lasted from 1939 to 1960, and he was, as of 2004, the last player to hit over .400, hitting .406 in 1941. Williams was known as Teddy Ballgame and The Kid. After Williams passed away in 2002, his son John Henry Williams made the decision to cryogenically freeze his remains, despite the fact that it was known that the great hitter's desire was to be cremated. This led John Henry Williams to be a much-hated figure in Red Sox Nation until his own death from leukemia in March 2004.
• Dom DiMaggio: Sox centerfielder during the 1940's and 1950's. Known as the Little Professor and spectacular defensively.
• Johnny Pesky
• Pumpsie Green: Became the first African American player on the Red Sox in 1959, making the Sox the last team in MLB to integrate.
• Carl Yastrzemski
• Jim Rice
• Roger Clemens
• Nomar Garciaparra: Drafted out of Georgia Tech in 1994, Nomar quickly won the hearts of the Nation with his acrobatic play at shortstop, his superior hitting, and his collection of tics and quirks. Nomar, generally thought to have been a franchise player whose number (No. 5) would be retired between those of Joe Cronin (No. 4) and Yaz (No. 8), was sent to the Chicago Cubs in July 2004, resulting in the acquisition of Orlando Cabrera and Doug Mientkiewicz. Whispers around the clubhouse indicated that Nomar was negatively impacting the team with a poor attitude that was incompatible with his teammates. This belief can also be correlated to the team's remarkably better play down the stretch after the trade was completed.
• Pedro Martínez: One of the most dominating pitchers of all-time, Pedro has often been compared to Sandy Koufax and possesses one of the highest career winning percentages of all-times at .705 (182-76). Pedro helped lead the Sox to the title in 2004 after years as the Sox ace. He left the team in the following off-season (see Pedro free agency above).
• Manny Ramírez
• Curt Schilling
• Tim Wakefield: one of the most reliable pitchers in Red Sox, he has been playing for the team almost his entire career, more than 10 years, and during that time he has played every position a pitcher can play, depending on where the team needed him, such as relief pitcher, closer and starter. He also posesses a unique kind of pitch, the knuckleball, which has been thrown by only a few pitchers in MLB history.

Cult figures

• Tony Conigliaro
• Rich Garces: Known as El Guapo in joking reference to his girth, a Sox relief pitcher in the 1990's revered by the Nation.
• Sam Horn: Once a prized prospect in the Sox farm system, Horn never really made it in "The Show". Now is a NESN commentator and has lent his name to an influential Sox fan website (see external links below).
• Wendell Kim: Served as the Sox third base coach in the mid to late 1990's. Nicknamed Wave 'Em Home Wendell for his proclivity for sending players home even when they had little chance of scoring.