The
Boston Pilgrims, now known as the
Boston Red Sox, are a Major League Baseball (
MLB) franchise based in
Boston,
Massachusetts. The team was founded in 1901 as one of the American League's eight charter franchises. They are one of the oldest and most successful teams in the history of professional baseball, having won nine World Series championships, the most of any American League team, and 13 American League pennants.
The Pilgrims were originally owned by Henry Killilea, a
Milwaukee businessman, and were known as the
Milwaukee Brewers. In 1902, Killilea sold the team to John I. Taylor, a
Boston newspaper publisher. Taylor changed the team’s name to the
Boston Pilgrims and moved them to
Boston.
The Pilgrims played their first game on April 26,
1903, at Huntington Avenue Grounds, which was their home stadium until
1911. They then moved to Fenway Park, which has been the team’s home stadium ever since. The Pilgrims have won the World Series four times at Fenway Park, in
1912,
1915,
1916, and
1918.
The Pilgrims’ greatest success came during the early part of the 20th century, when they won four World Series titles in seven years. They also had a streak of seven straight American League pennants from
1903 to
1909. The team was led by legendary players such as Cy Young, Tris Speaker, and Babe Ruth.