Games of Note: The Red Sox go up three games to none over the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2004 World Series. Pedro Martinez, who has been with Boston since 1998, finally starts a World Series contest, and splendidly. Seven frames, six strikeouts, and just five baserunners total, amounting to all of zero runs off the bats of the Cardinals. Keith Foulke would allow one run in the ninth, but Boston's opponent, former Sox hurler Jeff Suppan, gave up four runs in 4-2/3 innings, enough for the Red Sox to take the game.
Manny Ramirez wasn't alone, but he was the source of the Red Sox attack. A two-run home run in the first was enough for the Sox to go ahead for good, and he added another hit and walk on top of that to give him a productive day. Bill Mueller and Trot Nixon also drove in runs, with Mueller picking up two hits on the day. The St. Louis bullpen -- Alberto Reyes, Kiko Calero, Ray King, and Julian Tavarez -- were able to keep the lineup quiet over the last 4-1/3, but it was too late.
Transactions: On October 26, 1934, the Red Sox traded Lyn Lary and $225,000 to the Washington Senators in exchange for Joe Cronin. Cronin had spent seven years with Washington, and soon became a player/manager with the Red Sox. Cronin would spend the rest of his career with Boston, playing 11 seasons while hitting .300/.394/.484. He would eventually become the club's general manager as well, before moving on to become league president. Cronin's number, four, is retired by the Sox, and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1956, for his work as a player.
Another Hall of Famer, Wade Boggs, ended his Boston career on this day in 1992. He was granted his free agency on this date 10 years ago, after spending 11 years in the majors with the Red Sox. He hit .338/.428/.462 in 7,323 plate appearances, averaging 191 hits per year, in part thanks to a stretch in which he had 200 hits or more in seven-straight seasons. This was a record until Ichiro Suzuki broke it. Boggs won five batting titles while with the Red Sox in six years, and in those six seasons, put up a line of .356/.448/.489. The homers were never there, but the doubles and walks were: Boggs led the AL in doubles and walks two times each, with two of those walk seasons also batting title ones.
Birthdays: Former Red Sox first baseman Dick Hoblitzell was born on this day in 1888. He played for the Red Sox from 1914 through 1918, acquired by the Red Sox during that first season, courtesy of waivers. In his full seasons with Boston, Hoblitzell hit .274/.349/.354, before falling off in 1918, his last season in the majors. Hoblitzell would spend another 10 years playing minor-league ball, but would never come back to the majors.