The Year of the Home Run
The 1919 season represented George's final year with the Red Sox, and it was arguably his most impressive offensive performance to that point. He broke the single-season home run record by hitting 29 home runs, shattering the previous mark of 27 set by Ned Williamson in 1884. The achievement was all the more remarkable given that George continued to pitch on a regular basis, though his focus was increasingly on hitting. He was demonstrating that he could be a dual-threat player in ways that had never been seen before.
George's 1919 hitting statistics were extraordinary in almost every category. He hit .322 for the season, with 109 runs scored and 113 runs batted in. He led the American League in home runs, total bases, slugging percentage, and runs batted in. His 29 home runs accounted for nearly half of all home runs hit in the entire American League that season. The sheer dominance of his power hitting was unprecedented, and it signaled a fundamental shift in how the game would be played.
The significance of George's offensive performance cannot be overstated. Before 1919, baseball was primarily a low-scoring game dominated by pitchers and defense. The home run was a relatively rare event, and players who specialized in power hitting were often derided as "one-dimensional." George's 29 home runs changed all that, demonstrating that power hitting could be both effective and popular. He was proving that a player could win games with his bat just as effectively as with his arm.
The fans responded enthusiastically to George's power displays. Attendance soared at games involving George, and crowds gathered wherever he appeared. The home run had become a spectacle, and George was its premier practitioner. People came to ballparks specifically to see him hit, and he rarely disappointed them. His home runs were not just statistical achievements; they were events that captured the imagination of the public.
The Changing Game
The 1919 season also marked a turning point in baseball history, as the "dead-ball era" began to give way to the "live-ball era." Changes in the ball itself—the use of higher-quality materials and tighter winding—made it easier for hitters to generate power. Rule changes, such as the prohibition of the spitball, also benefited hitters. The game was evolving, and George was perfectly positioned to take advantage of these changes.
George was the primary beneficiary of these changes. His natural power, combined with the new baseball and rule changes, allowed him to hit home runs at a rate never before seen. He could generate power that seemed almost supernatural, and he quickly became the standard against which all power hitters would be judged. His swing was perfectly suited to the new era, and he was able to maximize the benefits of the changing game.
The transformation was not lost on baseball fans or owners. George's home runs were drawing massive crowds, increasing revenues, and making baseball more popular than ever. The game was becoming a spectacle, and George was the center of that spectacle. His popularity was not just a product of his talent but also of the way he played the game—with joy, enthusiasm, and a flair for the dramatic.
The Shadow of the Curse
The 1919 season also saw the beginning of the "Curse of the Bambino," a legendary narrative that would haunt the Red Sox for generations. George was traded to the New York Yankees after the season, and the Red Sox would not win another World Series for 86 years. The curse became one of the most famous narratives in sports history, and it remains a powerful symbol of baseball's unique place in American culture.
The sale of George to the Yankees was motivated primarily by Harry Frazee's financial difficulties. Frazee needed cash to fund his theatrical investments, and he saw George's contract as a source of capital. He sold George to the Yankees for $125,000 and a personal loan, a transaction that would be regarded as one of the worst trades in sports history. The sale was a financial necessity for Frazee, but it would haunt the Red Sox for decades.
The reaction to the sale was immediate and intense. Red Sox fans were outraged that the team had let go of its most valuable player. George was beloved in Boston, and the idea of him playing for the hated Yankees was almost impossible to accept. The sale seemed to confirm the worst fears of Red Sox fans: that Frazee cared more about his theatrical investments than about the team's success. The betrayal was felt deeply, and it would take generations for the wound to heal.
The sale also had profound implications for George's career. He would go to the Yankees and become the most famous player in baseball history. His success in New York would eclipse his achievements in Boston, and he would be remembered primarily as a Yankee. The "Curse of the Bambino" narrative would ensure that George's legacy would be forever linked with Boston's suffering. His departure from Boston marked the end of one era and the beginning of another, and the consequences would reverberate for decades.