The Boston Red Sox are one of the most iconic teams in baseball history and one of four teams taking part in the first FTX MLB Home Run Derby X, an event that will bring a beloved American tradition to London – with a few twists. Long known as the underdogs to their rivals in New York, Boston has won four World Series championships since 2004 and have become one of the most feared teams in the sport. As we gear up for the first HRDX tournament on July 9 with its all-new rules and twists, here's what you need to know about the franchise.

Franchise history
Founded in 1901, Boston was one of the American League’s eight charter members. Officially known as the Americans, the club was also referred to by the media as the Somersets -- after owner Charles Somers -- as well as the Plymouth Rocks, Speed Boys, Puritans and Pilgrims in its infancy. But on Dec. 18, 1907, the franchise adopted the name Red Sox. The change came after the National League’s Boston Doves -- previously known as the Red Stockings and currently the Atlanta Braves -- abandoned the red hosiery they customarily wore due to concerns that the red dye could cause infections in spike wounds.

Since its 1969 inception, Boston has competed in the AL East, which has long carried the reputation of being MLB’s best and most ruthless division.

World Series titles: 9
Years: 1903, 1912, 1915, 1916, 1918, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2018

Boston wasted little time establishing itself as one of baseball’s most dominant teams, defeating the Pirates in the first-ever World Series in 1903 and winning four more championships by 1918. But from 1919 to 2003, the team endured one of the longest championship droughts in baseball history, dubbed the “Curse of the Bambino” in recognition of owner Harry Frazee’s decision to sell Babe Ruth -- one of the game’s all-time greats and the so-called “Bambino” -- to the rival New York Yankees in 1920.

In 2004, the Red Sox finally broke the curse, overcoming a 3-0 deficit to beat the Yankees in the best-of-seven AL Championship series and then sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals for their first World Series title in 86 years. Boston has since added three more championships, giving it the most of any team this century.

5 iconic players

Ted Williams, LF, 1939-60: Arguably the greatest hitter in MLB history, the Splendid Splinter batted .344 with 521 homers in 19 seasons, all with the Red Sox. As great a career as he had, his numbers would’ve been even better if not for missing nearly five full seasons while serving in World War II and the Korean War.

Carl Yastrzemski, LF, 1961-83: Faced with the unenviable task of replacing Williams in left field, Yastrzemski eventually became a legend himself, hitting 452 homers and capturing seven Gold Glove Awards in 23 seasons for the Red Sox. Yaz was the driving force for one of the most impactful seasons in team history in 1967, winning the AL Triple Crown with a .326 average, 44 homers and 121 RBIs.

Roger Clemens, RHP, 1984-96: Dubbed by teammate Bruce Hurst as “The Rocket,” Clemens won three of his record-setting seven Cy Young Awards while with the Red Sox, as well as the 1986 AL MVP. He’s tied with Cy Young for the most wins (192) and shutouts (38) in franchise history and holds the team record with 2,590 strikeouts, highlighted by a pair of 20-strikeout games in 1986 and ’96.

Pedro Martinez, RHP, 1998-2004: As great as Clemens was, Martinez owns the title of best pitcher in Red Sox history, posting a 117-37 record, a 2.52 ERA and 1,683 strikeouts in 1,383 2/3 innings. His 1999 and 2000 seasons were both for the ages, as he went a combined 41-10 with a 1.90 ERA en route to back-to-back Cy Young Awards. His most significant achievement, though, was helping the club win the 2004 World Series.

David Ortiz, DH, 2003-16: One of the most impactful clutch hitters in baseball history, Ortiz’s hitting heroics fueled Boston’s World Series championship seasons of 2004, ’07 and ’13. Big Papi ranks in the top five in club history in several offensive categories -- including second in homers (483) -- and will become the 37th former Red Sox player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 24 in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Biggest current star: Xander Bogaerts
Signed out of Aruba in 2009, Bogaerts rapidly rose up the Minors and made his Major League debut at just 20 years old, helping the Red Sox win the 2013 World Series. Nine years later, the shortstop is among the most accomplished players in team history, with two World Series rings, three All-Star appearances and four Silver Slugger awards under his belt.

HRDX LEGEND: Jonny Gomes
Gomes only spent parts of two seasons in Boston amid a 13-year career, but that’s all it took for him to establish himself as a fan favorite. The journeyman outfielder proved to be instrumental in helping the Red Sox to the 2013 World Series, batting .247 with 13 homers and 52 RBIs in the regular season and belting a clutch three-run homer in Game 4 of the Fall Classic.

Biggest rival: Yankees
The Red Sox-Yankees rivalry is one of the most storied in all of sports, dating back more than a century and 2,200 games. In addition to Boston’s historic comeback in the 2004 ALCS, the two teams have met three other times in the postseason -- most recently in the 2021 AL Wild Card Game, which the Red Sox won 6-2. Among the best (and weirdest) moments between Boston and New York have been a handful of benches-clearing brawls, perhaps the most noteworthy coming in the 2003 ALCS, when Martinez grabbed a charging Don Zimmer, the Yankees' 72-year-old bench coach, and threw him to the ground.

Ballpark: Fenway Park
The Red Sox’ home since April 20, 1912, Fenway Park is MLB’s oldest ballpark. Because of its age and constrained location in the Fenway neighborhood of Boston, the park features several quirks, including Pesky’s Pole -- the right-field foul pole named after Red Sox legend Johnny Pesky and that stands a mere 302 feet from home plate -- and “The Triangle” -- an area in center field where the walls form a triangle 420 feet from home plate. The park’s most defining characteristic, though: the Green Monster, the 37-foot high, 231-foot long left-field wall.

Uniforms
The Red Sox are known for their traditional white uniforms with red lettering and their iconic navy caps featuring a red “B.” In 2021, the team unveiled yellow-and-powder-blue uniforms, inspired by the Patriots' Day holiday and the Boston Marathon.