1997 Boston Red Sox season
The 1997 Boston Red Sox season was the 97th season in the franchise's Major League Baseball history. The Red Sox finished fourth in the American League East with a record of 78 wins and 84 losses, 20 games behind the Baltimore Orioles. It was the last time the Red Sox had a losing record until 2012. The Red Sox had 5,781 at bats, a single-season major league record. Regular season. Wally the Green Monster. Wally the Green Monster is the official mascot for the Boston Red Sox. His name is derived from the  Green Monster nickname of the 37-foot wall in left field at Fenway Park. Wally debuted in 1997 to the chagrin of many older Red Sox fans. Although he was a hit with children, the older fans did not immediately adopt him as part of the franchise. According to the Red Sox promotions department, Wally was a huge Red Sox fan who decided to move inside the left field wall of Fenway Park since it "eats up" hits that would easily be home runs at other parks in 1947. Apparently, he was very shy and lived the life of a  hermit for 50 years. On the 50th anniversary of the Green Monster in 1997, he came out of the manual scoreboard and has been interacting with players and fans ever since. Thanks to former Red Sox second baseman and current broadcaster Jerry Remy, those older fans have adored him. Player stats. Batting. "Note: G = Games played; AB = At Bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting Average; HR = Home Runs; RBI = Runs Batted In; SB = Stolen Bases" Pitching. "Note: G = Games Pitched; GS = Games Started; IP = Innings Pitched; W = Wins; L =  Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned Run Average; SO = Strikeouts" Farm system. This was the first season that the Red Sox fielded their own team in the Dominican Summer League. Source: