A New Catcher Joins the Red Sox — Just Like 58 Years Ago

The Boston Red Sox made a surprising move on Aug. 3, trading for All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman from the Baltimore Orioles. The team was already having a better season than most people expected, and adding Rutschman was meant to make them even stronger. What made the deal especially interesting was the date — because on Aug. 3, 1967, the Red Sox also traded for an All-Star catcher named Elston Howard. Baseball fans love when history repeats itself, and this felt like exactly that.

The 1967 Red Sox are known as the 'Impossible Dream' team because they came from nowhere to win the American League pennant. That year, getting catcher Elston Howard from the Yankees was a huge boost. Howard caught 41 regular-season games for Boston and then caught all seven games of the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. He was 38 years old but brought a wealth of experience that the team badly needed.

Jim Lonborg was the best pitcher on that 1967 team, and now at 84 years old, he still remembers how much Howard helped him. 'For me it was easy having Ellie as my catcher,' Lonborg said. 'He put down the sign, and I threw the pitch.' Howard's experience took away all the guesswork for Lonborg, and that trust made him pitch better. Lonborg even joked that Howard's catcher's mitt seemed bigger than any he had ever seen.

Fast-forward to today, and pitcher Patrick Sandoval had similar things to say about Rutschman after working with him for six innings. 'He's a big-time catcher, a big-time player. We're lucky to have him,' Sandoval said. Rutschman, who is 28 years old, started studying video of Red Sox pitchers the very day after the trade. He worked closely with coaches to get ready as quickly as possible.

Back in 1967, players had almost no video to study. Manager Dick Williams had only four coaches, and team meetings were kept short. 'We had a meeting before a series and talked about their hitters. That was about it,' Lonborg recalled. Today's players have access to tons of data and game film, making it easier to prepare quickly. Still, the challenge of bonding with new teammates in the middle of a season is the same as it ever was.

Lonborg watches the Red Sox closely from his home in Scituate, Massachusetts, and he admitted he had given up on the team's chances back in June. Their turnaround has made him very happy. 'Watching this magic occur has been amazing,' he said. 'And the fan base has all of a sudden embraced the team again.' He and his wife, Rosemary, often visit Fenway Park, and 31 family members attended a game together earlier this season.

The Red Sox also have an exciting young shortstop prospect named Franklin Arias. The 20-year-old from Venezuela was recently promoted to Triple-A Worcester, where he had a strong .946 OPS over 15 games and drove in 17 runs. Current Red Sox shortstop Andruw Monasterio had an interesting connection to Arias — he once played Little League with Arias's brother back in Venezuela. When Monasterio joined the Red Sox, he made it a point to reach out to Arias and offer advice.

Monasterio said his best advice to Arias was simple: never take a game for granted. 'Always be ready,' Arias said through a translator. 'Every time I go out there and step on the field, I have to be ready for everything.' Monasterio has been playing very well himself, hitting .333 since July 1. The Red Sox also hope to have veteran shortstop Trevor Story back on the roster before the season ends.

The Chicago White Sox are having a surprising season of their own after finishing in last place in 2025. Some fans joke it might have something to do with Pope Leo XIV, who grew up in the Chicago area and has been a White Sox fan since he was young. The team gave away 40,000 Pope hats, and a sellout crowd of 38,311 showed up for the special themed game. A priest offered a blessing after the fifth inning, and fans shared a sign of peace with each other in the stands.

The Red Sox made history this season by going from 14 games under .500 to 13 games over .500 in just 44 days — the fastest any team has ever done that in MLB history. That broke a record set by the 1914 'Miracle Braves,' who were in last place on July 4 but went on to win the World Series. Former Red Sox manager Alex Cora, who was fired earlier this year, says he plans to manage again someday. For now, he is traveling with family and training to run the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 12.