1901 Boston Americans season

On February 11, Jimmy Collins, third baseman for the National League Boston Beaneaters became the first player under contract for the Boston Americans after being offered a contract of $4000 with the added ability to sign subsequent players to contracts.^[1] Collins was joined on March 4 by the outfielder Chick Stahl, who was also from the Beaneaters.^[2] Defecting with Stahl and Collins was the outfielder Buck Freeman.^[3]

Yet perhaps the most important signing was that of the 34 year old St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Cy Young, who accepted a contract worth $3500 from the Boston Americans.^[4] Vital to the signing of Cy Young from the Cardinals was the signing of Cy Young's catcher in St. Louis, Lou Criger; the value that Young gave to Criger and that Criger gave to Young was so strong, that it is unlikely that Young would have signed for the Americans if Criger had not done so.^[5]

Prior to the regular season, the team held spring training in Charlottesville, Virginia.^[9]

• April 26: The franchise's first-ever American League contest ends as a 10–6 loss to the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park in Baltimore.^[10] Pitching for the Red Sox was Win Kellum, who became the first Red Sox player to pitch a complete game, but was also the first pitcher to earn a loss.^[11] Boston's first run was scored by player-manager Jimmy Collins in the fifth inning.^[12] In 1903, the Orioles relocated to New York City as the Highlanders, then in 1913 became known as the New York Yankees.
• April 30: After losing their first three games, the team records its first win, an 8–6 victory in 10 innings over the Philadelphia Athletics at Columbia Park in Philadelphia.^[10] Cy Young was the winning pitcher.^[13]
• May 2: In their highest-scoring game of the year, Boston defeats Philadelphia, 23–12 in a road victory.^[10] This game was also the first game played by the Wales-born pitcher Ted Lewis, who pitched a complete game, becoming the first person born outside of North America to play for the Red Sox.^[14]
• May 8: The team plays and wins its first-ever home game, 12–4 over the visiting Athletics.^[10]
• May 11: Buck Freeman receives the first ejection in franchise history, sent off by umpire Jack Haskell following a call at second base,^[15] in a home loss to the Washington Senators.
• May 17: The team's longest losing streak of the season, five games between May 11 and 16, comes to an end with a victory over the visiting Orioles.^[10]
• June 10: A 7–4 win over the visiting Milwaukee Brewers gives the team a winning record for the first time, as they reach 17–16.^[10] In 1902, the Brewers moved and became the St. Louis Browns, then in 1954 moved again and became today's Baltimore Orioles.
• June 24: The team's longest winning streak of the season, nine games between June 14 and 22, comes to an end with a loss to the visiting Cleveland Blues.^[10]
• August 27: The team's longest game of the season ends as a 2–1 win in 15 innings over the visiting Detroit Tigers.^[10]
• September 28: The season ends with a home doubleheader against the Brewers; Boston wins both games, 8–3, and 10–9 in seven innings.

The total attendance for the Red Sox was 289,448, the second most in the American League (behind the White Sox' 354,350) and more than the crosstown Boston Beaneaters' 146,502.^[16]