The Boston Red Sox: Where does the Name Come from?
November 2007
The name Red Sox was given to the team after the 1907 season and described the red hose in the team uniform. It was believed that “sox” is a shorter form of stockings, which was more headline-friendly as taking less space in newspapers and better fitting on a page. The name actually derives from the Cincinnati Red Stockings – a team, which was managed by Harry Wright – the same person, who later organized a new hockey team in Boston. In fact, the Cincinnati Red Stockings had a very special uniform: white knickers and red stockings, to which they owe their famous nickname. When later on Wright was hired to found a new team in Boston, he brought three teammates and the “Red Stockings” nickname along. That is how the nick was created – thanks to the team’s first manager. We should say that this nickname brought luck to the Boston Red Sox, because it won four championships in the five seasons of the new National Association, the first professional league. By the way, The Red Sox are one of two teams in the American League with Sox in their name. The other one is the Chicago White Sox 
