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The former University of Alabama football star's all-out play caused him many injuries throughout his baseball career. He became a Red Sox regular in 1977, setting team records for third basemen with 30 home runs and 112 RBI. His 43 errors in 1978 were the most by any AL fielder, and his .899 fielding average was the first below .900 by a regular in 62 years. The hard-nosed slugger suffered through elbow problems and, after a trade to California in 1981, a shoulder separation. He played 30 games for the Yankees in 1982 before being sent down to Columbus (International League). (JCA)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » April 12, 1916: On Opening Day the Red Sox scratch Ernie Shore as their starter and Babe Ruth goes eight innings for a 2–1 win over the Athletics at Boston. The A's score their only run following Babe's throwing error, and Rube Foster gets the last three outs. The Babe hands the loss to poor Jack Nabors. A poor throw by Charlie Pick, A's 3B, is the first of his 42 errors—worst for any 20th-century 3B. This contributes to his overall .899 fielding average, a mark that Butch Hobson would equal in 1978. » June 28, 1976: Boston's Butch Hobson debuts at Fenway Park with a double off the CF wall and a rare inside-the-park homer, both off the O's Rudy May. Boston wins, 12–8. » June 20, 1977: Rick Wise shuts out the O's, striking out 10 batters and allowing two hits, to win, 4–0. Butch Hobson homers for Boston, their 22nd home run in six games. » June 23, 1977: At Baltimore, Boston wins their 7th game in a row, defeating the Orioles, 7–3. Butch Hobson's homer gives the Sox a major-league record 30 homers in nine games. » June 26, 1977: In front of 55,039 fans, the Yankees complete a 3-game sweep of the Red Sox, avenging the three losses last week to the Sox at Fenway. New York takes 4–1 lead into the 9th, but the Sox tie the game. In the bottom of the 9th, Paul Blair bounces a bases-loaded ball over the head of Butch Hobson at 3B to pin the loss on reliever Bill Campbell. » August 13, 1977: Against visiting Seattle, the Red Sox have two outs in the 6th inning, and then unload back-to-back-to-back homers by George Scott, Butch Hobson and Dwight Evans. The Red Sox win, 13–6. » August 27, 1977: Continuing the theme of the day, Boston DH Tommy Helms and 3B Butch Hobson hit back-to-back home runs in a 7–5 win over the Twins. It is the 15th time this year that Sox hitters have homered consecutively, tying a ML record. Montgomery and Scott also homer for the Hubmen. » April 14, 1978: In the Red Sox home opener, starter Dennis Eckersley pitches into the 10th inning before giving way to Dick Drago, Jim Rice's 395 foot single scores Butch Hobson with the winner in the bottom of the 10th, and Boston wins 5–4. » July 19, 1978: The Red Sox beat the Brewers 8–2, scoring four in the 7th and four in the 8th, to increase their lead in the American League Eastern Division to nine games over Milwaukee, 12 1/2 over Baltimore, and 14 games over the 4th-place Yankees. In the 7th, the Sox have George Scott on 2B and Butch Hobson, playing his first game in weeks because of muscle spasms, on 1B. On a Frank Duffy single, Scott scores on a close play, prompting an argument by Brews' catcher Charlie Moore. No time is called, however, and Hobson strolls around the bases to score from first, while Duffy is finally thrown out trying for 3B. Fisk accounts for the other three runs in the inning with his 13th homer of the year. » August 10, 1978: The Red Sox trip the Indians, 6–5, in 13 innings as Butch Hobson scores the tying run on a bizarre play: He lofts a pop fly behind second base and races around to 2B as 2B Duane Kuiper loses the ball in the sun. Kuiper picks up the ball but bumps into 1B Andre Thornton and the ball rolls towards first base and C Bo Diaz. With Hobson motoring towards 3B, Diaz overthrows the base. Hobson, having slid into the third, picks himself up and races home. The throw from the outfield is in time to Diaz, but he can't get the ball out of his glove and a sliding Hobson is home free. A George Scott double and Rick Burleson single then wins the game. Bob Stanley (8–1) picks up the victory. » August 28, 1978: The Mariners and Red Sox combine for 16 extra base hits in the Red Sox, 10-9 victory. The Sox, down 9–7 in the 9th, start a rally when Fred Lynn lines his 5th hit of the game. Lynn scores on an error and Butch Hobson drives home the winner with a 2-run double. Jim Rice hits his 34th homer, Jack Brohamer adds four hits, and Bob Stanley wins his 12th against one loss. The Sox lose Dwight Evans in the 7th when he is beaned by a Mike Parrott pitch, but X-Rays show no fracture however. » September 17, 1978: Boston finally wins against the Yankees, taking a 7–3 victory in Yankee Stadium as Dennis Eckersley and Andy Hassler combine to stop the Yankees on four hits. The Yanks score two unearned runs in 8th on Butch Hobson's 2nd error of the game (and his 42nd of the year). Carl Yastrzemski, playing CF in place of the inured Fred Lynn, collects his 14th homer of the year in the 9th inning. » April 25, 1979: In a 4–1 Boston win, Butch Hobson of the Sox triples off a Seattle speaker in left-center. On June 5th, Willie Horton will get just a single with same thing. » June 5, 1979: In Seattle, Willie Horton hits an apparent home run, his 300th, but the drive off John Hiller strikes a speaker in left centerfield and all Willie gets is a single. Butch Hobson hit the same speaker on April 25, but got a triple out of it. Jack Billingham and Hiller combine on a 4-hitter to beat Seattle, 3–1. Tomorrow, Horton belts his 300th, off Jack Morris, in Seattle's 4–3 win. » April 10, 1980: In front of a crowd of 53,313, Sixto Lezcano hits two homers — a 2-run shot in the 4th off Dennis Eckersley — and a grand slam with two outs in the 9th inning, to give Milwaukee a 9–5 win over Boston and Dick Drago. Lezcano also opened the 1978 season with a grand slam, the only player to do it twice in Openers. The game features seven homers, including Carl Yastrzemski and Butch Hobson going deep in the 9th off Jim Slaton. » May 31, 1980: The Boston Red Sox hit six home runs—4 in the 4th inning, including three in succession (Tony Perez, Carlton Fisk, Butch Hobson)—but lose to the Brewers 19–8. » December 10, 1980: The Red Sox trade SS Rick Burleson and 3B Butch Hobson to the Angels for 3B Carney Lansford, CF Rick Miller, and P Mark Clear. » October 8, 1991: Manager Joe Morgan is fired by the Red Sox and replaced by Butch Hobson. » May 4, 1996: Butch Hobson, former Red Sox manager and current skipper of the Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes-Barre Red Barons, is arrested in Rhode Island on a cocaine possession charge.