Cubs fans may raise their hands in protest, but they were simply losing while the Red Sox were suffering the heartbreak of falling short in the seventh game of the World Series. The Cubs lost to the Detroit Tigers in the 1945 World Series and didn’t get back to the Fall Classic until 2016 when they beat the Cleveland Indians (now Guardians).

The Red Sox lost the seventh and deciding game to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1946 and 1967. They fell to the Cincinnati Reds — widely regarded as one of the greatest teams in MLB history — in 1975. They suffered perhaps the most heartbreaking defeat in baseball history to the New York Mets in 1986.

The Red Sox also have a history of some of the most brilliant players to ever wear a big-league uniform. Ted Williams ranks with Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth among the game’s greatest hitters. He is featured as the greatest player in Red Sox history. Check out the gallery of the 10 greatest Red Sox players of all-time.

1. Ted Williams, “The Splendid Splinter”

A remarkable left-handed hitter who dominated the American League from 1939 through his retirement in 1960. He was the most highly publicized prospect to come into the big leagues during his rookie season. Williams exploded with a .327 batting average, 31 home runs and 145 runs batted in. That brilliant season served notice that he would rank with Joe DiMaggio as the greatest player of his generation.

His most legendary season came in 1941 when he batted .406 with 37 home runs and 120 RBI. He became the last player in MLB history to hit .400. Despite finishing his brilliant 19-year career with a .344 batting average, 521 home runs and 1,839 RBI, he missed three prime years of his career due to his service in World War II as a fighter pilot. He likely would have added 120 home runs or more to his total.

Williams had perhaps the sweetest swing in the history of the game and he enjoyed talking hitting throughout his life. He concluded his career by hitting a home run in the final at bat of his career and was celebrated by the greatest players in the game during his appearance at the 1999 All-Star Game at Fenway Park.

2. Carl Yastrzemski, “Yaz”

There was tremendous pressure on Yastrzemski as he replaced Williams in left field as a rookie in the 1961 season. Yastrzemski performed admirably in his first six seasons with the Red Sox and made the American League All-Star team three times. However, he became one of the game’s greatest superstars in 1967.

The Red Sox rose from the depths of the American League to the pennant during a season that became known as the “Impossible Dream.” Yastrzemski carried the Red Sox on his strong shoulders, winning the Triple Crown with a .326 batting average, 44 home runs and 121 runs batted in.

Yastrzemski became a Red Sox legend that season. He would play 23 seasons for the Red Sox and finish his career with 3,419 hits, 452 home runs and a .285 average.

He was an 18-time All-Star, a 3-time American League batting champion, a 7-time Gold Glove winner and a 1989 Hall of Fame enshrinee.

3. David Ortiz, “Big Papi”

There is no doubt that Williams and Yastrzemski belong at the top of the Red Sox rankings, but there is also no doubt that Ortiz is the greatest clutch player in the history of the franchise.

The Red Sox had not won the World Series since 1918 and had gone through 86 seasons of frustration. That came to an end in 2004 when the Red Sox roared back from an 0-3 deficit in the American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees to win the pennant and then swept the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series.

No player was more responsible than Ortiz. Big Papi hit .400 in the 2004 postseason with 5 home runs and 19 RBI. When the Red Sox repeated their World Series success in 2007 against the Colorado Rockies, he hit .370 with 3 home runs and 10 RBI throughout the postseason. He was incredible during the 2013 World Series run — another triumph over the Cardinals — when he hit .353 during the postseason with 5 home runs and 13 RBI.

Ortiz had a 20-year Major League career that included 14 seasons with the Red Sox. He hammered 541 home runs and drove in 1,768 runs.

4. Pedro Martinez, “Pedro the Great”

The Red Sox needed a dominant pitcher if they were going to become a team that could compete with the Yankees in the American League East and win World Series titles. Martinez may have looked unimposing at 5-11 and 170 pounds, but he became a Hall of Fame pitcher during his seven years with the Red Sox.

Martinez won three Cy Young Awards with the Red Sox and he was an 8-time All-Star during his career. He dominated against great hitters and Martinez had his best season in 1999 when he went 23-4 with a 2.07 ERA and 313 strikeouts in 213.1 innings.

5. Carlton Fisk, “The Commander”

One of the greatest and most prolific catchers in the history of Major League Baseball. Fisk played 24 big-league seasons and 11 of them were with the Red Sox and 13 with the Chicago White Sox.

Fisk is a Hall of Famer and an 11-time All-Star. He had one of the biggest moments in World Series history when his 12th-inning home run off the foul pole gave the Red Sox a 7-6 victory in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds.

Fisk’s gyrations and arm-waving display as he left the batter’s box remains one of the classic TV moments in the history of broadcast sports.

6. Jim Rice, “Gold Dust Twin” (Along with Fred Lynn)

One of the greatest power hitters in the history of the Red Sox. Rice came up with Fred Lynn as rookies in 1975 and the two were known as the “Gold Dust Twins.”

The slugging outfielder played 16 years for the Red Sox and he hit 382 career home runs with 1,451 RBI with a .298 batting average. Rice is a Hall of Famer who made 8 All-Star teams and won 2 Silver Slugger awards. His 1978 season was legendary with 46 home runs, 15 triples, 139 RBI and a remarkable 406 total bases.

7. Roger Clemens, “The Rocket”

One of the greatest power pitchers in Major League history.

Clemens had a 24-year big-league career that included 13 seasons with the Red Sox. He was a 7-time Cy Young Award winner along with a two-time pitching Triple Crown winner. Clemens won the ERA title 7 times in his career and he also won the Most Valuable Player Award in 1986.

He struck out 20 batters in a game twice in his career.

8. Wade Boggs, “Chicken Man”

Boggs is one of the greatest hitters of the last 50 years. He excelled at making contact and hitting the ball where it was pitched. He is often compared with Tony Gwynn of the San Diego Padres for his ability to dictate the game from the batter’s box.

Boggs is a Hall of Famer who was a 12-time All-Star who won the American League batting title 5 times and was an 8-time Silver Slugger.

He played 18 seasons in the Major Leagues and 11 of those seasons were with the Red Sox. Boggs batted .357 or batter during each of the seasons that he won the batting championship. He hit a career-best .368 with 240 hits in 1985 for the Red Sox.

9. Luis Tiant, “El Tiante”

One of the greatest mound artists in the history of the game. Tiant had a rebirth in his career when he was acquired by the Red Sox in 1971. The brilliant moundsman became the ace of the Red Sox pitching staff and he was known for the tremendous courage he displayed in the biggest games.

Tiant had back-to-back 20-win seasons in 1972 and ’73 before winning 18 games when the Red Sox won the 1975 American League pennant.

He had two victories over the Cincinnati Reds in the classic ’75 World Series and his memory is cherished by Red Sox fans of all generations.

10. Fred Lynn, “Gold Dust Twin” (Along with Jim Rice)

A brilliant all-around player for the Red Sox and the first player to win Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player in the same season. He did that in 1975 when the Red Sox won the American League pennant and made it all the way to the seventh game of the World Series against the vaunted Big Red Machine.

Lynn was a remarkable centerfielder who won four Gold Gloves and was a 9-time All-Star. He became the only player in MLB history to hit a grand slam in the All-Star Game when his blast at Comiskey Park led the American League to a 13-3 triumph and ended the National League’s 11-game winning streak in the series.

Lynn played 7 of his 17 seasons with the Red Sox and he hit .333 with 39 home runs and drove in 122 runs in 1979.