There have been 19 different captains of the Boston Red Sox, an American professional baseball franchise also known previously as the Boston Americans. This is a comprehensive list of these captains. The Boston Red Sox are the 2007 World Series Champions. They are members and current champions of both the Major League Baseball’s (MLB) American League Eastern Division and of the American League (AL). The "Red Sox" team name originates from the iconic uniform feature. They are sometimes nicknamed the "BoSox", a combination of "Boston" and "Sox" (as opposed to the "ChiSox"), the "Crimson Hose", and "the Olde Towne Team". Most fans simply refer to them as "the Sox". In Major League Baseball, a captain is an honorary title given to the member of the team primarily responsible for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field. This role has been particularly important during eras and situations in which managers and coaches have been precluded by the rules from interacting with players on the field while the game is in progress. As is the case with the National Hockey League, some MLB captains (such as the Red Sox' Jason Varitek) wear a distinctive "C" on the left side of their jersey.