How the 2004 Boston Red Sox turned the World Series into an epilogue

After winning the most exciting playoff series of my lifetime, the 2004 Boston Red Sox were primed for an emotional letdown. Coming back from an 0-3 deficit to beat the rival New York Yankees—twice in extra innings!—should have left them dazed and confused.

Add to this their World Series opponent—the 103-win St. Louis Cardinals. The ‘04 Cards had five starting pitchers with 11+ wins and five relievers with ERA+’s over 148. Offensively, the Red Birds had it all: prime Albert Pujols (46 HR, 123 RBI, 173 OPS+), Edgar Renteria (17 SB)-Reggie Sanders (21 SB)-Tony Womack (26 SB) flying around the bases, and Scott Rolen (158 OPS+) & Jim Edmonds (171 OPS+) with career years at the plate alongside their defensive wizardry. It would have been easy to see St. Louis take home the Commissioner’s Trophy.

Instead, the Sox turned the World Series into an epilogue…

Game 1

In what will becoming a recurring theme, Boston jumped out to a 1st inning 4-0 lead thanks in large part to a David Ortiz home run.

But this game turned into a wild one—9-9 heading to bottom 8. Suffice it to say SP’s Tim Wakefield & Woody Williams were not long for this New England night.

But remember the baseball magic we discussed? It returned—and from an unlikely source:

In a lineup of sluggers, Mark Bellhorn’s doink off Pesky’s Pole gave Boston the 11-9 victory.

Game 2

You thought a Bellhorn HR was unlikely? How about a 1st inning Jason Varitek triple into the Fenway Park triangle:

After pitching on a bloody ankle at Yankee Stadium, this was a walk in the (ball)park for Curt Schilling (6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER). Alan Embree, Mike Timlin, & Keith Foulke finished out a 6-2 victory.

Game 3

This time, it was Manny Ramirez’s turn to open the first-frame scoring.

Photo by Brad Mangin/MLB Photos via Getty Images

Realistically, it was all the Sox would need with Pedro Martinez (7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER) looking like the 1999 vintage in a 4-1 win.

Photo by Ron Vesely/MLB Photos via Getty Images

Game 4

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: the Red Sox take a 1st inning lead. It took one pitch from future Twin Jason Marquis to Johnny Damon.

Photo by Ron Vesely/MLB Photos via Getty Images

Trot Nixon would knock in a couple a few innings later, but Derek Lowe (7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER) was cruising like Pedro & Schil before him. Bronson Arroyo & Embree kept it scoreless, and Foulke entered for the bottom of the 9th.

There are some sports broadcast calls that are seared into my brain: Kirby’s Game 6 HR (“And we’ll see ya—tomorrow night!”)—Mark McGwire’s 62nd home run (“Down the LF line is it enough—gone!”)—The Minneapolis Miracle (“Diggs-sideline-touchdown-unbelievable!”).

“Back to Foulke…Red Sox fans have longed to hear it!” is in that same pantheon. Somehow, the Boston Red Sox managed to win their first championship since 1918 in a fashion as dramatic as it was anticlimactic.

I know that my Red Sox posts this summer & fall have not been Twins-related. But sometimes, seminal sports moments don’t happen close to home. For me, the ‘04 postseason represented a zenith of baseball fandom—are we ever as passionate about anything as we are at 18?—as my college freshman self stepped into a larger world. At very least, it turned me into a forever Red Sox fan. I hope it was a worthwhile recollection ride.

It appears I’m not the only one nostalgic about #ReverseTheCurse. This documentary dropped on Netflix two days ago:

There is a very real chance it has already been binged by this writer.