New York Yankees fans might be wondering how likely it is that their team can climb out of the 3-0 hole they find themselves sitting in against the Los Angeles Dodgers in this World Series.
They’re not going to like the answer.
Looking at it as wide-eyed as possible, the task is daunting. The Yankees have to win Game 4 tonight, then Game 5 on Wednesday. Then they have to fly back across the country to Los Angeles and beat the Dodgers two more times in Dodger Stadium. There can be no slip-ups, no bad outings on the mound, and no more offensive cold streaks. There is no room for error — or for errors.
When you dive in and look at history, it’s even worse.
If the Yankees actually manage to do all of the above, play perfect baseball for four games and rally to beat the Dodgers in seven, they will become the first team to ever do that in a World Series. That’s right, no team has come back from down 3-0 in the World Series.
So now you know what you’re dealing with.
But what about the MLB playoffs in general? It probably happens every so often, right?
Unfortunately, Yankees fans, it really doesn’t. In fact, in MLB history, it’s only happened once, and if you’re old enough, you might still have nightmares about it.
It’s happened once? Who did it?
The Boston Red Sox pulled it off in the 2004 ALCS, and they did it against — you guessed it — the New York Yankees.
The Yankees were a juggernaut that season, too, winning 101 games on the way to the AL East crown. They had a frightening lineup that featured Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield, Hideki Matsui, Bernie Williams and Jorge Posada. Sheffield, Rodriguez and Matsui combined to hit 103 home runs and drive in 335 runs that season.
And they flexed their muscles early in that series. When they won Game 3 in a 19-8 walkover, it looked to be all but over. That’s when the unthinkable happened, and you’re not going to believe who the catalyst was.
The 2004 Yankees were an offensive machine featuring players like (from left) Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, Alex Rodriguez and Gary Sheffield. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
Who sparked the comeback for the Red Sox?
There were a lot of players who had an impact on Boston’s comeback, especially David Ortiz, who had walk-off hits in Game 4 (12th-inning home run) and Game 5 (14th-inning single) then set the stage in Game 7 with a first-inning home run.
But the man who started it all was a backup outfielder named Dave Roberts — the same Dave Roberts who now manages the Dodgers.
The Yankees were protecting a 4-3 lead in the ninth, and they had star closer Mariano Rivera on the mound. Roberts came on as a pinch-runner for Kevin Millar, who led off with a walk. Rivera, with a quick, smooth delivery, was difficult to steal bases against, but Roberts pulled it off, sliding in ahead of the tag to get himself into scoring position. He then dashed home on a single by Bill Mueller, tying the score and setting the stage for Ortiz’s homer in the 12th — and a comeback for the ages.
So knowing all this, there is no way the Yankees win this series, right?
Obviously, history is stacked against the Yankees. And if anyone knows the importance of closing the door when you have the chance, it would be the Dodgers’ manager.
But don’t talk to Roberts about history, or about 2004. He won’t have it.
“Don’t talk about that,” Roberts said after Game 3 when a reporter mentioned the Red Sox’s comeback in 2004. “Wrong guy. Way too early.”
“From the other side — I don’t want to divulge any secrets, but from the other side, I just think that we have got to stay focused, stay urgent,” Roberts said. “I think offensively, to be quite honest, we left a lot of runs out there tonight. Still found a way to win a ballgame.
“There’s just got to be urgency. I just don’t want to let these guys up for air.”
Will Roberts bring up 2004 as a motivation tool for his Dodgers?
“No, I won’t. I won’t,” Roberts said. “I think that they’re very familiar with 20 years ago and what can happen. I mean, anything’s possible. Our guys are very heady, very hungry for a championship, a parade. So nothing is going to get in the way of that, nothing.”
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