2024 marks the twentieth anniversary of the 2004 Boston Crimson Sox World Collection championship group. All year long, NESN.com will replicate on a number of key moments from that historic season.
Half 2: An eventful commerce deadline on July 31, 2004.
The Crimson Sox performed via the 2004 season with loads of expertise throughout the roster.
Stars reminiscent of Johnny Damon, Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz anchored the lineup. Curt Schilling and Pedro Martinez led from the entrance of the beginning rotation. Necessary position gamers and succesful relievers contributed to victory.
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Boston had its ups and downs, however postseason baseball was at all times within the ballclub’s imaginative and prescient. After the All-Star break, like all contenders normally do, the Crimson Sox recognized areas of enchancment that wanted to be addressed for the group to finish its 86-year championship drought and win the World Collection.
That centered round securing the group’s id defensively. Boston may hit. Boston may pitch. What the Crimson Sox wanted was higher protection — gloves that would assist lock down video games.
The Crimson Sox actually pinpointed gamers that would assist them obtain that aim. It simply took buying and selling a franchise icon to get them.
On July 31, 2004, Boston normal supervisor Theo Epstein made the gut-wrenching resolution to commerce All-Star shortstop Nomar Garciaparra as a way to add instrumental gamers to the roster.
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Talking completely with NESN.com 20 years later, former Crimson Sox infielder Doug Mientkiewicz and outfielder (and present Los Angeles Dodgers supervisor) Dave Roberts shared their accounts of the commerce deadline. Moreover, shortstop Orlando Cabrera gave his reminiscences whereas attending the twentieth anniversary ceremony for the 2004 group at Boston’s residence opener at Fenway Park in April 2024. NESN’s Tom Caron additionally added context to a memorable set of transactions.
Amongst a number of days that season that formed the franchise, today impacted the Crimson Sox like none different.
“Theo thought it out tremendously,” Mientkiewicz assessed. “To make a transfer like that figuring out what Nomar meant to the franchise. He felt in his coronary heart that we needed to shore that up. Low and behold, we turned that group.”
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DEADLINE DAY
The Crimson Sox entered July 31 with a 56-45 file.
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The group performed .500 ball for 3 months however appeared to show a nook after a dramatic comeback victory towards the New York Yankees one week earlier than.
Boston arrived on the Metrodome in Minnesota to proceed a sequence towards the Twins. Behind the scenes, in a number of cities throughout the nation, gamers ready for a brand new actuality.
Simply earlier than the deadline, a multi-team deal got here along with a number of shifting elements.
That started with an vital resolution round Garciaparra. He had been the face of the franchise since his debut in 1996. To that time, the Crimson Sox shortstop performed with greatness for years in Boston.
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He emerged to win Rookie of the 12 months. He constantly obtained MVP votes. He turned a fan favourite. He made 5 All-Star appearances. He stepped up within the postseason. When the Crimson Sox got here to thoughts on this period, so did Garciaparra.
The 2004 season, nevertheless, advised a unique story. The then-recently turned 31-year-old battled accidents and simply couldn’t constantly discover his approach again onto the sphere for the Crimson Sox. He couldn’t assist his group as he as soon as did. That opened the door for a franchise-altering transfer.
“There was the sport weeks earlier than in New York the place he by no means performed,” Caron recalled. “(Derek) Jeter dove into the seats. I keep in mind we got here on the postgame present like, ‘Wow, that is actually getting dangerous, proper?’ … It was arduous to imagine Nomar, who they started the season providing him a four-year contract. It’s what all of us thought. He thought they’d be negotiating. When he didn’t take it, they walked away. How did it ever get to this?”
In a posh deal, the Crimson Sox despatched Garciaparra to the Chicago Cubs. Caron recalled a situation that — given how near the commerce deadline the deal was finalized — gamers weren’t knowledgeable instantly and even believed they survived the deadline.
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Caron added that he witnessed this all unfold from a trip day on Cape Cod, including to the suspense of the second in watching from a distance.
Again in Minnesota, Cabrera got here to the Crimson Sox from the Montreal Expos. Mientkiewicz joined the Sox when the Twins traded him to the Cubs, who traded him to Boston.
That’s numerous motion for a participant who solely sat within the Metrodome’s reverse clubhouse that day.
Mientkiewicz had an eventful leadup to that deadline whereas battling accidents and hoping to stick with his group. In earlier video games, he was inserted into lineup in order that the Twins proved he may play, which created a little bit of a riff with Minnesota supervisor Ron Gardenhire.
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“I wished to spend my profession with one group,” Mientkiewicz mentioned. “I assumed that was one thing. I felt like I preferred the place I used to be. I appreciated the place I used to be. Then, you return and Gardy was simply making an attempt to do what’s greatest for me. I didn’t see it that approach. I see it now. I didn’t see it on the time.”
The then-Minnesota first baseman truly believed he had survived the deadline. As a substitute, a unique path laid forward.
“I’ll always remember sitting at my locker, the deadline had come and gone,” Mientkiewicz remembered. “An hour glided by. I used to be in the midst of speaking to the press about how me and Gardy could make this work. ‘We’re each professionals. I’ll make this work. I like these guys.’ Then, I received tapped on the shoulder.”
With the information he was going to Boston, an encounter from simply the evening earlier than got here to thoughts.
“Nomar got here as much as me on Friday evening and mentioned, ‘Hey, I heard we is likely to be teammates quickly,’ ” Mientkiewicz recalled. “I used to be like, ‘That might be superior.’ Clearly to play with him amongst the expertise that was there. I felt like, from afar, I slot in fairly effectively there.”
Caron recalled a latest story from former Crimson Sox outfielder Johnny Damon that a number of of these gamers had hung out through the sequence on a ship collectively in Minnesota.
They did find yourself in the identical clubhouse. Solely it got here with Garciaparra exiting as Mientkiewicz entered.
“I stroll into the Crimson Sox clubhouse, see Nomar packing his bag and actuality hit,” Mientkiewicz mentioned. ” … I understood what Nomar meant to that area, the followers, the franchise. I knew what he meant to that space. I used to be form of in shock.”
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Elsewhere, Cabrera got here to the Crimson Sox with large footwear to fill. Straight away, the high-energy infielder introduced a spark to Boston’s roster.
“They welcomed me, proper?” Cabrera advised reporters. “It helped quite a bit that I hit a house run in my first at-bat. They had been superior. They welcomed me. They opened their arms. They gave me numerous confidence.”
Cabrera made an impression along with his bat, however the Crimson Sox in the end acquired him for his protection. That enchancment was felt instantly.
“(With) Orlando, you would have put a web over there,” Mientkiewicz recalled. “He may hit a Solo cup proper within the center with each throw. That is very easy over right here. Not solely had been we good defenders; we had been good gamers. Not solely being good gamers; we knew our position. It gave us depth in the whole lot we did.”
“They let me be me, which is what I wished,” Cabrera added. “Generally in Montreal for six years, I needed to maintain it down a bit bit. Coming right here and being on this group, they let me be me. That’s what you noticed in there. That was simply me making an attempt to play baseball, have enjoyable and win.”
One other deal earlier than the deadline introduced Roberts to the Crimson Sox from the Dodgers. Like others that day, the speedy outfielder didn’t see such a giant change coming.
“I believe for me, I wasn’t anticipating something,” Roberts mentioned. “You hear rumblings, but it surely’s at all times form of rumour. I keep in mind leaving San Diego on a first-place group with the Dodgers and I used to be at residence. The deadline had handed. I believe it was 1 p.m. native time. I keep in mind my spouse was eight months pregnant. We had been like, ‘Effectively, we dodged it.’ A few minutes after the deadline, I received a name that I received traded to the Crimson Sox. I used to be very upset and upset as a result of I preferred the place I used to be at. The group, the blokes, being on the West Coast.”
Like Mientkiewicz, Roberts wasn’t initially thrilled to be leaving a group that introduced him consolation. So, on this case, Roberts took a unique plan of action earlier than departing for the Crimson Sox.
“The humorous factor is I used to be supposed to fulfill the group in Minnesota that evening,” Roberts remembered. “As I used to be driving to the airport, I used to be like, ‘That is simply too fast.’ There may need been a possible accident that did or didn’t occur. I referred to as (Crimson Sox touring secretary) Jack McCormick and mentioned that I wasn’t going to have the ability to make my flight. I didn’t make the flight. It simply gave me an opportunity to form of spend the night with my spouse and determine the plan for her journey with the child and discuss to her physician. So, I flew out the following day and met the group in Tampa.”
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Finally, all three gamers joined the group, and with the assistance of teammates like Martinez and Ortiz, the brand new acquisitions rapidly blended in with a singular Crimson Sox clubhouse.
“Strolling into that clubhouse, the personalities and the group, they made me really feel welcome,” Mientkiewicz mentioned. “They welcomed me with open arms. Me, Dave and Orlando slot in seamlessly.”
Caron recalled how rapidly the trio of acquisitions assimilated into the Crimson Sox tradition upon arriving again in Boston.
“We used to have gamers come up (to studio),” Caron recalled. “Dave Roberts got here up for a postgame present in mid-August. Jim Rice and I had been doing the present. We went to business break and actually Roberts hung round for an additional 10 minutes asking Jim about enjoying the wall.”
Caron continued: “Mientkiewicz was so good defensively. Cabrera was simply such a spark of power for the group. You had felt it instantly. … They made these strikes. The entire sudden, it took a pair weeks. A few weeks, they had been nonetheless stumbling. Then, they actually took off over the past six weeks.”
From there, the Crimson Sox discovered a brand new gear. Boston went 21-7 in August and fought its technique to 98 wins and a playoff berth.
Roberts offered pace and a lift to the outfield (.772 OPS) with Trot Nixon lacking time because of damage. Cabrera flashed the glove at shortstop and had loads of enjoyable doing so. He additionally swung the bat when it mattered, hitting .294 with six homers for the Crimson Sox. Mientkiewicz locked down first base defensively behind Kevin Millar.
All three acquisitions did their job that season because the Crimson Sox gained the 2004 World Collection. That included memorable moments within the playoffs. (Extra on that in October.)
“It’s the traditional — the sum was extra vital than the person elements,’” Caron mentioned. “There wasn’t one man who did that. Roberts getting the steal. Mientkiewicz including a bit protection at first base, particularly late in video games. Cabrera giving them a bit extra athleticism and vary at shortstop. These three issues got here collectively and actually made an enormous distinction on the group.”
It took an emotional transfer, with a franchise legend touchdown elsewhere on the commerce deadline, however Crimson Sox historical past modified without end due to it.
