2024 marks the twentieth anniversary of the 2004 Boston Pink Sox World Collection championship crew. All year long, NESN.com will replicate on a number of key moments from that historic season.
Half 3: A comeback for the ages that surprised the New York Yankees within the 2004 American League Championship Collection.
The Boston Pink Sox dominated in the course of the earliest days of the World Collection. They gained 5 titles in 16 years. They have been synonymous with successful and laid the groundwork as one among baseball’s historic franchises.
That got here to an abrupt halt after 1918, when the Pink Sox moved baseball icon Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees, beginning a flip to the unsuitable aspect of historical past for the subsequent 86 years.
The Yankees gained 26 World Collection championships, turning into far and away the category of the game. The Pink Sox fell to lulls of mediocrity, sprinkled with gut-wrenching losses that crushed championship desires.
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The Yankees performed into the Pink Sox’s ache, spoiling runs in 1978, 1999 and 2003. There was no finish in sight for Boston. And that appeared to be the story as soon as once more in 2004, when the groups met within the ALCS for the third time in six seasons.
The Yankees rolled by means of the Pink Sox to take a 3-0 sequence lead, a mark that was beforehand insurmountable in Main League Baseball historical past. All hope appeared misplaced. Everybody wrote off Boston. However simply because the Yankees ready to seal the deal, ending the identical outdated story, the Pink Sox ripped away the pen. A brand new chapter of the storied rivalry was to be informed.
Talking solely with NESN.com 20 years later, former Pink Sox gamers Johnny Damon, Jason Varitek, Invoice Mueller and Dave Roberts, in addition to broadcasters Joe Castiglione and Chris Myers, recounted the best comeback in baseball historical past.
“It’s actually overwhelming to have noticed one thing so historic,” Myers, FOX’s sideline reporter for the 2004 ALCS, stated. “Not simply with the Pink Sox and the 86 years and the curse and the followers. That’s the opposite factor about spending time in Boston. Being round followers at the moment and getting an actual really feel for a way they felt, which was a part of what they wished me to do with some aspect tales. It was endearing nearly to this ache of Pink Sox followers. Then, after all, the mighty Yankees. You’re keen on them or hate them across the nation.”
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“It was the Pink Sox-Yankees rivalry at its top,” Castiglione, the crew’s longtime radio voice, stated.
THE MINDSET
The Pink Sox rapidly fell behind in a sequence that appeared over earlier than it began. The Yankees held off a late, livid Boston rally for a 10-7 Sport 1 win. Pedro Martinez pitched effectively in Sport 2, however the Yankees did sufficient for a 3-1 victory.
When the sequence shifted to Fenway Park, New York unloaded with an unstoppable offensive assault that rocked Boston and crushed any hope with a 19-8 win.
“I feel it was what that crew’s mentality at all times is: Care for enterprise at this time,” Varitek stated. “Then, we received punched within the face.”
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“My solely thought was, ‘The Yankees aren’t that good and the Pink Sox are too good to be swept in 4 video games.’ I had no concept they might win it,” Castiglione stated.
The identical outdated story was nearly full: A promising season for the Pink Sox falls brief by the hands of their best rivals. The 2004 season confirmed no indicators at that time of fixing destiny.
Boston took the sphere with a selected objective: To win one sport, prolong the sequence and see what occurs. Kevin Millar famously supplied the rallying cry of “don’t allow us to win at this time” in a pregame dialog with The Boston Globe’s Dan Shaughnessy.
“I give a variety of credit score to Kevin Millar. I actually do,” Roberts stated. “I do know there was lots stated about it. Kevin was the one which form of saved everybody constructive — extra centered on at some point at a time. He saved the power up. With that, everybody form of rallied round him. It was true.”
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Whereas that grew to become the mantra for the Pink Sox to the general public eye, Boston’s eventual captain knew the sentiment existed lengthy earlier than Millar’s monologue.
“Millar can’t at all times take that,” Varitek stated. “That was instilled from Jimy Williams a very long time in the past.”
The Pink Sox had vital comebacks within the postseason just lately, underneath Williams within the 1999 ALDS and underneath Grady Little within the 2003 ALDS. One other likelihood introduced itself within the 2004 ALCS.
The sequence continued in Boston a day later than anticipated, after a rainout postponed Sport 3. And that aura appeared to encompass town after the disastrous begin to the sequence.
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“I did some report earlier than that sport that turned the tide for the Pink Sox once they have been able to be swept,” Myers recalled. “It was one thing about being wet, dreary and damp and gloomy. It nearly felt like a funeral. I didn’t say the Pink Sox had given up, however there was form of a sense there. Perhaps that was our perspective.”
Myers remembered a selected response within the aftermath of that report with Pink Sox supervisor Terry Francona, which informed him all he wanted to know concerning the crew’s mentality.
“Francona got here as much as me and stated, ‘Hey, I respect your work. I do know you’re right here on daily basis round us. They could look gloomy,’ ” Myers added. “It was a honest stare within the eye. He didn’t say they have been going to show round and win it. He was like, ‘We’ve received combat in us left.’ “
Derek Lowe, who went to the bullpen after a tumultuous common season as a starter, received the ball for Sport 4. Tim Wakefield surrendered his begin to take one for the crew and eat innings for the Pink Sox within the Sport 3 onslaught.
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“I assume there was no panic,” Damon stated. “I assume we have been in shock. For us to win, we have now to be nice. Offensively, defensively, pitching, we must have some luck on our aspect. Quite a lot of issues. Quite a lot of elements. All of it got here collectively.”
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THE STEAL
The Pink Sox got here to the plate within the ninth inning of Sport 4, three outs away from elimination and one other lengthy offseason.
The state of affairs solely grew tougher with a generational nearer, Mariano Rivera, on the mound for the Yankees. Rivera in October was practically computerized, making an uphill climb even steeper for Boston.
The Pink Sox, nonetheless, cracked the nearer’s armor earlier than. Boston overtook Rivera for a walk-off win in July at Fenway, earlier than beating him once more in September at Yankee Stadium.
Breaking by means of within the postseason was unlikely — however removed from unimaginable. Millar labored a leadoff stroll. The Pink Sox, who wanted a dynamic spark, turned to Roberts as a pinch-runner.
“You’re in Fenway,” Roberts recalled. “It’s October. It’s freezing chilly. The dugouts are tiny. How do you put together and get your self prepared for that second in time? It was principally figuring out that Tito (Terry Francona) let me know that if anyone will get on base, be able to run. Thankfully for me, it was Millar, who is just not actually fleet of foot. He had an ideal at-bat in opposition to Mariano, who doesn’t stroll guys. I used to be on the finish of the bench. Helmet on. Batting gloves on. Prepared for that second. As soon as he received ball 4, Tito checked out me and I do know he winked at me like, ‘OK, you’re up.’ I simply trotted on the market.”
Roberts instantly knew his job: steal second base. Each particular person within the ballpark knew it. Rivera clearly did, too, as he threw over to first base 3 times earlier than he delivered a pitch to Mueller.
“It’s a type of issues the place I ready all through the postseason and towards the top of the common season for that position,” Roberts stated. “To return in, be able to steal a base when referred to as upon. It was one thing I had by no means performed earlier than. It took me time to get used to it.
“Everybody within the ballpark is aware of you’re going to steal second base. You’re going to. You possibly can’t be afraid to take that likelihood. That’s one thing that basically weighed closely on my thoughts.”
Roberts wasted no time when Rivera delivered a pitch. He broke for second base and beat a remarkably fast change from catcher Jorge Posada. The speedy runner slid headfirst, simply in time forward of the tag by shortstop Derek Jeter. The Pink Sox had a person in scoring place and the Fenway Trustworthy had life.
“That, to me, in my thoughts, modified all the things,” Myers stated. “Stealing second off of Mariano Rivera, that doesn’t occur.”
Roberts did his job. Now, it was as much as Mueller (who clubbed the walk-off residence run in July) to do his. He hit an RBI single to middle discipline. Roberts crossed the plate, deflated the Yankees and energized Pink Sox Nation.
“You at all times simplify,” Mueller stated. “You get to the weather that you could management. You at all times have your one cue phrase that helps your chain of command that’s linking the entire stuff you do on the plate collectively. You block all the things else out. One of many few issues I do miss is if you get these large hits, operating up the road is tremendous quiet after which midway up the road, you lastly hear the gang. You’re simply so in that second and concentrating on that efficiency half that blocks all the things else out. It’s fairly wonderful.”
The sport went into additional innings. And earlier than lengthy, one Pink Sox slugger started his path towards baseball lore.
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THE HERO
David Ortiz already had affect postseason hits on his Pink Sox résumé when Boston took the sphere for Sport 4.
He helped Boston take the lead in opposition to the Oakland Athletics in Sport 4 of the 2004 ALDS, as an illustration. Plus, he already had one large hit in Sport 4 when he put the Pink Sox in entrance with a two-out, two-run single within the fifth inning.
However Ortiz stepped to the plate within the twelfth inning in opposition to reliever Paul Quantrill with the possibility to increase the ALCS — and he did simply that.
Ortiz blasted a 2-1 pitch over the fitting discipline wall for a Pink Sox win within the early hours of the morning, sparking a memorable name from Joe Buck on the FOX broadcast.
“Ortiz into deep proper discipline. Again is Sheffield, we’ll goodbye tonight.”
“I bear in mind with the Ortiz homer with him operating round and we have been late to get off the air,” Myers recalled. “They wished me to run to get to him and he’s out of breath at residence plate. I’m form of out of breath operating as much as discuss to him. I couldn’t perceive something he stated in his pleasure.”
The groups reconvened for Sport 5 after a fast turnaround for an additional marathon duel. Ortiz once more discovered himself proper in the midst of the motion.
The Pink Sox designated hitter singled in a run within the first inning earlier than he smacked his second homer of the sequence, going to the alternative discipline over the Inexperienced Monster within the eighth inning to chop Boston’s scoreboard deficit to at least one. Boston tied the sport in that body on a Varitek sacrifice fly in opposition to Rivera that scored Roberts — a real déjà vu second.
This time, the groups clashed into the 14th inning in a sport that almost exceeded the six-hour mark. Ortiz earned the chance to avoid wasting the Pink Sox once more. He fought his means to take action on a pitch he muscled into middle discipline to deliver residence Damon for a second consecutive walk-off hit.
“Getting on base, particularly for a man like Large Papi,” Damon stated. “We had a deep, protected lineup. Trying again, the Yankees can say, ‘Let’s not pitch to Large Papi in any respect’ as a result of he was an absolute beast throughout that sequence. It simply appeared like all people on our crew pitched in.”
“That’s who David was for us,” Varitek stated. “He developed from being a platoon participant to our different foremost cog moreover Manny (Ramirez) in our lineup. David’s knack for the large hit was effectively earlier than that. In large moments, he continued to at all times have the large hit.”
Ortiz took it upon himself to raise the Pink Sox following Sport 3 and willed them again to New York with an unimaginable sequence of clutch hits at Fenway Park. The sequence was removed from over, with Ortiz as the primary purpose why.
“At that time, you might simply see that the Yankees began to really feel the stress,” Roberts stated. “As soon as we gained Sport 5, I simply felt that there was no means we have been going to lose.”
“It was exhilarating to win that Sport 4,” Castiglione stated. “You then began to consider after Papi hit the walk-off bloop single within the 14th inning of Sport 5. I bear in mind the exhilarating feeling that gave us getting on the bus to return to New York.”
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THE FALL OF THE EMPIRE
The Pink Sox nonetheless wanted two wins in baseball’s most hostile setting to increase their season, rewrite historical past and go to the World Collection for the primary time in 18 years.
“I feel you reside on adrenaline,” Castiglione recalled. “You hope for video games like that as a result of most individuals don’t get to expertise them of their careers.”
“In these moments, there was hope,” Myers stated. “There was one thing magical occurring after that one sport turned. You began to really feel like possibly we’d get a full sequence. Perhaps the Pink Sox can pull this off. It’s wonderful they saved going the best way they did.”
The 2004 ALCS got here right down to heroics, which continued in Sport 6 at Yankee Stadium.
Mark Bellhorn delivered a three-run residence run to left discipline that deflected off a fan. Umpires confirmed the decision, and later overturned one other name when Alex Rodriguez slapped the ball out of Bronson Arroyo’s glove whereas operating up the primary final analysis.
“Baseball is a humorous sport, and I’m simply glad the celebrities aligned for us in that sport and the video games afterwards,” Damon stated. “You gotta bear in mind in Sport 6, we received lucky the umpires got here again and reversed calls. … I requested (umpire) Joe West to try Mark Bellhorn’s hit. He stated he couldn’t do something except (Francona) requested him to convene with different umpires. I stated, ‘Tito, go discuss to him! They’re not listening to me, however they’ll take heed to you.’ “
“That every one turned on the identical time,” Varitek stated. “We began executing what we have been doing and put that in a special spot. Much less errors and fewer missed alternatives in shut video games.”
On the mound, Curt Schilling responded from a disastrous Sport 1 begin to intestine out seven innings of one-run ball with a bloody sock from his tendon surgical procedure. The Pink Sox acquired Schilling for a purpose the earlier winter and he delivered the efficiency Boston wanted.
Boston had one closing heart-stopping sequence within the ninth inning. Tony Clark confronted Keith Foulke because the potential successful run. Foulke struck him out, stranded the runners, closed the sport and willed the Pink Sox to Sport 7.
No crew had ever pressured a Sport 7 after trailing 3-0 in a best-of-seven MLB postseason sequence, however the job nonetheless wasn’t completed for Boston.
“Issues have been beginning to flip,” Roberts stated. “We felt that. At that time limit, we have been like, ‘We received these guys.’ “
The Pink Sox and Yankees met in New York for Sport 7 for the second consecutive October. Boston had the entire momentum however nonetheless had 27 outs to go. To finish the comeback, the Pink Sox wanted their leadoff hitter, Damon, to get proper after a brutal sequence (3-for-29) to that time.
“I used to be working my tail off making an attempt to get my swing proper,” Damon stated. “On the finish of the day, the one factor that was unsuitable with my swing (was) I used to be taking the great pitches. They have been getting forward of me within the depend, and I needed to battle each time. … Come Sport 7, I used to be a bit of aggressive.”
Damon singled off of Kevin Brown to start the competition. He then received thrown out at residence plate, thrilling Yankees followers, however fortunately for the Pink Sox, Ortiz got here to the rescue on the very subsequent pitch. Ortiz launched a two-run rocket of a house run to proper discipline, instantly silencing the gang and capping his ALCS MVP candidacy as Boston struck first.
Damon’s evening was removed from over. Baseball continually offers probabilities to embrace the second. Damon obtained that chance with the bases loaded within the second inning, getting sufficient of Javier Vazquez’s first providing to raise a grand slam to proper discipline and thrust the Pink Sox to a 6-0 lead.
“Clearly, a grand slam was the very best state of affairs,” Damon stated. “I additionally stated we needed to get one run throughout for the worst state of affairs. Fortunately, I received sufficient of it. Obtained a bit of bit jammed on that pitch, it was simply sufficient on the within nook. A lot completely different than the one I hit the subsequent (at-bat) which was on the surface a part of the plate.”
The Pink Sox knew complacency was unacceptable and acted accordingly. Lowe made pitch after pitch on the mound, Damon and Bellhorn flexed extra residence run energy, and Boston took a 10-3 lead into the ninth inning.
“I wasn’t actually positive, despite the fact that we had an enormous lead, as a result of you realize Pink Sox historical past,” Castiglione stated. “When Damon hit that second residence run, I feel that was large. You’re form of simply counting it down.”
Alan Embree pressured a floor ball from Ruben Sierra. Pokey Reese smothered it, tossed to Doug Mientkiewicz and made baseball historical past on the best of performs.
The Pink Sox accomplished the comeback, gained the American League pennant and created a second baseball will always remember.
“I referred to as it crucial win in Pink Sox historical past,” Castiglione stated. “That was the most important sport they gained and I wished to convey that. I bear in mind saying, ‘Transfer over, Babe!’ I attempted to maintain it easy. In fact, the gang, we have been on the street. It’s a very completely different factor if you’re residence. It was nonetheless a pinch your self second when it occurred.”
“It was simply the relentless focus we needed to have, proper?” Varitek stated. “The earlier video games from being down three to persevering with that. Our bench, our complete crew pushed that focus and pushed one pitch at a time. No person ever took their foot off the gasoline. That’s a tough factor to do as a result of the emotional components of video games sway you completely different instructions. … That final out was fairly gratifying.”
“At that time limit, we’d by no means been to the World Collection with that group, clearly,” Roberts stated. “That win proper there felt like we gained the World Collection.”
The Pink Sox lastly beat the Yankees, surprising New York and the baseball world. Boston stood as much as baseball’s longtime kings, defied historical past and surprised the game’s most profitable franchise.
“Disbelief, shocked, surprised,” Myers stated. ” ‘How does this occur to us?’ There was nothing pretend about it. They’d recognized. It had taken some time for them and their followers. That’s the opposite factor for the Yankees is to have it settle in. It did. It will definitely did.”
The Pink Sox wanted to complete the story correctly, with a World Collection win, to formally break the Curse of the Bambino. However no problem would high what Boston simply went by means of, setting the stage for one closing postseason surge.
