The 2024 season marked the twentieth anniversary of arguably an important season in Boston Purple Sox historical past.
That ballclub modified the course of the franchise, shocked the New York Yankees within the American League Championship Sequence and defeated the St. Louis Cardinals within the World Sequence to win their first title in 86 years.
NESN.com commemorated the anniversary with 4 oral histories specializing in a number of the biggest turning factors of the season for the Purple Sox. You’ll be able to meet up with these beneath.
extra 2004 purple sox
Rivals Rumble: How 2004 Purple Sox-Yankees Brawl Sparked World Sequence Run
11 Min Learn
Daring Offers: How 2004 Commerce Deadline Modified Course Of Purple Sox Historical past
11 Min Learn
extra 2004 purple sox
Rivalry Redefined: How 2004 Purple Sox Rewrote Historical past With ALCS Comeback Over Yankees
18 Min Learn
Curse Crushed: How 2004 Purple Sox (Lastly) Delivered World Sequence Title
17 Min Learn
Regardless of all the protection surrounding the anniversary, there’s some information and notes that didn’t make the oral histories. So, together with a gathering of extra protection, think about this a director’s lower with some further tidbits on the 2004 Purple Sox on this pocket book:
— New Curse?
Johnny Damon performed yet another season in Boston earlier than departing in free company to the Yankees after the 2005 season. He performed 4 seasons with the membership and by no means feels the necessity to “bash” them from their rivalry with the Purple Sox.
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“We all know what the Yankees are all about,” Damon informed NESN.com. “They’re all about successful. They’re all about championships. It’s by no means simple to go up in opposition to a powerhouse just like the Yankees. There’s a motive they proceed to go to the postseason.”
The Yankees final received the World Sequence in 2009 when Damon received his second ring. New York returned to the Fall Traditional in 2024, solely to look at the Los Angeles Dodgers take their championship desires in 5 video games.
The Purple Sox broke the “Curse of the Bambino” in 2004. Now 20 years later, Damon joked {that a} new curse may be looming in baseball.
“They haven’t received for the reason that 12 months they removed me,” Damon added. “There’s one other story – ‘The Curse of Johnny Damon.’”
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— Lights, Digicam, Motion
Netflix introduced the story of the 2004 Purple Sox again to life with a three-part docuseries. A number of gamers shared their ideas with NESN.com on the completed product and NESN.com’s Greg Dudek shared his takeaways from the three hours of recent 2004 content material.
— Swap It Up
Jason Varitek switch-hit all through his MLB profession. The 2004 postseason had the Purple Sox see him do one thing new: hit from the identical aspect because the hand of the pitcher.
Varitek struggled in opposition to Yankees starter and MLB Corridor of Famer Mike Mussina. Varitek hit simply .171 off the right-hander in his profession and went 0-for-2 in opposition to him in Recreation 1 of the 2004 ALCS. When Mussina acquired the ball in Recreation 5 at Fenway Park, the Purple Sox catcher stepped as much as the plate right-handed.
“Effectively, no one was presupposed to know however I believe Tito went forward and informed the media beforehand,” Varitek informed NESN.com in June. “I hadn’t hit Mussina properly in any respect. I believe I used to be in all probability 0-for-50. Determined measures for determined instances. Let’s throw a monkey wrench on this. I believe I ended up strolling with the bases loaded, which ended up being good. I in all probability would’ve punched out left-handed. Afterward, his arm slot dropped and I hit him higher. Simply attempt to make an adjustment to make a distinct second. I got here in like, ‘Tito, I’m gonna hit him right-handed.’ He’s like, ‘OK.’ I hoped for it to be a shock, however we let the cat out of the bag earlier.”
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Varitek didn’t file successful in opposition to Mussina that day, however he did draw a bases-loaded stroll to herald a run within the first inning because the Purple Sox pulled off a second consecutive walk-off victory.
— “Not Like Us”
The MLB on FOX pregame and postgame crew is a continuing 2004 reminder anytime you activate the published. David Ortiz sits in between Yankees legends Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter.
FOX has aired highlights of the 2004 ALCS time and again since this crew got here collectively, however the twentieth anniversary 12 months solely heightened that in recognition of the championship in addition to utilizing it as context within the 2024 World Sequence.
The Yankees fell behind three video games to none to the Dodgers within the World Sequence. That sparked the the thought: Might the Yankees do what was accomplished to them 20 years prior within the ALCS?
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New York received Recreation 4 earlier than dropping the sequence, including one other second for Ortiz to benefit from the defeat of his former rivals.
“, I used to be simply making an attempt to place slightly pepper in it,” Ortiz informed NESN.com. “It’s laborious to come back again, particularly in opposition to a very good workforce just like the Dodgers.”
— From “Lowe” Lights To The Finisher
Lowe turned a postseason hero for the Purple Sox in 2004. That actually appeared like a fantasy when that playoff run started.
Lowe moved to the bullpen after common season struggles to the tune of a 5.42 ERA in 33 begins. He famous how he had an up-and-down season, “to place it mildly,” earlier than he saved his greatest outings for October.
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“How I acquired that begin, on the time I used to be an extended reliever,” Lowe informed NESN.com. “My job was to come back up and mop up conditions. Recreation 3 was a mop-up and (Tim Wakefield) mentioned, ‘No, I’m going to do it.’ I nonetheless to today don’t know why. That supply allowed me to start out Recreation 4. I had such a nasty 12 months. I nearly pitched that recreation egocentric for me. I wanted to a minimum of present the people who I might a minimum of considerably pitch. It truly made it simpler for me as a result of I didn’t take the entire totality into consideration. I gotta go on the market and a minimum of have one good recreation going into free company.”
That’s the place Lowe hit a turning level to maintain the Purple Sox alive and thriving.
Lowe turned the primary participant in MLB historical past to be the successful pitcher of all three clinching video games of playoff sequence for a championship groups.
