I t was never going to happen Most Boston Red Sox fans had accepted it by 2004 The Red Sox had won five World Series titles between 1903 and 1918 Then they sold slugger Babe The Bambino Ruth to the rival New York Yankees in 1920 They had not won a World Series since As for the hated Yankees They won 26 titles from 1920 through 2004 It was called the Curse of the Bambino The curse was in full effect for the 2003 American League AL playoffs After each won in the AL Division Series ALDS the Red Sox and the Yankees met in the AL Championship Series ALCS to determine who went to the World Series It was a back-and-forth series Every game except one was decided by three runs or less After six games the Red Sox and Yankees had each won three It would all come down to the decisive seventh game at Yankee Stadium in New York Manny Ramirez left and David Ortiz celebrate after Ortiz hit a two-run Manny Ramirez left and David Ortiz celebrate after Ortiz hit a two-run homer against the New York Yankees in the 2004 ALCS homer against the New York Yankees in the 2004 ALCS t CHAMPS AT LAST 5
The Red Sox took a 5 2 lead in the top of the eighth inning and appeared to be on their way to the World Series Then the curse struck Boston’s ace pitcher Pedro Martinez gave up three runs in the bottom of the eighth The game was still tied going into the bottom of the 11th inning Then Yankees third baseman Aaron Boone hit a solo home run to left field The Yankees had done it again The Idiots The Idiots The Red Sox and the Yankees were The Red Sox and the Yankees were rivals on the field They also had rivals on the field They also had very different personas off it The very different personas off it The very different personas off it The Yankees were known for their cor Yankees were known for their cor rrrr porate image All the players were porate image All the players were neat and clean shaven The Red neat and clean shaven The Red Sox were the opposite Outfielder Sox were the opposite Outfielder Sox were the opposite Outfielder Johnny Damon was the most obvious Johnny Damon was the most obvious example His long brown hair and example His long brown hair and example His long brown hair and scruffy beard in 2004 made him look scruffy beard in 2004 made him look scruffy beard in 2004 made him look scruffy beard in 2004 made him look like a caveman Damon referred to like a caveman Damon referred to like a caveman Damon referred to the 2004 Red Sox as the idiots to the 2004 Red Sox as the idiots to show that they were just regular show that they were just regular fun-lovi s who loved to lay fun-loving guys who loved to play fun-loving guys who loved to play baseball ba ball baseball baseball The Red Sox were back in 2004 They finished the regular season with a 98 64 record and qualified for the playoffs as the wild card Behind pitchers Mar tinez Curt Schilling Bronson Arroyo and Derek Lowe the Red Sox then blew through the Anaheim Angels in the ALDS Next up was a rematch with the Yankees Any optimism in Boston faded quickly when the ALCS started The Yankees jumped to a three-games-to-none lead in the series The third was a crushing 19 8 win at Boston’s Fenway Park In more than 100 years of Major League Baseball history no team had ever won a seven-game series after los ing the first three games When the Yankees took a 4 3 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 4 the Curse of the Bambino appeared to have struck again 6 BOSTON RED SOX
Dave Roberts slides into home plate to score the tying run in the ninth inning of Game 4 in the 2004 ALCS Then something amazing happened Yankees ace closer Mariano Rivera walked Red Sox first baseman Kevin Millar Moments later pinch runner Dave Roberts stole second base When third baseman Bill Muel ler singled to center Roberts touched home for the tying run The Red Sox were back in it The game went into extra innings Finally in the bottom of the 12th Boston’s powerful designated hitter David Ortiz blasted a two-run home run to give the Red Sox the win They would live another day The Red Sox then edged the Yankees 5 4 after 14 innings in Game 5 The series returned to CHAMPS AT LAST 7
