soberdennis
10-20-2010, 06:04 PM
Ok. Fellow Yankee fans, you can shoot me now for making this thread. But even though as a Yankee fan I would like to forget 2004, as a baseball fan I have to consider it one of the great moments in postseason history.
In the first two decades of the 20th century, the Boston Red Sox had won 6 AL pennants and played in 5 World Series (there was no WS in 1904), winning them all. During this same time the New York Yankees were always also-rans.
Baseball history was changed forever in January, 1920 when Boston owner Harry Frazee sold his star outfielder/pitcher Babe Ruth to the Yankees for cash and a mortgage on Fenway Park. Ruth would help start the greatest dynasty in sports with the Yankees, who in the next 83 years would appear in 39 World Series, winning 26.
During the same period, the Red Sox would appear in only 4 World Series, losing all four in 7 games. They were often victimized by the Yankees, including a dramatic seventh game in the 2003 ALCS when Aaron Boone homered in the 11th inning to win for the Yankees.
That all changed in 2004 with one of the greatest comebacks in baseball history.
The Yankees won their 9th consecutive division title with a record of 101-61. The Red Sox finished second at 98-64 and got the wild card.
In the Divisional Series, the Yankees beat the Twins in 4 while the Red Sox swept the Angels, setting up a rematch of last year's classic.
For three games and 8 innings, it looked like business as usual.
The Yankees jumped out to a 8-0 lead in game one and held on to win 10-7 with a 14 hit attack.
Jon Lieber gave up only 5 hits in cruising to a 3-1 victory in game 2.
The Yankees had their highest offensive output in their glorious postseason history with 19 runs and 22 hits in a 19-8 game 3 victory.
The Yankees led 4-3 in the 8th inning when Joe Torre brought Mariano Rivera in to close the series out. Rivera had only blown one save in his entire postseason career, that in game 7 of the 2001 World Series.
But it was not to be this day. In the ninth, Kevin Millar walked. Then pinch runner Dave Roberts stole second and scored on Bill Mueller's single to tie the game. Rivera got out of the inning without any further trouble. But the damage was done.
In the 12th, David Ortiz hit a 2 run homer off Paul Quantrill to make the Series 3-1.
The Yankees had another chance to wrap up the series in game 5.
They had a 4-2 lead in the 8th inning when Ortiz homered off Tom Gordon to make it 4-3. A walk and single later brought in Rivera again. Jason Veritek then hit a sac fly to tie it. The game went into the 14th inning before Ortiz singled in the winning run.
In game 6, The Red Sox put the ball in the hands of Curt Schilling, who tossed a 6 hitter. Mark Bellhorn gave him all the runs he needed with a 3 run homer in the 4th. Bernie Williams homered in the 7th and the Yankees got another off Bronson Arroyo in the 8th. But that was all in a 4-2 Sox win.
Game 7 was all Boston. Johnny Damon drove in 6 runs and Derek Lowe gave up only 5 hits in a 10-3 rout.
What had seemed impossible only a few days earlier had happened. Down 3 games to none and 3 outs away from elimination, the Red Sox had come back to win 4 straight, the first time it had ever happened in baseball history.
The World Series against the Cardinals was anticlimatic. The Red Sox rode the wave of momentum to sweep the Cards and finally claim their first title in 86 years. The curse of the Bambino was broken.
In the first two decades of the 20th century, the Boston Red Sox had won 6 AL pennants and played in 5 World Series (there was no WS in 1904), winning them all. During this same time the New York Yankees were always also-rans.
Baseball history was changed forever in January, 1920 when Boston owner Harry Frazee sold his star outfielder/pitcher Babe Ruth to the Yankees for cash and a mortgage on Fenway Park. Ruth would help start the greatest dynasty in sports with the Yankees, who in the next 83 years would appear in 39 World Series, winning 26.
During the same period, the Red Sox would appear in only 4 World Series, losing all four in 7 games. They were often victimized by the Yankees, including a dramatic seventh game in the 2003 ALCS when Aaron Boone homered in the 11th inning to win for the Yankees.
That all changed in 2004 with one of the greatest comebacks in baseball history.
The Yankees won their 9th consecutive division title with a record of 101-61. The Red Sox finished second at 98-64 and got the wild card.
In the Divisional Series, the Yankees beat the Twins in 4 while the Red Sox swept the Angels, setting up a rematch of last year's classic.
For three games and 8 innings, it looked like business as usual.
The Yankees jumped out to a 8-0 lead in game one and held on to win 10-7 with a 14 hit attack.
Jon Lieber gave up only 5 hits in cruising to a 3-1 victory in game 2.
The Yankees had their highest offensive output in their glorious postseason history with 19 runs and 22 hits in a 19-8 game 3 victory.
The Yankees led 4-3 in the 8th inning when Joe Torre brought Mariano Rivera in to close the series out. Rivera had only blown one save in his entire postseason career, that in game 7 of the 2001 World Series.
But it was not to be this day. In the ninth, Kevin Millar walked. Then pinch runner Dave Roberts stole second and scored on Bill Mueller's single to tie the game. Rivera got out of the inning without any further trouble. But the damage was done.
In the 12th, David Ortiz hit a 2 run homer off Paul Quantrill to make the Series 3-1.
The Yankees had another chance to wrap up the series in game 5.
They had a 4-2 lead in the 8th inning when Ortiz homered off Tom Gordon to make it 4-3. A walk and single later brought in Rivera again. Jason Veritek then hit a sac fly to tie it. The game went into the 14th inning before Ortiz singled in the winning run.
In game 6, The Red Sox put the ball in the hands of Curt Schilling, who tossed a 6 hitter. Mark Bellhorn gave him all the runs he needed with a 3 run homer in the 4th. Bernie Williams homered in the 7th and the Yankees got another off Bronson Arroyo in the 8th. But that was all in a 4-2 Sox win.
Game 7 was all Boston. Johnny Damon drove in 6 runs and Derek Lowe gave up only 5 hits in a 10-3 rout.
What had seemed impossible only a few days earlier had happened. Down 3 games to none and 3 outs away from elimination, the Red Sox had come back to win 4 straight, the first time it had ever happened in baseball history.
The World Series against the Cardinals was anticlimatic. The Red Sox rode the wave of momentum to sweep the Cards and finally claim their first title in 86 years. The curse of the Bambino was broken.