Four Days in October
The Boston Red celebrate their World Series clinching win in game seven of the 2004 ALCS against the New York Yankees on Thursday, Oct. 21, 2004 (Courtesy of Ezra Shaw/Getty Images).
As the Major League Baseball (MLB) post-season comes down to the final two teams, it seems an opportune time to reminisce on the last four games of the 2004 American League Championship Series (ALCS) between historic rivals, the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. The series remains one of the greatest comebacks in the history of professional sports. The start of these four legendary days was brought on by the Boston Red Sox trailing the Yankees 0-3 in a best-of-seven playoff series to clinch the ALCS and move on to the World Series.
After battling back into the series, game four was neck and neck, with neither team allowing much room for error. The turning point of the game, and the start of one of the greatest sports comebacks of all time, was when Yankees star closer Mariano Rivera entered the game and allowed a lead-off walk to outfielder Kevin Millar which proved to be deadly to the Yankees.
Pinch runner Dave Roberts was chosen to take over for Millar at first base and stole second to put himself in prime scoring position. Third baseman Bill Mueller then immediately hit a single to bring Roberts home. First baseman and power hitter David Ortiz closed out the game for the Red Sox with a walk-off homer, which kept the Red Sox in the series.
Game five only worked to fuel the epic tale of a possible comeback story. Boston came out swinging and gained a 2-0 lead early on in the game. While it was close through the first nine innings, in the end, extra innings were needed and the fight continued.
Each team had their fair share of base runners in extra innings, but the previous night’s hero did it once again as Ortiz hit a single to center field to drive home outfielders Johnny Damon and Manny Ramirez. The walk-off set up another celebration in Fenway Park and throughout Boston. The game set the record for the longest postseason game ever at the time, at five hours and 49 minutes.
Heading into game six, if you asked someone, “What’s the first thing you think of when I say the name Curt Schilling?” there is no doubt that they would have said “bloody sock.” Schilling, a starting pitcher for the Red Sox, had previously torn his tendon sheath in his right ankle during game one of the series and had an unprecedented surgery in the locker room before the fifth game, where team doctors sutured the injury in place. Schilling’s bloody sock game was one of the greatest moments in sports history, and for good reason. He put on a chilling performance as he only let up one run to force a game seven, all while showcasing a bloody sock, an image forever burned in the brains of baseball fans everywhere.
The final game of the ALCS once again had the Boston Red Sox at an all-time high as they dragged the Yankees 10-3, with the help of an early 5-1 lead by the third inning. There was nothing that could stop the Red Sox, as they clearly had the fire and determination to win.
Prior to game 7, Boston players had watched Miracle, a movie telling the ultimate underdog story of the 1980 U.S. Men’s gold medal hockey team. Only a few hours later, at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 21, 2004, the Red Sox had won their first pennant since 1986 and became just the third team in sports history, and the first since the New York Islanders in 1975, to win a seven-game series after being down 0-3.
Following the legendary feat achieved by the Boston Red Sox in 2004 that led them to their first World Series Championship since 1918, aspects of the series remain some of the greatest moments in sports history. Thinking back on this thrilling game makes it hard to overlook that both the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees recently failed to make the postseason for the first time in 30 years.