Posts Tagged ‘2004 Red Sox’

Boston Globe photo by Barry Chin and used without permission

Ugly night in Boston sports all around.  I don’t even want to think about it.  The rain is coming down now washing away the disappointment of Friday night, ready to serve us up a brand new day.

Without wondering what the hell is going on with Beckett (I just can’t wrap my mind around it right now), I looked up some numbers.

This morning, the Yankees are in second place in the division, 1.5 games out of first place behind Tampa Bay with a record of 20-8.  The Red Sox are in second to last place in the division, 7.5 games out of first just ahead of Baltimore with a 15-15 record.  The Sox and Yanks have met 4 times and the Sox only won one of those games.

On May 8, 2009, the Red Sox were in first place in the division with a record of 19-11.  The Yankees were in third place in the division, 4.5 games out of first with a 14-15 record.  The Sox and Yanks had met 5 times and the Sox won all five games.

I am in no way comparing the individuals on each of these teams.  My point is this:  A record of 15-15  doesn’t indicate that the Red Sox won’t be successful this year.  Anything can and does happen in baseball and as agonizingly painful as it was to watch Beckett meltdown last night and as awful as it was to have the Sox lose so badly after coming off a four game sweep, it isn’t the end of the world, people.  If this team has done anything this year they’ve been consistently inconsistent.  We’re going to have to deal with it.

Since I’d rather remember the past this morning, I was thinking about a rainy Saturday back on July 24, 2004.  Going into the game on Friday the 23rd, the Sox were 8.5 games out of first place behind the Yankees.  That Friday night game was going to be a classic until Curt Schilling had his own meltdown and gave up seven earned runs in just over 5 innings.  The Sox came back to tie the game, only to lose it in the ninth when Keith Foulke gave up a single to Alex Rodriguez that scored Gary Sheffield.  Many Yankees fans refer to this game as the game where Curt Schilling cried – He didn’t.  He buried his face in a towel out of frustration but in 2004 we let the Yankees fans grasp on to whatever they can.  The two pitchers we picked up in the off-season to add the extra oomph the team needed to get past the Yankees had both imploded against them.  The Sox went into Saturday, July 24, 2004, 9.5 games behind the Yankees.

Given that 2004 was before the Red Sox had their fancy new drainage system installed, with all the rain happening Saturday morning, even though it wasn’t expected to rain during the game, no one thought there would be a game that day.  Quite disappointing for many reasons but mostly because 1) it was going to be on Fox and more people would be able to see it and 2) who wants to sit around and NOT have a game after such a soul-crushing loss?  The story we heard later that afternoon was that the game was being called and when they found out about it, the Sox, lead by Jason Varitek, mounted a protest and told everyone who would listen that there WOULD be a game that day.  Curt Schilling told it to Alex Speier this way:

We wanted to play, the front office did not. They were very concerned about the ‘gate’ and we were dead set on playing. I remember a “[Expletive] that, we want to play” response when they came and told us they wanted to bang the game.

The game did not get ‘banged’. (I also remember a story about the Yankees already being on the team bus in their civies when they got the call to get their butts back to the clubhouse. I still don’t know if it’s true, but I like it so I repeat it often.)  Bronson Arroyo makes the history-altering move of hitting ARod (keep in mind, this is before he became “Slappy”)  and all hell breaks lose.  For my birthday in 2004 (which is in December) my sister gave me what I call the “smoosh” photo – Tek asking ARod how his glove smells – and it is, to this day, one of my most prized possessions.  Long story short, the Sox give the Yankees their own soul-crushing loss when they go into the bottom of the 9th with the Yanks up 10-8 and end up losing with Mariano Rivera on the mound.  A double to begin the inning is followed by a fly ball, a single (which scored a run) and then the historic Bill Mueller two-run homer to end the game.

After that game, we thought the Sox were indestructible.  They came back to win the game on Sunday as well and the Sox owned the Yankees for the weekend.  More good things were to come (although it took some time for the Sox to really bounce back) and October 27th made all of the pain of that Friday night game (and the games prior to that which put the Sox in the 8.5 games behind hole they were in) totally worth it.

My point is, people, who knows what this year’s team is capable of?  I’m not ready to give into the idea that the Sox won’t be sniffing the post-season this year just because of a disappointingly slow start (and a frustrating inability for them to string together many wins – see, I do get how lousy this all has been – I’m just not giving up on this team).  Again, sure it sucks.  But I’m willing to accept the suck given the possibility of how great it could eventually be.

Great could begin today.  Of course the guys have to fight their way through CC Sabathia but with Clay Buchholz on the mound I dig our chances.  Adding to my “this feels like July 2004″ mojo?  The game today is on Fox.  How sweet would it be for McCarver and Buck to have to eat all their negative words (and you KNOW there will be negative words) when the Sox embarrass the Yankees?

Photo taken by Jim Davis/Boston Globe and is NOT used with permission.

So what’s your story?  I’ve told mine before and I’m re-posting it here.  I wrote the entry below in 2005 for the first anniversary and re-posted it in 2006.  It’s time to bring it out again!

I actually wrote this up last year for the first anniversary and amended it a bit for this year. I still get choked up thinking about that night. And there are many aspects surrounding it that I’m thankful for, but none as big as being thankful that I was able to share the moment with my parents…diehards for a lot longer than I’ve been!

With all due respect to the current World Series, it’s time for me to reflect on the most amazing time in Red Sox Nation’s history. Two years ago today.

I watched the final game with my parents…and when it was over I drank an entire bottle of champagne and fielded phone calls and emails from just about every person I ever met. I watched all of the local coverage and ESPN until around 2am…and never went to sleep. I watched the Red Sox come home with the trophy on the early morning news, got dressed in my Sox gear and went to work to celebrate with the people in my office. We laughed and cried and did nothing all day but read about the World Series online and talk about the historic way the Sox got there.

That Saturday was the most amazing parade/rolling rally any sports town has ever seen…and I stayed home alone while my friends and relatives went into town…and cried for the entire length of the parade (luckily every channel in town covered it and I taped every moment of it). I thought about so many people I know who didn’t get to see this and I thought of my (then) 69 year old dad who waited his whole life for it.

It was the best October ever.

Red Sox fans are spoiled by that team. A quick exit from the playoffs in ‘05 and missing the playoffs (and second place!) altogether in ‘06 has snapped folks back to reality. Even so, watching this World Series (played by the team my Sox swept in 2004) makes me miss the excitement of 2004 – even with all the pain of the ALCS that year. .

I was worried that a new World Champion would take away how I’ve felt all year about the Red Sox winning in 2004 – but then I realized I was wrong. Nothing will ever diminish what the Red Sox did and how they made me feel. If anything, I love them more this morning than I did yesterday.

With the 20th anniversary of the ‘86 series being thrown in my face, it’s amazing to have the feeling that no matter how many times that ball goes through Buckner’s legs, Dave Roberts is always going to be safe at second and Jason Varitek is always going to be jumping into Keith Foulke’s arms.

Can’t wait until we do it again!

Thanks for not making me wait too long, fellas!!

By request:

My 2008 post.
My 2007 post.
Two posts in 2006.
My 2005 post.

My man Mike Timlin - Photo by Kelly O'Connor

Are you watching the MLB Network’s preview?  If you are, are you getting the constant loop of the 2004 World Series film?  (I’m wondering if they are showing different video in different areas.)

I’ve never been so happy to be sitting in front of a television watching the same thing over and over and over again.  This is truly the best film ever made.

I’m not sure I ever sat down and thought about “my favorite Red Sox team” really. But watching this film has me thinking.  Every player they show, my initial response is “Oh I LOVED him!!!!”.  Every one.  Even Johnny Damon.  Hell, even Curt Schilling.  And although I’ll always credit Fred Lynn with stirring my Red Sox passion (and will always list him as my favorite “all time” player), there is no doubt in my mind that my favorite team of all time is the 2004 Boston Red Sox.

The 2007 World Champions make me very happy.  There are many guys from that team (waves to Kyle Snyder!) who I’ll always follow and root for – but 2004 was just so different.  To this day I can’t explain the feelings.  I’ve now watched this entire film or pieces of  it at least five times over these past two days and every time, EVERY TIME, there are pieces of it that make me cry.  Four years and another World Series banner later and “Back to Foulke! Red Sox fans have longed to hear it… the Boston Red Sox are World Champions!” makes me burst into tears.

(Side note about the 2004 World Series film:  It focuses a lot on the ALCS yet totally skims right over Slappy.  Boo, MLB.  BOO.  Ooh, one other note:  Over the last four year, my man Mike Timlin has aged.  He looks like a baby in this video.)

I know I’m totally biased, but watching this again and reliving the totally improbable ALCS win followed by sweeping the World Series…remembering how down the media around here was on the team and how depressed most of us were before “The Steal” – I’m not sure how anyone can watch this film and not understand why Red Sox fans are as rabid as we are.

Wishing away time is not really my style, but all the MLB Newtwork is doing for me, right now, is making me wish it was April!

Four, glorious, happy, thrilling, life-altering (in a sense) years ago when the Red Sox beat the Cardinals to win the 2004 World Series.

2007 was sweet.  It shut up everyone who said after 2004 “You won’t win for another 86 years!”.  But 2004 was magic.  And unless the Cubs win the World Series, no other fan base will truly understand what it meant to Red Sox fans.  I don’t care how egomaniacal that sounds, it’s true.

So thank you Red Sox.  For giving us that joy in 2004.  And for giving us the hope that it will happen again and again!

Photo from Boston.com