Alright, I want to get this done by December 31st so there will be a huge flurry of big posts in the next 10 days and then I’m taking a week or two off. Also, I’m doing it by myself and putting them up all on the same day. I just gotta get it done lol. Anyway, into 2004.

2004: Best Moments in Sports

I am by no means a Red Sox fan. That said, it is undeniable the greatest moment in sports in 2004, and maybe the decade, came from the 2004 ALCS.

Describing it doesn’t do it enough justice, as almost all of us watched it happen live, but I’ll briefly try to.

The first 3 games saw the Yankees dominating their AL East rivals. I mean the Yankees won 19-8 in Game 3. It looked like this was going to be a quick 4 or 5 game series and the Yankees would be well on their way to their 27th World Championship (That would come 5 years later as they prevailed over our Philadelphia Phillies. Happy Greg?)

Game 4 looked a lot like a replay of the first games, but the Yanks took a 1 run lead into the bottom of the 9th, and as always in that situation, Mariano Rivera was on the hill for the Yanks. After getting a lead off walk, Red Sox pinch runner David Roberts put the season on the line by attempting to steal 2nd. After 3 pick off throws, Roberts went on the first pitch, and by the tips of his fingers, made it into second. A few pitches later Mueller would single in Roberts to send the game into extra innings.

Mariano Rivera blew a save. Doesn’t happen every day…in facts only a handful a year.

The teams would battle for 3 more innings until finally in the bottom of the 12th, David Ortiz sent everyone home with a walk off home run.

Series 3-1.

Game 5 was shockingly reminiscent of Game 4. The Yankees took a 2 run lead into the 8th. After Tom Gordon (remember Flash?) gave up a home run to cut the lead in half, and was followed by a walk to Kevin Millar, who again was replaced by Dave Roberts. Gordon was replaced by Rivera with the lead still intact, but Rivera was brought into a tight situation and for the second night in a row blew the save.

Both teams would again threaten into extra innings but neither could get a run across. Finally, in the bottom of the 14th, David Ortiz would again walk off with the win as he singled up the middle to plate Johnny Damon. This series was going back to New York.

Game 6 brought us the now infamous “bloody sock” game as Curt Shilling pitched with a torn tendon in his right ankle which he had sutured together for one night. He proceeded to score 7 innings of 1 run ball to the New York Yankees in Game 6 of the ALCS. That is the type of thing legends are made of. After scoring 4 in the 4th, Boston fought off the Bronx Bombers to send this puppy to Game 7.

Shockingly, Game 7 was a rout of epic proportions as the Red Sox ran out ahead with a Damon grand slam and never looked back. By this time, it felt almost inevitable the Red Sox would win, but it was no less remarkable when they actually did it.

Of course, Boston would go on and sweep the Cardinals in 4 games to capture their first title since 1918, and ease the souls of millions of Red Sox fans, alive and dead.

I doubt we ever see any kind of comeback like this ever again. Hell, the Yankees were 97% to win the series after Game 3, but the fact it was the Yankees and the Red Sox will set it apart from any other moment in this year and this decade.

David Ortiz walk off single.