It may be hard for folks who weren’t here in 2004 to understand this, but a photo gallery celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Red Sox winning their first World Series in 86 years can’t start with the actual World Series.
It has to start 10 days earlier, in the American League Championship Series, when the Sox, down three games to none against the New York Yankees, trailed by a run in the bottom of the ninth inning:
If you’re a Red Sox fan, you know what this is. (Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
That’s Dave Roberts. That’s him stealing second, beating the tag by Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter.
That’s what changed everything.
Roberts’ steal and score extended Game 4 against the great Sox nemesis. Boston won that game. And they never lost another in 2004.
Boston Red Sox’s Dave Roberts slides home to score the tying run against New York Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera in the ninth inning of game 4 of the ALCS Sunday, Oct. 17, 2004 in Boston. (Elise Amendola/AP)
The Red Sox swept the St. Louis Cardinals and won their sixth World Series on October 27, 2004.
This was the curse-breaker. The Boston Red Sox, the self-styled “Idiots” were World Series champions. It was a balm that finally healed the scars of 1946, 1967, 1978, 1986 and 2003. The team would go on to win again in 2007, 2013 and 2018. All those championships were sweet.
But 2004 was the sweetest.
Here are photos from that series, and the days of celebration that followed.
Boston Red Sox fans hold up signs prior to the beginning of Game 1 at Fenway Park. (Winslow Townson/AP)The St. Louis Cardinals, left, and the Boston Red Sox line up before the start of Game 1. (Mike Segar/AP)Pitcher Tim Wakefield throws one of his signature knuckleballs against the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 1. (Al Bello/Getty Images)Manager Terry Francona answers questions at a news conference. (James Finley/AP)Blood seeps through the sock of Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling during the first inning of Game 2 of the World Series in Boston. Schilling played through a tendon tear in his ankle. (Winslow Townson/AP)Pokey Reese, left, hugs Manny Ramirez after the Red Sox beat the Cardinals in Game 3. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)Boston Red Sox’s Pedro Martinez pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning during Game 3 of the World Series Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2004, in St. Louis. The Sox ace was unavailable earlier in the series after his heroics during the Yankees series. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)Boston Red Sox third baseman Bill Mueller throws out St. Louis Cardinals’ Scott Rolen at first in the fourth inning of Game 3 of the World Series Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2004, in St. Louis. (Mark Humphrey/AP)Boston Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek talks to pitcher Derek Lowe during Game 4. (Al Behrman/AP)Boston Red Sox pitcher Keith Foulke, center, and first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz, left, celebrate after making the final out of Game 4 and winning the 2004 World Series. (Mark Humphrey/AP)Red Sox fans at Game 4 in St. Louis celebrate the team’s first World Series win in 86 years. (Al Behrman/AP)Mientkiewicz, left and catcher Jason Varitek jump into Foulke’s arms. (Sue Ogrocki/AP)Ashley Davis, a student at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Mass., top, celebrates with her friends on the school’s campus after the Sox win the World Series. (Dennis Vandal/AP)The players celebrate after beating the St. Louis Cardinals 3-0 in Game 4 to win the World Series. (Al Behrman/AP)Adam Hutchinson of Boston sells the Oct. 28. 2004 Boston Globe which reports Red Sox victory. (Chitose Suzuki/AP)Dan Curran, of Boston, reads the Boston Herald’s take on the Red Sox victory in the World Series. (Chitose Suzuki/AP)Faithful Red Sox fans gather around Fenway Park in Boston early Thursday morning Oct. 28, 2004 waiting for their triumphant team to return home. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/AP)Boston Mayor Tom Menino can’t contain a smile as Red Sox President/CEO Larry Lucchino presents the World Series trophy during a news conference at the City Hall in Boston. (Chitose Suzuki/AP)The grave of George Herman ‘Babe” Ruth is decorated with items left by Yankees and Red Sox fans the day after the Sox won the 2004 World Series. (Mary Altaffer/AP)Boston Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez hoists the World Series trophy at the start of the rolling rally at Fenway Park in Boston in 2004. (Charles Krupa/AP)A Duck Boat carrying Boston Red Sox players and staff makes its way past Fenway Park during the “rolling rally” to celebrate the victory on Oct. 30. (Elise Amendola/AP)Fans cheer as the Duck Boats ride along Boylston Street during the “rolling rally”on Oct. 30. (Elise Amendola/AP)Boston Red Sox Kevin Millar and Manny Ramirez react to the crowd during the parade. (Michael Dwyer/AP)Johnny Damon reacts to the crowd during the parade. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/AP)Fans surround vehicles carrying members of the Boston Red Sox during the rally. (Charles Krupa/AP)Boston Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein points to the crowd as manager Terry Francona looks on. (Michael Dwyer/AP)Catchers Jason Varitek and Doug Mirabelli acknowledge the crowd. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/AP)David Ortiz smiles and waves to cheering fans as he holds the World Series trophy. (Elise Amendola/AP)Boston Red Sox fans line the banks of the Charles River as the Boston Red Sox parade down the river in duck in Boston, Saturday, Oct 30, 2004. (Julia Malakie/AP)Boston Red Sox players and officials wave to spectators from the Duck boats while motoring along the Charles River on the Cambridge, Mass. side during the Red Sox’s World Series Championship parade, Saturday, Oct. 30, 2004. (Chitose Suzuki/AP)
