2004 World Series
From SoSH
The 2004 World Series took place between the Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals. The series, a rematch of the heartbreaking 1946 World Series, began on October 23, 2004. It ended four games later on October 27 at Busch Stadium, when the Red Sox won their first Championship in 86 years.
- Managers: Tony LaRussa (St Louis), Terry Francona (Boston)
- Series MVP: Manny Ramirez, Boston
- Television: FOX (Joe Buck and Tim McCarver announcing)
Contents |
Summary
The Boston team became the 18th in major league history to sweep its opponents in the World Series, and the 4th team to keep its opponent from obtaining the lead at any time in the Series. Considering American professional sports history in general, Boston became the 153rd team to make a series sweep, and the 25th team to have never trailed in a best-of-seven series. Boston led St. Louis at the end of 35 out of 36 total innings of play. The closest the Cardinals ever came to possessing the lead in the Series was on two different occasions in Game 1. The Cardinals tied the game at 7 in the top of the 6th inning. The Red Sox regained the lead with two runs in the bottom of the 7th. The Cardinals responded with two in the top of the 8th to tie the game at 9, but the Red Sox replied with two in the bottom of the same inning.
Both teams had lost their most recent World Series appearances. The Red Sox lost in seven games to the New York Mets in 1986, while the Cardinals lost in 1987, also in seven games, to the Minnesota Twins. The Cardinals had not won the World Series since 1982. The two teams had played each other in two previous World Series, in 1946 and 1967; the Cardinals won both in seven games.
| Game | Score | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston 11, St. Louis 9 | October 23 |
| 2 | Boston 6, St. Louis 2 | October 24 |
| 3 | Boston 4, St. Louis 1 | October 26 |
| 4 | Boston 3, St. Louis 0 | October 27 |
Box Scores
Game 1: October 23, 2004 - Fenway Park
The first game of the 2004 World Series was played at Fenway Park in Boston. The national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner", was performed by Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, whose musical career started in Boston, and was followed by a fly-over of F-16s provided by the Vermont Air National Guard, although the planes were heard more clearly than they were seen.
Tim Wakefield was the starting pitcher for the Red Sox, Woody Williams for the Cardinals. In the bottom of the 1st inning, Williams gave up a leadoff double to Johnny Damon, then hit Orlando Cabrera in the shoulder with a wild pitch. After Manny Ramirez flied out to deep right field, David Ortiz followed with a three-run home run. Still in the 1st, Kevin Millar scored on a Bill Mueller single to put the Red Sox up 4-to-0.
In the top of the 2nd inning, Jim Edmonds reached base on a bunt single. He would later score on a Mike Matheny sacrifice fly to make the score 4-1. Larry Walker homered to right field in the top of the 3rd inning to cut the lead to 4-2, but the Red Sox stopped the progress of the Cardinals with a double play which retired Albert Pujols and Scott Rolen. In the bottom of the 3rd, a single by Damon scored Mueller and chased Woody Williams. Dan Haren replaced him. Cabrera drove in Doug Mirabelli with a single. Mark Bellhorn scored on a fielder's choice to shortstop Edgar Renteria to widen the Boston lead to 7-2. Preventing further damage, Kevin Millar grounded out with the bases loaded to end the 3rd.
In the top of the 4th inning, Edmonds scored again on a Matheny sacrifice fly, with Reggie Sanders scoring on a throwing error by first baseman Kevin Millar. Tony Womack, who had moved to third base on the error, scored on a So Taguchi ground out to third baseman Bill Mueller, cutting the Red Sox lead to two. In the top of the 6th inning, So Taguchi reached on an infield single, advancing to second when Boston pitcher Bronson Arroyo threw the ball into the stands. Cardinal shortstop Edgar Renteria doubled on a line drive to center fielder Johnny Damon, scoring Taguchi. A Larry Walker double drove in Rentería, tying the game at 7.
Kelly Clarkson performed "God Bless America" during the 7th inning stretch. In the bottom of the 7th inning, a Manny Ramírez single, combined with a poor throw by Jim Edmonds, led to a run by Mark Bellhorn; the Red Sox regained the lead, 8-to-7. A David Ortiz line drive connected with the collarbone of second baseman Tony Womack, sending him to the bench, and Orlando Cabrera scored to put the Red Sox up 9-7. Marlon Anderson replaced Womack.
In the top of the 8th inning, with one out, Mike Matheny singled and was replaced at first by pinch-runner Jason Marquis. Pinch hitter Roger Cedeno followed with another base hit, sending Marquis to second. With Boston closer Keith Foulke now pitching, Edgar Renteria singled on a ground ball to left fielder Manny Ramirez. Jason Marquis scored on a Ramírez fielding error on that play. In the next at bat, Larry Walker hit a single to Ramírez, who fumbled the catch into a second error, and Roger Cedeño scored to tie the game at 9. After an intentional walk to Albert Pujols, the Cardinals had the bases loaded with one out. Foulke, however, induced Scott Rolen to pop out to third and struck out Jim Edmonds. The Red Sox answered in the bottom of the inning though. After Jason Varitek reached on an error by Rentería, Mark Bellhorn homered off the right field foul pole, and the Red Sox led 11-9. Bellhorn thus became the first second baseman to hit home runs in three consecutive playoff games, the first two coming in games 6 and 7 of the 2004 American League Championship Series against the Yankees.
In the top of the 9th inning, Keith Foulke struck out Cedeño with a runner at second to end the game. Despite blowing an early lead, the Red Sox won 11 to 9, setting a new record for the highest scoring World Series opening game. The previous record had been set in 1932.
Attendance for the game was 35,035 and the time of the game was 4 hours even. (Play-by-play from ESPN.com)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 11 | 1 |
| Boston | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | x | 11 | 13 | 4 |
| W: Keith Foulke (1-0) L: Julián Tavárez (0-1) | ||||||||||||
| HR: STL – Larry Walker (1) BOS – David Ortiz (1), Mark Bellhorn (1) | ||||||||||||
Game 2: October 24, 2004 - Fenway Park
Boston's Fenway Park was again the site for game 2. The Cardinals' starting pitcher was Matt Morris, while Curt Schilling started for the Red Sox. "The Star-Spangled Banner" was performed by Boston native James Taylor.
The game was played in a steady mist, with a game-time temperature of 48 degrees Fahrenheit.
Schilling allowed a two-out double to Albert Pujols, but escaped without allowing a run when Scott Rolen's hard-hit line drive was snared by third baseman Bill Mueller. In the home half, Manny Ramírez and David Ortiz walked with two out, setting the stage for Jason Varitek to bring both runners home with a triple that landed in the deepest part of the yard.
The Red Sox made their first of four errors in the game in the top of the 2nd inning, when third baseman Bill Mueller dropped a foul fly off the bat of Jim Edmonds. But Schilling bore down and got Edmonds out. Reggie Sanders walked and Tony Womack singled, but Mueller redeemed himself by catching a Mike Matheny line drive and tagging the running Sanders for a double play.
St. Louis reached the scoreboard in the 4th inning, thanks to Boston's second error. With Pujols on third, Sanders hit a ball that Mueller booted, allowing Pujols to score and narrow the gap to 2-1.
Boston wasted no time again extending their lead. Kevin Millar was hit by a Morris pitch, and Mueller doubled to right with two out, putting runners on first and third for Mark Bellhorn, who hit a ball almost as far as Varitek's first-inning blast, scoring both runners and making it a 4-1 game.
Cal Eldred relieved Morris in the 5th inning, and he was victimized in the 6th. Trot Nixon led off with a single to center. With two out, Johnny Damon singled to left and then Orlando Cabrera hit a ball midway up the Green Monster in left field that plated both Nixon and Damon, stretching the Red Sox advantage to 6-1.
In the top of the 6th, Mueller's bad day in the field continued, as he committed his World Series record-tying third error of the game, misplaying a ground ball hit by Scott Rolen. Bellhorn failed to play a ground ball by Edmonds a moment later, but the Sox got out of the jam when Mueller redeemed himself by fielding Reggie Sanders's ground ball for a fielder's choice.
Boston native Donna Summer performed "God Bless America" during the 7th-inning stretch.
The Cardinals would score their last run in the 8th inning. Reliever Mike Timlin walked Edgar Rentería, who moved to third on a grounder by Larry Walker and a single by Pujols. Scott Rolen then hit a sacrifice fly to center field, bringing Rentería home with the game's final run. Keith Foulke came on to strike out Jim Edmonds to end the rally.
Announced attendance was 35,001. The game lasted 3 hours 20 minutes. (Play-by-play from ESPN.com)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| Boston | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | x | 6 | 8 | 4 |
| W: Curt Schilling (1-0) L: Matt Morris (0-1) | ||||||||||||
Game 3: October 26, 2004 - Busch Stadium
For Game 3, the scene shifted to Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. "The Star-Spangled Banner" was performed by three-time Country Music Association award winner, three-time Academy of Country Music Female Vocalist award winner, and Grammy Award winning country music singer Martina McBride. At a pregame ceremony, Edgar Martinez was presented with the 2004 Roberto Clemente Award.
Game time temperature was 64 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celsius). Pre-game rain stopped about half an hour before the first pitch, but left much of the outfield near the wall wet.
Manny Ramírez opened the scoring for the Red Sox with two out in the top of the 1st inning, sending a 2-2 pitch from the Cardinals' starting pitcher, former Red Sox player Jeff Suppan, into the bleachers over the wall in left-center field, which is 372 feet from home plate.
The starting pitcher for the Red Sox was Pedro Martinez. In the bottom of the 1st, the Cardinals loaded the bases with one out, but Jim Edmonds hit a fly ball to left fielder Ramirez, who threw home to catcher Jason Varitek to retire Larry Walker attempting to score from third, for an inning-ending double play. Replays showed that Walker had taken off because Albert Pujols, the runner at second, had led too far off the base, and would easily have been doubled off.
The Cardinals threatened again in the top of the 3rd inning, as Suppan beat out an infield single to third base and Edgar Rentería delivered a double to right-center field. But Walker grounded to first, and Suppan hesitated in his attempt to score. David Ortiz, making a rare appearance at first base (as there is no designated hitter in the National League), took the throw from second baseman Mark Bellhorn, retired Walker, and threw to third, where Bill Mueller tagged Suppan for a double play.
Trot Nixon extended the Red Sox lead to 2-0 in the top of the 4th, hitting a single to right field that scored Mueller, who had started the rally with a two-out double to left center.
Johnny Damon led off the Red Sox's 5th inning with a double to right, confounding Walker, who had trouble navigating the wet grass and warning track. Orlando Cabrera followed with a single to right, and Ramírez singled to left, scoring Damon. After Ortiz flied to center and Varitek grounded into a fielder's choice, Mueller singled sharply past first base, allowing Cabrera to score the Red Sox's fourth run. At that point, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa replaced Suppan with Al Reyes (Cardinals starting pitchers failed to finish the 5th inning in all 3 games played so far), who got the final out.
At the 7th-inning stretch Gospel Music Hall of Fame recording artist, and platinum selling Grammy Award winner Amy Grant performed "God Bless America" from the top of the Cardinals dugout.
Martinez' outing ended after the 7th inning. He finished with six strikeouts, two walks, and three hits allowed. He retired the last 14 hitters, beginning with Walker's grounder. Mike Timlin came on to pitch the 8th.
Walker homered to center field off Keith Foulke with one out in the Cardinals' 9th to break up the shutout, as the rain returned. Foulke escaped further damage, and the Red Sox won the game 4-1, their seventh straight playoff victory. Walker's homer was the first and only run allowed by Foulke during the 2004 playoffs.
The game was played before 52,015 paying fans, in a brisk (for modern-day playoff baseball) 2 hours and 58 minutes. (Play-by-play from ESPN.com)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 0 |
| St. Louis | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| W: Pedro Martínez (1-0) L: Jeff Suppan (0-1) | ||||||||||||
| HR: BOS – Manny Ramírez (1) STL – Larry Walker (2) | ||||||||||||
Game 4: October 27, 2004 - Busch Stadium
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The fourth and final game of the 2004 World Series also took place at Busch Stadium. Gretchen Wilson, a multi-platinum-selling country singer, performed "The Star-Spangled Banner", which was followed by a fly-over by a squadron of 2 F/A-18 fighter planes.
The Hank Aaron Award winners for 2004 were presented prior to the game: Barry Bonds in the NL, Manny Ramírez in the AL.
Skies were partly cloudy, and the game time temperature was 61 degrees Fahrenheit. Perhaps forshadowing the game's outcome, a total lunar eclipse was visible from the stadium starting around 8:14 p.m. local time, the first time a lunar eclipse has occurred during a post-season. The first pitch, from the Cardinals' starting pitcher, Jason Marquis, came at 7:26 p.m. local time.
Johnny Damon, the game's first batter, got the scoring under way for the Red Sox with a home run into the bullpen in right field. It was the first World Series game-opening homer since Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees in the 2000 World Series against the New York Mets.
Against the Cardinals' starting pitcher, Jason Marquis, Manny Ramírez singled with one out in the 3rd inning to equal the postseason hitting streak record of 17 games (tied with Hank Bauer and Derek Jeter). David Ortiz followed with a double down the right-field line. Jason Varitek hit a ground ball to first which Albert Pujols fielded, firing home to Yadier Molina, who tagged Ramirez for the inning's second out. But Marquis then walked Bill Mueller and gave up a double to Trot Nixon off the wall in right-center field, scoring Ortiz and Varitek, and missing a grand slam by a mere 2 feet.
Scott Stapp, a Grammy Award-winning vocalist formerly with the group Creed, performed "God Bless America" during the seventh-inning stretch.
In the top of the eighth, Mueller led off with a single to right-center off reliever Danny Haren, and Nixon followed with his third double of the night, down the right-field line. Gabe Kapler pinch-ran for Nixon, and Cardinals manager Tony La Russa countered by calling on Jason Isringhausen to try to shut the door. It was Isringhausen's first appearance of the series, as the Cards generally use him as their closer. Isringhausen promptly walked Mark Bellhorn, loading the bases, but he got out of the inning with two strikeouts and another outstanding fielding play by Pujols. With the infield in, he snagged a Damon grounder and threw home, forcing out Mueller.
Lowe's night on the mound ended when he was pinch-hit for in the eighth inning. He finished with four strikeouts, one walk, and three hits allowed in his seven shutout innings, making three consecutive no-earned-run games for Boston starting pitchers (20 innings total). He became the winning pitcher in the deciding game of all three postseason series.
Bronson Arroyo came on to pitch the bottom of the eighth, and he walked Reggie Sanders with one out before yielding to reliever Alan Embree, who struck out pinch-hitter Hector Luna and got Larry Walker to pop up, ending the inning.
Keith Foulke, the Red Sox closer, came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth. Pujols started the inning by lacing a single through Foulke's legs. Scott Rolen flied to Kapler in right for the first out. Foulke then struck out Jim Edmonds and got Edgar Rentería to bounce back to the mound, ending the game and the Series with a 3-0 Red Sox victory. In a somewhat fitting coincidence, their World Series victory came 18 years to the day (October 27) after their loss to the New York Mets in the 1986 World Series, and on the night of a lunar eclipse. As well, Renteria, who would make the last out, wore number 3 for the Cardinals, the same number made famous (or infamous) by Babe Ruth when he played for the Yankees. This combination of coincidences convinced many that the "Curse of the Bambino" had finally been vanquished.
This would be the second time in a row that the home team (in this case St. Louis) did not win the deciding game of a World Series. Notably, the Busch Stadium staff re-opened the building's main gates to allow several hundred Red Sox fans who had been milling outside without tickets into the stadium to see the Red Sox' final victory.
The game lasted 3 hours 14 minutes before 52,037 fans at Busch Stadium. (Play-by-play from ESPN.com)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 0 |
| St. Louis | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| W: Derek Lowe (1-0) L: Jason Marquis (0-1) S: Keith Foulke (1) | ||||||||||||
| HR: BOS – Johnny Damon (1) | ||||||||||||
Quotes of the Series
"This is what we've all been waiting for. We can die happy. I just hope everyone out there who has been rooting for the Red Sox the last eighty-six years is enjoying this as much as we are. We're coming home to see you soon." - GM Theo Epstein, from St Louis (10/27/04)
- "Edgar Renteria, the last chance for St. Louis to extend this game...back to Foulke...Red Sox Fans have longed to hear it! The Boston Red Sox are world champions!"
--Joe Buck, FOX Sports
- "Foulke to the set, the 1-0 pitch, here it is...swing and a ground ball, stabbed by Foulke. He has it. He underhands to first. And the Boston Red Sox are the World Champions. For the first time in 86 years, the Red Sox have won baseball's world championship. Can you believe it?"
--Joe Castiglione, 850 AM WEEI
- "I don't believe in The Curse of the Bambino, I believe you set your own destination."
--Series MVP Manny Ramirez when asked if he believed in curses
Trivia
- The Red Sox' eight consecutive wins constitute the longest post season winning streak since the Cincinnati Reds accomplished it in 1975-1976. The White Sox matched the feat the following season.
- For the third year in a row, a Wild Card team won the World Series.
- Boston pitcher Derek Lowe became the first pitcher in history to be the winning pitcher in the series-clinching game in three postseason series and the first to win both the LCS and WS clinchers since Randy Johnson in 2001.
- By winning his start in Game 2, Curt Schilling became the first pitcher to win World Series games with three different teams. He won Game 5 with Philadelphia in 1993 and Game 1 with Arizona in 2001.
- The AL had been awarded home-field advantage having won the All-Star game, giving the Red Sox advantage at Fenway Park despite St. Louis having the superior regular season record (Boston 98-64, St. Louis 105-57).
- The Red Sox were the first team to play an entire World Series without trailing at any point during any game since the Oakland Athletics in 1989 against the San Francisco Giants. The Red Sox also became the first team in MLB history to hold a lead at some point in every inning during the World Series.
- Notable was the supposed breaking of The Curse of the Bambino with the final out being recorded by Edgar Renteria. Renteria, like Babe Ruth, was adorned with the number three. Renteria is the second player in MLB history to end a World Series both by making a hit and by making an out. He won the 1997 World Series with the Florida Marlins with a single. Goose Goslin was the other player.
- Supposedly, the first two players to hug each other after Keith Foulke tossed the ball to Doug Mientkiewicz were Gabe Kapler (#19) and Johnny Damon (#18) representing the last time the Red Sox had won the World Series, 1918.
- The Red Sox victory in the World Series was their first World Series victory in 86 years. The last time that they had been to the World Series was in 1986, which was 18 years before. Before 2004, the Red Sox last won the World Series in 1918.
- The end of the American movie adaptation of Fever Pitch was filmed during Game 4. Stars Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore were actually caught by the FOX Sports cameras as they transitioned into their postgame show for the trophy presentation.
External Links
- Box scores from Retrosheet:
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