Thursday, October 28, 2004
The Red Sox beat the Cardinals for their first title since 1918.
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- They are now forever a part of New England lore, names such as Pokey Reese right up there with Paul Revere and Plymouth Rock.
Because these Boston Red Sox -- yes, the Boston Red Sox! -- are World Series champions at long, long last. No more curse and no doubt about it.
Pedro Martinez paraded the trophy down the left-field line, hoisting it high over his head with both hands after Boston won it for the first time since 1918, beating the St. Louis Cardinals 3-0 Wednesday night for a four-game sweep.
Thousands of Red Sox fans at Busch Stadium roared. Seeing was believing, but they still couldn't believe their eyes.
"We know people who are 90 years old who have just said: 'Just one championship before I die,' " Red Sox chairman Tom Werner said.
Johnny Damon homered on the fourth pitch of the game, Derek Lowe made it stand up and the Red Sox wrapped up a Series in which they never trailed.
Ridiculed and reviled through decades of defeat, the Red Sox didn't just defeat the Cardinals.
They dominated the team with the best record in baseball.
"All of our fans have waited all their lives for this night, and it's finally here. These guys did it for you, New England," Red Sox owner John Henry said.
Chants of "Thank you, Red Sox!" bounced all around the ball park when it was over, with Boston fans as revved-up as they were relieved.
Historic run
Only 10 nights earlier, the Red Sox were just three outs from getting swept by the New York Yankees in the AL championship series before becoming the first team in baseball postseason history to overcome a 3-0 deficit.
It was Boston's sixth championship, but the first after 86 years of frustration and futility, after two world wars, the Great Depression, men on the moon, and the rise and fall of the Soviet Union.
After all that, on an eerie night when the moon went dark in a total eclipse, MVP Manny Ramirez and the Red Sox made it look easy. They became the third straight wild card team to win the Series, and the first club to win eight straight in a postseason.
Gone was the heartbreak of four Game 7 losses since their last title, a drought -- some insist it was a curse -- that really began after they sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees in 1920.
Damon's leadoff homer against Jason Marquis and Trot Nixon's two-out, two-run double on a 3-0 pitch in the third inning were all that Lowe and the bullpen needed.
"They outplayed us in every category, so it ended up not being a terrific competition," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "We were ready to play. We didn't play good enough."
Strong pitching
Having won the first-round clincher against Anaheim in relief and then winning Game 7 at Yankee Stadium, Lowe blanked the Cards on three hits for seven innings.
Relievers Bronson Arroyo and Alan Embree worked the eighth and Keith Foulke finished it off for his first save.
Even before Doug Mientkiewicz caught Foulke's toss on Edgar Renteria's grounder for the last out, the Red Sox were rushing out of the dugout.
Boston players streamed in from the bullpen, and they all came together in a pile between the mound and first base.
With flashbulbs popping, the hugging and jumping was electrifying. And why not? The day that would never quite come for a generation of Red Sox players and fans had arrived.
"We can't reverse what was a long time ago," manager Terry Francona said. "This was our team this year."
Now the Red Sox get to raise the World Series banner next April 11 in the home opener at Fenway Park, with the vanquished Yankees in town forced to watch.
No telling who will be there -- 18 Boston players are potential free agents, including Martinez and Lowe.
"I wish we could get our rings tomorrow," Lowe said.
"Unbelievable -- no more going to Yankee Stadium and having to listen to '1918.' "
MVP
Ramirez, put on waivers in the off-season and nearly traded to Texas for Alex Rodriguez, was 7-for-17 (.412) with a homer and four RBIs.
The left fielder's biggest contribution came in Game 3, when he bounced back from a couple of errors to throw out a runner at the plate and end an early St. Louis threat.
"I went through a lot of drama during the winter," he said.
Nixon, drafted by the Red Sox in 1993 and part of the organization longer than any other player, was drained by the end.
"Any time you don a Red Sox uniform, you have to talk about the history of this team and not having a World Series championship since 1918," he said.
"Sooner or later, that hex had to stop. Everybody thought it was a curse, but to use it was just a five-letter word."
BOSTONST. LOUIS
abrhbiabrhbi
Damon cf5121Wmack 2b3010
OCbera ss5000Luna 2b1000
MRmrz lf4010LWalkr rf2000
DOrtiz 1b3110Pujols 1b4010
Mntkw 1b1000Rolen 3b4000
Varitek c5110Edmnd cf4000
Mueller 3b4010Rnteria ss4020
Nixon rf4032Mabry lf3000
Kapler rf0000Isrnghs p0000
Bllhorn 2b1000YMlina c2000
Reese 2b0000Cedeno ph1000
DLowe p2000Mtheny c0000
Millar ph1000Mrquis p1000
Arroyo p0000MAndn ph1000
Embre p0000Haren p0000
Foulke p0000RSndrs lf0000
Totals35393Totals30040
Boston102000000--3
St. Louis000000000--0
LOB--Boston 12, St. Louis 6. 2B--DOrtiz (1), Nixon 3 (3), Renteria (3). 3B--Damon (1). HR--Damon (1). SB--RSanders (1). S--DLowe, LWalker.
IPHRERBBSO
Boston
DLowe W,1-0730014
Arroyo1-300010
Embree2-300001
Foulke S,1110001
St. Louis
Marquis L,0-1663354
Haren120001
Isringhausen210012
Haren pitched to 2 batters in the 8th. WP--DLowe. Umpires--Home, Chuck Meriwether; First, Gerry Davis; Second, Charlie Reliford; Third, Ed Montague; Left, Dale Scott; Right, Brian Gorman. T--3:14. A--52,037.