2004 Boston Red Sox season
The 2004 Boston Red Sox season was the 104th season in the franchise's Major League Baseball history. Managed by Terry Francona, the Red Sox finished with a 98–64 record, three games behind the New York Yankees in the American League East. The Red Sox qualified for the postseason as the AL wild card, swept the Anaheim Angels in the ALDS, and faced the Yankees in the ALCS for the second straight year. After losing the first three games to the Yankees and trailing in the ninth inning of the fourth game, the Red Sox became the first team in major league history to come back from a three-game postseason deficit, defeating the Yankees in seven games. The Red Sox then swept the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series, capturing their first championship since 1918.[1]
| 2004 Boston Red Sox | |
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| World Series Champions AL Champions AL Wild Card | |
 Tim Wakefield (right) with the Commissioner's Trophy | |
| Major League affiliations | |
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| Location | |
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| Results | |
| Record | 98–64 (.605) |
| Divisional place | 2nd (3 GB) |
| Other information | |
| Owners | John W. Henry (New England Sports Ventures) |
| President | Larry Lucchino |
| General managers | Theo Epstein |
| Managers | Terry Francona |
| Local television | WSBK-TV WBZ-TV (Sean McDonough, Jerry Remy) NESN (Don Orsillo, Jerry Remy) |
| Local radio | WEEI (Jerry Trupiano, Joe Castiglione) WROL (Bill Kulik, Uri Berenguer, Juan Pedro Villamán) |
| Stats | ESPN.com BB-reference |
| < Previous season Next season > | |
The Red Sox led the major leagues in runs scored (949), doubles (373), batting average (.282), on-base percentage (.360), slugging percentage (.472), OPS (.832) and total bases (2,702).
Offseason
- November 28, 2003: Casey Fossum, Brandon Lyon, Jorge de la Rosa, and Michael Goss (minors) were traded by the Red Sox to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Curt Schilling.[2]
- December 16, 2003: Mark Bellhorn was acquired by the Red Sox from the Colorado Rockies as part of a conditional deal.[3]
- December 22, 2003: Gabe Kapler was signed as a free agent by the Red Sox.[4]
- December 23, 2003: Pokey Reese was signed as a free agent by the Red Sox.[5]
- January 7, 2004: Keith Foulke was signed as a free agent by the Red Sox.[6]
A New Manager
Following the Sox' exit from the Postseason by the New York Yankees in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series, Red Sox manager Grady Little was fired from his position on October 27, one business day after the 2003 World Series.[7] Little, who had accumulated a 188─136 record with the Red Sox, received a $250,000 parting gift as well as $60,000 in performance bonuses.[8]
After a month of searching, the Red Sox hired former Philadelphia manager Terry Francona on December 4, 2003.[9] Other candidates for consideration included Anaheim bench coach Joe Maddon, Texas first base coach DeMarlo Hale, and Los Angeles third base coach Glenn Hoffman.[10] The Red Sox gave Francona a three year deal with an option for a fourth.[11]
Pre-season events
During the 2003–04 off season, the Red Sox acquired a starting ace pitcher; Curt Schilling, as well as a closer, Keith Foulke.[12] Many visitors at their spring training at Fort Myers, Florida, were very enthusiastic about the 2004 Red Sox team. Expectations once again ran high that 2004 would finally be the year that the Red Sox ended their championship drought.[13]
Spring Training
| Red Sox Win | Red Sox Loss | Tie Game |
The Red Sox also played exhibition games against Boston College and Northeastern University. The games were played as a doubleheader on March 5. The Red Sox defeated Boston College 9─3, and then defeated Northeastern University 7─0.[43][44]
Regular Season Overview
April |
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April 4: Boston 2 ─ Baltimore 7[45] The Red Sox began the season with a four-game series against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards. The Red Sox Opening Day starter was Pedro Martinez. The Red Sox lost the game by a score of 7─2, with Martínez giving up three runs in the second inning including a home run by Javy Lopez. WP: Sidney Ponson (1─0) LP: Pedro Martínez (0─1) SV: B. J. Ryan (1) April 6: Boston 4 ─ Baltimore 1[46] Curt Schilling earned his first win as a member of the Red Sox with his performance. In his six innings of pitching Schilling yielded one run, six hits and one walk, whilst striking out seven opposing batters. Relievers Alan Embree and Mike Timlin each pitched for one inning and prevented any more runs for the Orioles. Keith Foulke got his first save with the Red Sox to end the game. The Red Sox offense generated eight walks and five hits, including a home run by Kevin Millar. WP: Curt Schilling (1─0) LP: Eric DuBose (0─1) SV: Keith Foulke (1) April 7: Boston 10 ─ Baltimore 3[47] The Red Sox offense performed exceptionally well in their 10-3 victory over the Orioles. The Red Sox scored seven runs in the second inning, all of them scored with the Red Sox having two outs. Johnny Damon, who had been 0-9 in his previous plate appearances, went 5-5 with two RBIs. David Ortiz hit a home run and Kevin Millar had three hits. Damon also robbed David Segui of a home run with a leaping catch at the wall to prevent three runs from scoring and keep the score at 10-2. Pitcher Derek Lowe earned his first win of the season. He struck out three opposing batters and walked two, whilst he allowed two runs and seven hits over six innings. WP: Derek Lowe (1─0) LP: Kurt Ainsworth (0─1) April 8: Boston 2 ─ Baltimore 3[48] Baltimore managed to split the series evenly in a 13 inning contest. The Red Sox scored an unearned run in the first inning: Damon hit a lead-off single, advanced to second on a wild pickoff throw, and then scored on a two-out single by Manny Ramirez. In the fourth inning, Red Sox starter Tim Wakefield gave up the lead by walking Palmeiro, Lopez, and Gibbons; Segui then hit a grounder up the middle which then bounced off of second base, allowing two runs to score. The Red Sox trailed 2-1 until the sixth inning when Ellis Burks hit a solo home run, his first home run with Boston since 1992. Tied at 2-2, the game went to extra innings. The game was lost by the Red Sox in the 13th inning. Pitcher Bobby Jones started the inning by walking Lopez and then striking out Bautista, but then gave up three consecutive walks to bring in Lopez as the winning run. WP: Rodrigo Lopez (1─0) LP: Bobby Jones (0─1) April 9: Toronto 10 ─ Boston 5[49][50] The Red Sox played their home opener at Fenway Park against the Toronto Blue Jays. The Red Sox' return to Boston from Baltimore was hampered by a mechanical fault at Baltimore-Washington International Airport which delayed the Red Sox' flight at 1:30AM to 5:46AM, ensuring that the Red Sox did not make it back to Logan International Airport until 6:37AM. Bronson Arroyo started his first game of the season for the Red Sox, and over six innings struck out 4 opposing batters, whilst giving up 3 walks, 8 hits, and 4 runs. Toronto's Reed Johnson gave the Blue Jays the lead in the second inning with a two-run single. Johnny Damon helped the Red Sox to trim this lead to 2─1 with his run-scoring single in the third inning. In the fourth inning the Blue Jays extended their lead to 3─1 after Johnson drove in a run with a groundout. Following this was Vernon Wells' double which drove in a run to give Toronto a 4─1 lead. The Red Sox retaliated at the bottom of the fourth with an RBI double by Ortiz and a 2-run RBI double by Reese to tie the game at 4─4. The Bottom of the sixth inning gave the Red Sox the lead with a home run hit by Varitek to make the score 4─5. Boston relief pitcher Mike Timlin gave up the lead in the eighth inning by allowing three runs to score on four hits. The Blue Jays scored three more runs in the ninth inning to win the game 10─5. Johnny Damon and Ramiro Mendoza were injured as a result of the game. WP: Justin Speier (1─0) LP: Mike Timlin (0─1) April 10: Toronto 1 ─ Boston 4[51][52] Pedro Martinez' 7⅔ innings of pitching, in which he gave up only one run (a solo home run by Orlando Hudson in the seventh inning) and struck out seven opponents, earned Martinez his first win of the season. The Red Sox offense was generated by David Ortiz' two-run home run in the sixth inning, Mark Bellhorn's home run in the seventh, and Manny Ramirez' home run in the eighth. Keith Foulke made his Fenway debut and allowed only a single in his 1½ innings of pitching to earn his second save of the season. WP: Pedro Martinez (1─1) LP: Roy Halladay (0─2) SV: Keith Foulke (2) April 11: Toronto 4 ─ Boston 6[53][54] The final game of the series ended with the Red Sox earning the series win with a David Ortiz two-run walk-off home run during the bottom of the twelfth inning. Curt Schilling made his Fenway debut, and pitched 8 innings giving up 4 runs and 6 hits, while striking out 10 opponents. The Red Sox started the game by scoring two runs in the first inning, a double hit by Manny Ramirez and a sacrifice fly by Kevin Millar. The Blue Jays tied the game in the fourth inning on an RBI double by Josh Phelps and a run scoring groundout by Eric Hinske. The game was tied going into the sixth inning 2─2, but Hinske hit a home run off of Schilling to score two runs. Kevin Millar narrowed this lead to 4─3 with his RBI single in the eighth inning. In the ninth inning Cesar Crespo hit a double and then scored on a Mark Bellhorn single to right to tie the game 4─4. Mark Malaska earned the win; coming into the 11th inning after Bobby Jones gave up two walks to the first two batters he faced, Malaska managed to retire the side without allowing a hit, and successfully retired the side again in the twelfth inning. WP: Mark Malaska (1─0) LP: Aquilino Lopez (0─1) April 15: Baltimore 12 ─ Boston 7[55][56] The Red Sox finally played the Orioles at Fenway after two rainouts prevented play. The game was marked by its high offensive output: the Orioles scored one run in the first inning and another one in the second, but the Red Sox retaliated in the bottom of the second by scoring five runs; the Orioles then scored two runs in the top of the fourth, but the Red Sox answered by themselves scoring two runs; the Orioles then tied the game with a three-run home-run by David Segui in the top of the fifth inning. As a result of the number of runs given, Pedro Martínez' ERA shot up from 1.98 to 4.82. Both the Orioles and the Red Sox failed to score another run until Miguel Tejada opened the eleventh inning with a solo home run to give Baltimore the lead at 8─7. Afterwards the Orioles would score four more runs in the eleventh inning to move the score to 12─7, that score being the final score of the game. WP: Buddy Groom (1─0) LP: Bronson Arroyo (0─1) April 16: New York 2 ─ Boston 6[57][58] The Red Sox played their first highly-anticipated regular season game against the New York Yankees after the 2003 American League Championship Series. Tim Wakefield earned his first win of the season after pitching for seven innings, giving up two runs (one unearned) and four hits. In the first inning, Bill Mueller opened the Red Sox offense with a two run home-run, he was followed by Manny Ramirez who hit a solo home-run, and then Ellis Burks scored to make the game 4─0 due to an error by Derek Jeter. Jorge Posada gave the Yankees a run after his solo home run in the second inning. Doug Mirabelli hit a solo home-run in the fourth inning to give the Red Sox the lead at 5─1. In the fifth inning the Yankees scored a run after Bernie Williams hit a single to drive in Hideki Matsui. The Yankees had an opportunity to score in the sixth inning but failed to exploit the opportunity: Alex Rodriguez was on second base and Jason Giambi on first with one out, the pair attempted a double steal on a 3─1 pitch from Wakefield to Gary Sheffield, but Red Sox catcher Mirabelli gunned down Rodriguez at third; Wakefield then struck out Sheffield to end the inning. The Red Sox scored their final run in the sixth inning when Mirabelli hit a double to drive in Burks. WP: Tim Wakefield (1─0) LP: Javier Vazquez (1─1) April 17: New York 2 ─ Boston 5[59][60] The second game of the Red Sox against the Yankees at Fenway Park ended in a 5─2 Red Sox victory. The Red Sox took the lead in the second inning: Jason Varitek and Mark Bellhorn each earned walks and then Gabe Kapler singled to load the bases; Johnny Damon earned a walk to score Varitek, and Bill Mueller was hit by a pitch to score Bellhorn. The Red Sox scored an unearned run in the third inning curtesy of an error by Derek Jeter. Tony Clark hit a solo home run in the fifth inning to trim the lead to 3─1. Manny Ramirez hit his 350th career home run to start the bottom of the fifth inning to increase the Red Sox' lead to 4─1. Damon added a run to the Red Sox total when he hit a double in the eighth inning to score Pokey Reese. Curt Schilling earned his second win of the season, pitching for 61⁄3 innings and striking out eight whilst allowing six hits and a run. WP: Curt Schilling (2─0) LP: Mike Mussina (1─3) April 18: New York 7 ─ Boston 3[61][62] After losing the first two games in the series the Yankees rebounded offensively to win the game 7─3. The Red Sox took the lead in the first inning after Kevin Millar hit an RBI double to drive in Bill Mueller. The Yankees equalized with a run-scoring single from Derek Jeter in the second inning. The Yankee's took the lead in the third inning, scoring six runs on RBI doubles hit by Gary Sheffield, Jorge Posada and Bernie Williams, as well as RBI singles hit by Hideki Matsui and Enrique Wilson; Jeter hit a grounder that also drove in a run. The Red Sox attempted a comeback, and scored two runs off of a double hit by Manny Ramirez in the third inning, but neither the Yankees or the Red Sox were able to score any more runs past the third inning. Derek Lowe earned his first loss of the season, after giving up seven runs in 22⁄3 innings. WP: Paul Quantrill (1─0) LP: Derek Lowe (1─1) April 19: New York 4 ─ Boston 5[63][64] The Yankees took the lead in the second inning: Gary Sheffield led off with a single and made it to second after Hideki Matsui was walked, Travis Lee then drove in Sheffield on a double with Matsui also scoring on the play due to an errant throw. John Flaherty drove in Lee on an RBI single. The Red Sox scored in the second inning on a RBI single hit by Gabe Kapler to lower the deficit to two runs. The Yankees added to their lead when Jason Giambi hit a solo home run in the third inning to make the game 4─1. The Red Sox however began to chip away at the deficit. David Ortiz hit a RBI single in the fifth inning to make the game 4─2. Jason Varitek hit a solo home-run in the sixth inning to bring the Red Sox to within one run of the Yankees. Ortiz drove in the tying run in the seventh inning with a single. The Red Sox took the lead in the eighth inning after Dave McCarty's routine flyball was missed by Matsui which got McCarty to second base, then McCarty scored on a single hit by Kapler to give the Red Sox the lead. Bronson Arroyo started the game for the Red Sox and gave up four runs over 61⁄3 innings. Mike Timlin came in relief in the seventh inning to earn his first win of the season. Keith Foulke achieved his third save of the season. WP: Mike Timlin (1─1) LP: Tom Gordon (0─1) SV: Keith Foulke (3) April 20: Boston 4 ─ Toronto 2[65][66] The Red Sox began their three-game series at Toronto with a 4─2 victory over the Blue Jays Varitek was the Red Sox player of note this game, scoring a run and driving in another. In the fourth inning Varitek hit a single and was followed by Gabe Kapler who hit a routine single to left field, but Varitek instead of going to second ran and successfully made it to third despite the Red Sox having two outs. From third Varitek was able to score a run after Roy Halladay balked, sending him home for the run. In the seventh inning, Varitek drove in Bill Mueller on an RBI double. Pedro Martínez pitched effectively for seven innings, striking out six, walking two, and giving up two runs in the seventh inning to a sacrifice fly hit by Kevin Cash and an RBI single hit by Orlando Hudson. WP: Pedro Martínez (2─1) LP: Roy Halladay (1─3) SV: Keith Foulke (4) April 21: Boston 4 ─ Toronto 2[67][68] The Red Sox defeated the Blue Jays with the same score as the previous game, 4─2. The defeat, giving the Blue Jays a 3─11 record, meant that the Blue Jays had their worst start in franchise history. Doug Mirabelli generated the most for the Red Sox offense with two home runs; he hit his first home run, a solo shot in the third inning, to give the Red Sox a 1─0 lead, then Mirabelli hit his second home run of the night to score two runs and extend the Red Sox' lead to 3─0. Tim Wakefield earned his second win of the season, his pitching limited the Blue Jays to two runs on six hits, while he struck out six opposing batters. Keith Foulke got his fifth save of the season. WP: Tim Wakefield (2─0) LP: Ted Lilly (0─2) SV: Keith Foulke (5) April 22: Boston 3 ─ Toronto 7[69][70] The Red Sox failed to sweep the Blue Jays after an offensive explosion in the eighth inning. The Red Sox took the lead at 3─0, but the Blue Jays managed to tie the game after scoring a run in the third inning, and scoring two runs in the seventh. The eighth inning provided the Blue Jays with a lead that would not be overcome by the Red Sox. After singles by Carlos Delgado and Eric Hinske and a walk by Orlando Hudson had loaded the bases, Schilling simply needed one more out to end the inning, but Chris Gomez instead hit a grand slam to elevate the Blue Jays to a 7─3 lead. In giving up Gomez' grand slam, Schilling earned his first loss of the season. Terry Adams earned the win in relief. WP: Terry Adams (2─0) LP: Curt Schilling (2─1) April 23: Boston 11 ─ New York 2[71][72] The Red Sox began the first of their three game series at New York with an 11─2 victory. The Red Sox managed to score one run in the second inning, but it was in the fourth inning that the Red Sox took a decisive lead. Kevin Millar and Mark Bellhorn each hit a solo home run, and then Bill Mueller a three-run home-run to give the Red Sox a 6─0 lead over the Yankees. The Red Sox would pile on the Yankees over the next innings; David Ortiz hit a run scoring double, Pokey Reese hit a two-run double, Johnny Damon hit a single to drive in a run, and Manny Ramirez hit a solo home run to give the Red Sox a total of eleven runs scored. Derek Lowe earned the win for the Red Sox by allowing only two runs in the seventh inning, a two-run homer hit by Hideki Matsui in the seventh inning. He also allowed only two hits in the first four innings. WP: Derek Lowe (2─1) LP: José Contreras (0─2) April 24: Boston 3 ─ New York 2[73][74] The Red Sox won the second game to take the series win against New York in a game marked by low offensive output that went into extra innings. The Red Sox scored all three of their runs on sacrifice flys, going 0 for 19 with runners in scoring position. The Red Sox scored in the first inning with a sacrifice fly by Manny Ramirez to drive in Johnny Damon, whilst Pokey Reese's sacrifice fly in the second inning drove in Kevin Millar to give the Sox a 2─0 lead. In the twelfth inning, Mark Bellhorn's sacrifice fly to centre allowed Manny Ramirez to score the Red Sox' third run. The Yankees scored via Alex Rodriguez' solo home run in the fourth and Gary Sheffield's RBI single in the seventh. Bronson Arroyo pitched for six innings before handing over to the bullpen. Scott Williamson pitched for one inning and Alan Embree pitched for two innings. Keith Foulke earned his first win of the season after pitching two innings, and Mike Timlin earned his first save of the season after pitching one inning. WP: Keith Foulke (1─0) LP: Paul Quantrill (1─2) SV: Mike Timlin (1) April 25: Boston 2 ─ New York 0[75][76] The Red Sox completed the series sweep against the Yankees after a pitcher's duel between Pedro Martínez and Javier Vázquez. Martínez pitched for seven innings, allowing only four Yankees to reach second or third base, whilst striking out seven Yankees. Vázquez gave up the only runs that the Red Sox scored, after leaving a breaking ball hanging in an 0─2 count in the fourth inning to Manny Ramirez which he crushed for a two run home run. Scott Williamson relieved Martínez in the eighth inning and went for two innings without giving up a hit to earn his first save of the season. WP: Pedro Martínez (3─1) LP: Javier Vázquez (2─2) SV: Scott Williamson (1) April 28: Tampa Ray 0 ─ Boston 6[77][78] Curt Schilling bounced back from his first loss of the season to shut out the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Schilling pitched for 7⅓ innings, allowing 0 walks, 5 hits, and striking out 8. His challenge came in the first inning with runners on first and third with 1 out, Schilling answered this by causing Robert Fick to pop out at third and striking out Tino Martinez on a 3-2 splitter. The Red Sox generated their runs in the fourth inning after Manny Ramirez doubled and Jason Varitek hit a home run to score himself and Ramirez. The Red Sox had three runs in the seventh inning, generated by hits by Bill Mueller, David Ortiz, and Mark Bellhorn, as well as an intentional walk by Ramirez. The final run scored by the Red Sox came in the eighth inning, after Johnny Damon hit a single and Bill Mueller drove him in on a double to center. WP: Curt Schilling (3─1) LP: Paul Abott (2─2) April 29 (Game 1): Tampa Bay 0 ─ Boston 4[79][80] The Red Sox shut out Tampa Bay for the second time in the first of its doubleheader games. The Rays were stifling the Red Sox offensively until the fifth inning when David Ortiz hit a two-run home run to give the Red Sox the go-ahead lead. Byung-Hyun Kim made his first start for the Red Sox of the season and pitched five scoreless innings to earn his first win of the season. Tim Wakefield, Mike Timlin, and Alan Embree relieved Kim and successfully prevented any runs from scoring. WP: Byung-Hyun Kim (1─0) LP: Victor Zambrano (3─2) April 29 (Game 2): Tampa Bay 3 ─ Boston 7[79][80] Tampa Bay went off to a good start against the Red Sox after scoring two runs in the top of the first inning. The Red Sox countered this by scoring five runs in the bottom of the first to gain the lead: a walk and three consecutive singles tied the game at 2─2, a home run by Jason Varitek scored three runs to give the Sox a 5─2 lead, and finally a 2 RBI single by Pokey Reese gave the Red Sox a 7─2 lead. Derek Lowe earned the win after pitching seven innings; Scott Williamson and Keith Foulke each pitched a scoreless inning in relief. WP: Derek Lowe (3─1) LP: Damian Moss (0─1) |
May |
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May 1 (Game 1): Boston 3 ─ Texas 4[81][82] The Red Sox winning streak came to an end against the Texas Rangers in the first game of a doubleheader. Bronson Arroyo pitched effectively for the Red Sox, going six innings and allowing one run before departing in the seventh inning with a runner on first base with the score 2-1. Mark Malaska came to relieve Arroyo and allowed a run to score to tie the game at 2-2. Scott Williamson relieved Malaska but allowed two runs to score to allow the Rangers to win 4-3. The Red Sox offense scored on a Mark Bellhorn double and a Pokey Reese single, both in the fourth inning, and Johnny Damon double in the ninth. Manny Ramirez had a difficult game; his four plate appearances all resulted in Ramirez striking out. WP: Erasmo Ramirez (1─1) LP: Mark Malaska (1─1) SV: Francisco Cordero (8) May 1 (Game 2): Boston 5 ─ Texas 8[81][82] The Red Sox lost the second game of the doubleheader against Texas. Pedro Martínez had his shortest outing for the Red Sox of the season so far, pitching for the first four innings before being relieved by Leonard DiNardo to start the fifth inning. Martínez gave up a home run to Hank Blalock to allow the Rangers to tie the game 1-1 going into the second inning. In the third inning, the Rangers scored four runs: a two-run double by Soriano, as well as singles by Young and Jordan. The Rangers scored again in the fourth to gain a 6-1 lead. DiNardo pitched for three scoreless innings before handing off to Mark Malaska, who allowed two runs to be scored to give the Rangers their final total of 8 runs. The Red Sox offensively got off to a good start; Johnny Damon hit a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Bill Mueller to give the Sox a 1-0 lead going into the bottom of the first. Yet the Sox failed to score another run until Jason Varitek hit a solo home run in the sixth inning. The Red Sox scored three runs in the final inning to give their final run tally of 5. WP: Joaquín Benoit (1─0) LP: Pedro Martínez (3─2) SV: Francisco Cordero (9) |
Regular Season Records
Season standings
| AL East | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Yankees | 101 | 61 | 0.623 | — | 57–24 | 44–37 |
| Boston Red Sox | 98 | 64 | 0.605 | 3 | 55–26 | 43–38 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 78 | 84 | 0.481 | 23 | 38–43 | 40–41 |
| Tampa Bay Devil Rays | 70 | 91 | 0.435 | 30½ | 41–39 | 29–52 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 67 | 94 | 0.416 | 33½ | 40–41 | 27–53 |
Record vs. opponents
Sources: | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | ANA | BAL | BOS | CWS | CLE | DET | KC | MIN | NYY | OAK | SEA | TB | TEX | TOR | NL |
| Anaheim | — | 6–3 | 4–5 | 5–4 | 4–5 | 7–2 | 7–0 | 5–4 | 5–4 | 10–9 | 13–7 | 6–1 | 9–10 | 4–5 | 7–11 |
| Baltimore | 3–6 | — | 10–9 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 6–0 | 6–3 | 4–5 | 5–14 | 0–7 | 7–2 | 11–8 | 5–2 | 11–8 | 5–13 |
| Boston | 5–4 | 9–10 | — | 4–2 | 3–4 | 6–1 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 11–8 | 8–1 | 5–4 | 14–5 | 4–5 | 14–5 | 9–9 |
| Chicago | 4–5 | 4–2 | 2–4 | — | 10–9 | 8–11 | 13–6 | 9–10 | 3–4 | 2–7 | 7–2 | 4–2 | 6–3 | 3–4 | 8–10 |
| Cleveland | 5–4 | 3–3 | 4–3 | 9–10 | — | 9–10 | 11–8 | 7–12 | 2–4 | 6–3 | 5–4 | 3–3 | 1–8 | 5–2 | 10–8 |
| Detroit | 2–7 | 0–6 | 1–6 | 11–8 | 10–9 | — | 8–11 | 7–12 | 4–3 | 4–5 | 5–4 | 3–3 | 4–5 | 4–2 | 9–9 |
| Kansas City | 0–7 | 3–6 | 2–4 | 6–13 | 8–11 | 11–8 | — | 7–12 | 1–5 | 2–7 | 2–5 | 3–6 | 4–5 | 3–3 | 6–12 |
| Minnesota | 4–5 | 5–4 | 4–2 | 10–9 | 12–7 | 12–7 | 12–7 | — | 2–4 | 2–5 | 5–4 | 4–5 | 5–2 | 4–2 | 11–7 |
| New York | 4–5 | 14–5 | 8–11 | 4–3 | 4–2 | 3–4 | 5–1 | 4–2 | — | 7–2 | 6–3 | 15–4 | 5–4 | 12–7 | 10–8 |
| Oakland | 9–10 | 7–0 | 1–8 | 7–2 | 3–6 | 5–4 | 7–2 | 5–2 | 2–7 | — | 11–8 | 7–2 | 11–9 | 6–3 | 10–8 |
| Seattle | 7–13 | 2–7 | 4–5 | 2–7 | 4–5 | 4–5 | 5–2 | 4–5 | 3–6 | 8–11 | — | 2–5 | 7–12 | 2–7 | 9–9 |
| Tampa Bay | 1–6 | 8–11 | 5–14 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 6–3 | 5–4 | 4–15 | 2–7 | 5–2 | — | 2–7 | 9–9 | 15–3 |
| Texas | 10–9 | 2–5 | 5–4 | 3–6 | 8–1 | 5–4 | 5–4 | 2–5 | 4–5 | 9–11 | 12–7 | 7–2 | — | 7–2 | 10–8 |
| Toronto | 5–4 | 8–11 | 5–14 | 4–3 | 2–5 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 7–12 | 3–6 | 7–2 | 9–9 | 2–7 | — | 8–10 |
| Team | NL West | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARI | COL | LAD | SDP | SFG | ATL | PHI | |
| Boston | — | 1–2 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 2–1 |
Notable transactions
- June 22, 2004: Curtis Leskanic was signed as a free agent by the Red Sox.[83]
- July 14, 2004: Pedro Astacio was signed as a free agent by the Red Sox.[84]
- July 21, 2004: Ricky Gutiérrez was acquired by the Red Sox from the Cubs as part of a conditional deal.[85]
- July 24, 2004: Terry Adams was acquired by the Red Sox from the Blue Jays in exchange for minor leaguer John Hattig.[86]
- July 31, 2004: As part of a four-team trade, Orlando Cabrera was acquired by the Red Sox from the Expos and Doug Mientkiewicz was acquired by the Red Sox from the Twins.[87][88] In exchange, the Red Sox sent star shortstop Nomar Garciaparra and Matt Murton (minors) to the Cubs.[89] In a separate trade, Dave Roberts was acquired by the Red Sox from the Dodgers in exchange for Henri Stanley (minors).[90]
- August 6, 2004: Mike Myers was selected off waivers by the Red Sox from the Mariners.[91]
- August 31, 2004: Sandy Martínez was purchased by the Red Sox from the Indians.[92]
Opening Day lineup
| 18 | Johnny Damon | CF |
| 11 | Bill Mueller | 3B |
| 24 | Manny Ramirez | LF |
| 34 | David Ortiz | DH |
| 15 | Kevin Millar | 1B |
| 19 | Gabe Kapler | RF |
| 33 | Jason Varitek | C |
| 12 | Mark Bellhorn | 2B |
| 3 | Pokey Reese | SS |
| 45 | Pedro Martínez | P |
Roster
| 2004 Boston Red Sox roster | |||||||||
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Outfielders
Designated hitter
Pinch hitter
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Manager
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Road to a Championship
The regular season started well in April, but through midseason the team struggled due to injuries, inconsistency and defensive woes, and fell more than eight games behind New York. A bright point came on July 24, when the Red Sox overcame a five-run deficit as Bill Mueller hit a game-winning home run to right-center off Yankees closer Mariano Rivera. The game also featured a now infamous brawl between Yankee superstar Alex Rodriguez and Red Sox catcher and captain Jason Varitek.
Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein shook up the team at the MLB trading deadline July 31, trading the team's wildly popular yet often hurt and disgruntled shortstop, Nomar Garciaparra, to the Chicago Cubs,[95] receiving Orlando Cabrera from the Montreal Expos and Doug Mientkiewicz from the Minnesota Twins in return. In a separate transaction, the Red Sox also traded AAA outfielder Henri Stanley to the Los Angeles Dodgers for center fielder Dave Roberts. With valuable players like Cabrera, Mientkiewicz, and Roberts in the lineup, the club turned things around, winning twenty-two out of twenty-five games and going on to finish within three games of the Yankees in the AL East and qualifying for the playoffs as the AL Wild Card.
The team played its home games at Fenway Park, before a regular season total attendance of 2,837,294 fans.
Game log
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April (15-6)
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May (16-14)
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June (11-14)
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July (14-12)
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August (21-7)
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September (18-10)
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October (3-1)
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Postseason game log
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World Series vs. St. Louis Cardinals (4–0)
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Player stats
Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
| Pos | Player[96] | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | Jason Varitek | 137 | 463 | 137 | .296 | 18 | 73 |
| 1B | Kevin Millar | 150 | 508 | 151 | .297 | 18 | 74 |
| 2B | Mark Bellhorn | 138 | 523 | 138 | .264 | 17 | 82 |
| SS | Pokey Reese | 96 | 244 | 54 | .221 | 3 | 29 |
| 3B | Bill Mueller | 110 | 399 | 113 | .283 | 12 | 57 |
| LF | Manny Ramirez | 152 | 568 | 175 | .308 | 43 | 130 |
| CF | Johnny Damon | 150 | 621 | 189 | .304 | 20 | 94 |
| RF | Gabe Kapler | 136 | 290 | 79 | .272 | 6 | 33 |
| DH | David Ortiz | 150 | 582 | 175 | .301 | 41 | 139 |
Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
| Player | G | AB | H | Avg. | HR | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orlando Cabrera | 58 | 228 | 67 | .294 | 6 | 31 |
| Kevin Youkilis | 72 | 208 | 54 | .260 | 7 | 35 |
| Doug Mirabelli | 59 | 160 | 45 | .281 | 9 | 32 |
| Nomar Garciaparra | 38 | 156 | 50 | .321 | 5 | 21 |
| David McCarty | 91 | 151 | 39 | .258 | 4 | 17 |
| Trot Nixon | 48 | 149 | 47 | .315 | 6 | 23 |
| Doug Mientkiewicz | 49 | 107 | 23 | .215 | 1 | 10 |
| Dave Roberts | 45 | 86 | 22 | .256 | 2 | 14 |
| César Crespo | 52 | 79 | 13 | .165 | 0 | 2 |
| Brian Daubach | 30 | 75 | 17 | .227 | 2 | 8 |
| Ricky Gutiérrez | 21 | 40 | 11 | .275 | 0 | 3 |
| Ellis Burks | 11 | 33 | 6 | .182 | 1 | 1 |
| Andy Dominique | 7 | 11 | 2 | .182 | 0 | 1 |
| Adam Hyzdu | 17 | 10 | 3 | .300 | 1 | 2 |
| Sandy Martínez | 3 | 4 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 |
| Earl Snyder | 1 | 4 | 1 | .250 | 0 | 0 |
Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player[96] | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curt Schilling | 32 | 226.2 | 21 | 6 | 3.26 | 203 |
| Pedro Martínez | 33 | 217.0 | 16 | 9 | 3.90 | 227 |
| Tim Wakefield | 32 | 188.1 | 12 | 10 | 4.87 | 116 |
| Derek Lowe | 33 | 182.2 | 14 | 12 | 5.42 | 105 |
| Bronson Arroyo | 32 | 178.2 | 10 | 9 | 4.03 | 142 |
| Abe Alvarez | 1 | 5.0 | 0 | 1 | 9.00 | 2 |
Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player[96] | G | IP | W | L | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Byung-hyun Kim | 7 | 17.1 | 2 | 1 | 6.23 | 6 |
| Pedro Astacio | 5 | 8.2 | 0 | 0 | 10.38 | 6 |
Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
| Player | G | W | L | SV | ERA | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keith Foulke | 72 | 5 | 3 | 32 | 2.17 | 79 |
| Mike Timlin | 76 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 4.13 | 56 |
| Alan Embree | 71 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4.13 | 37 |
| Curtis Leskanic | 32 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3.58 | 22 |
| Scott Williamson | 28 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1.26 | 28 |
| Ramiro Mendoza | 27 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3.52 | 13 |
| Mike Myers | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4.20 | 9 |
| Lenny DiNardo | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.23 | 21 |
| Terry Adams | 19 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6.00 | 21 |
| Mark Malaska | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4.50 | 12 |
| Anastacio Martínez | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8.44 | 5 |
| Jimmy Anderson | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6.00 | 3 |
| Jaime Brown | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5.87 | 6 |
| Dave McCarty | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.45 | 4 |
| Bobby Jones | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5.40 | 3 |
| Joe Nelson | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16.88 | 5 |
| Phil Seibel | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 |
| Frank Castillo | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 |
Division Series
Boston began the playoffs by sweeping the AL West champion Anaheim Angels. The Red Sox blew out the Angels 9–3 in Game 1, scoring 7 of those runs in the fourth inning. However, the Sox' 2003 off season prize pickup Curt Schilling suffered a torn tendon when he was hit by a line drive. The injury was exacerbated when Schilling fielded a ball rolling down the first base line. The second game, pitched by Pedro Martínez, stayed close until Boston scored four in the ninth to win 8–3. In game three, what looked to be a blowout turned out to be a nail-biter, as Vladimir Guerrero hit a grand slam off Mike Timlin in the top of the seventh inning to tie it at six. However, David Ortiz, who was noted for his clutch hitting, delivered in the 10th inning with a game winning two-run homer, off Jarrod Washburn, sailing over the Green Monster. The Red Sox advanced to a rematch in the 2004 American League Championship Series against their bitter rivals, the New York Yankees.
League Championship Series
Despite high hopes that the Red Sox would finally vanquish their nemesis from the Bronx, the series started disastrously for them. Curt Schilling pitched with the torn tendon sheath in his right ankle he had suffered in Game 1 of the Division Series against Anaheim, and was routed for six runs in three innings. Yankee starter Mike Mussina had six perfect innings, and held an 8–0 lead. Despite the Sox' best effort to come back (they scored seven runs to make it 8–7), they ended up losing 10–7. In Game 2, already with his Yankees leading 1–0 for most of the game, John Olerud hit a two-run home run to put the New York team up for good. The Sox were soon down three games to none after a 19–8 loss in Game 3 at home. In that game, the two clubs set the record for most runs scored in a League Championship Series game. At that point in the history of baseball, no team had come back to win from a 3–0 series deficit (only the 1998 Atlanta Braves and 1999 New York Mets had ever gotten as far as a Game 6).
In Game 4, the Red Sox found themselves facing elimination, trailing 4–3 in the ninth with Yankees closer Mariano Rivera on the mound. After Rivera issued a walk to Kevin Millar, Dave Roberts came on to pinch run and promptly stole second base, this being what many consider the turning point in the series.[98][99][100] He then scored on an RBI single by Bill Mueller which sent the game to extra innings. The Red Sox went on to win the game on a two-run home run by David Ortiz in the 12th inning. In Game 5, the Red Sox were again down late, this time by the score of 4–2, as a result of Derek Jeter's bases-clearing triple. But the Sox struck back in the eighth, as Ortiz hit a homer over the Green Monster to bring the Sox within a run. Then Jason Varitek hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Dave Roberts, scoring the tying run. The game would go for 14 innings, capped off by many squandered Yankee opportunities (they were 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position). In the top of the 12th inning, the knuckleballing Tim Wakefield came in from the bullpen, without his customary "personal catcher", Doug Mirabelli. Varitek, the starting catcher, had trouble with Wakefield's tricky knuckleballs in the 13th: he allowed three passed balls in the top of the 13th. The third and last of those gave the Yankees runners on second and third with two out. The Red Sox were spared, however, as Rubén Sierra struck out to end the inning. In the bottom of the 14th, Ortiz would again seal the win with a game-winning RBI single that brought home Damon. The game set the record for longest postseason game in terms of time (5 hours and 49 minutes) and for the longest American League Championship Series game (14 innings), though the former has since been broken.
With the series returning to Yankee Stadium for Game 6, the improbable comeback continued, with Curt Schilling pitching on an ankle that had three sutures wrapped in a bloody white sock (red with a blood stain). Schilling struck out four, walked none, and only allowed one run over seven innings to lead the team to victory. Mark Bellhorn also helped in the effort as he hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning. Originally called a double, the umpires conferred and agreed that the ball had actually gone into the stands before falling back into the field of play. A key play came in the bottom of the eighth inning with Derek Jeter on first and Alex Rodríguez facing Bronson Arroyo. Rodríguez hit a ground ball down the first base line. Arroyo fielded it and reached out to tag him as he raced down the line. Rodríguez slapped at the ball and it came loose, rolling down the line. Jeter scored and Rodríguez ended up on second. After conferring, however, the umpires called Rodríguez out on interference and returned Jeter to first base, the second time in the game they reversed a call. Yankees fans, upset with the calls, littered the field with debris. The umpires called police clad in riot gear to line the field in the top of the 9th inning. In the bottom of the ninth, the Yankees staged a rally and brought former Red Sox player Tony Clark, who had played well against the Red Sox since leaving the team, to the plate as the potential winning run. Closer Keith Foulke however, struck out Clark to end the game and force a Game 7. In this game, the Red Sox completed their historic comeback on the strength of Derek Lowe's one-hit, one-run pitching and Johnny Damon's two home runs, including a grand slam in the second inning off the first pitch of reliever Javier Vázquez, and defeated the New York Yankees, 10–3. Ortiz, who had the game-winning RBIs in Games 4 and 5, was named ALCS Most Valuable Player.
Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, and the National Hockey League are three professional sports that feature best-of-seven games series in their playoffs. Coming back to win a seven-game series when down by three games has only been accomplished by four National Hockey League teams and only one Major League Baseball team in the history of the MLB, NBA, and NHL.
The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL) came back from being down by three games to the Detroit Red Wings to win the 1942 Stanley Cup.
The 1975 New York Islanders (NHL) did the same when they came back to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1975 Stanley Cup Quarterfinals.
The Philadelphia Flyers (NHL), during their Cinderella run to the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals, came back from three games down to defeat the Boston Bruins to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Los Angeles Kings,in the 2013–14 NHL Playoffs defeated the San Jose Sharks in the first round, on their way to winning the 2014 Stanley Cup.
The Boston Red Sox are currently the only team in Major League Baseball history to overcome a three game deficit in either a league or a World Series championship.
2004 World Series
The Red Sox faced the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2004 World Series. The Cardinals had posted the best record in the major leagues that season, and had previously defeated the Red Sox in the 1946 and 1967 Series, with both series going seven games. The third time would be the charm, however, as the momentum and confidence Boston had built up in the ALCS would overwhelm St. Louis. The Red Sox began the Series with an 11–9 win, marked by Mark Bellhorn's game-winning home run off Pesky's Pole. He later on said that he "just did what he needed to do." It was the highest scoring World Series opening game ever (breaking the previous record set in 1932). The Red Sox would go on to win Game 2 in Boston (thanks to another sensational performance by the bloody-socked Schilling). The Red Sox won both these games despite making 4 errors in each game. In Game 3, Pedro Martínez shut out the Cardinals for seven innings. The Cardinals only made one real threat — in the third inning when they put runners on second and third with no outs. However, the Cardinals' rally was killed by pitcher Jeff Suppan's baserunning gaffe. With no outs, Suppan should have scored easily from third on a Larry Walker ground ball to second baseman Bellhorn, who was playing back, conceding the run. But as Bellhorn threw out Walker at first base, Suppan inexplicably froze after taking several steps toward home and was thrown out by Sox first baseman David Ortiz as he scrambled back to third. The double play was devastating for St. Louis. The Red Sox needed one more game to win their first championship since the 1918 World Series. In Game Four the Red Sox did not allow a run, and the game ended as Édgar Rentería (who would become the 2005 Red Sox starting SS) hit the ball back to Keith Foulke. (This was the second time that Rentería had ended a Series, as he had won it for the Marlins seven years prior in the 1997 World Series.) After Foulke lobbed the ball to Doug Mientkiewicz, the Sox had won their first World Championship in 86 years. The Sox held the Cardinals' offense (the best in the NL in 2004) to only three runs in the last three games, never trailing in the Series. Manny Ramírez was named World Series MVP. The Red Sox won Game Four of the series on October 27, eighteen years to the day from when they lost to the New York Mets in the 1986 World Series. In fact, it came 18 years to the day they lost their last World Series game, as they would sweep the 2004 series.
The Red Sox performed well in the 2004 postseason. From the eighth inning of Game 5 of the American League Championship Series against the Yankees (a tie) until the end of the World Series, the Sox played 60 innings, and never trailed at any point. This was only the fourth World Series ever played in which the losing team had never held a lead.
To add a final, surreal touch to the Red Sox championship title, on the night the Red Sox won, a total lunar eclipse colored the moon over Busch Stadium to a deep red hue. The Red Sox won the title about eleven minutes before totality ended. Many Red Sox fans who were turned away due to no tickets for the game were allowed to watch the final inning from the confines of Busch Stadium after being let in free of charge.
Fox commentator Joe Buck famously called the final out, saying:
Back to Foulke. Red Sox fans have longed to hear it: the Boston Red Sox are World Champions!"
The Red Sox held a parade (or as Boston mayor Thomas Menino put it, a "rolling rally") on Saturday, October 30, 2004. A crowd of more than three million people filled the streets of Boston to cheer as the team rode on the city's famous Duck Boats. The parade followed the same route the New England Patriots took following their victories in Super Bowls Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002 and Super Bowl XXXVIII in February.
Following their 2004 World Series win, the Red Sox replaced the dirt from the field as a "fresh start". They earned many accolades from sports media and throughout the nation for their incredible season.
Pitcher Derek Lowe said that with the win, the chants of "1918!" would no longer echo at Yankee Stadium again.[101]
The Patriots win in the Super Bowl meant the Red Sox World Series win made Boston the first city to have Super Bowl and World Series champions in the same year in 25 years, when the Pittsburgh Steelers won Super Bowl XIII, followed by the Pirates winning the 1979 World Series.[102] The Patriots winning Super Bowl XXXIX in the ensuing offseason made Boston the first city to have two Super Bowls and one World Series championship over a span of 12 months since Pittsburgh in 1979–1980.[102]
After the Bruins won the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, which made Boston the first city to win championships in all four sports leagues in the new millennium, Dan Shaughnessy of The Boston Globe ranked all seven championships by the Boston teams (the Patriots in the Super Bowls played in 2002, 2004 and 2005, the Red Sox in 2004 and 2007, the Celtics in 2008, and the Bruins in 2011) and picked the Red Sox win in 2004 as the greatest Boston sports championship during the ten-year span.[103]
Awards and honors
- David Ortiz – Silver Slugger Award (DH)
- Manny Ramirez – Silver Slugger Award (OF)
- Kevin Youkilis – AL Rookie of the Month (May)
- David Ortiz, reserve 1B
- Manny Ramirez, starting LF
- Curt Schilling, reserve P
Farm system
| Level | Team | League | Manager |
|---|---|---|---|
| AAA | Pawtucket Red Sox | International League | Buddy Bailey |
| AA | Portland Sea Dogs | Eastern League | Ron Johnson |
| A-Advanced | Sarasota Red Sox | Florida State League | Todd Claus |
| A | Augusta GreenJackets | South Atlantic League | Chad Epperson |
| A-Short Season | Lowell Spinners | New York–Penn League | Luis Alicea |
| Rookie | GCL Red Sox | Gulf Coast League | Ralph Treuel |
| Rookie | DSL Red Sox | Dominican Summer League | Nelson Paulino |
| Rookie | VSL Red Sox | Venezuelan Summer League | Josman Robles |
VSL team was also known as Ciudad Alianza.
Source:[104][105]
References
- "2004 Boston Red Sox Statistics". Baseball Reference. Archived from the original on June 9, 2007. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
- Curt Schilling at Baseball Reference
- Mark Bellhorn at Baseball Reference
- Gabe Kapler at Baseball Reference
- Pokey Reese Statistics and History - Baseball-Reference.com
- Keith Foulke Statistics and History - Baseball-Reference.com
- Francona, Terry; Shaughnessy, Dan (2013). Francona: The Red Sox Years. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 46.
- Hohler, Bob (October 28, 2003). "Point Of No Return". The Boston Globe. pp. D1 & D10.
- Stout, Glenn; Johnson, Richard A. (2005). Red Sox Century: The Definitive History of Baseball's Most Storied Franchise, Expanded and Updated. New York, New York: Houghton Mifflin. p. 459. ISBN 978-0-618-62226-9.
- Hohler, Bob (December 5, 2003). "Nice And Easy For Sox". The Boston Globe. pp. E1 & E6.
- Golen, Jimmy (December 5, 2003). "Francona Hired As Red Sox Manager". The Bangor Daily News. Associated Press. pp. C1 & C6. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
- Keith Foulke Statistics and History Baseball-Reference.com
- Shaughnessy, Dan; Ryan, Bob (April 2, 2004). "Staff picks". The Boston Globe. p. F12. Retrieved September 16, 2020 – via newspapers.com.
World Series: Red Sox over Cubs
- Bob Hohler (March 5, 2004). "Francona Flips Over New Lineup". The Boston Globe. p. C6.
- Bob Hohler (March 7, 2004). "Kim Throws Media A Curve". The Boston Globe. p. C5.
- Bob Hohler (March 8, 2004). "Red Sox Plenty Loose For 'Rematch'". The Boston Globe. p. D6.
- Bob Hohler (March 9, 2004). "A Knuckler Sandwich". The Boston Globe. p. F2.
- Bob Hohler (March 10, 2004). "That Florida Heat". The Boston Globe. pp. F1–F2.
- Bob Hohler (March 11, 2004). "Kim Back For More On Mound". The Boston Globe. p. C6.
- Bob Hohler (March 11, 2004). "Arroyo Faces The Music". The Boston Globe. p. E2.
- Bob Hohler (March 13, 2004). "Foulke's Debut All Business". The Boston Globe. p. E2.
- Bob Hohler (March 14, 2004). "Jays Contend That They Can Hang In There". The Boston Globe. p. E5.
- Bob Hohler (March 15, 2004). "Putting His Name In Lights". The Boston Globe. p. D2.
- Bob Hohler (March 17, 2004). "Nixon Status Could Shift Outfield". The Boston Globe. p. F2.
- Nick Cafardo (March 18, 2004). "Ace Talks Good Game". The Boston Globe. pp. C1–C2.
- Nick Cafardo (March 19, 2004). "Garciaparra, Nixon Still Feeling The Pain". The Boston Globe. p. E2.
- Bob Hohler (March 20, 2004). "Martinez Takes Good With Bad". The Boston Globe. p. D3.
- Bob Hohler (March 21, 2004). "Arroyo To Start Home Opener". The Boston Globe. p. D9.
- Nick Cafardo (March 22, 2004). "A Feather In His Cap". The Boston Globe. p. C2.
- Nick Cafardo (March 23, 2004). "Schilling's Pitches A Little Up". The Boston Globe. p. F2.
- Nick Cafardo (March 24, 2004). "Pitching To The Shortstop". The Boston Globe. p. D2.
- Nick Cafardo (March 25, 2004). "Garciaparra Optimistic; Nixon In Pain". The Boston Globe. p. C2.
- Dan Shaughnessy (March 26, 2004). "No Short Answer On Garciaparra". The Boston Globe. p. E6.
- Bob Hohler (March 27, 2004). "Arroyo Hit Hard In Outing". The Boston Globe. p. E2.
- Bob Hohler (March 28, 2004). "Schilling Already Going 100". The Boston Globe. p. E3.
- Gordon Edes (March 29, 2004). "Reese Has A Big Fan In McKeon". The Boston Globe. p. D3.
- Bob Hohler (March 30, 2004). "No Gain On The Pain". The Boston Globe. p. F2.
- Bob Hohler (March 31, 2004). "A Late Spring Bash". The Boston Globe. p. F1 & F5.
- Bob Hohler (April 1, 2004). "Team Has No Plans For A Short-Term Fix". The Boston Globe. p. C6.
- Bob Hohler (April 2, 2004). "He's Ready... Or Not: Skipper Confident in Foulke". The Boston Globe. p. F14.
- Bob Hohler (April 3, 2004). "Ramirez Snaps Out Of It With Pop". The Boston Globe. p. D2.
- Bob Hohler (April 4, 2004). "A Turbulent Close For Foulke's Stormy Spring". The Boston Globe. p. E10.
- "Boston Red Sox 9, Boston College 3". Boston College Eagles. March 5, 2004. Archived from the original on July 22, 2023. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
- "2004 Baseball Schedule". Northeastern Huskies. Archived from the original on July 22, 2023. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
- "Cool start for Sox". Lewiston Sun Journal. Associated Press. April 5, 2004. pp. C1 & C3. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
- "Schilling puts Sox back on track". Lewiston Sun Journal. Associated Press. April 7, 2004. pp. C1 & C6. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
- "Damon in the rough". Lewiston Sun Journal. Associated Press. April 8, 2004. pp. C1 & C6. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
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- Curtis Leskanic Statistics - Baseball Reference.com
- Pedro Astacio Statistics - Baseball Reference.com
- Ricky Gutiérrez Statistics - Baseball Reference.com
- Terry Adams Statistics - Baseball Reference.com
- Orlando Cabrera Statistics - Baseball Reference.com
- Doug Mientkiewicz Statistics - Baseball Reference.com
- Nomar Garciaparra Statistics - Baseball Reference.com
- Dave Roberts Statistics - Baseball Reference.com
- Mike Myers Statistics - Baseball Reference.com
- Sandy Martinez Statistics - Baseball Reference.com
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- "Baltimore Orioles 7, Boston Red Sox 2". Retrosheet. April 4, 2004. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
- Nomar Garciaparra Statistics and History Baseball-Reference.com
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- Ryan, Bob (August 7, 2005). "A stolen moment of fame". The Boston Globe.
- "Red Sox hero, now Padres coach, Dave Roberts talks about 'The Steal' (video)". Cleveland.com. April 8, 2014.
- Browne, Ian (October 17, 2014). "Roberts' steal set amazing 2004 playoff run in motion". MLB.com.
- Curry, Jack (October 28, 2004). "Kiss That Curse Goodbye". The New York Times. p. D1.
- Shapiro, Leonard (February 7, 2005). "Patriots Grab Share of NFL History". Washington Post. p. A1. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved December 10, 2010.
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- Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, 3rd edition. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 2007
- Boston Red Sox Media Guide. 2004. p. 516. Retrieved March 14, 2021 – via Wayback Machine.
External links
- 2004 Boston Red Sox season at Baseball Almanac
- 2004 Boston Red Sox season at ESPN
- 2004 Boston Red Sox Draft Selections
- Review of the 2004 Red Sox championship MLB.com, 12/26/2021
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