The Red Sox win the first World Series (1903): The Red Sox, known as the Americans at the time, defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates in eight games to capture their first championship in the first World Series. In 1903, it was a best five-of-nine. The series is generally considered the wildest fall classic ever played and featured Honus Wagner and Cy Young. The Americans won the eighth game 3-0 behind Bill Dinneen to clinch the series.
Sox score two in the 10th to win the World Series (October 16, 1912): Boston and the New York Giants battled to Game 8 in the 1912 World Series. Although it was a best-of-seven, the teams tied Game 2 forcing the extra game. In Game 8, the Sox and Giants ended regulation tied at 1. In the 10th, New York scored to take a 2-1 lead. In the bottom half of the frame, Giants centerfielder Fred Snodgrass dropped an easy fly allowing Clyde Engel to reach second. After a fly ball advanced Engel to third and a walk, Tris Speaker popped up. No one made the play. Speaker promptly singled in the tying run off Christy Mathewson. The Giants intentionally loaded the bases to set up a force play at every base. Larry Gardner hit a sacrifice fly to right to end the World Series.
Ted Williams hits .406 (1941): Ted Williams was at .400 and could have taken the last day of the season off. Instead, he demanded to play in a doubleheader. The Splendid Splinter went 6 for 8 on last day to raise his average to .406. No player has hit .400 since.
Ted Williams homers in his last at bat (September 28, 1960): Ted Williams is one of 41 men to homer in a final at bat. However, there was only one Ted Williams. On a chilly Boston day, in another forgettable Red Sox season, Williams launched one 440 feet.
Yaz wins triple crown (1967): Carl Yastrzemski had the unenviable job of replacing Ted Williams. In 1967, it all came together. He won the triple crown and Boston enjoyed “an impossible dream” season. Whenever the Sox needed a big hit or big play, Yaz came through. For the year, Yastrzemski hit .326 with 44 home runs and 121 runs batted in. In the World Series, he chipped in a .400 average with three more homers. Carl Yastrzemski is the last player to win the triple crown.
The Impossible Dream (1967): The summer of 1967 witnessed one of the craziest pennant races in history. At the end of the season, four teams finished within three games of each other. The Tigers loss in the second game of a double header to California clinched the pennant. Boston battled the Cardinals to a seventh game, but could not defeat the invincible Bob Gibson in a Game 7.
The Fisk home run (October 21, 1975 Game 6 World Series): The Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds played in perhaps the greatest World Series in history. Carlton Fisk ended the greatest game in that series with a home run. The Reds needed one win to clinch their first title since 1940. They led 6-3 in the 8th when Bernie Carbo tied it with a three run home run. That sent the game into extra innings. In the bottom of the 12th, Fisk hit a fly ball off the foul pole to win the game. The camera focused on Fisk as the cameraman tried to steer clear of a large rat that surprised him. The end result was the iconic shot of Fisk willing the ball fair. Despite the dramatics, Boston lost Game 7 to the Big Red Machine. Nearly forty years later, Fisk jokes the Red Sox won that series three games to four.
Dave Henderson (October 12, 1986 Game 5 ALCS): The Angels led the Red Sox three-games-to-one in the American League Championship Series. In Game 5, the Angels took a 5-2 lead into the 9th. Mike Witt got into trouble surrendering a two-run homer to Don Baylor. He was replaced by Gary Lucas who hit Rich Gedman. California turned to their elite closer Donnie Moore to close out the series. Dave Henderson capped the rally with a two-out, two-strike two-run shot off Moore to give the Sox the lead. California tied the game, but Boston won in extra innings. Henderson’s rip doomed the Angels. They never recovered and Boston won the pennant.
The Idiots Comeback (2004): The Yankees took a 3-0 lead in the 2004 American League Championship Series. No team had ever come back to win a best-of-seven after trailing 3-0. The self-proclaimed “idiots” decided to make history. David Ortiz provided major hits to win Games 4 and 5 and send the series back to New York. Curt Schilling won Game 6 without an ankle. Television cameras transfixed on the blood oozing out of his sock. In Game 7, Johnny Damon’s grand slam set the tone for the game and the Sox rolled. It was their first pennant since 1986.
Curse Reversed (October 27, 2004 Game 4 World Series): Boston faced a formidable Cardinal team in the World Series. The Sox mojo overwhelmed St. Louis. They won a slugfest 11-9 in Game 1. Schilling returned with his bloody sock to win Game 2. Pedro Martinez pitched his final game in a Sox uniform winning Game 3. Derek Lowe closed out the Cardinals 3-0 to complete the sweep. The victory ended 86 years of frustration which was summed up as “The Curse of the Bambino.” The Red Sox had not won a World Series since shipping Babe Ruth to the Yankees. The idiots reversed the curse.
