The 2003 Red Sox got to what is essentially the semifinals of the baseball season — the American League Championship Series. Of course, as everyone knows, that series went the distance before Aaron Boone sent a Tim Wakefield knuckleball into the New York night to give the Yankees the pennant and deny the Sox the chance to win their first World Series since 1918.
Now, in NESN.com and WhatIfSports.com's "Red Sox Showdown for the Ages," Grady Little's 2003 squad is back in the semifinals. Fittingly, it's the 1918 Red Sox with Babe Ruth leading the way that stand in front of 2003 and its quest to reach the finals of the Showdown.
On the other side of the bracket of simulated matchups, an American League runner-up and a World Series runner-up will meet in the semifinals. The 2008 team — minus Manny Ramirez — slugged its way to the semifinals, where it will square off with a Ted Williams-led team, the 1946 Sox.
See the full results below, and be sure to click here for more information at WhatIfSports.com.
No. 8 2008 (62.7 percent) defeats No. 16 1999
One week after knocking out the top-seeded 2004 team, the 1999 team meets its demise, this one coming at the hands of the 2008 American League runner-up.
No. 12 1946 (56.9 percent) defeats No. 4 1915
Owners of one of the best offenses in the history of the franchise, the 1946 team moves on by winning its series with the 1915 team. For one series at least, the notion that good pitching beats good hitting is proven wrong.
No. 14 2003 (56.9 percent) defeats No. 11 1967
The 2003 Red Sox were one disastrous inning from playing in the World Series. Now, not only have they outlasted the 2004 team that won the World Series a year later, they've knocked out the 1912 world champs and here, in the second round, the Impossible Dream team of 1967.
No. 7 1918 (52.9 percent) defeats No. 2 1903
It's only fitting that one of the most notorious Red Sox teams — the 1918 crew — survives for at least another round in the Showdown, as they send the 1903 Americans and old Patsy Dougherty packing.
