He was the pioneer of Cowboy Up in Boston, and he was a leader among Idiots, but what was Kevin Millar‘s most memorable moment?
That’s the question from Mandy in Brookline, Mass., and while it’s hard to narrow the list to three, here’s a shot: Was it his ninth-inning walk in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS, his “Born In The USA” video or his declaration before Game 4, when he said “Don’t let us win tonight”?
Each is memorable in its own right. The walk, of course, led to the most famous stolen base in Red Sox history, when Millar’s pinch runner, Dave Roberts, swiped second on Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada before scoring the game-tying run. You may remember that the Red Sox went ahead and reeled off eight straight victories after that to win their first World Series title in oh, about 86 years or so.
While the Rally Karaoke Guy video didn’t have as direct an effect on the field as the walk, it was indicative of the type of character that Millar brought to the clubhouse. It also showed he wasn’t afraid of being embarrassed in front of 36,000 people every night.
Then there was the prophecy. With the Red Sox trailing the Yankees 3-0 in the ALCS, and coming off a 19-8 shellacking in Game 3, spirits were pretty low throughout New England. Most fans just hoped the Red Sox could save face, win a game or two and at least prevent the Yankees from celebrating at Fenway Park. Millar saw things differently. He figured that if the Sox could win Game 4, they’d be throwing Pedro Martinez and Curt Schilling at the Yankees for Games 5 and 6, and then, of course, “anything can happen in Game 7.”
Millar — not exactly a shy man — kept repeating this over and over to anyone who would listen before Game 4. He might have sounded crazy at the time, but as it turns out, he couldn’t have been more right.
So which is your favorite moment? If you think it’s the walk against Rivera, text “SOX1” to 542542, if you think it’s the rally video, text “SOX2” to 542542 or if you think it’s the Game 4 quote, text “SOX3” to 542542.
