Dave Robert’s steal against the Yankees squares off against Jason Varitek and Alex Rodriguez’s brawl in the second round of Boston’s Greatest Sports Moment tournament.
The whole world knew he was going to steal second base. After Kevin Millar drew a walk in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS, that’s exactly what Dave Roberts did. With the Red Sox down 4-3 and facing elimination, 90 feet never looked so far. After nearly getting picked off, Roberts took off on Mariano Rivera’s first pitch to Bill Mueller. Jorge Posada threw a strike to a covering Derek Jeter, but the left hand of Roberts beat the tag. Mueller singled, and Roberts finished off what is now known as “The Steal” by scoring the tying run. The steal sparked the greatest comeback in Red Sox history, as Boston took Game 4 and won four straight en route to capturing the American League pennant.
This moment was the first time the Yankees got socked in the mouth by the Red Sox in 2004, but it certainly wasn’t the last. On July 24, Jason Varitek gladly welcomed Alex Rodriguez to the fiercest rivalry in baseball. After getting hit by a Bronson Arroyo pitch in the top of the third inning, A-Rod began jawing at the pitcher. Varitek, the consummate captain, took exception and began to throw some R-rated words A-Rod’s way. Varitek then punched Rodriguez in the face with his mitt, promptly starting a benches-clearing brawl. Both players were ejected, but Varitek and the Red Sox got the last laugh, winning the game 11-10. They also got the last laugh that October, famously coming back from down three games to none to beat the Yankees in the AL championship series.
Which is a greater Boston sports moment?
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