The Boston Red Sox have provided fans with countless memories throughout the last 30 years on NESN, but which one would you consider the top moment in franchise history?
We’ve been counting down some of the best ones all season long, and now it’s your turn to choose the rest. It won’t be an easy task, though, as all of the special moments are worthy of the No. 1 spot.
Roger Clemens deservedly makes the list twice, first for becoming the first pitcher in Major League Baseball to strike out 20 batters in a nine-inning game during an April 29, 1986, matchup against the Seattle Mariners at Fenway Park and then for duplicating that amazing 20-strikeout performance almost a full decade later against the Detroit Tigers on Sept. 18, 1996, in his final victory in a Red Sox uniform.
But don’t forget Pedro Martinez striking Gerald Williams on the hand in 2000. The plunking ignited the first of two bench-clearing brawls, with eight Rays players and coaches getting ejected throughout the game. Despite the madness, Martinez went on to retire the next 24 batters, as he carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning before John Flaherty broke it up with a leadoff single.
No doubt the most emotional moment on the list is April 20, 2013, when baseball returned to Boston. The Red Sox took the field five days after the Boston Marathon bombing wearing “Boston Strong” patches on their uniforms, with the rallying cry also found on the Green Monster and mowed into the outfield grass. With first responders and volunteers honored on the field, David Ortiz delivered an unforgettable pregame speech.
And finally we come to Jon Lester’s no-hitter against the Kansas City Royals on May 19, 2008. The 24-year-old lefty allowed just two baserunners while striking out nine in his first major league complete game, and it was a memorable one to say the least. The feat came just two years after the southpaw battoed cancer and just one year after he won Game 4 of the World Series to clinch the team’s title in four years.
The countdown will resume Tuesday, so voice your opinion in the poll below and let us know which moment should earn the No. 1 spot!
