It’s been nearly two decades exactly since the Red Sox mustered up a historic 3-0 comeback over the Yankees in the 2004 American League Championship Series, but one ex-New York outfielder can’t let it go.
Nine-time big league All-Star Gary Sheffield, who spent three seasons with the pinstripes, partook in the all-time Yankees collapse. But instead of crediting the Red Sox for their heroic climb from rock bottom, Sheffield instead pointed the finger at New York, insinuating that Boston wasn’t nearly as calm, cool, and collected as it seemed from afar.
“The bottom line is we lost the game because our relievers couldn’t close the game out. That’s how we lost the game. End of story,” Sheffield said on the “Foul Territory” podcast. “And then when you hear Kevin Millar talking about they was loose and they was drinking and that. No, they were scared. The bottom line was they were scared. … The bottom line was they were lucky.”
Sheffield added: “Y’all had the stronger pitching. Ya’ll was more deeper into pitching and it worked for y’all in the long run.”
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Sheffield’s deluded spin is certainly one way to view New York choking on four consecutive instances to close a series, becoming the first team in Major League Baseball history to do so.
While the Yankees bullpen isn’t exonerated for its role in failing to put the series to end, that’s no reason to discredit the Red Sox for taking advantage of the circumstances. Boston, nervous or not, didn’t allow whatever jitters may have existed, to allow New York from inexcusable an inexcusable fall that the Yankees will never be able to live down.
Boston went on to win three more titles after — in 2007, ’13, and ’18 — while New York has won just once — in 2009.
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Sheffield, meanwhile, will just have to settle for his single 1997 World Series ring and end the discussion where it was left in Game 7.
Featured image via Eileen Blass / USA TODAY Sports Images
