Curse Crushed: How 2004 Red Sox (Finally) Delivered World Series Title

2024 marks the 20th anniversary of the 2004 Boston Red Sox World Series championship team. Throughout the year, NESN.com will reflect on several key moments from that historic season.

Part 4: Four final wins to complete a championship and restore baseball glory in Boston.

The Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals are two of the most storied franchises in baseball history. And their paths are intertwined.

The Cardinals prolonged the “Curse of the Bambino” when they defeated the Red Sox in the World Series in 1946 and 1967.

The Red Sox were back on the doorstep in 2004, four wins away from breaking that curse and winning their first championship in 86 years.

Speaking exclusively with NESN.com 20 years later, former Red Sox players Johnny Damon, Jason Varitek, Bill Mueller, Dave Roberts and Gabe Kapler, as well as broadcasters Joe Castiglione and Chris Myers, recounted baseball’s 100th World Series.

“When that started, it’s like the Cardinals didn’t have a chance,” Myers, FOX’s sideline reporter for the 2004 World Series, said. “The Red Sox could’ve beaten anybody in that series. The fact that they swept them. I certainly wasn’t predicting that, but I was feeling that.”

Boston, seemingly a team of destiny after overcoming a 3-0 deficit against the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series, steamrolled St. Louis to exorcise its demons of the past and reshape its future.

THE ATMOSPHERE
Red Sox fans starved for a championship for nearly a century. They craved a return to the Fall Classic for nearly two decades. It set the table for Boston’s home-field advantage in 2004, courtesy of an American League victory in that year’s MLB All-Star Game.

“It’s what had been our driving force for as long as I’ve been here is our fanbase,” Varitek said. “They’ve always been electric. They’re passionate. They’re going to boo you when you’re terrible. They’re going to stand and applaud you when you’re doing well. Most importantly, they’re going to demand the reflection of being a grinding fanbase. That’s what they expect out of their players. The electricity here, I wouldn’t say it was that much more. I think throughout any playoffs I’ve ever been here for it’s been that way.”

“You notice it when you go there for other games as a fan,” Myers said. “It was incredible with the fans coming together. When to sing ‘Sweet Caroline,’ etc. It just felt like they were more together on this for the World Series. … You really felt a part of it, more than you do in other parks. Especially with a World Series. At the time, I’m working. There were moments, especially during the national anthem, where I just kind of paused and took it all in. I’m realizing not only what’s happening with the teams, but the atmosphere. It’s not some other ballpark. This is a lot of history in baseball.”

The energy of Fenway Park set the stage for a World Series of epic proportions. From there, the Red Sox and Cardinals looked to deliver another classic.

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THE GAME 1 THRILLER
The Red Sox and Cardinals took the field on a chilly Saturday night in Boston.

“The atmosphere was obviously electric,” Myers said. “You could sense them steamrolling through this thing. They were hanging on every pitch. … There was a sense of melodrama. There wasn’t a slow moment.”

The Red Sox brought momentum into the matchup, but so did the Cardinals. St. Louis also fought through seven tough games to reach this point, knocking off the Houston Astros in the National League Championship Series.

The Cardinals won 105 regular-season games, possessed solid starting pitching and posted a lineup with Albert Pujols, Scott Rolen, Larry Walker and Jim Edmonds. A true “juggernaut,” as Mueller described.

“My goodness that team was loaded,” Mueller said. “I just think sometimes good pitching stops good hitting. That might have been the biggest difference. Their offense was very strong, as well. Their defense, every part of their game, their bullpen.”

The Red Sox embraced the moment and stuck with the vibes that brought them back to life earlier in October.

“It was a lot less chill than you would have imagined because the Yankees-Red Sox series was full of excitement, full of clutch play,” Damon said. “We were thrilled to be in the World Series. Nobody gave us a chance to beat the Cardinals. We kept riding the momentum. We kept doing our shots of Jack Daniels before each game. We just put it all together. We were the hottest team in baseball. Not many teams could have beat us during that time. It was the right time to peak.”

Tim Wakefield got the start in Game 1 after he gave up his start in Game 4 of the ALCS to save the bullpen in Game 3. That selfless move ultimately loomed large in the Red Sox’s comeback against the Yankees.

The Red Sox, who scored 10 runs in the clincher in New York, picked up where they left off against the Cardinals in Boston.

“I feel like I got everything going on the offensive side for us in Game 1,” recalled Damon, who smacked a leadoff double in the first inning. “I believe I had a 12-pitch at-bat. I ended up getting on-base and we scored first. … The momentum just kept going after the Yankees series after I led off and we scored some runs in the first.”

David Ortiz also rode the momentum and launched a three-run home run off St. Louis starter Woody Williams for an early 3-0 lead. The Red Sox kept on scoring to take a 7-2 lead after three innings.

That’s where the contest turned into a rollercoaster.

St. Louis clawed back after five Boston walks and four errors tied the game, 9-9, heading into the bottom of the eighth inning. In a back-and-forth fight, the Red Sox needed to deliver a knockout blow.

On this night, Mark Bellhorn had the winning punch, skying a two-run home run off the right field foul pole.

“Obviously, the big guys kept hitting,” Damon said. “Bellhorn had another big home run in that game. … Bellhorn came up huge for us.”

Keith Foulke nailed down the save to preserve a Game 1 win for the Red Sox. The chaos of the opener offered a reminder of the hard work remaining, though one area for Boston calmed the storm for three more wins.

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THE STARTING PITCHING
Boston’s starting rotation weathered the storm after Game 1 and brought needed stability. Sure, Boston’s bats could hit with anyone in a rhythm, but the Red Sox’s starting rotation carried them to 98 regular-season wins and did enough in October to get to the World Series.

“That team was built to win because they had great starting pitching,” Castiglione said. “I think only one starter missed one start that whole year. Everybody else was healthy. The starting pitching was dominant.”

The Cardinals never led at any point during the series. The Red Sox starters consistently set the tone, found a groove and pitched deep into their outings.

Still sporting a bloody sock as he did in the ALCS, Curt Schilling mustered enough for one final start in Game 2 of the World Series. The 2001 World Series co-MVP held the mighty St. Louis lineup to one run on four hits across six innings as the Red Sox took a 2-0 series lead.

They got even better when the series shifted to Busch Stadium.

Martinez met the moment in what ended up being his final start with the Red Sox. After working out of trouble in the first inning of Game 3, Martinez dazzled over seven scoreless innings with six strikeouts. The Red Sox ace set down the final 14 hitters he faced.

Game 4 brought more of the same from a rejuvenated Derek Lowe on the strength of his clincher at Yankee Stadium. He matched Martinez’s seven scoreless innings, allowing just three hits with four strikeouts. Lowe retired 13 consecutive hitters in the middle of his outing.

The Red Sox won on the backs of three outstanding starts when they mattered most.

What changed for Boston?

“Execution,” Varitek said. “When you go throughout a season, everything isn’t always there. Curt was always able to post and make big pitches at big times. Pedro was the competitor of all ends. Derek really stepped up in the previous series from having a tough season.”

“I think possibly our starting pitching might have been the catapult of getting us through it,” Mueller said. “We still had a lot of momentum on our side. The excitement and the adrenaline just didn’t stop.”

Pitching and defense win championships. The Red Sox had trouble in those areas in Game 1 before they dominated and ran away with the series.

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THE CHAMPIONSHIP MOMENTS
The Red Sox seemingly controlled every aspect after a crazy Game 1. They scored in the first inning in all four games.

Varitek continued the trend in Game 2 when he sat on a changeup from Matt Morris and hit a two-out, two-strike triple to the triangle in right center field at Fenway Park.

“They walked David (Ortiz), I think, which I don’t know why teams didn’t do that all the time,” Varitek remembered. “Was able to hit it in the corner (the triangle). Ended up with a triple rather than a double because of the dimensions here at Fenway.”

When the series shifted to St. Louis, Manny Ramirez blasted a solo home run and threw a runner out at home to start Game 3. Damon joined the home run party in Game 4 with a leadoff homer against Jason Marquis.

“So with that line drive, I’m not sure how high it got off the ground,” Damon said. “I got into it pretty good and (was) fortunate to put us up 1-0. We just went out there and competed. It was a great start.”

The Red Sox kept playing their brand of baseball and took a 3-0 lead in Game 4 after Trot Nixon swung the bat on a 3-0 pitch to drive a ball off the wall to plate two runs. Boston saw the ultimate prize in sight and recognized the need to finally finish the job.

“It was like, ‘We’ve come this far. Let’s just get it over with. Let’s not let these guys hang around,’ ” Roberts recalled. “There was just a lot of momentum. I’m telling you, with this group of guys, to be able to weather or counteract that pressure we were feeling from history and Red Sox Nation, it took a special group to have some fun with it. We were perfect for that year.”

“Since we came back against the Yankees down 3-0, the Cardinals fans were saying, ‘Well if the Red Sox can do it, we can,’ ” Damon said. “The place was electric. The Cardinals fans were expected to start turning around the series. Obviously, we didn’t want to give them an opportunity to grab some momentum because we knew the Cardinals were a great team.”

“You had to have that Cardinal win to really nail it down,” Castiglione said.

Pun intended.

Players needed to remain focused on the task at hand, but for others, the sense of historic joy set in as the night went on.

“I remember in the seventh inning of that game, we had the 3-0 lead,” Castiglione said. “During the commercial break, I went into the men’s room to change into champagne clothes. I saw a friend of mine there with the Cardinals, a longtime friend. He’s gonna feel really terrible about this. I think that’s when I started to think, ‘This is gonna end tonight.’ “

The Red Sox took that 3-0 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning. In search of the final three outs, Busch Stadium offered a moment players and fans alike will never forget.

“I just feel lucky and a lot of gratitude for that,” Kapler said. “I remember feeling that way then, too. It’s not in hindsight feeling that gratitude. I caught (the first out) of the inning, It was a fly ball to right. I remember the ball going up and feeling the extra nerves. This is not just your average fly ball; this matters. It wasn’t a difficult play or anything. It was a routine fly ball. I remember running toward the pile after the final out was recorded. Just a lot of gratitude. I felt lucky to be out there. It felt very surreal.”

Edgar Renteria marked the final hope for the Cardinals. Keith Foulke delivered a 1-0 pitch, the Cardinals infielder one-hopped it back to the mound and the Red Sox closer flipped the ball to Doug Mientkiewicz at first base.

Generations of baseball fans rejoiced. The curse was over. The Red Sox were World Series champions.

“Back to Foulke,” Joe Buck called on the FOX broadcast. “Red Sox fans have longed to hear it. The Boston Red Sox are world champions.“

“How would I describe it?” Castiglione thought to himself. “Then, I came to the conclusion that you can’t script it because you don’t know how it’s going to end. I wanted to keep it simple. It’s their moment. It’s the fans’ moment. It’s the team’s moment. Not my moment. I was just hoping it would be something definitive. It would not be a check swing. He did swing or he didn’t? A diving catch, did he catch it or didn’t he? It was a simple ground ball to the pitcher. It was perfect. I think that was the best way to do it.”

“For the first time in 86 years, the Red Sox are baseball’s world champions. Can you believe it?” Castiglione said on the radio call.

Varitek remembered Foulke’s pitch and the ensuing celebration.

“It was complete exhaustion.” Varitek said. “That’s where the surrealness set in. We did this. Now, you felt exhaustion.”

Myers added: “This was a joyous moment. I think they did realize what they had accomplished. You hear them talking about doing this for Boston and for the city. It was also for the history of baseball. A lot of people were aware of this watching this run for the Red Sox. They almost got tired of hearing bout the pain and misery of the curse and not winning a World Series. They were all very happy. The thing that jumped out beyond obvious joy of victory and celebration, they were living and enjoying the moment.”

The players dogpiled in the middle of the diamond. The night offered memories to last a lifetime. These Red Sox players shared a few.

“Actually, it was my (in-laws) the first game that they saw me play live,” Damon said. “They’re from Missouri. My wife’s dad is a big Cardinals fan. He didn’t really know what to think and I said, ‘You’re rooting for your son-in-law.’ That was the first game. We ended up winning the game. They get to come on the field after. We get to celebrate. I told him, ‘You probably don’t want to go to another game because this will not be there again.’ That was good.”

“One of my most precious memories was when the stadium was all cleared out,” Kapler recalled. “I was on the field with my sons. My two sons were babies at the time. They’re crawling around the mound at Busch Stadium. I’ve got some pictures of that moment. That was more meaningful than anything. My best friend from high school was there smoking cigars and getting doused in champagne. My dad was in the clubhouse. He’s since passed away. My mom was there with my whole family.”

“Winning it in my hometown and understanding my folks were up there,” Mueller said. “Friends and family and things like that. It’s a surreal because back in 1982, I was at my first World Series at Game 7 with my dad in the nosebleeds. That’s when the Cardinals beat the Brewers. I remember everybody stormed the field and how exciting it was. The next time I’m at a World Series game, I’m standing at third base and looking up at all the people chanting for the Red Sox. Winning it there was a surreal moment.”

On the surface, a great team that won 95 regular-season games and 11 more in the most dramatic fashion in the playoffs capped a successful season with a championship. On a far deeper level, the 2004 Red Sox exorcised their demons of the past, erased a century of pain and redirected the franchise for a new era.

“It’s kind of like moments like these years later where you continue to understand and feel the impact of it,” Mueller said. “I think once it ended, you’re just happy you accomplished what you wanted to accomplish. To be able to get a World Series win in your career, you never know how your legacy is going to turn out. Then, to break a curse of 86 years and win a World Series is a pretty great feeling.”

“Yeah, for the first time because — I don’t want to say the pressure, but the longer you’re here, the bigger the piano got on your back,” Varitek said. “Something bad’s gonna happen. You don’t hear the ‘Curse of the Bambino’ anymore. You knew that. You knew this fanbase has had a lot of agony that they’ve had to deal with. The accumulation over time of what’s been passed down from Jim Rice to (Johnny) Pesky to Mo Vaughn to John Valentin to Nomar (Garciaparra) and everybody. We kept pushing and we kept getting better. It ended up being part of an end result that we won. By no means did it just have to do with the accumulation of that year. It was the accumulation of a lot of time. Everybody’s felt that burden. Everybody had a severe sense of relief when it’s finally done.”

The 2004 Red Sox set the tone for a total revival of the franchise, which since has won three more championships — the most in MLB in that span.

“I think that Boston Red Sox fans understand that if we wouldn’t have gotten it done in 2004, they might not have had the next two championships after,” Roberts said. “We took a lot of pressure off baseball fans, Red Sox fans and Red Sox teams. I do feel that from the Red Sox fans. I also think they appreciate how tight knit that team was. With that, whenever we’re together, it’s like no time has passed. Very close team still to this day.”

“It’s different than any other World Series in the history of baseball,” Kapler added. “We all know that now more than ever. Looking back, there’s been other Red Sox championships. Really important Red Sox championships and they all matter. I can’t imagine that any Red Sox fan would argue that there was a more important series than ’04.”

Magical? Memorable? Historic? There are countless words to describe the 2004 Red Sox.

But the one that defines them forever?

Champions.