1903 World Series. Boston Americans (Red Sox) over Pittsburgh Pirates, 5 games to 3 (8 game series).
1912 World Series. Boston Red Sox over New York Giants, 4 games to 3.
1915 World Series. Boston Red Sox over Philadelphia Phillies, 4 games to 1.
1916 World Series. Boston Red Sox over Brooklyn Robins (Giants), 4 games to 1.
1918 World Series. Boston Red Sox over Chicago Cubs, 4 games to 2.
2004 World Series. Boston Red Sox over St. Louis Cardinals, 4 games to 0.
In 1903, the first World Series was played at Huntington Grounds, which is now history. It is now part of the Northeastern University campus. When the Red Sox won (then known as the Boston American League Base Ball Club, or for short, the Americans) the newspaper celebrated. Psst – check out the headlines in the newspaper. “Victorious in Last Four Games.” We were down three games to one. They had to win two more. We won four straight. Looks like we had history on our side against the Yankees this year, eh?
More newspapers extolled of the Sox victories, as the Red Sox won five World Series titles in fifteen years, three in a four year period. The accursed White Sox won the title in 1917, denying us a four-peat”.
It would be a long time until the next one. 1918 turned to 1919 turned to 1920 to 1930 to 1940 to 1950 to 1960 to 1970 to 1980 to 1990 to 2000. A lot of people thought that they would die before seing a Red Sox World Series. Too many did, but that was staved off this year, 2004, when the Red Sox won the World Series.
Marty Nolan, a Boston writer, once said, “The Red Sox killed my father, and now they’re coming after me.” A quick search query shows that Nolan is still alive, so he was able to savor in this.
While we are in a big market and thus are overhyped and overrated (like we think of New York, but imagine what Baltimore or Chicago or Kansas City thinks of us big behemoths) we never really got the tag the Yankees got of being overhyped, overrated, winning all the time, spending all the time, spending too much to win too much. This is because while we churned out winning records, we never churned out a World Series winning team. Will we now become universally hated because of our money? Perhaps, but I doubt it. We are $20-$30 million away from the rest of baseball, whilst the Yankees are $70 million away from us, and almost $100 million away from the rest of baseball. Plus, we cant just throw money around (A-Rod and Pedro know about this) and we operative creatively. Plus, our payroll is going to be sinking over the next several years. Once our minor league starts bearing fruit and Manny and Renteria and Schilling, et. al start dissapearing, I wouldnt be surprised to see us with a competitive team in the $80 million range.
Anyways, everyone rooted for us. Well, everyone except the Yankee fans (only a select few rooted for the Red Sox. Interesting story here. I have a Yankee fan friend whose mother was very scarred by the history-in-the-making three-games-to-none comeback by the Red Sox and spews vile near any Red Sox reference whether it be a shirt, person, commercial, and so on. Welcome to the Red Sox pre-2004 lives, right? Apparently the thought has not occured to her as she continues to show no mercy. I find it amusing.) and the Cardinals fans. Other than that, 99% of everyone I knew rooted for the Red Sox. (The 1% either were not baseball fans or viewed us as being too New York Yankee-ish) They threw their weight behind the Red Sox for the ALCS and the World Series and even the Cardinal fans were rooting for the Red Sox ever so slightly. Did they want the Cardinals to win? Of course, but they were thrilled to see the Red Sox win. I had Angel fans, Oriole fans, White Sox fans, Cub fans, Astro fans, Athletic fans, the list goes on, rooting for the Red Sox. Many people were converted, one of which is fellow MVN comrade Joseph Jackson. He is an Oriole fan first and foremost and also likes the Dodgers. He got swept up in the Red Sox hysteria however, and on October 21, he said “Oh God, I just said
