The Boston Red Sox defeated the Curse of the Bambino in 2004, marking a historic moment in baseball history. For 86 years, the Red Sox had been plagued by a curse that was believed to be cast upon them when they sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees in 1919. The curse brought years of heartbreak and disappointment to the Red Sox and their dedicated fans. However, in 2004, the team rallied together and overcame the odds to win the World Series, breaking the curse once and for all. The Red Sox's victory was a testament to their perseverance, skill, and unwavering belief in themselves. It was a defining moment for the franchise and brought immense joy and celebration to the city of Boston.
If the past is prelude, the Red Sox have had a hangover in the season after each of their World Series titles.
And imagine this From 1920-33, Ruth not only helped the Yankees to their first seven of 40 AL pennants and first four of their 27 World Series championships, Ruppert held the Red Sox s deed to Fenway. The last time anybody in this uniform could call himself a world champion, penicillin had yet to be invented, women did not have the right to vote and Woodrow Wilson was the president of the United States.
It was a defining moment for the franchise and brought immense joy and celebration to the city of Boston. The curse had finally been defeated, and the Red Sox were once again champions..
Holy Red Sox! Boston's Babe curse is exorcised after 86 years of hurt
With the clock winding towards midnight in St Louis on Wednesday night, Edgar Renteria hit the ball tamely back at Keith Foulke. The Boston pitcher threw the ball to Doug Mientkiewicz on first base and Renteria was out. The Boston Red Sox had clinched their first World Series since 1918 in a clean sweep. After so long, it had come far easier than anybody had ever imagined.
They were never behind in any of the four games. They outhit, outpitched and outhustled a St Louis Cardinals team that entered the World Series boasting the best regular-season record in the major leagues.
As the Sox swarmed across the Busch Stadium infield, the historical reference points came gushing out. The last time anybody in this uniform could call himself a world champion, penicillin had yet to be invented, women did not have the right to vote and Woodrow Wilson was the president of the United States.
"We can't reverse what was a long time ago," said Terry Francona, the Red Sox coach whose only previous claim to fame had been that he was in charge of the minor league Birmingham Barons when they gave Michael Jordan the opportunity to try his hand at professional baseball. "This was our team this year. You can't do anything else about any other year."
That eight decades had yielded nothing but spectacular and occasionally tragic failure had been infamously attributed to the Sox owner Harry Frazee selling Babe Ruth, the pitcher who went on to become the greatest slugger the game had ever seen, to the New York Yankees in order to raise money to fund a Broadway show.
"The Curse of the Bambino" hung over the franchise through generations. By defeating the New York Yankees in last week's American League championship series in the greatest comeback in the history of the sport, the Sox had begun the exorcism. It was a task they finished in style with their 3-0 win on Wednesday night.
"It's a great feeling knowing we are bringing the World Series championship home to Boston," said Derek Lowe, who emerged from a slump to become one of the heroes of the side. "We always wondered how that would feel. We will get the chance to find out.
"It probably will hit home in about a week when we realise what we just did. This is a special team. I can't wait to go back to Yankee Stadium and not hear that 1918 chant any more."
The celebrations that brought tens of thousands on to the streets of Boston in the early hours of yesterday morning - with no repeat of the fatality that marred the festivities after the defeat of the Yankees - were set in motion 11 months ago. That was when the team's general manager flew to Arizona to share Thanksgiving dinner with Curt Schilling and persuade him to move to Massachusetts.
A cocksure, loquacious character - he used a Thursday morning television interview to urge people to vote for George W Bush - Schilling negotiated his own contract with a clause guaranteeing himself $2m on top of his guaranteed annual salary of $12m (£6.5m) when, not if, the Sox won the World Series. He earned every cent.
Twice in the space of a week he pitched with a torn ankle tendon stitched together by surgeons in a procedure so novel they had to practise it on a cadaver.
"I'm doing what any guy on this team would do," said Schilling, who denied media reports that the blood on his sock was put there for effect. "On this team there's a kinship in that locker room that I think is a by-product of the environment we play in here. I've never experienced anything like it. I've been on some great teams and had some close teams, but this environment creates an entirely different scenario for us in the clubhouse. I don't question for a second any of these guys doing it for the team."
It was feared the Red Sox might struggle to get back up emotionally after the unbelievable high of the comeback against the Yankees. Such concerns ignored the unique make-up of this squad, a self-styled "bunch of idiots" who pride themselves on their unorthodox approach.
Books are banned in the locker room at all times, no player is allowed to put on a headset before a game, and their talisman and centre fielder Johnny Damon can be found most evenings lying naked on the treatment table until five minutes before the first pitch is thrown.
Wednesday night's World Series game was the first ever to coincide with a lunar eclipse, which some interpreted as a sign that the hour of the Sox was finally at hand. There were other omens too. Last winter, they tried to offload Manny Ramirez. This week he was voted Most Valuable Player of the World Series.
More than once during the season they discussed trading Lowe. With his performances against the Yankees and the Cardinals, he has earned a place in Beantown folklore.
Of course, this being the Red Sox, there may be a twist in the tail worthy of Stephen King, one of their greatest fans. Of the three pitchers who contributed most to this victory, Pedro Martinez and Lowe are free agents and almost certain to depart Fenway Park. Even worse is the prospect of Martinez fetching up at Yankee Stadium, whose owner George Steinbrenner will reportedly move heaven and earth to get his hands on the Dominican hurler.
A World Series-winning Red Sox pitcher heading to the Yankees in controversial circumstances. Has a familiar ring to it, doesn't it?
Even now, The Curse in part still remains.
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Reviews for "The Curse of the Bambino: The Red Sox Fight for Redemption"
1. John Doe - 2/5 stars - I was really disappointed with "Red Sox Defeat the Curse". As a baseball fan, I was looking forward to learning about the historical moments leading up to the Red Sox breaking their curse. However, the book seemed to focus more on trivial details and personal anecdotes. It lacked depth and failed to provide a comprehensive look at the team's journey. I was expecting a more analytical and insightful account, but instead, it felt more like a collection of random stories. Overall, it did not meet my expectations.
2. Sarah Johnson - 1/5 stars - I found "Red Sox Defeat the Curse" extremely boring and poorly written. The author's style was dry and lacked any engaging storytelling. The book felt like a tedious recounting of statistics and game outcomes. There was no depth or analysis provided, and it failed to capture the excitement and emotions of the historic moments. I struggled to finish it and could not wait to be done with it. I would not recommend this book to any baseball fans looking for an enjoyable read.
3. Michael Thompson - 2/5 stars - I had high hopes for "Red Sox Defeat the Curse", but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The book lacked a coherent narrative, jumping from one event to another without providing enough context or background information. It felt disjointed and difficult to follow. Additionally, the author's writing style was dull and uninspiring, making it hard to stay engaged. While there were some interesting anecdotes scattered throughout, they were not enough to salvage the overall reading experience. Disappointing.
4. Emily Wilson - 2.5/5 stars - "Red Sox Defeat the Curse" had its moments, but overall, it was underwhelming. The book had potential to dive deep into the Red Sox's curse-breaking journey, but it failed to deliver on that promise. The narrative lacked structure and seemed scattered at times, making it difficult to connect with the story. Moreover, the author's writing style was uninspiring and lacked excitement, which is a shame for a topic that is so inherently captivating. While there were interesting tidbits here and there, I expected a more captivating and cohesive account of this historical sports event. Unfortunately, it fell short.