The 2004 season went out with a bang as Boston finally ended the curse.
To paraphrase [[The Bard]]:
…proclaim it, Bellhorn, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made,
And crowns for convoy put into his purse;
We would not die in that man’s company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is call’d the feast of Schilling.
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is nam’d,
And rouse him at the name of Schilling.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say ‘To-morrow is Saint Schilling.’
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars,
And say ‘These wounds I had on Schillings’s day.’
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he’ll remember, with advantages,
What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words-
Manny the King, Ortiz and Martinez,
Millar and Cabrerra, Mueller and Damon-
Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb’red.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And this day shall ne’er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in New England now-a-bed
Shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Schilling’s day.
[[2004 World Series YES|show_thumbnail=no]]
Here are a few things that should never be forgotten about the year the [[Red Sox]] finally broke through and ended the curse.
* The incredible comeback after being down 3-0 to the vaunted [[Yankees]], winning 4 straight to take the [[2004 League Championship Series]].
* The timely home runs from [[David Ortiz]] during the [[2004 League Division Series]] against the [[Angels]] to close out that series, during the [[2004 League Championship Series]] to keep the team’s hopes alive, and during the series itself
* The home runs of [[David Bellhorn]] agains the [[Yankees]] during that series to win games
* The home runs of [[Johnny Damon]] during the final game of the [[2004 League Championship Series]] to put the last game out of the reach of the [[Yankees]]
* [[Manny Ramirez]] hitting in 17 straight post season games, tieing the all-time record.
* [[Manny Ramirez]] hitting more RBIs that there were games in the series
** The mythic guts of [[Curt Shilling]], allowing doctors to perform an experimental surgical procedure to sew a tendon in his right ankle in a dislocated position *”*twice*** to pitch the team to victory in game 6 of the [[2004 League Championship Series]] and game 2 of the [[2004 World Series]].
* The stolen base of [[Dave Roberts]] during game 4 of the [[2004 League Championship Series]] against the [[Yankees]] in the 9th inning with 2 outs to put himself in scoring position, and eventually scoring the tieing run to keep the series going
* The pitching of [[Derek Lowe]]. Fans had written him off as a head case, but he ends up winning the clinching games in the [[2004 League Division Series]], the [[2004 League Championship Series]], and the [[2004 World Series]], something that has never been done before
* The unbelievable performance of [[Keith Foulke]] in pitching 18 innings with only one earned run to shutdown anything that came his way
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