David Ortiz becoming a clutch legend needs a deep rewind | 2004 ALCS Red Sox vs. Yankees 

Grew up in Maine and watching Ortiz and Brady in the early and mid 00s was surreal. When I learned the crushing history of Boston sports in the last decades it made me appreciate it all so much more. 12 titles in 20 years. Idc if I never see any of them win again. I saw more than in most fans dreams.

Northwest Connecticut resident. I still get chills everytime I watch highlights from this series. The start of 4 games that I never could have dreamed of when I was a kid

This series was the perfect story to explain why people are romantic about baseball. It was just absolutely beautiful, and created a moment for new fans to point at. 01 and 16 are very good as well

This applies to Rhode Island as well

Same. When people asked me what my favorite show on TV ever was, I used to say the 2004 ALCS. Despite the amount of alcohol consumed, I'll never forget being at UMASS Lowell and watching this with my friends there. And the feeling of watching that team complete the historic comeback, in the wake of the 2003 ALCS, on the back of Ortiz's heroics.

It flaired up again after the Joe Kelly fight in 2018 but once that season was over and my (our?) Sox went back to being wildly inconsistent as to whether or not they succeed it died out pretty fast. Shame, the sports a lot more fun when Sox/Yanks are at each other's throat.

@@CaptainWoggy 2018 deff felt like one of those years. But then we just dominated - especially in the playoffs (Brock Holt says hello), and the Yanks couldn't play the part. Plus, it was a lot of the fans who remember 03/04 who got into it, everyone else just played along. That's how I felt in CT I remember going to a game in 05 and two strikes two outs, everyone stood up on their feet. Baseball and the Red Sox will just never reach that again. But at least we have the memories

Absolutely! I honestly feel like the rivalry hasn’t been as intense since

Even as a Yankees fan this stretch of the rivalry is so fondly memorable for me

@@spencerweiss6337 there was a genuine hatred between the Red Sox and Yankees, both the teams and their fanbases. I absolutely respect the hell out the Yankees, but I miss that hatred so much.

I love this

That’s insane! I was about a month old when this happened

Cap but still funny

@@teostrong6973 I just know you’ve never experienced joy in your life

I was born just TWO DAYS after Game 4 started.. Well, I remember my mother telling me that I was born at around 1:30 PM, or 13:30, which was about a little under six hours before the start of Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS on October 19. The reason I say six hours is because I was born in the city where the Royals play, not in Boston, which is an hour behind.

As a Tigers fan, I would prefer not to.

@@greenshoesguy1 same. That's the most painful sports memory for me. Absolutely gut wrenching, and I re-live that inning way too much to try to go back and do an autopsy on it.

@@SammyMac19 It was the end of a great run for the Tigers. Leyland was gone after that year, the team started to get sold off, Mr. I died, and now the Tigers are in the mess that they're in now.

He was insane in the world series that year too, dude batted .688. .688!!!

@@greenshoesguy1 hey, we had to deal with Bucky Dent and Bill Buckner and Aaron Boone for years

A future Part 7 of the Documentary will cover that 👀

or a rewinder on yordan alvarez walk off homerun in game 1

@@JWex-jy7sk they’re definitely going to cover the Astros how they got caught cheating but kept getting back to the World Series anyway

That game was so long I'm surprised there wasn't already a rewinder about it when it ended

@@jbanksey22 why would they mention that in an expansion of the Mariner's Dorktown?

Lone reverse sweep? What? I know for a fact that the cubs reverse swept Cleveland in the 2016 WS.

@@SomethingWittyRW um no? Cubs won game 2

@@SomethingWittyRW incorrect that was 3-1

People always remember the 19-8 pileup from Game 3, but the first two games of the series weren't so one-sided. Yanks got out to a huge lead in Game 1 while Mussina had a perfect game going into like the 7th inning, but the Sox stormed back and made it really sweaty at the end. Game 2 was also tight as well and both games actually required Mariano coming in to close the door. Game 3 finished as a blowout, however, people probably forget that it was a back-and-forth slugfest for the first few innings before the Yankees pulled away. Every game that series was tense with the only exception being Game 7. Damon got thrown out at the plate in the first inning and just as Boston fans were about to let the "here we go again" negativity creep in, Ortiz crushes the next pitch into the seats. The grand slam by Damon that happened later made it a formality, but I knew it was over right there when Ortiz killed the crowd with that home run. I'm a diehard Yankees fan by the way. What transpired in 2004 was about as catastrophic as it gets, but since then I've developed a legitimate morbid curiosity when it comes to revisiting that series. I hated that the Yanks lost to the Red Sox in historical fashion, but I can't shake the warm feelings of nostalgia looking back all those years later. Maybe it is because the rivalry was so good back then that it's hard not to look back now with fondness.

@@SakAttack87 well said

I feel the same way about 4 days in October!

I remember at one point I think it was Kevin MIllar he mentioned there were so many heroic moments in that postseason run that ordinarily all time great moments like the Dave Roberts stolen base, Bill Mueller bringing him home to tie, Schilling's bloody sock, Damon's grand slam, Pedros coming in as a reliever in game 7 to exorcise his demons with the Yankees, Derek Lowe pitching a solid game 7, David Ortiz in general were all just small parts of a big picture.

Same age... this kind of stuff MADE childhoods...

I guess I have the distinction of being born WHILE the series was going on (yes, I was born in October 2004)

As a Twins fan I can say I wish Ortiz went on the juice when he was playing for us 😢🤷🏼‍♂️

@@CorePathwaylmao how mad are u

I have the panoramic shot of that banner ceremony framed over my computer desk in my office.

This was my last series, for whatever reason after this I quit watching baseball, like it finished the book for me. Crying with happiness was in a dark place then and this was the sign I needed to keep going

I recorded theses games and rewatched them for years. I was caught in the mob when Sox beat the Yankees one game and it was getting out, people were so riled up!

3-3

Uh… well you got it to a Game 7.

we were so closee

@@psychedpanda3333 I know dawg, but we’ll be back they can stay sleeping on bean town

@@iloveyourmom288 if kp stays healthy it’s over

I’ll never forget being a middle school kid sneaking out of my bedroom to watch this, getting caught by my dad, and him not saying a word about it and watching it with me cuz he knew we were watching history lol

oh man that sucks. I had strict parents but this series was must watch in the house. I had no interest in going to sleep but I feel like I probably wouldn't have been allowed to go to bed anyway. Core childhood memory created and a fanatic Boston sports fan was born that day. Dirty Water remains my favorite song to this day, so many good memories

Joe was making a play on a call his old man Jack did in the ‘87 World Series when he said “we’ll see you tomorrow night.”

Mike Timlin was my favorite sox reliever when he was with the team, he was a big part of the 03 and 04 teams and in my eyes as a Redsox fan will always be a hero for being part of that special squad. That entire series was magical

Tell your uncle this spanish guys household cheered and were big fans of him.

Thanks guys. I'll relay the messages to him.

Without a question!

also biggest choke

@@kirkjones1862 also correct lol. A perfect storm

Same. Went to his induction in august and it was legendary, I even got to go with my dad, who I watched the 13 and 18 runs with (I was 2 during the 04 run and 5 during the 07 run). He’s just got clutch in his blood, and his love for boston and the people around him is as big as him

Wouldn't have gotten out of the 86 year drought without him. Not only was he crucial in breaking the curse, he went on to win another two rings in Boston. Man did so much for that city.

It was absolutely unbelievable. I was working at a car wash during the series n when we fell down 0-3 in the series, a guy came thru with "NYYANKS27" license plates. I obviously had on a Sox hat. I seen him, seen his plates, and refused to touch his car. He came out and said "it's OK brother, it's only baseball. Besides, the series is over man. Might as well accept it" to which I replied "Last I checked series goes to 7. Remember I told you that" (not at all believing we had a legit shot but refusing to give in). He came back the day after game 7 and gave me a $50 visa gift card for "Having faith when it don't look so good. THAT is what baseball is all about". Pretty incredible memory

@@DaileyShorts ring 27 didn’t come until 09 though

It took 20 years off our lives lol

Didn’t become a teen until 2017

Exactly why I came back

*The greatest comeback in sports history. Coming back 0-3 and playing against a juggernaut like the Yankees makes this series unmatched

@@pat-rick8686 Well, there's also 28-3. Cleveland's 3-1 comeback on Golden State.

@@aznpikachu215 yes but coming back 0-3 is unheard of and given the rivalry and history between the two teams it’s easily the greatest comeback

@@pat-rick8686 The Yankees were definitely an offensive juggernaut, but their starting pitching was suspect all year and finally exposed itself in the playoffs. No longer having the likes of Pettitte/Clemens/Wells - guys with established playoff resumes - was a void they were never able to overcome. Their game plan was simply to mash enough to get the ball to Mo. The Yankees biggest strength in 2003 was their starting pitching depth and that became their biggest weakness in 2004. Meanwhile, the Sox biggest weakness was starting pitching depth (after Pedro) and not having a legitimate closer. Both of those needs were addressed when they signed Schilling and Keith Foulke who were huge impact players for them in 2004.

@@aznpikachu215 I'd argue 0-3 in baseball is harder to come back from than 28-3 in football. Patriots only had to win one game, the Red Sox had to win 4... in a row. In a game as volatile as baseball, especially in the postseason, it's incredibly easy to drop 1 of 4 games even if you have a great team. The Red Sox were clear underdogs that series too, even before going down 0-3. Don't get me wrong 28-3 is ridiculous but 0-3 was considered impossible until they did it. Gets even crazier when you consider that the Sox had to face the best closer of all time down a run in the bottom of the 9th with their season on the line and somehow managed to tie it up to live another day.

I will never be able to watch that home run without crying just a little bit

a mediocre hitter? Bill Mueller won the AL batting title with the sox and has a near 300 career average. Just for giggles he also hit a walk off GS against Rivera earlier that year during the "fight game" that turned the season around. He has a 455 career average against Mariano Rivera the greatest closer of all time.....but Bill owned him...He is also the only player to have a 3 HR game where he hit 2 GS one from each side of the plate

Remember when during his at bat vs Mariano in game 4 when he at first squared around to bunt? Then he shocked the infield by lasering one up the middle. Awesome moment!

@@redbirdrising5734 Yes!! I do remember that...Mueller was a hitting machine and also had a career average of .455 off of Mariano

And 2003 Aaron bleeping Boone off Tim Wakefield was one of the most painful moments I've felt in my life of sports Fandom. Absolutely crushing. Made the next year even better. I wish I could run through that several week span just one more time, there was a special feeling in the air.