2004 WS Celebration

E5 Yaz

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The Wakefield ceremonial patch is in the shape of the heart. Should've been in the shape of a knuckleball grip.

And Remy's should have been in the shape of a slice
 
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Ale Xander

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And Remi's should have been in the shape of a slice
Now I am sad as it doesn’t look like DO (aka “announcer boy,” a nickname he got from Wake) can make it as the Padres have home games on the 8th and 9th. (I mean he could if he didn’t sleep and had police escorts to/from airports, but that seems unlikely and unfair)
 

E5 Yaz

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Now I am sad as it doesn’t look like DO can make it as the Padres have home games on the 8th and 9th. (I mean he could if he didn’t sleep and had police escorts to/from airports, but that seems unlikely and unfair)
Dave Roberts ain't sliding through that door, either
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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Now I am sad as it doesn’t look like DO (aka “announcer boy,” a nickname he got from Wake) can make it as the Padres have home games on the 8th and 9th. (I mean he could if he didn’t sleep and had police escorts to/from airports, but that seems unlikely and unfair)
Pads are in town at the end of June. Maybe they do something with Announcer Boy then.
 

moondog80

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Sep 20, 2005
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Who was the last active player from the 2004 team? Ortiz, I'd guess. But if so, who was the next longest lasting player at the ML level?
Bronson Arroyo (2017) has Ortiz (2016) beat by one year.

After that, looks like Lowe and Youk were active until 2013.
 

simplicio

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Youk?

Edit: I had zero recollection of Arroyo lasting that long. Guess Cincinnati will do that to a guy.
 

HfxBob

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Nov 13, 2005
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One of my favorite factoids is that Mark Bellhorn had a stretch of 8 RBI in 4 games, starting with ALCS Game 6.

Bellhorn's HR in ALCS Game 7 off Tom Gordon was kind of a classic moment for me. It came right after the Yanks had scored 2 off Pedro to "cut it" to 8-3. The ball was hit a mile in the air to right and clanged loudly off the screen inside the top of the foul pole. It kind of shut up the Yankee crowd again. No comeback this time, guys.
 

HfxBob

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If I was a Yankee fan, my biggest lamentation about that ALCS would have been Torre not using Rivera to pitch the last 2 innings in Game 5. He ended up doing so anyway.
 

LoweTek

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Amazing.

According to my records, the Sox started celebrating this team on (checks notes) Opening Day of 2005. I think that game was a sellout and a couple of us were there. So, nothing new here, right?
Yep. What I recall about Opening Day 2005 was they had a moment of silence for the pope and Dick Radatz. There was a standing ovation when Mariano Rivera was introduced. They did the WS Ring presentation.

I didn't make to the Opening Day game but I went to either the second or third game of the season against the Yankees. What I remember was it was cold as hell and I had to spend a bunch of money in one of the souvenir shops for additional clothes to stay warm.
 

Petagine in a Bottle

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Petagine in a Bottle

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Who do we think is the least likely living member of that team, besides Schilling, to show up on Opening Day?

I’d be pretty shocked to see BK Kim.
 

jbupstate

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I read this book (probably about 10-15 years ago) and it wasn't a hagiography but I found it to be a genuinely fair depiction of a complicated guy: a baseball hero, a war hero, one of the greatest fishermen in the world but that he had a rough relationship with his family--which given how (and when) he was raised wasn't exactly a surprise. He was a champion for civil rights, when that wasn't an easy thing to do but yeah, I mean, he was kind of a prick. But I think that everyone already knew that.

What did you expect the book to be about?

Honestly, it's one of the best biographies I've ever read. Pardon the pun, but Montville knocked it out of the park. Any comparison, even fleeting, of Schilling to Williams is so off base as to be laughable.
You just love to stir some shit.

I clearly stated it wasn’t a comparison. I said I can separate the ball player from the man.

Regarding the book… it was well done. I expected more great American hero. I left thinking Williams was a raging asshole, an abusive figure to almost everyone close to him… in today’s world he’s the definition of a bad guy. In the end, I just didn’t admire him at all.
 

scottyno

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Isn’t that the answer E5Yaz gave literally 16 posts ago to literally you? Good get.
One answer that he didn't have to google to come up with.

Just for fun, Bill Mueller is also a current coach for the Marlins, so he's probably equally as not likely to be there.
 

Smiling Joe Hesketh

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Also, what's your favorite weird factoid/incident about the 2004 team?
The 5 starting pitchers in the rotation did not, to the best of my recollection, miss a turn during the season due to injury. They did not start every game due to rainouts, doubleheaders and the like, but they didn't miss any time due to injury.

Fun quiz: without looking it up, name the 3 pitchers who also started games for the 2004 Red Sox besides the 5 regular starters.
 

HfxBob

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Nov 13, 2005
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Last pitcher to lose a game for the 2004 Red Sox…..

Ramiro Mendoza, lost G3 and never played for Boston again. In fact, he only pitched one more game in his career.
Also, Mendoza was charged with the loss though giving up only 1 of 19 Yankee runs. Crazy game.
 
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moondog80

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The 5 starting pitchers in the rotation did not, to the best of my recollection, miss a turn during the season due to injury. They did not start every game due to rainouts, doubleheaders and the like, but they didn't miss any time due to injury.

Fun quiz: without looking it up, name the 3 pitchers who also started games for the 2004 Red Sox besides the 5 regular starters.
One of them is BH Kim?
 

joe dokes

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Smiling Joe Hesketh

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Oooh - nice call. We all know the playoff hilights, but I think things like this get lost sometimes.
I am partial to this game as well:

Aug. 27, 2004

The one and only time I've sat in the Green Monster seats. Foulke had hurt himself or gotten nicked up before the game, so he was unavailable. Mueller was hurt too, so they put Bellhorn at 3B and started Ricky Guitierrez of all people at 2B. And naturally, Ricky had 3 hits and 2 RBI, Bellhorn had 2 hits and an RBI, and the Sox won 5-3 with the save coming from Leskanic after Timlin had gotten into a 1st and 3rd, no outs jam in the 9th.

One of the most unusual games, but that year everyone stepped up.
 

Cassvt2023

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I just clicked "purchase now" on a pair of seats for the home opener, RF box 95. I'm pumped to go to this game.
 

pk1627

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Also, what's your favorite weird factoid/incident about the 2004 team?
Derek Lowe. Performed so badly/erratically he lost his starting gig in the playoffs…and was the winning pitcher in all three series ending games.
 

Cassvt2023

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Very cool. I hope the sun is warm, the winds are calm and that the game is everything that any of us hope for it to be.
I'm sure it will be cold af, but I don’t care. The fact that I get to see the 2004 team, as well as the tribute to Tim and Stacy Wakefield will make it worth it for me. May be the last time we get to see that magical group all together. A Sox win would just be gravy ⚾
 

steeplechase3k

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So….. if anyone knows someone at the game who doesn’t want their Wakefield pin…….
I'd certainly be interested in one too. Will pay for shipping and donate to The Jimmy Fund (or somewhere else).

I hope the pregame ceremony is shown in MLBtv so I can see it.
 

scottyno

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I'd certainly be interested in one too. Will pay for shipping and donate to The Jimmy Fund (or somewhere else).

I hope the pregame ceremony is shown in MLBtv so I can see it.
They usually air those things free streaming on redsox.com if it's not on mlbtv
 

Montana Fan

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Also, what's your favorite weird factoid/incident about the 2004 team?
My favorite innocuous moment was when Keith Foulke was sitting in the pen tossing a ball up in the air to himself. It was the World Series and he looked like he was 12 years old. Made me think about how much fun baseball really is. The sound of the ball popping around the infield, shagging fly balls, a well struck ball, smell of good Rawlings leather, playing over the wires or hit the bat, pick up games in any open field, etc. Foulke sitting there flipping the ball up in the air reminded me that behind it all is a very fun kids game.
 

HfxBob

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My favorite innocuous moment was when Keith Foulke was sitting in the pen tossing a ball up in the air to himself. It was the World Series and he looked like he was 12 years old. Made me think about how much fun baseball really is. The sound of the ball popping around the infield, shagging fly balls, a well struck ball, smell of good Rawlings leather, playing over the wires or hit the bat, pick up games in any open field, etc. Foulke sitting there flipping the ball up in the air reminded me that behind it all is a very fun kids game.
Foulke may have also done it in the WS, but the shot I think you're referring to occurred before he came in to save Game 6 of the ALCS in slightly terrifying fashion. It was indeed a great shot and Buck and McCarver did a good job commenting on the symbolism of it. And in retrospect it was that kind of what-me-worry attitude of the 2004 team that enabled them to do the impossible.
 

HfxBob

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Another fun fact about Foulke - in games 4,5 and 6 of the 2004 ALCS, he threw a total of exactly 100 pitches (5 innings).