Monday, March 29, 2010

I have been watching a bunch of episodes of 30 Clubs in 30 Days on MLB Network the last few weeks. This is a show where they review the prospects for the coming season of all 30 teams, interview players, the manager, coaches, etc. They spend a full hour on each team, so it gives them a chance to get really in depth.

Near the end of each episode, they name the "Prime 9", or best moments in each teams history. I decided to pick the top 9 moments in Red Sox history, with some honorable mentions, then compare that to the MLB Network list.

9) Dave Henderson hits a go-ahead home run in the 9th inning of Game 5 of the 1986 ALCS against the California Angels. The Sox come back from a 3-1 deficit to take the series and the AL pennant. Then something happened in the World Series. I forget what.

8) The Red Sox win the first modern World Series in 1903, 5 games to 3 over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

7) Ted Williams homers in his final at bat at Fenway Park in 1960, prompting John Updike to write a New Yorker article that only enhanced the immortality of the moment. If you have never read it, go do it now. No, really. Go read it. I'll wait.

6) The Red Sox win the 2007 World Series, their second in four years.

5) Ted Williams hits .406 in 1941, going 6-for-8 in a doubleheader against the Philadelphia A's on the last day of the season.

4) Carlton Fisk hits a home run off the left field foul pole in the 12th inning of Game 6 of the 1975 World Series, forcing a 7th game against the Cincinnati Reds.

3) Red Sox defeat the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS, capping the Greatest Comeback in History as the Sox rebound from a 3-0 series deficit.

2) The 1967 Impossible Dream Red Sox win the American League pennant. (I really had a hard time deciding between this and #3 - they could have easily been flipped. The thing that pushed the 1967 team up a spot was the fact that they were the turning point for the franchise. Everything that has happened to the Red Sox since points back to that year and that team.)

1) The 2004 Red Sox win the World Series for the first time in 86 years. (Duh. What else did you think would be first?)

Here is MLB Network's list. Their list had one big difference from mine in that they assigned three separate moments to the 2004 ALCS. Not that they don't all deserve their own moments, but I didn't even consider that when making my list, consolidating the entire comeback into one item.

1) Red Sox win 2004 World Series.
2) Red Sox win 2004 ALCS game 7 at Yankee Stadium
3) Curt Schilling and his bloody sock beat the Yankees in 2004 ALCS game 6.
4) David Ortiz wins games 4 and 5 of the 2004 ALCS with walkoff hits.
5) Carlton Fisk's home run in 1975 World Series game 6.
6) Dave Henderson's home run in 1986 ALCS game 5.
7) 1967 Red Sox win AL pennant.
8) Ted Williams last home run
9) Ted Williams hits .406

Pretty much total overlap, although I had a couple of items that weren't on MLB's list, of course.

I also had a bunch of honorable mention moments, which are listed below in no particular order:
  • Ernie Shore completes a no-hitter started by Babe Ruth in 1917. Ruth walked the leadoff batter, argued with the umpire and got tossed out of the game. Shore came in to relieve and retired the next 26 batters in a row. The leadoff hitter was caught stealing, so Shore faced the minimum number of batters during his time on the mound.
  • Roger Clemens strikes out 20 in a game twice, in 1986 vs. Seattle and 1996 vs. Detroit.
  • Pedro Martinez pitches six innings of scoreless relief in game 5 of the the 1999 ALDS against the Cleveland Indians.
  • Tom Bunansky's makes a sliding catch to clinch the 1990 AL East title.
  • "Morgan Magic" - Joe Morgan replaces John McNamara as manager at the 1988 All Star break. The Sox immediately go on a 12 game winning streak, win 19 of 20 and 24 in a row at Fenway, leading to the 1988 AL East championship.
  • David Ortiz sets team record with 54 home runs in 2006
  • Carl Yastrzemski gets his 400th home run and 3000th hit in 1979, joining Hank Aaron, Stan Musial and Willie Mays as the only other players to accomplish the feat at the time.

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