It has been said that a picture is worth 1000 words…..

Enjoy the following 22,619 words!

July 2004, Fenway Park Boston…..

A slight disagreement between ARod and Jason Varitek turns into…

A leather sandwich for the Yankee third baseman and ignites a spark that turns around the Red Sox season.

On Saturday October 16, 2004 the New York Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox 19-8 at Fenway Park to take a three games to nothing lead in the ALCS and turn Fenway into a morgue.

The next night they were ahead 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth and Mariano Rivera entered the game needing just three outs to win the game, sweep the series and send the Fenway Faithful home to ponder once again when, if ever, will the Red Sox win another World Series.

Kevin Millar led off with a walk and Dave Roberts ran for him,

stole second,

and scored,

on a single by Bill Mueller to tie the score and set up the 12th inning heroics of, this man,

David Ortiz comes home after his two run homer wins game four 6-4.

The following night, with the Red Sox losing 4-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning and once again on the brink of elimination, Ortiz led off with a home run and when Jason Varitek hit a sacrifice fly with two outs, the game was tied. Setting up yet more heroics for the man they call, Big Papi!

“Papi” singled in Manny Ramirez in the bottom of the 14th sending the Fenway Faithful into a frenzy, keeping the Red Sox alive and sending the ALCS back to Yankee Stadium for yet another Game Six!

Before the game, Curt Schilling underwent a procedure in the clubhouse in which his popping ankle tendon was stapled and sutured. He limped to the mound at Yankee Stadium and pitched his way into Fenway Folklore and baseball history with seven innings of courage and guile; surrendering but one run before turning the ball and game over to Bronson Arroyo with the Red Sox leading 4-1. The Red Sox prevailed 4-2 and in so doing they made baseball history becoming the first team ever to be trailing in a post season series three games to none and come back to win three straight. The following night they sought to make history once again.

In the first inning it was Big Papi who set the tone with a two run homer staking the Red Sox to a 2-0 lead.

And then Johnny Damon took over hitting a grand slam home run in the second inning and a two run homer in the fourth.

Derek Lowe took over from Damon, leaving after six innings with an 8-1 lead and propelling the Red Sox into history!

And on October 20, 2004 the Red Sox celebrated their trek into baseball history on the grass at Yankee Stadium.

Three days later the Fenway Faithful gathered for the first World Series game at Fenway Park in 18 years.

And in the very first inning, David Ortiz stepped in with two men on, nobody out and…..

 surprise, surprise, he hit a three run homer! The Red Sox won game one 11-9.

Behind the bat of Jason Varitek and the arm of Curt Schilling, they won game two, 6-2.

In what was Pedro’s last game pitched for the Red Sox, he won 4-1 in game three of the Series. And…..

On October 27, 2004 at 11:40 PM in St. Louis Missouri, the Boston Red Sox won the World Series. It was their first World Series Championship since Babe Ruth wore a Red Sox uniform in 1918. Each member of the Red Sox received $223,619.79, and the undying love, admiration and gratitude of the Royal Rooters, the Fenway Faithful, Red Sox Nation!

             And so it was, at this time in Red Sox history, October 2004,

                                     World Series Championship time!