Sportcamper
10-17-2004, 08:36 AM
CURSE OF THE BAMBINO TIMELINE...Courtesy LA Times...
About a year after winning their last World Series title, the Boston Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees — a transgression, some say, that has cursed the Red Sox since. Curse or no curse, Boston history is littered with unfathomably cruel twists that have prevented the Red Sox from winning a World Series title since 1918.
1920 The Red Sox sell Babe Ruth to the Yankees.
1946 Ted Williams, Johnny Pesky, Bobby Doerr and Dom DiMaggio return from wartime service and the Red Sox win 104 games, and their first American League pennant since 1918. Oddsmakers have Boston as a 2-1 favorite to win the 1946 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals.
A 6-3 victory in Game 5 puts Boston up, three games to two, one win from the title. But the Red Sox lose Game 6, 4-1. In Game 7, shortstop Pesky hesitates on a relay throw to home plate and Enos Slaughter scores ahead of Pesky's wide throw. St. Louis wins the game, 4-3, and the World Series. Williams, one of the best hitters of all time, bats .200 in the Series.
1948 Boston wins its final four games of the season, tying Cleveland for the best record in the AL. The Red Sox choose not to start their best pitcher, Mel Parnell, and lose a one-game playoff to the Indians and with it the chance for the first cross-town World Series against the Boston Braves.
1949 Boston holds a one-game lead over the second-place New York Yankees with two games left in the season. The Yankees overcome a four-run deficit to defeat the Red Sox, 5-4, in the first game, then beat the Red Sox the next day, 5-3, to win the AL pennant.
1951-1966 During this period, the Red Sox finish the season an average of 22 1/2 games out of first place. They never win more than 87 games or finish higher than third.
1967 Carl Yastrzemski and the Red Sox win the "impossible dream" pennant on the last day of the regular season. But they lose the World Series in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals and Bob Gibson, who is 3-0 with a 1.00 ERA in the Series.
1975 The Red Sox win the AL East title and sweep the Oakland Athletics in the championship series, setting up a World Series against the Cincinnati Reds that is highlighted by a memorable Game 6.
In that game, pinch-hitter (and ex-Red) Bernie Carbo hits a three-run homer in the eighth inning to tie the score. But that dramatic blast is relegated to the back pages by one of sports' most replayed moments — Carlton Fisk's twisting, twirling, body-English-aided home run off the left-field foul pole in the bottom of the 12th inning that sends the series to Game 7.
In Game 7, the Red Sox take a 3-0 lead into the sixth inning. But they lose the game, 4-3, and the World Series.
1978 In mid-July, the Red Sox lead the second-place Milwaukee Brewers by nine games and the fourth-place Yankees by 14 games.
In what has become known as the Boston Massacre, the Yankees go to Fenway Park in September and sweep four games by a total score of 42-9, moving into a first-place tie with the Red Sox in the AL East. The Red Sox later fall 3 1/2 games behind New York but rally to forge a tie for first by the end of the regular season, to be settled by a one-game playoff at Fenway.
In the playoff game, the Red Sox take a 2-0 lead into the seventh inning. With two on and two out, light-hitting Yankee shortstop Bucky Dent hits what appears to be a routine fly ball to left field. But the wind carries Dent's ball into the net above the Green Monster to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead. They go on to win, 5-4.
1986 In Game 5 of the AL championship series, the Red Sox make the Angels feel what it's like to be, well, the Red Sox. Storming back from a 5-2 deficit in the ninth inning, the Red Sox score four runs to take the lead, Dave Henderson's two-run homer off Donnie Moore putting them ahead, 6-5. The Angels tie the score in the bottom of the ninth, but Boston wins in the 11th, 7-6. The Red Sox easily win Games 6 and 7 in Boston, reaching the World Series.
With a three-games-to-two lead over the New York Mets in the World Series, the Red Sox send young ace Roger Clemens to the mound to nail down the most elusive prize in Boston sports history. What transpires is perhaps the most infamous moment in that long history. The Red Sox, leading, 5-3, in the bottom of the 10th inning, retire the first two Mets and are one out away from the championship. As even Met fans anticipate the final out, the Shea Stadium scoreboard reads: "Congratulations Boston Red Sox, 1986 World Champions."
Then it happens: Three hits, a wild pitch and Mookie Wilson's famous ground ball through first baseman Bill Buckner's legs. Mets win, 6-5.
In Game 7, the Red Sox start Bruce Hurst, who already has won two games in the Series, and lead, 3-0, after five innings. But the Mets tie the score in the sixth and go on to win, 8-5.
1988, 1990 Red Sox win the AL East but are swept, 4-0, by the Oakland Athletics in the AL championship series both years.
1995 Red Sox win the AL East and lose to Cleveland in the division series.
1998 Red Sox win the AL wild-card spot and lose to Cleveland in the division series.
1999 Red Sox win the AL wild-card spot, defeat Cleveland in the division series but lose to the Yankees in the AL championship series.
2003 Red Sox win the AL wild-card spot and defeat Oakland in the first round after losing the first two games of the best-of-five series, advancing to the AL championship series against the Yankees.
The Red Sox win Game 6 at Yankee Stadium, sending the series to a deciding Game 7. Riding ace Pedro Martinez's gutty performance, the Red Sox take a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning. But rather than replacing an obviously tired Martinez with a fresh bullpen arm, Manager Grady Little leaves Martinez in the game. With one out, he gives up four consecutive hits and the Yankees tie the score. Aaron Boone hits Tim Wakefield's first pitch in the 11th inning for a home run, sending the Yankees to the World Series.
About a year after winning their last World Series title, the Boston Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees — a transgression, some say, that has cursed the Red Sox since. Curse or no curse, Boston history is littered with unfathomably cruel twists that have prevented the Red Sox from winning a World Series title since 1918.
1920 The Red Sox sell Babe Ruth to the Yankees.
1946 Ted Williams, Johnny Pesky, Bobby Doerr and Dom DiMaggio return from wartime service and the Red Sox win 104 games, and their first American League pennant since 1918. Oddsmakers have Boston as a 2-1 favorite to win the 1946 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals.
A 6-3 victory in Game 5 puts Boston up, three games to two, one win from the title. But the Red Sox lose Game 6, 4-1. In Game 7, shortstop Pesky hesitates on a relay throw to home plate and Enos Slaughter scores ahead of Pesky's wide throw. St. Louis wins the game, 4-3, and the World Series. Williams, one of the best hitters of all time, bats .200 in the Series.
1948 Boston wins its final four games of the season, tying Cleveland for the best record in the AL. The Red Sox choose not to start their best pitcher, Mel Parnell, and lose a one-game playoff to the Indians and with it the chance for the first cross-town World Series against the Boston Braves.
1949 Boston holds a one-game lead over the second-place New York Yankees with two games left in the season. The Yankees overcome a four-run deficit to defeat the Red Sox, 5-4, in the first game, then beat the Red Sox the next day, 5-3, to win the AL pennant.
1951-1966 During this period, the Red Sox finish the season an average of 22 1/2 games out of first place. They never win more than 87 games or finish higher than third.
1967 Carl Yastrzemski and the Red Sox win the "impossible dream" pennant on the last day of the regular season. But they lose the World Series in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals and Bob Gibson, who is 3-0 with a 1.00 ERA in the Series.
1975 The Red Sox win the AL East title and sweep the Oakland Athletics in the championship series, setting up a World Series against the Cincinnati Reds that is highlighted by a memorable Game 6.
In that game, pinch-hitter (and ex-Red) Bernie Carbo hits a three-run homer in the eighth inning to tie the score. But that dramatic blast is relegated to the back pages by one of sports' most replayed moments — Carlton Fisk's twisting, twirling, body-English-aided home run off the left-field foul pole in the bottom of the 12th inning that sends the series to Game 7.
In Game 7, the Red Sox take a 3-0 lead into the sixth inning. But they lose the game, 4-3, and the World Series.
1978 In mid-July, the Red Sox lead the second-place Milwaukee Brewers by nine games and the fourth-place Yankees by 14 games.
In what has become known as the Boston Massacre, the Yankees go to Fenway Park in September and sweep four games by a total score of 42-9, moving into a first-place tie with the Red Sox in the AL East. The Red Sox later fall 3 1/2 games behind New York but rally to forge a tie for first by the end of the regular season, to be settled by a one-game playoff at Fenway.
In the playoff game, the Red Sox take a 2-0 lead into the seventh inning. With two on and two out, light-hitting Yankee shortstop Bucky Dent hits what appears to be a routine fly ball to left field. But the wind carries Dent's ball into the net above the Green Monster to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead. They go on to win, 5-4.
1986 In Game 5 of the AL championship series, the Red Sox make the Angels feel what it's like to be, well, the Red Sox. Storming back from a 5-2 deficit in the ninth inning, the Red Sox score four runs to take the lead, Dave Henderson's two-run homer off Donnie Moore putting them ahead, 6-5. The Angels tie the score in the bottom of the ninth, but Boston wins in the 11th, 7-6. The Red Sox easily win Games 6 and 7 in Boston, reaching the World Series.
With a three-games-to-two lead over the New York Mets in the World Series, the Red Sox send young ace Roger Clemens to the mound to nail down the most elusive prize in Boston sports history. What transpires is perhaps the most infamous moment in that long history. The Red Sox, leading, 5-3, in the bottom of the 10th inning, retire the first two Mets and are one out away from the championship. As even Met fans anticipate the final out, the Shea Stadium scoreboard reads: "Congratulations Boston Red Sox, 1986 World Champions."
Then it happens: Three hits, a wild pitch and Mookie Wilson's famous ground ball through first baseman Bill Buckner's legs. Mets win, 6-5.
In Game 7, the Red Sox start Bruce Hurst, who already has won two games in the Series, and lead, 3-0, after five innings. But the Mets tie the score in the sixth and go on to win, 8-5.
1988, 1990 Red Sox win the AL East but are swept, 4-0, by the Oakland Athletics in the AL championship series both years.
1995 Red Sox win the AL East and lose to Cleveland in the division series.
1998 Red Sox win the AL wild-card spot and lose to Cleveland in the division series.
1999 Red Sox win the AL wild-card spot, defeat Cleveland in the division series but lose to the Yankees in the AL championship series.
2003 Red Sox win the AL wild-card spot and defeat Oakland in the first round after losing the first two games of the best-of-five series, advancing to the AL championship series against the Yankees.
The Red Sox win Game 6 at Yankee Stadium, sending the series to a deciding Game 7. Riding ace Pedro Martinez's gutty performance, the Red Sox take a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning. But rather than replacing an obviously tired Martinez with a fresh bullpen arm, Manager Grady Little leaves Martinez in the game. With one out, he gives up four consecutive hits and the Yankees tie the score. Aaron Boone hits Tim Wakefield's first pitch in the 11th inning for a home run, sending the Yankees to the World Series.