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2004 World Series

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2004 {{{country}}} Series
2004 World Series Logo
Team (Wins) Manager(s) Season
Boston Red Sox (4) Terry Francona 98–64, .605, GB: 3
St. Louis Cardinals (0) Tony La Russa 105–57, .648, GA: 13
DatesOctober 23–27
MVPManny Ramírez (Boston)
UmpiresEd Montague (Crew Chief), Dale Scott, Brian Gorman, Chuck Meriwether, Gerry Davis, Charlie Reliford
Broadcast
TelevisionFox
TV announcersJoe Buck, Tim McCarver
RadioESPN
Radio announcersJon Miller, Joe Morgan
Boston Red Sox over New York Yankees (4–3)
NLCSSt. Louis Cardinals over Houston Astros (4–3)
Series

The 2004 World Series was the Major League Baseball (MLB) championship series for the 2004 season. It was the 100th World Series and featured the American League (AL) champions, the Boston Red Sox, against the National League (NL) champions, the St. Louis Cardinals. The Red Sox defeated the Cardinals four games to none in the best-of-seven series, played at Fenway Park and Busch Memorial Stadium, between October 23 and October 27, 2004.

The Cardinals earned their berth in the play-offs by winning the National League Central, and had the best win–loss record in the National League. The Red Sox earned theirs by winning the American League wild card. The Cardinals reached the World Series by defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in the best-of-five National League Division Series, and the Houston Astros in the best-of-seven Championship Series (NLCS). The Red Sox defeated the Anaheim Angels in the American League Division Series and the New York Yankees in the Championship Series (ALCS), to advance to their first World Series since 1986. The Cardinals made their first trip to the World Series since 1987. The Red Sox won the World Series for the first time since 1918, which supposedly ended the Curse of the Bambino, a curse that was supposed to have been inflicted on the team when Babe Ruth left for the Yankees in 1919.

A home run by Mark Bellhorn helped the Red Sox to victory in Game 1. They won Game 2 thanks to six innings pitched by starter Curt Schilling. The Red Sox won the first two games despite committing four errors in each of them. The Red Sox won Game 3, aided by seven shutout innings (innings in which no runs are scored) by Pedro Martínez. A home run by Johnny Damon in the first inning won Game 4 for the Red Sox to secure the series. The Cardinals never led in any of the games in the series. Manny Ramírez was named the series Most Valuable Player (MVP). When these teams returned to the World Series, the Cardinals in 2006 and the Red Sox in 2007, both won their respective series.

Route to the series

Red Sox

Main article: 2004 Boston Red Sox season

The Red Sox had lost in the previous season's American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees. The loss was mainly blamed on the decision by then-manager Grady Little to keep starting pitcher Pedro Martínez in the game in the eighth inning of Game 7. Little was fired two weeks later.[1]

During the off-season, the Red Sox hired Terry Francona as their new manager.[2] They also signed Keith Foulke as their closer[3] and traded for Curt Schilling as a starting pitcher.[4] The Red Sox played two notable games against the Yankees during the regular season. A game on July 1, in which they came back from a three-run deficit to force extra innings, is best remembered for an incident in the 12th inning when Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter made a catch on the run before hurling headfirst into the stands. The Yankees won the game in the next inning to take an eight-game lead in the American League East.[5] In the third inning of a game on July 24, Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo hit Yankees batter Alex Rodriguez with one of his pitches. As Rodriguez walked towards first base, he began shouting profanities at Arroyo. Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek positioned himself between the two players. After a brief argument, Varitek pushed his glove into Rodriguez' face causing a bench-clearing brawl. The Red Sox eventually won the game thanks to a home run by Bill Mueller in the ninth inning.[6] They won the wild card to earn a place in the post-season for the second straight year.[7] On July 31, the Red Sox traded shortstop Nomar Garciaparra to the Chicago Cubs after he had spent eight years with the team. They acquired shortstop Orlando Cabrera and first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz in this trade.[8]

In the division round of the play-offs, the Red Sox faced the Anaheim Angels in a best-of-five series. They won Game 1 largely thanks to a seven-run fourth inning, and went on to sweep the series. In the ninth inning of Game 3, with the Red Sox leading by four, Vladimir Guerrero tied the game for the Angels with a grand slam. However David Ortiz won the series with a walk-off home run in the tenth.[9] In the American League Championship Series, the Red Sox lost the first three games against the New York Yankees and were trailing when they began the ninth inning in Game 4. Kevin Millar was walked by Yankees closer Mariano Rivera. Dave Roberts then came into the game to pinch run for Millar and stole second base. Mueller then singled to enable him to tie the game. Another walk-off home run by Ortiz won the game for the Red Sox in the 12th inning.[10] Ortiz' single in the 14th inning of Game 5 scored the winning run for the Red Sox, in what was the longest post-season game in baseball history.[11] Despite having a dislocated ankle tendon, Schilling started Game 6 for the Red Sox. He pitched for seven innings, and allowed just one run, during which time his sock became soaked in blood. In the eighth inning, Yankees third baseman Rodriguez slapped a ball out of pitcher Arroyo's hand, this allowed the Yankees to score a run. However, after a discussion the umpires called Rodriguez out for interference and canceled the run. Fans then threw debris onto the field in protest and the game was stopped for ten minutes. The Red Sox won the game and became the first baseball team to ever force a Game 7 after having been down three games to none.[12] A 10–3 win in Game 7 sent the Red Sox to the World Series for the first time in 18 years.[13]

Cardinals

Main article: 2004 St. Louis Cardinals season
Albert Pujols, seen here in 2007, hit a then-career high, 46 home runs.

Having failed to make the play-offs the season before, and with their division rivals the Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros expected to be strong, the Cardinals were generally expected to finish third in the National League Central.[14][15] However, strong offensive seasons from Albert Pujols, Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds, during which they each hit more than 30 home runs and 100 runs batted in (RBI), helped them to lead the league in runs scored. They also allowed the least runs of any team in the league. Four of their starters recorded at least 15 wins and closer Jason Isringhausen recorded a league-best 47 saves.[16] They added outfielder Larry Walker in August and finished the regular season with the best win–loss record in the league.[17]

The Cardinals faced the Los Angeles Dodgers in the divisional round of the play-offs. Five home runs in Game 1, and no runs allowed by the bullpen in Game 2 helped the Cardinals to win the first two games.[18] A complete game by Dodgers pitcher Jose Lima enabled the Dodgers to force a Game 4, during which a home run by Pujols won the series for the Cardinals.[19] In the National League Championship Series the Cardinals faced the Houston Astros and won the first two games in St. Louis. However, the Astros tied the series in the next two games in Houston before a combined one-hitter by Astros pitchers Brandon Backe and Brad Lidge gave them the series lead.[20] An RBI single by Jeff Bagwell, in the ninth inning of Game 6, tied the game and forced extra innings. In the 12th, Edmonds won the game for the Cardinals with a walk-off home run.[21] A Scott Rolen three-run home run in the sixth inning of Game 7 earned the Cardinals their first World Series berth in 17 years.[22]

Series

Both teams had lost in their previous World Series appearances in seven games. The Red Sox lost to the New York Mets in 1986, while the Cardinals lost in 1987 to the Minnesota Twins. The Cardinals had not won the World Series since 1982. When the two teams had previously played each other in the 1946 and 1967 World Series, the Cardinals won both in seven games. The Red Sox had not won the World Series since 1918.[23] Having won the All-Star Game, the AL had been awarded home-field advantage, which meant the Red Sox had the advantage at Fenway Park.[24]

Game 1

Saturday, October 23, 2004, at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
St. Louis 0 1 1 3 0 2 0 2 0 9 11 1
Boston 4 0 3 0 0 0 2 2 X 11 13 4
WP: Keith Foulke (1–0)   LP: Julián Tavárez (0–1)
Home runs:
STL: Larry Walker (1)
BOS: David Ortiz (1), Mark Bellhorn (1)[25]

Prior to Game 1, local band Dropkick Murphys performed Tessie, and a moment of silence was observed to remember local student Victoria Snelgrove, who had been accidentally killed by police two days earlier. Steven Tyler, the lead singer of Aerosmith, another local band, performed The Star-Spangled Banner and former Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski threw the ceremonial first pitch.[26]

Tim Wakefield made his first start of the 2004 post-season for the Red Sox and Woody Williams, who had won both his previous two starts in the post-season, was the Cardinals' starting pitcher.[27] In the bottom of the first inning, Williams gave up a lead-off double to Johnny Damon, and then hit Orlando Cabrera in the shoulder with a wild pitch. After Manny Ramírez flied out, Ortiz hit a three-run home run in his first ever World Series at bat. Kevin Millar then scored by virtue of a single by Bill Mueller to put the Red Sox up 4–0.[27][28]

The Cardinals scored one run in both the second and third innings on a sacrifice fly by Mike Matheny to score Jim Edmonds and a home run to right field by Walker, respectively. However, in the bottom of the third, the Red Sox scored three runs after seven consecutive batters reached base, giving them a five-run lead. Dan Haren came in from the Cardinals' bullpen to replace Williams during the inning.[29]

In the top of the fourth inning, Bronson Arroyo was brought in to replace Wakefield after he had walked four batters. Those walks, combined with a throwing error by Millar and a passed ball by Doug Mirabelli, allowed the Cardinals to reduce the lead to two runs. In the sixth inning, So Taguchi reached first on an infield hit and was allowed to advance to second when Arroyo threw the ball into the stands. Doubles by Edgar Rentería and Walker tied the game at seven. In the bottom of the seventh inning, Ramírez singled with two men on base, and a poor throw by Edmonds allowed Bellhorn to score. Ortiz then hit a line drive that appeared to skip off the lip of the infield and hit Cardinals' second baseman Tony Womack with considerable force. Womack immediately grabbed his clavicle as a second Red Sox run scored. He was attended to once play had ended and replaced by Marlon Anderson. A precautionary X-ray revealed that there was no damage.[29][30]

In the top of the eighth inning, with one out and two men on base, Red Sox closer Foulke came in to pitch. Edgar Rentería singled towards Ramírez in left field, who unintentionally kicked the ball away, allowing Jason Marquis to score. Walker also hit the ball towards Ramírez in the next at bat. Ramírez slid in an attempt to try to catch the ball, but tripped and deflected the ball for his second error in as many plays, and the fourth Red Sox error in the game. Roger Cedeño scored on the play to tie the game at nine.[29][31] In the bottom of the eighth inning however, Jason Varitek reached on an error, and Bellhorn then hit a home run off the right field foul pole, also known as Pesky's Pole, for his third home run in as many games to give the Red Sox a two-run lead.[32][33] In the ninth inning, Foulke struck out Cedeño to win the game for the Red Sox 11–9.[27][29]

With a total of 20 runs, it was the highest scoring opening game of a World Series ever. With four RBIs, Ortiz also tied a franchise record for RBIs in a World Series game.[34]

Game 2

Sunday, October 24, 2004, at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
St. Louis 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 5 0
Boston 2 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 X 6 8 4
WP: Curt Schilling (1–0)   LP: Matt Morris (0–1)[25]

Boston native James Taylor performed The Star-Spangled Banner before Game 2 and singer Donna Summer, also a Boston native, performed God Bless America during the seventh-inning stretch. The ceremonial first pitch was thrown by three members of the 1946 Red Sox team that faced the Cardinals in the World Series: Bobby Doerr, Dom DiMaggio and Johnny Pesky.[35]

Schilling started and won Game 2 for the Red Sox.

Despite having a torn tendon in his right ankle and blood seeping through his sock, Schilling started Game 2 for the Red Sox. Schilling had four stitches in the ankle the day before, causing him considerable discomfort. He was not sure on the morning of Game 2 if he would be able to play, but after one of the stitches was removed, he was treated with antibiotics and was able to pitch.[36] Morris started for the Cardinals on three days rest (one day less than is orthodox rest for a starting pitcher).[37]

In the first inning, Albert Pujols doubled with two out, and Scott Rolen hit a line drive towards Mueller, who caught it to end the inning.[36] Morris walked Ramírez and Ortiz in the bottom of the inning. Varitek then tripled to center field to give the Red Sox a 2–0 lead.[38]

In the fourth inning, Pujols doubled again and was able to score on an error by Mueller. The Red Sox also scored in the bottom of the inning when Bellhorn doubled to center with two runners on base, to give them a three-run lead. Cal Eldred came in to relieve Morris, after a mediocre performance, in the fifth inning. Mueller committed his World Series record-tying third error of the game, in the sixth inning;[39] however, the Cardinals failed to capitalize. In the bottom of the inning, Trot Nixon led off with a single to center, and two more singles by Johnny Damon and Orlando Cabrera, enabled two more runs to score to make it 6–1.[38]

Alan Embree, who replaced Schilling at the start of the seventh, pitched a scoreless inning. Mike Timlin replaced him in the eighth. A sacrifice fly by Scott Rolen in that inning reduced the Red Sox lead to four. Keith Foulke then came in to strike out Edmonds to end the inning and also pitched the ninth to end the game. For the second game in a row, the Red Sox won despite committing four fielding errors.[38]

With the win, Schilling became only the fifth pitcher to win a World Series game with a team from both leagues, having previously done it with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1993 and the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001.[36] He later donated the bloody sock he wore during the game to the Baseball Hall of Fame museum.[40] Large blame for the Cardinals losses in the first two game was directed at the fact that Rolen, Jim Edmonds and Reggie Sanders, three of the Cardinals' best batters, had combined for just one hit in 22 at-bats.[41]

Game 3

Tuesday, October 26, 2004, at Busch Stadium (II) in St. Louis, Missouri

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Boston 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 4 9 0
St. Louis 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 4 0
WP: Pedro Martínez (1–0)   LP: Jeff Suppan (0–1)
Home runs:
BOS: Manny Ramírez (1)
STL: Larry Walker (2)[25]

Seattle Mariners designated hitter Edgar Martínez was presented with the 2004 Roberto Clemente Award prior to Game 3, having announced his retirement one month before.[42] The ceremonial first pitch was thrown by Stan Musial, who had played for the Cardinals for 22 years, and was caught by former Cardinals pitcher Bob Gibson. The Star Spangled Banner and God Bless America were sung by country music singer Martina McBride and singer-songwriter Amy Grant respectively. During the game, a sign for fast food restaurant Taco Bell which measured 12 feet by 12 feet and read "Free Taco Here", was hung approximately 410 feet from home plate, over the left-center field bullpen. Taco Bell promised that, if the sign was hit by a home run ball, they would give a free "Crunchy Beef Taco" to everyone in the United States.[43][44]

Once again, the Red Sox took the lead in the first inning with a home run by Ramírez off of former Red Sox pitcher Suppan. The starting pitcher for the Red Sox was Martínez, and in the bottom of the first inning, he allowed the Cardinals to load the bases with one out. Edmonds then hit a fly ball towards Ramírez in left field, who caught it on the run and threw to home plate. Catcher Jason Varitek tagged out Walker, who was attempting to score from third. The inning ended as a result.[45]

In the bottom of the third inning, the Cardinals had two runners on base with no one out. Walker hit a ground ball towards first base, and Cardinals third base coach José Oquendo signalled to Suppan on third to run to home plate. However, Suppan suddenly stopped halfway towards home. Edgar Rentería, who had been running from second base towards third, was forced to return to second when he saw Suppan had stopped. After forcing out Walker at first base, David Ortiz began moving toward Suppan who had turned back toward third, Ortiz threw to third baseman Mueller who tagged Suppan out. After the next batter Albert Pujols was thrown out by Mueller, the inning ended.[45]

Trot Nixon extended the Red Sox lead to two in the top of the fourth, hitting a single to right field that scored Mueller, who had started the rally with a two-out double to left-center. Johnny Damon then led off the Red Sox's fifth inning with a double to right. Singles by Orlando Cabrera and Ramírez, to right and left respectively, scored Damon to make it 3–0. With two out, Mueller singled along the first base line, enabling Cabrera to score the Red Sox's fourth run. Suppan was replaced by Al Reyes, which meant none of the Cardinals three starting pitchers had finished five innings during the series.[45]

Mike Timlin pinch hit for Martinez in the top of the eighth inning. He finished with six strikeouts, three hits allowed and retired the last 14 batters he faced. The Cardinals avoided the shutout when Walker hit a home run to center field off Foulke in the ninth inning, but Foulke retired the other three batters he faced in the inning to win the game for the Red Sox 4–1.[45]

Game 4

Wednesday, October 27, 2004, at Busch Stadium (II) in St. Louis, Missouri

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Boston 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 9 0
St. Louis 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
WP: Derek Lowe (1–0)   LP: Jason Marquis (0–1)   Sv: Keith Foulke (1)
Home runs:
BOS: Johnny Damon (1)[25]
STL: None
Ramírez was named the series MVP.

Before the game, country music singer Gretchen Wilson performed "The Star-Spangled Banner".[46] Barry Bonds and Manny Ramírez also received the Hank Aaron Award for the National and American Leagues, respectively.[47] Former Cardinals players Red Schoendienst and Lou Brock threw out ceremonial first pitches along with Rashima Manning, from the Herbert Hoover Boys & Girls Clubs of America.[46]

Damon hit a home run to right field in the first at-bat of the game to give the Red Sox the lead in the first inning for the fourth straight game. Ramírez singled in the third inning to give him a hit in 17 consecutive postseason games.[48] Doubles by David Ortiz to right and Trot Nixon to center, just missing a home run, scored two more runs for the Red Sox to give them a three-run lead.[49]

In the top of the eighth, Mueller led off with a single to right and Nixon followed with his third double of the game. Jason Isringhausen came in to pitch for the Cardinals with the bases loaded and nobody out, and did not allow a run to score.[49] Kevin Millar pinch hit for the Red Sox starting pitcher Lowe during this inning. It was the third straight game in which the Red Sox starting pitcher had not allowed an earned run.[49]

Red Sox closer Foulke came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth. Pujols led off the inning by hitting a single through Foulke's legs and into center field. After Foulke retired the next two batters, Pujols stole second base. Edgar Rentería then hit a ground ball that bounced back to Foulke on the mound. Foulke threw it underhand to Doug Mientkiewicz at first base to end the game, and secure the series.[49]

The series win was the Red Sox's first title in 86 years. They were also the fourth team to win a World Series without trailing in any of the games in the series, and the seventh to win it having previously been three outs away from elimination. Although the series was won in St. Louis, 3,000 Red Sox fans were present at the game; despite this, the World Series trophy was presented in the Red Sox clubhouse. Ramírez was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the series.[48][50]

Statistics

AL Boston Red Sox (4) vs. NL St. Louis Cardinals (0)

Game Score Date Location Attendance
1 St. Louis Cardinals – 9, Boston Red Sox – 11 October 23 Fenway Park 35,035[51]
2 St. Louis Cardinals – 2, Boston Red Sox – 6 October 24 Fenway Park 35,001[52]
3 Boston Red Sox – 4, St. Louis Cardinals – 1 October 26 Busch Stadium (II) 52,015[53]
4 Boston Red Sox – 3, St. Louis Cardinals – 0 October 27 Busch Stadium (II) 52,037[54]
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Boston Red Sox 8 0 5 3 2 2 2 2 0 24 39 8
St. Louis Cardinals 0 1 1 4 0 2 0 3 1 12 24 1
Total attendance: 174,088   Average attendance: 43,522
Winning player’s share: $223,620   Losing player’s share: $163,379[55]

Series quotes

Down the right field line, into the corner it is fair! And a three-run home run, Ortiz has done it again!

— Joe Buck, Fox Sports, calling the fifth home run of the postseason by David Ortiz.

Back to Foulke, Red Sox fans have longed to hear it: The Boston Red Sox are World Champions!

— Buck calling the final out of Game 4.[56]

Foulke to the set, the 1–0 pitch, here it is. Swing and a ground ball, stabbed by Foulke. He has it. He underhands to first. And the Boston Red Sox are the World Champions. For the first time in 86 years, the Red Sox have won baseball's World Championship. Can you believe it?

— Joe Castiglione, 850 AM WEEI[57]

I don't believe in curses, I believe you make your own destination.

— Series MVP Manny Ramírez[56]

Broadcasting

The series was broadcast on FOX, and the announcers were Joe Buck and Tim McCarver. Jeanne Zelasko covered the pre-game build up to all four game and the presentation of the World Series trophy.[58] An average of 23.1 million people watched Game 1. This was the highest television ratings for the opening game of a World Series in 5 years and had the highest average number of viewers since 1996. It was also the highest rated broadcast on any network in the past 10 months.[59] The ratings for the first two games were also the highest average since 1996,[60] and the average for the first three games was the highest since 1999.[61] Game 3 had the highest average number of viewers with 24.4 million, since 1996 when 28.7 million watched the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees. It was also the FOX network's highest rating for a Game 3 of a World Series ever.[62] Game 4 posted a 18.2 national rating giving the series an overall average of 15.8. This was the highest average in five years, and the average number of viewers of 25.4 million, was the highest since 1995.[63]

Game Rating Share Audience (in millions)
1[64] 13.7 25 23.17
2[64] 15.9 24 25.46
3[65] 15.7 24 24.42
4[65] 18.2 28 28.84
Average 15.8 50.5 25.47

Aftermath

The Red Sox' win in the World Series was considered by most people to represent the end of the Curse of the Bambino, which was supposed to have been inflicted on the team after the Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees in 1919.[66][67][68] Players on the Red Sox said that the team would never ever hear the demeaning chants of "1918!" echoing at Yankee Stadium again.[68][69] Each time the Red Sox visited Yankee Stadium, Yankees fans taunted them chanting "1918!"[68][70][71] It also added to the recent success of Boston-area teams, following the New England Patriots wins in Super Bowls XXXVI in 2002 and XXXVIII 8 months before. It was also the second of three championships won by area teams in a span of 12 months, as the Patriots themselves would win Super Bowl XXXIX 3 months later.

On the Cardinals' side, disappointment was expressed by the media at the team's failure to win a game in the Series after recording the team's best regular season in over 60 years.[66][72] Many reporters believed that the Cardinals had not played up to their usual standard, and much of the blame was directed at Scott Rolen, Jim Edmonds and Reggie Sanders, three of the Cardinals' best hitters, who combined for just one hit in 39 at bats in the series.[66][73][74]

Ramírez at the victory parade, with a sign that one of the spectators handed him.

The Red Sox held their World Series victory parade on the following Saturday, October 30. The team was transported around on 17 amphibious vehicles equipped with loudspeakers so the players could talk to the spectators. Due to large interest in the parade, it was lengthened by officials the day before to include the Charles River, so that fans could watch from Boston and Cambridge river banks. The parade did not however, include a staged rally. The parade began at 10 a.m. local time at Fenway Park, turned east onto Boylston Street, then west onto Tremont Street and Storrow Drive before entering the river. One of the lanes on Massachusetts Avenue had to be closed to accommodate members of the media, filming the parade as it passed under the Massachusetts Avenue bridge.[75] Manny Ramírez was handed a sign by one of the spectators part of the way through the parade, which read, "Jeter is playing golf today. This is better!"[76] He held on to this sign for the rest of the parade.[76] The parade took the same route that the Patriots took after their win in Super Bowls XXXVIII and XXXIX.[76]

The American sports magazine Sports Illustrated honored the Red Sox with their Sportsman of the Year award a month later, making them the first professional team to ever win the award. For pitcher Curt Schilling, it was the second time he had won the award, having shared it with, then Arizona Diamondbacks team-mate, Randy Johnson in 2001.[77]

The Boston Red Sox are honored at the White House by President George W. Bush following the side's winning the 2004 World Series.

The Red Sox were presented with their World Series rings on April 11, 2005, at a ceremony prior to the team's first home game of the 2005 season. Former Red Sox players Bobby Doerr, Dom DiMaggio, Johnny Pesky, and Carl Yastrzemski were all present, as were the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops Orchestra. During the ceremony, five red pennants were first unfurled at the top of the Green Monster, showing the years of each of the Red Sox previous World Series wins. A much larger banner was unfurled that covered the entire wall and read "2004 World Series Champions". James Taylor performed America the Beautiful, and 19 members of the United States Army and Marine Corps, who had fought in the Iraq War, walked onto the field. Moments of silence were held to honour the deaths of Pope John Paul II and former Red Sox relief pitcher, Dick Radatz. The rings were handed out by the team's owner, John W. Henry. Former Red Sox players Derek Lowe and Dave Roberts, who had joined the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres respectively during the off-season, were also present to collect their rings.[78] The ceremony, which lasted around an hour, ended with former basketball player Bill Russell, former ice hockey player Bobby Orr, and Tedy Bruschi and Richard Seymour of the Patriots, throwing ceremonial first pitches.[79] The presence of Bruschi and Seymour made evident the recent success of Boston-area teams.

Both the Red Sox and Cardinals made the play-offs the following season. The Red Sox lost to the eventual champions the Chicago White Sox, in the American League Division Series. While the Cardinals, in a repeat meeting of the previous season's National League Championship Series, lost to the Houston Astros.[80] Both teams also won one of the next three World Series: the Cardinals in 2006, beating the Detroit Tigers in five games, and the Red Sox in 2007, sweeping the Colorado Rockies in four games,[23] which also added to the recent success of Boston-area teams.

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