The Boston Red Sox commemorated the 20th anniversary of the historic 2004 World Series team that ended an 86-year title drought for the franchise.
Dave Roberts and Aaron Boone meet in the 2024 World Series as the respective managers of the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees. Both former players have cemented impacts on the path to Boston’s 2004 championship for two very different reasons.
Boone completed a shocking comeback in Game 7 of the 2003 American League Championship Series. The Red Sox led 5-2 with five defensive outs to get before the Yankees furiously rallied against Pedro Martinez to tie the game. Boone delivered the win for the Yankees with a walk-off home run in the 11th inning off Boston right-hander Tim Wakefield that sent New York to the World Series against the Florida Marlins.
Roberts found his way into the rivalry in 2004 after the Red Sox acquired him from the Dodgers around the trade deadline. With Boston trailing in the game in the series in Game 4 of the ALCS, Roberts daringly stole second base and scored the tying run when Bill Mueller singled him home. In Game 5, Roberts tied the game again in the eighth inning when Jason Varitek hit a sacrifice fly. The Red Sox went on to win the ALCS in historic fashion as the first team in baseball history to win a series after trailing three games to none.
Two decades later, a Red Sox hero and the ultimate villain for the Yankees sit as successful managers for their former teams with another championship on the line. Boone manages his first World Series while Roberts guided Los Angeles to a championship during the 2020 season.
Boone and Roberts impacted the emotions of Red Sox Nation in the most opposite ways possible. Now, the managers can do so again in a much smaller fashion with what should be an entertaining World Series matchup with star power across the board.
So, which manager will deliver his team a championship: Boston’s hero or its rival villain?
