Top 10 Stories of the Decade - #6 The Red Sox Break The Curse

Our #6 Story of the 2000s dates back to 1918. This was the decade when the Red Sox finally broke the 86 year old Curse of the Bambino and won the World Series. Their 2004 triumph broke one of the most noted streaks in sports and brought Sox fans something they'd never see... a championship.

While the White Sox streak was longer (an 88 year drought broken in 2005), and the Cubs have remained lovable losers since 1908, the Red Sox and the Curse of the Bambino was the most infamous title drought in major American pro sports. The sale of Babe Ruth to the rival Yankees in 1918 unleashed decade upon decade of failure and heartache on the Red Sox franchise. From the Mad Dash, to World Series losses at the hands of Bob Gibson and the Big Red Machine, to Bucky, Buckner, and Boone, the curse had haunted the Sox for almost a whole century.

In 2004, it looked like the Curse of the Bambino would continue as the Yankees were well on their way to winning their 2nd straight ALCS over the Sox by taking a 3-0 lead. Remember, this was the year after Aaron Boone's heroics in Game 7 of 2003's ALCS. No team in baseball history had overcome a 3-0 deficit to win a Best of 7 series. Until the 2004 Red Sox.

*I will note that I feel slightly responsible for this Yankee choke. As a Yankee fan I took a broom into the dorm room of a friend of mine from Boston during my freshman year in college. I was as an arrogant Yankee fan sure of a sweep, whoops. Only this year after the Yankees beat the Phillies did I feel absolved from the Curse of Yoder's Broom.*

The Sox survived in Game 4 largely due to Dave Roberts' 9th inning steal and went on to win in extra innings on a David Ortiz walk-off homer to at least avoid the sweep. Then, they won a legendary Game 5 in 14 innings. Rivera blew another save and Ortiz won the game in extra innings again. Suddenly, the impossible seemed like it could be coming true. That took the series back to New York and like Curt Schilling's bloody sock, the rest is history. Schilling, in his first season in Boston, proved to be the signature hero of the Sox title run pitching through an ankle injury immortalized in the blood seeping through his sock for millions to see while winning Game 6.

Boston blitzkrieged New York 10-3 in Game 7 to advance to their first World Series since 1986. With the greatest comeback in baseball history, the Red Sox avenged the 2003 ALCS and the years and years of playing second fiddle to their hated rivals. That incredible ALCS victory made it certain that history was in the making. They made quick work of the Cardinals in the World Series sweeping the RedBirds to finally break the Curse of the Bambino officially.

And in the blink of an eye, the Curse of the Bambino was over. The Red Sox had finally done it. Red Sox Nation rejoiced as 86 years of frustration, losses, and a bare trophy cabinet was erased. Heck, it inspired books, movies, and a ton of Sox fans probably named their kids Papi, Manny, and Bloody Sock for inspiration (let me have one sentence of bitterness, pleeease). The Sox dynasty was cemented with another World Series win in 2007.

But, what is the lasting impact of the Red Sox finally winning the World Series? The 2004 team was a ragtag group of lovable bumpkins for most sports fans. Guys like Papi, Manny, Varitek, Millar, and Schilling were easy for folks to rally around as they broke the curse. But, with the curse broken... what now of Red Sox Nation?

Well, the Red Sox are consistently only behind the Yankees in terms of spending prowess. Along with the Bronx Bombers, they are the epitome of the big-market monopoly in the sport of baseball. Since the 2004 title, the Sox have signed big money players like Matsuzaka, Beckett, and Lackey, and acquired others like Bay, Lowell, and Victor Martinez. Much of the nation outside of the I-95 corridor has grown tired of the constant Sox-Yanks domination of the sport of baseball. Baseball fans no longer wonder when the curse will finally be broken. We have no reason to break out the black and white footage of Babe Ruth in his Red Sox days when the postseason rolls around. Sure, Red Sox fans will always be grateful for the 2004 & 2007 championships, but is the sport of baseball better off with the Curse of the Bambino extinct?

Now, the Red Sox are just another empire. Just another symbol of the inequalities that exist in the big market dominant MLB. In David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, they have just two more symbols of the Steroid Era. Does that take away the luster of the triumphs in the slightest, or is it a byproduct of the juiced up era? (hint towards future story)

For the sport, the Red Sox World Series wins are truly bittersweet. Baseball was just a little more pure, just a little more idealistic, and just a little more distinct when the Curse of the Bambino was alive and well, and when the Red Sox were always fighting to overcome the insurmountable. With the Curse of the Bambino gone, another relic from baseball's past is lost to the history books.

Well, at least baseball still has the Curse of the Billy Goat to lean on...