Saul Wisnia - Miracle at Fenway: The Inside Story of the Boston Red Sox 2004 Championship Season

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To my own Miracle teamMichelle, Jason, and Rachel

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Everybody seems to have a 2004 Red Sox story. Ive got a couple.

The first is really an 03 story. I was watching Game 7 of the ALCS at home with my wife, my Pedro Martinez bobblehead and other talismans atop the television, when my friend Scott came strolling through the front door. It was the top of the seventh inning and the Red Sox were beating the Yankees, 41.

Can you believe this? Were going to the World Series! Scott yelled. He and I had been attending Sox games together since high school, and had been taunted into submission by Mets fans as Syracuse classmates in 1986, so he was looking forward to a chance at redemption. Shut up, you idiot, I yelled, but of course it was too late. Just like I did when I asked my girlfriend Wendy to take a photo of me and the TV screen when Calvin Schiraldi got the final out of the 86 World Series, Scott had chosen his words poorly.

The second story is from August 16, 2004. Astute fans will recognize that as the day the Red Sox began one of the hottest stretches in team history20 wins in 22 games that helped propel them into the playoffs with the confidence needed to go all the way. I was on Brookline Avenue that night, but not at Fenway Park. I was a few blocks away, at Beth Israel Hospital, with my wife, Michelle, for the birth of our daughter, Rachel.

As the Red Sox started winningand winning, and winningI began to wonder if perhaps my little baby girl was some sort of living, breathing talisman. Maybe the tiny Red Sox hat I put in her bed at the hospital had given her some power to produce victories. I took to calling the turnaround of the team the Rachel Effect and I still believe it had something to do with what transpired that October. You better believe Rachel was up and watching every out of the World Series, along with our son, Jason. Back then, Red Sox fans looked for luck wherever we could find it.

Scott, however, was barred from the premises.

Thats the thing about 2004. Everybody has a story (or two). It was also the challenge for this book. There were so many stories, and only so much room and time to tell them in. I tried to choose the best, from Red Sox players, fans, front office staff, and everybody else I could find. Some stories didnt make it in, and for that I apologize. I could fill another entire book with the ones that didnt make it, but will have to settle for sharing them on my blog, Fenway Reflections . Look for them at saulwisnia.blogspot.com.

I relied on many primary and secondary sources as well, books and articles by friends and colleagues and fans. All quotes from interviews I conducted myself are attributed in the present tense (i.e., says or recalls), while quotes from other sources have past tense attribution (i.e., said). Online resources were also invaluable, as was video footage on YouTube and other sources. Ill list what I can remember using here, but again apologize for any omissions.

Who to thank? At the Red Sox, it starts with Pam (Ganley) Kenn and Dr. Charles Steinberg, both of whom devoted much of their time to making sure I had the best stories and the best people to tell them to me. They were fantastic sources of support and I hope this book does justice to their efforts. Other Yawkey Way folks, including Sarah McKenna, Dick Bresciani, Debbie Matson, Sarah Coffin, Jackie Dempsey, Fay Scheer, Dan Rea, Leah Tobin, Abby DeCiccio, Jon Shestakofsky, Brenna Peterson, Frank Resnek, and of course Larry Lucchino, were all gracious with their time and assistance.

Thank you to Marc Resnick at St. Martins Press for believing in this project and me after the success of our first collaboration, Fenway Park: The Centennial, and thanks for seeing this one through to the end. Jake Elwell of Harold Ober Associates is an outstanding agent and a better friend and I know we have more great things ahead of us together.

My parents, Madelyn Bell and Jeff and Judy Wisnia, have always been a source of great support, love, and confidence, and siblings Adam, Ben, and Julie Wisnia keep me grounded. My bosses Steve Singer and Michael Buller and colleagues in the Communications Department at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have long supported my other work and for that I am forever appreciative. Richard Johnson remains a wise mentor who is there for me wherever needed. Debra Bennett of Core Harmony is a terrific life coach who helped me find time for everything when it didnt seem possible and always brought me coffee. The Boston SABR group is a wonderful network of passionate baseball folks. Jack McElduff was an enthusiastic, industrious intern and has a great writing future ahead of him. Friends who supported me through it all are too many to mention but you know who you are. Wally the Coolest Cat continues to be a great fact checker and lap warmer.

The only problem with taking on projects like this is the time it takes you away from the people you love the most. I can never give back that time to my wife, Michelle, son, Jason, and daughter, Rachel, nor can I take back any angst Ive put them through, but I promise they will always be the people I want to come home to when the work is done. I look forward to many more wonderful days with them at Fenway Park and everywhere else life takes us.

As for everybody else, here it goes: Mike Andrews, Rob Barry, Uri Berenguer, Steve Buckley, Ellis Burks, Kirk Carapezza, Joe Castiglione, Herb Crehan, Christian Elias, Peter Farrelly, Nancy Wall Farrington, Jessamy Finet, Keith Foulke, Ronni Gordon, Joanne Hulbert, Jeff Idelson, Ilana Ivan and Effective Transcriptions, Patrick Languzzi, Dave Laurila, Ken, Shelley, and Jordan Leandre, Walter Martin, Kevin McCarthy, Ryan McCarthy, Kris Meyer, Kevin Millar, Joe Morgan, Nancy Morrisoe, Erin Nanstad, Bill Nowlin, Steve ONeill, Scott Paisner, Ken Powtak, Dave Roberts, Roger Rubin, Eric and Debra Ruder, Mike Shalin, Darryl Houston Smith, Lynne Smith, Ted Spencer, Rick Swanson, Trudy Tocci and Tony Signore of Trutonys Deli, Elizabeth Traynor, Kevin Vahey, Joe and Donna Varitek, Tim Wakefield, and anybody else I may have unintentionally forgotten.

Okay, okay, heres one more story. Nancy Morrisoe and Nancy Wall Farrington, aka The Women of Section 30, have become two of my favorite Fenway companions. Both are constant sources of fun stories but somehow didnt make it into the manuscript. But this story from Nancy M. is too good not to include, so here it is, in her words. Its about her daughter, Isabel, who like my Rachel was born during the 2004 season:

Isabel was born in May and slept for probably 20 minutes every six hours the first few months. Seriously. By October I was delirious. She was starting to sleep for longer periods but would wake up multiple times throughout the night for extended periods of time. After the 198 beat-down I was asking myself why am I staying up any longer. I need my sleep, theyre not going to win. Get your rest.

In Game 4 Isabel woke up in the ninth inning and I ran upstairs to grab her and take her to a different television on the top floor to see Mo get the final out. Instead he walked Millar and I said to this little night owl, Wow, Isabel, he never does that. Something is going to happen here, just you wait. She just sat on my lap staring at me like what on earth are you talking about lady!