The
2007 World Series, the 103rd edition of
Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of play in North American professional baseball. Specifically, Major League Baseball refers to the organization that operates the National League and the American League, by means of a joint organizational structure that has developed gradually between...
's
championship seriesThe World Series has been the annual championship series of the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada since 1903, concluding the postseason of Major League Baseball...
, began on Wednesday, October 24 and ended on Sunday, October 28.
It featured the
National LeagueThe National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league...
champion
Colorado RockiesThe Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993, the Rockies play in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains, which pass through Colorado, just west of Denver...
—making their first
World SeriesThe World Series has been the annual championship series of the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada since 1903, concluding the postseason of Major League Baseball...
appearance—and the
American LeagueThe American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, that eventually aspired to major league...
champion
Boston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since , the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. The "Red Sox" name originates from the iconic uniform feature....
. The Red Sox won the Series in four games, sweeping the Rockies to collect their second World Series championship in four seasons and their seventh overall; it also marked the third sweep in four years by the AL champion.
Terry FranconaTerry Jon Francona , nicknamed "Tito," is a Major League Baseball manager. Francona has been the manager of the Boston Red Sox, of the American League since 2004.-Youth:...
became the second Red Sox manager to win two World Series titles, joining
Bill CarriganWilliam Francis Carrigan , nicknamed "Rough", was a Major League baseball catcher. He was born in Lewiston, Maine.Carrigan started his career as a platoon catcher and played all ten seasons with the Boston Red Sox...
, who won the
1915In the 1915 World Series, the Boston Red Sox beat the Philadelphia Phillies four games to one.In their only World Series before 1950, the Phillies won Game 1 before being swept the rest of the way. It was 65 years before the Phillies won their next Series game...
and
1916 SeriesIn the 1916 World Series, the Boston Red Sox beat the Brooklyn Robins four games to one.Casey Stengel shined on offense for the Robins in the 1916 Series but the Red Sox pitching core ultimately proved too much for the denizens of Flatbush...
. Including the last three games of the
ALCSThe American League Championship Series , the second round of the 2007 American League playoffs, began on October 12 and ended on October 21. It was a best-of-seven series, with the Eastern Division champion Boston Red Sox facing the Central Division champion Cleveland Indians...
, the Red Sox outscored their opposition 59–15 over their final seven games. The Rockies, meanwhile, became the first National League team to get swept in a World Series after sweeping the
League Championship SeriesThe League Championship Series is the official name for a round of postseason play in Major League Baseball which has been conducted since 1969...
, and just the second team ever to suffer such a fate (
1990 Oakland AthleticsThe Oakland Athletics' 1990 season saw the A's win their third consecutive American League West title, with a record of 103 wins and 59 losses, nine games ahead of the Chicago White Sox. It was the third consecutive year in which Oakland finished with the best record in all of MLB...
).
Background
The Rockies entered the Series having won 21 of their last 22 games, going back to the end of the regular season, including sweeps of the
Philadelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and are the defending World Series champions. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern...
in the
NLDSThe 2007 National League Division Series , the opening round of the 2007 National League playoffs, began on Wednesday, October 3 and ended on Saturday, October 6, with the champions of the three NL divisions and one wild card team participating in two best-of-five series. They were:* Arizona...
and the
Arizona DiamondbacksThe Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
in the
NLCSThe National League Championship Series , the second round of the 2007 National League playoffs, began on October 11 and ended on October 15. It was a best-of-seven series, with the Western Division champion Arizona Diamondbacks facing the wild card Colorado Rockies, also from the Western Division...
. They also beat the San Diego Padres in the NL Wild Card tiebreaker. The Red Sox swept the
Los Angeles Angels of AnaheimThe Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The Angels have been based in Angel Stadium of Anaheim since 1966...
in the
ALDSThe American League Division Series , the opening round of the 2007 American League playoffs, began on Wednesday, October 3 and ended on Monday, October 8. The 2007 AL Division Series consisted of three AL division champions and one wild card team, participating in two best-of-five series. They...
and defeated the
Cleveland IndiansThe Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field . The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
in the
ALCSThe American League Championship Series , the second round of the 2007 American League playoffs, began on October 12 and ended on October 21. It was a best-of-seven series, with the Eastern Division champion Boston Red Sox facing the Central Division champion Cleveland Indians...
after trailing three games to one, taking the final three contests by a combined score of 30–5. Neither participating team was in the previous year's postseason. The Rockies 8-day layoff was the most in MLB history, caused by their sweep in the NLCS, the ALCS going 7 games, and scheduling by the MLB.
Per the 2006 Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Red Sox had
home field advantageHome Field Advantage is a 2000 independent film starring Tony Award-winning actor Dan Fogler in the role of Charlie....
in the World Series following the American League's 5–4 win in the
2007 All-Star GameThe 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 78th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 10, 2007, at AT&T Park, the home of the NL's San Francisco Giants...
. The first two games took place in Boston, with Games 3 and 4 in Denver.
Summary
AL Boston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since , the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. The "Red Sox" name originates from the iconic uniform feature....
(4) vs NL Colorado RockiesThe Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993, the Rockies play in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains, which pass through Colorado, just west of Denver...
(0)
| Game |
Score |
Date |
Location |
Attendance |
| 1 |
Colorado Rockies - 1, Boston Red Sox - 13 |
October 24 |
Fenway ParkFenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use...
|
36,733 |
| 2 |
Colorado Rockies - 1, Boston Red Sox - 2 |
October 25 |
Fenway ParkFenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use...
|
36,370 |
| 3 |
Boston Red Sox - 10, Colorado Rockies - 5 |
October 27 |
Coors FieldCoors Field, located in Denver, Colorado, is the home field of Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies. It is named for the Coors Brewing Company of Golden, Colorado, which purchased the naming rights to the park prior to its completion in 1995...
|
49,983 |
| 4 |
Boston Red Sox - 4, Colorado Rockies - 3 |
October 28 |
Coors FieldCoors Field, located in Denver, Colorado, is the home field of Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies. It is named for the Coors Brewing Company of Golden, Colorado, which purchased the naming rights to the park prior to its completion in 1995...
|
50,041 |
Game 1
Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at
Fenway ParkFenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use...
in Boston, Massachusetts
The Red Sox cruised to a blowout win in Game One behind ALCS MVP
Josh BeckettJoshua Patrick Beckett is a Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. During his career in the playoffs, he won the 2003 World Series MVP Award with the Florida Marlins, and received the 2007 ALCS MVP award with the Red Sox.-Florida Marlins :A native of Spring,...
, who struck out nine batters, including the first four he faced, en route to his fourth win of the 2007 postseason (and the sixth of his career). Rookie
Dustin PedroiaDustin Luis Pedroia is a Major League Baseball second baseman for the Boston Red Sox. During his brief career in the majors, Pedroia has won several awards, including the 2007 AL Rookie of the Year award and the 2008 AL MVP...
led off the Sox' first inning with a
home runIn baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle all the bases, ending at home plate and scoring runs for himself and each runner who was already on base, with no errors by the defensive team on the play...
over the
Green MonsterThe Green Monster is the nickname of the thirty-seven foot, two-inch high left field wall at Fenway Park, home to the Boston Red Sox baseball team...
in Fenway Park. Pedroia's homer was only the second lead-off home run to start a World Series; the only other one was in 1969). Boston scored three runs in the first inning, which proved to be all the runs they would need, and added seven more in the fifth inning, in which Boston had the last six of its 17 hits, and three bases-loaded walks. The Red Sox finished with 13 runs, the most ever in a World Series Game One, and tied another record with nine
extra base hitIn baseball, an extra base hit , also known as a long hit, is any base hit on which the batter is able to advance past first base without the benefit of a fielder either committing an error or opting to make a throw to retire another base runner...
s.
Game 2
Thursday, October 25, 2007 at
Fenway ParkFenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use...
in Boston, Massachusetts
After the debacle of Game 1, Colorado appeared to return to form, scoring quickly on a groundout by
Todd HeltonTodd "Lynn" Helton is the starting first baseman for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball....
. However, postseason veteran
Curt SchillingCurtis Montague Schilling is a former American Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher. He helped lead the Philadelphia Phillies to the World Series in and has won World Series championships in with the Arizona Diamondbacks and in and with the Boston Red Sox...
(5⅓ IP, 1 run, 4 hits) and Boston's bullpen (
Okajimais a left-handed relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. He was elected to the 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game as a first time All-Star via the Monster All-Star Final Vote.-Career in Japan:...
, 2⅓ IP;
PapelbonJonathan Robert Papelbon , nicknamed "Pap," and "Cinco Ocho" , is a Major League Baseball closer for the Boston Red Sox. He bats and throws right-handed....
, 1⅓ IP) allowed no other runs in the contest.
Mike LowellMichael Averett Lowell is a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball third baseman for the Boston Red Sox. He is a right-handed batter, and previously played with the New York Yankees and Florida Marlins .-Early years and personal life:Lowell, a lifelong Roman Catholic, was raised in Miami, Florida...
's RBI double gave Boston the lead after
Jason VaritekJason Andrew Varitek is an American baseball catcher and team captain for the Boston Red Sox. After being traded as a minor league prospect by the Seattle Mariners, Varitek has played his entire major league career for the Red Sox...
's sacrifice fly had tied the game in the middle innings.
Matt HollidayMatthew Thomas Holliday , is a left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball. Holliday was originally drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the seventh round of the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft....
had four of Colorado's five hits in Game Two, including a base hit off Papelbon with two outs in the 8th. Before throwing another pitch, Papelbon caught Holliday leaning too far off first base and picked him off—Papelbon's first career
pickoffIn baseball, a pickoff is an act by a pitcher, throwing a live ball to a fielder so that the fielder can tag out a baserunner who is either leading off or about to begin stealing the next base....
.
Game 3
Saturday, October 27, 2007 at
Coors FieldCoors Field, located in Denver, Colorado, is the home field of Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies. It is named for the Coors Brewing Company of Golden, Colorado, which purchased the naming rights to the park prior to its completion in 1995...
in
Denver, ColoradoThe City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the state of Colorado, in the United States. Denver is a consolidated city-county located in the South Platte River Valley on the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
This was the first World Series game ever played in Colorado. At 4 hours 19 minutes, it became the longest nine-inning game in World Series history. The Red Sox struck first with a six-run 3rd inning highlighted by rookie
Jacoby EllsburyJacoby McCabe Ellsbury is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Boston Red Sox. Ellsbury was first drafted, though did not sign, by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 23rd round of the 2002 MLB Draft; he was then drafted by Boston in 2005, 23rd overall, in the draft, after three years at Oregon State...
hitting two doubles in the same inning. Starting pitcher
Daisuke Matsuzakais a starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox.He previously played for the Seibu Lions in Japan's Pacific League. He was selected the MVP of the inaugural and the second World Baseball Classic, and is an Olympic bronze medalist.-Early life:...
pitched 5 innings of scoreless ball and left in the sixth with no runs allowed. As part of the six-run 3rd inning, Matsuzaka helped himself with a bases loaded two-RBI single. It was his first base hit and RBI in the
Major LeaguesMajor League Baseball is the highest level of play in North American professional baseball. Specifically, Major League Baseball refers to the organization that operates the National League and the American League, by means of a joint organizational structure that has developed gradually between...
. Colorado starter
Josh FoggJoshua Smith Fogg is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Colorado Rockies. He played college baseball at the University of Florida and was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the third round of the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft. He made his major league pitching debut on September 2,...
was taken out of the game after just 2⅔ IP. The Rockies' bats came to life in the 6th and 7th innings against a normally solid but shaky Boston bullpen. NLCS MVP
Matt HollidayMatthew Thomas Holliday , is a left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball. Holliday was originally drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the seventh round of the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft....
brought the Rockies to within one run of the lead with a three-run home run off
Hideki Okajimais a left-handed relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. He was elected to the 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game as a first time All-Star via the Monster All-Star Final Vote.-Career in Japan:...
. Rookies Ellsbury and
Dustin PedroiaDustin Luis Pedroia is a Major League Baseball second baseman for the Boston Red Sox. During his brief career in the majors, Pedroia has won several awards, including the 2007 AL Rookie of the Year award and the 2008 AL MVP...
, who had four and three hits, respectively, on the night—the first time in World Series history two rookies each had at least three hits in a game—would get those runs back for the Red Sox in the top of the 8th, scoring
Julio LugoJulio Cesar Lugo is a major league shortstop who currently plays for the St. Louis Cardinals. He bats and throws right-handed. Lugo is the older brother of baseball pitcher Ruddy Lugo....
and
Coco CrispCovelli Loyce "Coco" Crisp is a Major League Baseball center fielder for the Kansas City Royals. Crisp is a switch-hitter and throws right-handed. He previously played for the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox. He is married and has two children, a son and a daughter . Coco is of...
on back-to-back RBI doubles, raising Boston's lead to 9–5. Jonathan Papelbon came on for a 4-out save, getting Holliday to fly out on one pitch, leaving runners on 1st and 2nd. Jason Varitek would tack on Boston's 10th run in the top of the 9th with a sacrifice fly, scoring Mike Lowell who, not generally considered a stolen base threat, had just stolen third base—the first time a Red Sox baserunner stole 3rd base in the World Series since 1975. Papelbon came back out in the bottom of the 9th to complete the save, getting the first two outs before surrendering a 2-out triple to
Brad HawpeBradley Bonte Hawpe is the starting right fielder for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball.-High school & college:...
, then finishing the game with a groundout from
Yorvit TorrealbaYorvit Adolfo Torrealba [pron., /joɾ.ˈvit ˌto.re.ˈal.ba/] is a catcher in Major League Baseball who plays for the Colorado Rockies. He previously played for the San Francisco Giants, and the Seattle Mariners...
. The Red Sox took Game Three by a final of 10–5.
The Red Sox continued to set World Series records during Game Three:
- Ellsbury (four hits) and Pedroia (three) combined to score three runs and drive in four, while being the first rookies to bat 1–2 in a World Series lineup.
- Ellsbury became the third rookie in Series history with four hits in a game, joining Fred Lindstrom of the New York Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California who currently play in the National League West Division. One of the oldest baseball teams, the Giants hold the honor of having won the most games of any team in the history of baseball...
(Game 5, 1924) and Joe Garagiola of the Cardinals (Game 4, 1946).
- Matsuzaka became the first Japanese pitcher to start and win a World Series game. The only pitchers in Red Sox history, other than Matsuzaka, to have two RBI and be the winning pitcher were Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , also popularly known as "Babe" Ruth, "The Bambino", and "The Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from –...
in 1918The 1918 World Series featured the Boston Red Sox, who defeated the Chicago Cubs four games to two. The Series victory for the Red Sox was their fifth in five tries, going back to 1903.The 1918 Series was played under several metaphorical dark clouds...
and Cy YoungDenton True "Cy" Young was an American baseball player who pitched for five different major league teams from 1890 to 1911....
in 1903The 1903 World Series, the first modern World Series to be played in Major League Baseball, matched the Boston American League club against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a best-of-nine series, with Boston prevailing five games to three, winning the last four....
.
- The Red Sox' 16 doubles tied a World Series record, set by the 1982 Cardinals. The Red Sox would break the record in Game 4, finishing with 18.
Game 4
Sunday, October 28, 2007 at
Coors FieldCoors Field, located in Denver, Colorado, is the home field of Major League Baseball's Colorado Rockies. It is named for the Coors Brewing Company of Golden, Colorado, which purchased the naming rights to the park prior to its completion in 1995...
in
Denver, ColoradoThe City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the state of Colorado, in the United States. Denver is a consolidated city-county located in the South Platte River Valley on the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
The
Boston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since , the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. The "Red Sox" name originates from the iconic uniform feature....
struck offensively early in the game.
BostonBoston is the capital and largest city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is considered the economic and cultural center of the region and is sometimes regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England"...
Rookie
Jacoby EllsburyJacoby McCabe Ellsbury is a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Boston Red Sox. Ellsbury was first drafted, though did not sign, by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 23rd round of the 2002 MLB Draft; he was then drafted by Boston in 2005, 23rd overall, in the draft, after three years at Oregon State...
began the 1st
inningInning is a municipality in the district of Erding in Bavaria in Germany....
with a double and was advanced by
Dustin PedroiaDustin Luis Pedroia is a Major League Baseball second baseman for the Boston Red Sox. During his brief career in the majors, Pedroia has won several awards, including the 2007 AL Rookie of the Year award and the 2008 AL MVP...
with a groundout, followed by an RBI single from
David OrtizDavid Ortiz is a Dominican Major League Baseball designated hitter who has played for the Boston Red Sox since . Previously, Ortiz played for the Minnesota Twins . Nicknamed "Big Papi," Ortiz is a five-time All-Star and holds the Red Sox single-season record for home runs with 54, set during the ...
. In the seventh inning,
series MVPThe final round of the Major League Baseball postseason is known as the World Series. This series has a best-of-seven playoff format, and currently follows the Division Series and the League Championship Series , The World Series is played by the winners of the National League Championship Series...
Mike LowellMichael Averett Lowell is a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball third baseman for the Boston Red Sox. He is a right-handed batter, and previously played with the New York Yankees and Florida Marlins .-Early years and personal life:Lowell, a lifelong Roman Catholic, was raised in Miami, Florida...
hit a home run to give
BostonThe Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since , the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. The "Red Sox" name originates from the iconic uniform feature....
a 3–0 lead. The
Colorado RockiesThe Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993, the Rockies play in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains, which pass through Colorado, just west of Denver...
offense answered when left fielder
Brad HawpeBradley Bonte Hawpe is the starting right fielder for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball.-High school & college:...
hit a home run off of a
Manny DelcarmenManuel "Manny" Delcarmen is a relief pitcher of Dominican descent in Major League Baseball who plays for the Boston Red Sox...
fastball, bringing the Rockies within two. Relief pitcher
Brian FuentesBrian Christopher Fuentes is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Previously, he played for the Seattle Mariners and the Colorado Rockies. He bats and throws left-handed.-Early years:...
gave back that run abruptly, allowing
BostonBoston is the capital and largest city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is considered the economic and cultural center of the region and is sometimes regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England"...
pinch-hitter
Bobby KieltyRobert Michael Kielty is an American Major League Baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent.-College:...
to hit a ball into the left field stands on the first pitch of the inning, extending the Red Sox lead to 4–1. In the next inning
Boston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since , the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. The "Red Sox" name originates from the iconic uniform feature....
pitcher
Hideki Okajimais a left-handed relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. He was elected to the 2007 Major League Baseball All-Star Game as a first time All-Star via the Monster All-Star Final Vote.-Career in Japan:...
allowed a one-out single to
Todd HeltonTodd "Lynn" Helton is the starting first baseman for the Colorado Rockies of Major League Baseball....
followed by a
Garrett AtkinsGarrett Bernard Atkins has been the third baseman for the Major League Baseball team the Colorado Rockies since . He bats and throws right-handed....
2-run
home runIn baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle all the bases, ending at home plate and scoring runs for himself and each runner who was already on base, with no errors by the defensive team on the play...
, bringing the Rockies within one.
Jonathan PapelbonJonathan Robert Papelbon , nicknamed "Pap," and "Cinco Ocho" , is a Major League Baseball closer for the Boston Red Sox. He bats and throws right-handed....
relieved Okajima and earned his third save of the series. At 12:06 am EDT on Monday, October 29, Papelbon struck out
ColoradoThe Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993, the Rockies play in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains, which pass through Colorado, just west of Denver...
pinch hitterIn baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
Seth SmithGarry Seth Smith is a Major League Baseball utility outfielder for the Colorado Rockies.-Amateur career:...
for the final out of the 2007 World Series. Boston had won its second World Series title in four years and seventh all-time.
Composite box
2007 World Series
(4–0): Boston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since , the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. The "Red Sox" name originates from the iconic uniform feature....
(A.L.) over
Colorado RockiesThe Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993, the Rockies play in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains, which pass through Colorado, just west of Denver...
(N.L.)
Ticket controversy
On October 17, 2007, a week before the first game of the World Series, the Colorado Rockies announced that tickets would be made available to the general public via online sales only, despite prior arrangements to sell the tickets at local retail outlets. Five days later, California-based ticket vendor Paciolan, Inc., the sole contractor authorized by the Colorado Rockies to distribute tickets, was forced to suspend sales after less than an hour due to an exorbitant number of purchase attempts.
The Rockies organization said that they were the victims of a denial-of-service attackA denial-of-service attack or distributed denial-of-service attack is an attempt to make a computer resource unavailable to its intended users...
; The FBIThe Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency. The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
has started its own investigation into these claims. Ticket sales resumed the next day, with all three home games selling out within 2½ hours.
The Red Sox also relied primarily on online sales to sell the game tickets, although some Fenway Park tickets were sold on the phone and at the box office. The Sox held a random drawing for the right to buy post season tickets on October 15, and winners bought tickets at a private online sale. Street prices were lower in Boston this time than in 2004: the average price, according to StubHubStubHub is a service which acts as an online marketplace for buyers and sellers of tickets for sports, concerts, theater and other live entertainment events at fair market value, even for events that happen to be sold out. The company was founded in 2000 by Eric Baker and Jeff Fluhr, former...
, was about $1500 in 2007, down about $300 from three years previously. Some Sox fans found that it was cheaper to travel to Denver to see World Series games than to pay the street price for Boston game tickets.
Celebration
While the celebratory crowd at
Kenmore SquareKenmore Square is a square in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, consisting of the intersection of several main avenues, as well as several other cross streets, and Kenmore Station, an MBTA subway stop. Kenmore Square is close to or abuts Boston University, Fenway Park, and Lansdowne Street, a...
was not as unruly as had been the case in
2004The 2004 World Series was the Major League Baseball championship series for the 2004 season. It was the 100th World Series and featured the American League champions, the Boston Red Sox, against the National League champions, the St. Louis Cardinals...
, cars were overturned and 37 arrests were made. The Red Sox victory parade, yet again called a "Rolling Rally" as in 2004, was on October 30, 2007 with closer
Jonathan PapelbonJonathan Robert Papelbon , nicknamed "Pap," and "Cinco Ocho" , is a Major League Baseball closer for the Boston Red Sox. He bats and throws right-handed....
doing his infamous "
RiverdanceIrish dance is a group of traditional dance forms originating in Ireland which can broadly be divided into social dance and performance dances. Irish social dances can be divided further into céilí and set dancing...
" while local punk band the
Dropkick MurphysDropkick Murphys are an Irish-American Celtic punk band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts, USA. First playing together in the basement of a friend's barbershop, they blended traditional folk rock and punk rock known as Celtic punk...
played their hit "
I'm Shipping Up to Boston"I'm Shipping Up to Boston" is a song with lyrics written by the folk singer Woody Guthrie and music written and performed by the Celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys. It appeared on their 2005 album, The Warrior's Code. An earlier recording of it can be found on the Hellcat Records compilation Give...
".
The Red Sox World Series win in 2007 added to the success of Boston-area teams in recent years. Adding to it would be the
CelticsThe Boston Celtics are a professional basketball club based in Boston, Massachusetts, playing in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team is owned by Wycliffe Grousbeck and coached by Doc Rivers, with Danny Ainge as the President of...
, when they won their
first championship since 1986The 2008 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2007–08 NBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Boston Celtics, top-seeded champions of the Eastern Conference, defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, top-seeded champions of the Western Conference, four games to two in a...
, the last time the Red Sox lost in the
World SeriesThe 1986 World Series pitted the New York Mets against the Boston Red Sox. It was cited in the legend of the "Curse of the Bambino" to explain the error by Bill Buckner in Game 6 that allowed the Mets to extend the series to a seventh game...
, 7 1/2 months later. However, the
New England PatriotsThe New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the...
would lose in
Super Bowl XLIISuper Bowl XLII was an American football game that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
to the
New York GiantsThe New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The team plays its home games at Giants Stadium, which also serves as its headquarters, and trains at an adjacent practice facility within the Meadowlands Sports Complex...
during that time.
Broadcasting
The World Series was televised by Fox in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, with
Joe BuckJoseph Francis "Joe" Buck is an American sportscaster and the son of sportscaster Jack Buck. He has won numerous Sports Emmy Awards for his play-by-play work with Fox Sports.-Education:...
and
Tim McCarverJames Timothy McCarver is an American former Major League baseball catcher, and a current sportscaster for Fox Sports.-Playing career:...
as booth announcers. The starting time for each television broadcast was 8:00 pm EDT/6:00 pm MDT. The series broke with the recent tradition of starting the World Series on a Saturday, as Major League Baseball had become convinced that weekend games drew lower television ratings. Prior to this season, every World Series since
1985The 1985 World Series began on October 19, 1985 and ended October 27. The American League champion Kansas City Royals played against the National League champion St. Louis Cardinals, winning the series four games to three...
had opened on a Saturday, with the exception of the
1990 World SeriesThe 1990 World Series matched the defending champions and heavily-favored Oakland Athletics against the Cincinnati Reds, with the Reds sweeping the Series in four games. It was the most recent National League sweep of the American League. It is remembered for Billy Hatcher's seven consecutive hits...
.
Rogers Sportsnet (RSN)Rogers Sportsnet is a Canadian English-language cable television sports specialty channel, operating four regional standard-definition feeds, each with a corresponding high-definition simulcast feed...
in
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
used the MLB International feed with
Dave O'BrienDave O'Brien is an American sportscaster who currently broadcasts various events for ESPN television and Westwood One radio. The Quincy, Massachusetts native now joins Joe Castiglione on Boston Red Sox radio broadcasts.-Early career:...
and
Rick SutcliffeRichard Lee Sutcliffe is a former Major League Baseball starting pitcher and current television sportscaster, nicknamed "The Red Baron" for his red hair and beard....
as booth announcers. NASN showed the games live to most of
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
, while in the
UKThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
, all games were shown
terrestriallyTerrestrial television is a mode of television broadcasting which do not involve satellite transmission or via underground cables—typically through the atmosphere from a transmitting antenna....
on Five.
NHKNHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization...
aired the Series in
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
On radio, the Series was broadcast nationally by ESPN Radio, with
Jon MillerJonathan Miller is an American sportscaster, known primarily for his broadcasts of Major League Baseball. He is currently employed as a play-by-play announcer by the San Francisco Giants and ESPN.-Early life and career:...
and
Joe MorganJoe Leonard Morgan is a former Major League Baseball second baseman. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990...
announcing. Locally,
Joe CastiglioneJoseph J. Castiglione is an American radio announcer for the Boston Red Sox baseball team, an author and lecturer.-Early life and career:...
and
Glenn GeffnerGlenn Geffner, a Miami native, is a radio play-by-play announcer for the Florida Marlins. Geffner joined the Marlins radio broadcast team in 2008, his 12th season in the Major Leagues and his 17th year in professional baseball as a broadcaster and front office executive. Geffner partners with Dave...
called the Series for the Red Sox on
WRKO-AMWRKO is a radio station based in Boston, Massachusetts, currently owned by Entercom. Its transmitter is located in Burlington, Massachusetts, next to the Burlington Mall.-1920-1940:...
in Boston, while Jack Corrigan and Jeff Kingery called it for the Rockies on
KOA-AMKOA is a clear channel, news/talk radio station serving the Denver, Colorado, market. It is owned by Clear Channel Communications and is nicknamed "the Blowtorch of the West" for its 50,000 watt signal....
in Denver. Per contractual obligation, the non-flagship stations on the teams' radio networks carried the ESPN Radio broadcasts.
Series quotes
External links