Examples of “Fenway Magic”
Fenway Park’s mythical aura is incontrovertible. It is the site of some of the greatest comebacks and legendary performances by past Red Sox teams.
Fenway hosted the most improbable Red Sox playoff victory, or any victory, for that matter, that I can recall. In Game 5 of the 2008 ALCS, the Red Sox were down 3 games to 1 in the series, and 7-0 in the game with only seven outs remaining, to the Tampa Bay Rays. The Red Sox scored eight runs before the Rays could collect seven outs, as the Red Sox forced a Game 6 by defeating the Rays 8-7. Were the immortal Jack Buck with us and broadcasting this game, there is no doubt that upon its conclusion, Buck would have uttered those words that he once exclaimed after a Kirk Gibson home run off of Dennis Eckersley in the 1988 World Series: “I don’t believe what I just saw!”
In no way does such a comeback occur in Tampa. Terry Francona, our manager at the time, said, in explaining how Fenway Park went from quiet to as boisterous as any stadium in America, “This place became unglued.” The playoff atmosphere at Fenway is unique and gives the Red Sox much more of an advantage than the typical home team.
In the 2007 ALCS, the Red Sox found themselves down three games to one to the Cleveland Indians. The consensus was that if the Red Sox could win Game 5 in Cleveland, Games 6 and 7 in Boston would be a lock. Josh Beckett tossed a gem, brought the series back to Boston, and the Red Sox took care of business at Fenway.
Lastly, who can forget the greatest comeback in American History: the 2004 ALCS against the New York Yankees. The Red Sox were down three games to none. Obviously, Games 4 and 5 at Fenway were prerequisites to a series victory. Both games went extra innings, with Big Papi homering to win Game 4, and fighting off a tough Esteban Loaiza pitch into center field to win Game 5. The Sox would go on to win the final two games at Yankee Stadium to secure the unprecedented comeback. Were Games 4 and 5 at Yankee Stadium, is there any doubt that the series would have ended in New York?