Boston has won three championships in the last 15 years to erase the pain of an 86-year drought. It took the curse-reversing bunch of “idiots” to break the ice in 2004, fueled by an epic comeback that ripped the hearts out of the New York Yankees in the ALCS. That doesn’t happen without the heroics of Johnny Damon.
The Red Sox had rallied from down three games to none in the series but still had to win a Game 7 in Yankee Stadium to complete the greatest comeback in postseason history. Damon wasted little time in putting the game out of reach early with a second-inning grand slam off Javier Vazquez.
He would take Vazquez deep again for a two-run shot in the fourth inning, extending Boston’s lead to 8-1. The Yankees’ spirits were crushed. Boston would cruise to a 10-3 victory and roll through a sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series.
Damon would later betray the Red Sox by signing a free agent deal with the Yankees following the 2005 season. While his Judas moment would sting fans every time he returned to Boston wearing pinstripes, we can never forget what Damon gave this franchise during his four years with the Red Sox.