Mariners use ‘04 Red Sox playoff run as motivation to reach first World Series

Many Boston Red Sox fans, and others across MLB, have begun rooting for the Seattle Mariners as they push through the postseason.

Not only is their opponent, the Toronto Blue Jays, an American League East division rival, but Seattle has never won a World Series in its nearly 50-year history. If the M's make it all the way to the Fall Classic, there's also a good chance they face the Los Angeles Dodgers, who look more like baseball's newest dynasty with every passing game.

Of course, the Mariners would like to win not only for the bragging rights, but for the city of Seattle, which has never experienced an MLB championship. Before their game on October 15, Mariners All-Star catcher Cal Raleigh likened the vibes to a gutsy team Boston fans are quite familiar with — the 2004 Red Sox.

"Looking back 20-something years, you're seeing all these documentaries coming out and how important that was, and how it really kind of bolstered the next couple championships for them years after that," Raleigh said. "It means a lot and it kind of gives you that little extra gear, little extra edge, as far as we're doing this for something more than just ourselves or this team, we're doing it for fans and people here to remember something for a long time."

Cal Raleigh compares Mariners' playoff run to 2004 Red Sox's curse-breaking victory

Raleigh grew up a Red Sox fan and was seven years old when they broke the Curse of the Bambino in 2004 (subscripton required). He didn't endure fan life without a World Series for as long as most Mariners fans have, yet he understands the impact championships can have on teams, organizations and cities.

The 2004 Sox beat the odds to win the World Series after rebounding from a 3-0 deficit against the Yankees in the ALDS, becoming the first and only team in MLB history to accomplish such a feat. Seattle could do the same by defeating the Blue Jays, the winningest team in the AL. If the Dodgers also advance to the World Series, the Mariners beating MLB's newest superteam would be the icing on the cake of their first-ever title. Mariners-Brewers would also make for an incredibly memorable tournament, as Milwaukee has never won a World Series, either.

Hopefully, the Mariners can channel the '04 Red Sox to officially boot Boston's AL East rival from the playoffs and bring a World Series to a deserving city. Mariners fans have turned out throughout the postseason and T-Mobile Park has been one of the loudest in October. Red Sox fans (who are old enough to remember 2004) can relate to the electricity of the M's run. Baseball is more fun when new teams win, and when fans who have never seen a championship in their city also get to experience the glory.