(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
The Red Sox advanced to the American League Championship Series against the Yankees that year. They were locked in a tense series with momentum going back and forth that led to Game Seven in Yankee Stadium.
The Red Sox had a 5-2 lead and were only five outs away from reaching the World Series, but Grady Little left Pedro in and the Yankees rallied to tied the game. Aaron Boone then hit the game-winning home run in the 11th inning sending the Red Sox home for the winter.
Little would be fired and replaced by Terry Francona. The Red Sox knew they could finally beat the Yankees and knew they needed one more ingredient to do so, another starting pitcher.
That off season, the Arizona Diamondbacks put Curt Schilling on the trading block, but Schilling had a full no-trade clause and said he would only accept a trade to the Yankees or Phillies.
The Yankees had talks with the Diamondbacks but they fell apart. The Red Sox, with their new motto of being bold, decided to inquire about Schilling.
The Diamondbacks listened and came up with an offer for Schilling, which was a no brainer for the Red Sox, but they had only 72 hours to convince Schilling to come to Boston.
Epstein was set to go down to Phoenix to talk to Curt, and before he got there the Red Sox sent a 1,165 word letter to Curt to appeal to his ego. They also showed Schilling the advanced scouting they did and film breakdown that Schilling just ate up.
They had James write a letter to Schilling proving Fenway Park was beneficial to right-handed fly ball pitches, contrary to what Schilling previously said.
Schilling finally agreed and they worked out a contract. The Red Sox finally had a pitching staff that was equivalent to their dynamic offense.
The Red Sox were not done upgrading their roster though. They used their statistical analysis and found out their defense was terrible, and in particular Nomar Garciapara, who was the worst defensive shortstop in the history of their database.
At the trading deadline, Epstein organized a four-team trade that netted the Red Sox Orlando Cabrera and Doug Mientkiewicz, both good defensive players, for Nomar. After the trade, the Red Sox had the best record in baseball (42-18).
The Red Sox and Yankees met once again in the American League Championship Series. The Red Sox lost the first three games of the series but never let it get to them. They still stayed loose in the clubhouse doing a pre-game toast of Jack Daniels and were joking around before the game.
The Red Sox had remarkable comebacks to win both Game Four and Game Five and went back to Yankee Stadium for Game Six with Schilling on the mound.
Schilling came up big for the Red Sox in what became known as the “Bloody Sock Game,” allowing only one run over seven innings in the win.
Giambi, commenting on the addition of Schilling, said, “until they got Schilling to go with Pedro, we could beat them. Then once they got that extra guy, that’s what turned the table for them. That’s where they turned the tide on us.”
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