All 9 Times the Boston Red Sox Won the World Series

New Netflix documentary series The Return: 2004 Boston Red Sox follows the historic and improbable victory of the Boston Red Sox in the World Series in 2004. Released on Netflix in October 23, 2024 – exactly twenty years after the start of the 2004 World Series between the Red Sox and St. Louis The return features new interviews with Red Sox legends like David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez and more. The return gives an overview of the Red Sox’s “Curse of the Bambino” that superstitiously prevented them from winning a World Series since 1918, before finally doing so in 2004.

The Red Sox are one of the oldest teams in Major League Baseball and, as a result, have one of the richest histories in the game. Because of this, the team also had one of the most devoted fan bases of die-hard fans, a tradition that has been passed down through generations. The Red Sox were founded in 1901 and have played at the legendary Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts since 1912. Fenway Park remains the oldest active MLB stadium in the worldfollowed by the Chicago Cubs’ Wrigley Field, founded in 1914. Fenway Park is home to the iconic Green Monster.

As pictured in The returnthe Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees have one of the most historic and fierce rivalries in all professional sports. Before the Red Sox’ miraculous victory over the Yankees after being down 3 games to none in the 2004 American League Championship Series, the Yankees were a dominant force who had won the World Series 26 times. They won their 17th title in 2009. Despite the Yankees having the most World Series wins of all time, the Red Sox have established themselves as consistent contenders in the modern era after their 2004 victory.

9

1903

Defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 5 games to 3

The first World Series was between the Pittsburg Pirates and the Boston Americans, who changed their name to the Boston Red Sox in 1908. The Americans defeated the Pirates by a margin of 5 games to 3 to take home their first World Series title. in a best-of-nine series. The 1903 World Series took place at the original home of the Pirates, Exposition Park, and the Red Sox, Huntington Avenue Grounds. Buck Freeman, Freddy Parent and Chick Stahl led the Red Sox in hitting, while legendary pitcher Cy Young pitched four games with a 1.85 ERA and 17 strikeouts. Although the Red Sox were considered underdogs at the start of the series, they were able to recovered from a 3-1 deficit to win 4 consecutive games and take home the first World Series banner.

8

1912

Defeated the New York Giants 4 games to 3

The Red Sox defeated the New York Giants in the ninth World Series in 1912. It was the first World Series to be hosted at Fenway Park. The Giants, who moved to San Francisco in 1957, won the World Series in 1905 and would win again in 1921, 1922, 1933 and 1954 before moving to Northern California. The Red Sox won the first game, but lost a 3-1 series lead to get to Game 8, with the series tied at 3 wins apiece after a tie in Game 2. Ultimately, the Red Sox were able to overcome and beat the Giants by a score of 3-2 after 10 innings at Fenway Park. The location of Game 8 was determined by coin toss. Notable Red Sox hitters include Jake Stahl, Steve Yerkes, Tris Speaker, and Harry Hooper.

7

1915

Defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 4 games to 1

The 1915 World Series was the first in Red Sox history to feature MLB’s most legendary player of all time, Babe Ruth. Ruth was one of four future Hall of Fame members from the 1915 Red Sox World Series championship team, along with Harry Hooper, Herb Pennock and Tris Speaker. It was the Phillies’ first World Series appearance in franchise history. Woodrow Wilson became the first US president in American history to attend a World Series game during this series. The Phillies had future Hall of Famers Grover Cleveland Alexander, Dave Bancroft and Eppa Rixey, the former of whom pitched in the Phillies’ Game 1 victory. Despite Ruth’s acclaim, he was still early in his career and did not appear.and on the Red Sox pitcher’s mound. He pinch hit but recorded no hits.

6

1916

Defeated the Brooklyn Robins 4 games to 1

The Red Sox won their fourth World Series title in 1916 against the Brooklyn Robins, the nickname for the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Dodgers became the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1957, but were founded as the Brooklyn Grays in 1883. Babe Ruth pitched 14 innings in the series, 13 of which were strikeouts, and allowed just one earned runhelping the Red Sox defeat the Robins in five games. Ruth also had five hits and recorded zero hits, but collected one RBI on a walk. Future Hall of Famer Casey Stengel led the Brooklyn Robins’ offense, but proved to be no match for the Red Sox’ elite pitching staff, which also included Ernie Shore and Dutch Leonard. The 1915 and 1916 World Series were held at Braves Field in Boston rather than Fenway Park due to its larger attendance capacity.

5

1918

Defeated the Chicago Cubs 4 games to 2

Despite the victory, the 1918 World Series would continue to haunt the Red Sox franchise and fan base for the next 86 years. It would be the last World Series in which the Red Sox would have Babe Ruth on their team before his infamous trade to the New York Yankees, where he would help the Red Sox’ archrivals win seven American League pennants and four World Series championships in 1923, 1927, 1928, and 1932. Ruth had his most impressive World Series performance as a member of the Red Sox in 1918, which included a Game 4 victory in which he pitched eight innings and went 1-for-2 with a 2-RBI triple. “The Curse of the Bambino” would later be born after Ruth’s trade in 1919. The Red Sox effectively sold Ruth to the Yankees for $100,000.

4

2004

Defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 4 games to 0

The famous 2004 World Series finally ended “The Curse of the Bambino” for the Boston Red Sox, in what became the most remarkable season in franchise history. After numerous World Series close calls and opportunities over the decades, including the infamous 1986 mistake against the New York Mets, the Red Sox finally sealed the deal behind Pedro Martinez’s magnificent pitching and David Ortiz’s hitting. As portrayed on Netflix The return, the Red Sox improbably defeated the New York Yankees in the 2004 ALCS Louis Cardinals in the World Series, becoming the first team in MLB history to recover from a 3–0 postseason deficit.

3

2007

Defeated the Colorado Rockies 4 games to 0

The Boston Red Sox won their seventh World Series title in 2007 by beating the Colorado Rockies 4 games to none. Terry Francona became the second manager in Red Sox history to win two World Series titles along with Bill Carrigan (1915 and 1916). The Red Sox finished first in the American League East with a total of 96 wins, defeating the Los Angeles Angels in the ALDS and the Cleveland Indians 4-3 in the ALCS. The Red Sox made a statement in Game 1 of the 2007 World Series by defeating the Rockies by a stunning score of 13-1 behind the dominant pitching of ALCS MVP Josh Beckett. The Red Sox also had a strong starting pitching rotation to thank for their quick victorywhich included aces Daisuke Matsusaka, Curt Schilling and Jon Lester.

2

2013

Defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 4 games to 2

The Red Sox once again defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2013 World Series on the back of MVP slugger David Ortiz. This was the tenth meeting between teams from Boston and St. Louis in a major league professional sports championship. This matchup had previously occurred in three World Series (1946, 1967, 2004), four NBA Finals (1957, 1958, 1960, 1961), Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002 and the Stanley Cup Finals in 1970. The Cardinals finished the season with 97 victories and came first in the National League. Despite their best efforts from a core group of heavy hitters such as Yadier Molina, Matt Carpenter and Allen Craig, the Red Sox’s valiant defense was able to hold them off. Notable players included Jacoby Ellsbury, Sane Victorino and Dustin Pedroia. The Red Sox won just months after the Boston Marathon bombing.

1

2018

Defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 4 games to 1

The most recent Red Sox World Series victory came in 2018 in a stunning 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Red Sox posted a franchise-best regular season record of 108 wins and 54 losses and were heavy postseason favorites led by Stars Mookie Betts, Craig Kimbrel, JD Martinez and Chris Sale. Betts led the league in batting average, while Martinez led in RBIs, creating a powerful hitting duo that was tough to beat. The Dodgers came back from a 16-26 start to the season and defied the odds to reach the World Series after midseason acquisitions Manny Machado and David Freese. In what is arguably the best Red Sox team ever assembled alongside the 2004 team pictured in The returnThe 2018 Red Sox won the franchise’s ninth World Series title in dominant fashion.