Netflix: The Comeback 2004 Red Sox

Just finished watching it. Didnt learn much of anything new and some smaller details were glossed over, but I didnt really care. I loved it.

Brought back such amazing memories. With apologies to the dominant 2018 team, the ballsy 2013 team, and the talented 2007 team, when I think of a Red Sox team that truly felt like my team, it's the 2004 team.

It's kind of funny how on a lot if topics Theo was thinking exactly what I was thinking, like for example the feeling that the Tek/A-Rod brawl woke up the team, among other things.

Great trip down memory lane. Wish the Sox were anywhere near as compelling. But not only was the 2004 team deep and talented but they were a bunch if characters. A crazy, fun team to root for.

That was the only new thing that I hadn't heard or read anywhere else previously.

It can be like that. Certain players become the "storytellers". Anytime you'd see Gary Carter he was always talking about the 86 Mets.

I think it's great to have storytellers and the Sox of 04 with a few exceptions are a pretty extroverted bunch, and Millar is definitely the head storyteller, but the Sox have others as well as Pedro would certainly qualify. I enjoy it because you know it meant every bit as much to them as it meant to us.

There were a few missing details probably due to length restrictions, like the 13th inning Game 5 when Tek struggled to catch Wakefield's knuckle with the season on the line or Curtis Leskanic coming up huge when the Yankees threatened in the 11th inning of Game 4.

I'm definitely going to rewatch it, probably a bunch of times, when time allows.

I had a similar thought, although not as well articulated in my own mind. In today's world, we see alot of discussion about WAR. Evaluate every move/potential move by positive or negative WAR. Not trying to suggest that approach is right or wrong, but how does that approach account for the value that somebody like Millar brings to the team? Again, I am not specifically talking about Millar but rather the teammate that might not be elite on the field, but keeps everyone loose and chins up during tough times. I think the current team might be missing that guy hence the post trade deadline slumps we have seen the last few years.

Out of curiosity, does Netflix have archives where you can watch anything from the past ? This coming year, I'll be getting Starlink and Netflix is my likely choice for viewing (altho that's yet to be determined).

Thanks, does Netflix also have current movies ? For example, if I wanted to see Top Gun 2 or John Wick 47, are things like that also available ?

In January or February, after 12 years, our house and second lot will be complete. That should free up about $2000 / month, pocket change in the USA but big bucks in the Philippines. Haha, I might even buy a car. We have 2 motorcycles and a motorcycle with an overhead sidecar for our transportation other than public transportation.

Very well done three episodes. Choices had to be made on what to include and what to focus on, but it works well. Very little on Manny, who I guess would not be as good on camera as he was at the plate.

Nice to be able to watch the Yankees losing in both 2004 and 2024 at the same time.

Imagine you’re a 29 year old who’s now tasked with running a major business or entity and you have the President/CEO just calling out of the blue to scream at you or the people who work for you. Like Theo Epstein pulling everything off at his age, surrounded by a bunch of dysfunctional people outside of like Tito and some trusted front office assistants, in the cauldron that was mid-2000’s Boston is absolutely incredible. Thank God he is back with the organization even in an advisory capacity 

On the other spectrum from Lucchino you have Tom Werner, who gave himself a pat on the back in one of his few straight-to-camera moments in the series about he “just had a feeling Grady Little was going to make a big mistake for us” and felt compelled to share this 20 years after the fact. I assume that’s just preening BS on his part, but if accurate… well, congratulations on foreseeing epically stupid managing and deciding to employ said manager anyway.

In regards to Werner I'd guess he was lockstep with John Henry and from everything I've read Henry wanted Littke gone as early as June 2003when the Cardinals swept the Sox, so I dont think it's a big leap to think that he, like Henry, was very leery of his own manager. In this case I'm guessing that Wener actually was indeed worried back then that Little would make a major mistake. Back then it was new age versus dinosaurs. Dont think that Werner was necessarily a visionary but I'd guess that he spent enough time with Henry to adapt Henry's attitude toward Little.

I was laughing when Henry asked Werner if they could fire him during Game 7 2003 ALCS.

Little made laughable comments about how many people after the fact knew that Po Pedro wouldn't make it thru the 8th inning.

Umm....a lot of people felt the way Theo did BEFORE the 8th inning disaster. Likewise I, like Theo, was one of many who thought "WTF is Grady doing?"

Pedro was clearly running out of gas. He gave up a HR to Juicin' Giambi in the 7th and 2 more hits after that. Pedro escaped because he owned Alfonso Soriano who would chase pitches off the plate, exactly where Pedro threw it. He looked up to the skies and that was the sign that he was finished.

Grady had him face Nick Johnson in the 8th who Pedro retired after 10 pitches i believe. I still felt it was a mistake but not overly egregious at that moment, but after a double to Jeter and an RBI single to Williams and a bunch of lefties coming up, Embree was the obvious move, and that's where Little was truly egregious and then he compounded it by letting Pedro with about 120 pitches face Posada after Matsui doubled.

How Little thinks that everybody was a Monday Morning QB is unreal.

It was "objectively" the right baseball trade (A-Rod & Magglio), which is why Theo and co. pursued it. But the Baseball Gods work in mysterious ways. Certainly worked out!

In 2013 A-rod was busted for steroids and Jon Lester helps lead you to a World Series. Moving him might have had the biggest ripple effect of all of this in the alternate timeline.