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It's OK to admit it. You gave up on the Red Sox after that 19-8 loss in Game 3.
There was no way they were coming back from that. Not with Pedro Martinez looking like his best days were behind him. Not with Curt Schilling trying to go on an ankle that required surgery. Not against the Yankees.
But that's one of the things that makes sports so appealing. Until the final out, second or shot, there's always hope, even if it's slim. And conversely, that no lead is too safe, no advantage too great to guarantee.
And so with each successive Red Sox win, the natural inclination (at least mine) was to think about the possibility that the Yankees could actually blow this thing.
And now that the improbable has become reality and the Red Sox are heading to the World Series for the first time since 1986, we can look at the Yankees' monumental collapse and where it ranks among the greatest in sports history.
Here's a hint, though: You won't have to go very far down the list.
1. New York Yankees, 2004 ALCS
There's a tendency among sportswriters to put more recent events at the top of lists like these. They're fresher in the memory and they've usually been viewed through the prism of television.
That is NOT why the 2004 Yankees top our list.
For starters, as basically anyone even remotely familiar with this series is no doubt aware, this is the first time in 101 years of World Series history that a team has rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win a series. And it's not like anyone else has even come close. The Red Sox were the first team in that situation to force a Game 7, and only two other teams have even made it to a Game 6.
And there were plenty of opportunities for the Red Sox to throw in the towel. Down by one in the ninth in Game 4. Down by two in the eighth in Game 5. Both times they rallied to send the games into extra innings, where they eventually won. Both times Mariano Rivera — arguably the most dominant postseason reliever of his generation — was saddled with a blown save. Or they could have become disheartened when it appeared Schilling was going to be lost for the series with an ankle injury. Instead, they kept faith long enough for Schilling to give it a shot ... and he turned in a masterful Game 6 performance.
But the most compelling aspect of the Yankees' complete and total breakdown is that it's just the type of humiliation New York is used to visiting upon Boston. Since the Red Sox last celebrated a World Series victory, the Yankees have won 26. Twice in the last five years, New York has kept Boston from advancing to the Fall Classic. In fact, probably the only reason the Yankees haven't rallied from a 3-0 deficit to break the Red Sox's hearts is that Boston has never been up 3-0 in a series against New York.
Just look at how the Red Sox won this series, though — particularly the final two games — and it looks all too similar to any number of Yankees' triumphs. Light-hitting Mark Bellhorn's is Boston's Bucky "Bleeping" Dent, a light-hitting middle infielder who hit a series-shifting home run. Johnny Damon is this year's Aaron Boone, a struggling slugger who came to life when it mattered most. And those calls going Boston's way in Game 6? Those are the little things that always seem to go in the Yankees' favor.
Only this time, they didn't. And it's as good a reason for the Yankees' downfall.
2. Jean Van de Velde, 1999 British Open
3. Houston Oilers, 1992 AFC wild card game
4. Philadelphia Phillies, 1964
5. Brooklyn Dodgers, 1951
6. Jana Novotna, 1993 Wimbledon
7. Boston Red Sox, 1978
Bucky "Bleeping" Dent gets the lion's share of the credit for crushing the Red Sox Nation's hopes and dreams with his improbable three-run home run over the Green Monster in a one-game playoff to determine the AL East champion.
But the Red Sox's collapse began long before Dent's seemingly harmless pop fly off of former Yankee Mike Torrez carried over the left-field fence, erasing Boston's 2-0 lead and ultimately putting New York into the postseason.
In mid-July, Boston was 14 games ahead of its New York rivals (who were mired in fourth) in the division race. But before the month was even over, that advantage was down to just 6 1/2. Midway through September, the Yankees were up by 3 1/2, an astounding 17 1/2-game swing.
And in a twist, a George Steinbrenner firing may have been the difference-maker. After the Boss fired an increasingly erratic Billy Martin mid-season, bringing in Bob Lemon, New York went 52-21.
Even as hot as the Yankees were, though, they still wouldn't have caught the Red Sox if Boston hadn't opened September by losing 13 of 17. As it was, Boston needed to win its final eight games just to force that one-game playoff.
But as it turned out, that furious rally only set the Red Sox up for even more heartbreak.
"I was so damn shocked," Torrez said. "I thought maybe it was going to be off the wall. Damn, I did not think it was going to go out."
8. Greg Norman, 1996 Masters
9. Portland Trail Blazers, 2000 Western Conference finals
10. Laurent Fignon, 1989 Tour de France
Dishonorable mention
With the 1986 California Angels one strike away from advancing to the first World Series in franchise history, Dave Henderson hit a two-run home run off Donnie Moore in Game 5 of the ALCS. The Red Sox would win that game in extra innings, then rout the Angels in Games 6 and 7 to reach the World Series.
The 1942 Detroit Red Wings became the first team in sports history to lose a series after taking a 3-0 advantage, losing four straight to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Stanley Cup finals.
Both the 2003 Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox were five outs away from the World Series, thus ensuring at least one of the longest streaks of postseason futility would end.
LSU misses 11 of 12 free-throw attempts while blowing a 31-point second-half lead during a regular season contest against Kentucky.
The 1975 Pittsburgh Penguins coughed up a 3-0 series lead before falling to the New York Islanders in the quarterfinals of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Islanders almost turned the trick again in the next round, rallying from the same deficit to force a Game 7 before falling to the eventual Cup champion Philadelphia Flyers.
No eighth seed had ever upended a No. 1 since the NBA adopted its current playoff format in 1984. And after the 1993-94 Sonics easily won the first two games of their best-of-five series against the woeful Nuggets, it didn't appear one was going to. But Denver won three straight, including two overtime games, to spring the upset.
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There was no way they were coming back from that. Not with Pedro Martinez looking like his best days were behind him. Not with Curt Schilling trying to go on an ankle that required surgery. Not against the Yankees.
But that's one of the things that makes sports so appealing. Until the final out, second or shot, there's always hope, even if it's slim. And conversely, that no lead is too safe, no advantage too great to guarantee.
And so with each successive Red Sox win, the natural inclination (at least mine) was to think about the possibility that the Yankees could actually blow this thing.
And now that the improbable has become reality and the Red Sox are heading to the World Series for the first time since 1986, we can look at the Yankees' monumental collapse and where it ranks among the greatest in sports history.
Here's a hint, though: You won't have to go very far down the list.
1. New York Yankees, 2004 ALCS
There's a tendency among sportswriters to put more recent events at the top of lists like these. They're fresher in the memory and they've usually been viewed through the prism of television.
That is NOT why the 2004 Yankees top our list.
For starters, as basically anyone even remotely familiar with this series is no doubt aware, this is the first time in 101 years of World Series history that a team has rallied from a 3-0 deficit to win a series. And it's not like anyone else has even come close. The Red Sox were the first team in that situation to force a Game 7, and only two other teams have even made it to a Game 6.
And there were plenty of opportunities for the Red Sox to throw in the towel. Down by one in the ninth in Game 4. Down by two in the eighth in Game 5. Both times they rallied to send the games into extra innings, where they eventually won. Both times Mariano Rivera — arguably the most dominant postseason reliever of his generation — was saddled with a blown save. Or they could have become disheartened when it appeared Schilling was going to be lost for the series with an ankle injury. Instead, they kept faith long enough for Schilling to give it a shot ... and he turned in a masterful Game 6 performance.
But the most compelling aspect of the Yankees' complete and total breakdown is that it's just the type of humiliation New York is used to visiting upon Boston. Since the Red Sox last celebrated a World Series victory, the Yankees have won 26. Twice in the last five years, New York has kept Boston from advancing to the Fall Classic. In fact, probably the only reason the Yankees haven't rallied from a 3-0 deficit to break the Red Sox's hearts is that Boston has never been up 3-0 in a series against New York.
Just look at how the Red Sox won this series, though — particularly the final two games — and it looks all too similar to any number of Yankees' triumphs. Light-hitting Mark Bellhorn's is Boston's Bucky "Bleeping" Dent, a light-hitting middle infielder who hit a series-shifting home run. Johnny Damon is this year's Aaron Boone, a struggling slugger who came to life when it mattered most. And those calls going Boston's way in Game 6? Those are the little things that always seem to go in the Yankees' favor.
Only this time, they didn't. And it's as good a reason for the Yankees' downfall.
2. Jean Van de Velde, 1999 British Open
3. Houston Oilers, 1992 AFC wild card game
4. Philadelphia Phillies, 1964
5. Brooklyn Dodgers, 1951
6. Jana Novotna, 1993 Wimbledon
7. Boston Red Sox, 1978
Bucky "Bleeping" Dent gets the lion's share of the credit for crushing the Red Sox Nation's hopes and dreams with his improbable three-run home run over the Green Monster in a one-game playoff to determine the AL East champion.
But the Red Sox's collapse began long before Dent's seemingly harmless pop fly off of former Yankee Mike Torrez carried over the left-field fence, erasing Boston's 2-0 lead and ultimately putting New York into the postseason.
In mid-July, Boston was 14 games ahead of its New York rivals (who were mired in fourth) in the division race. But before the month was even over, that advantage was down to just 6 1/2. Midway through September, the Yankees were up by 3 1/2, an astounding 17 1/2-game swing.
And in a twist, a George Steinbrenner firing may have been the difference-maker. After the Boss fired an increasingly erratic Billy Martin mid-season, bringing in Bob Lemon, New York went 52-21.
Even as hot as the Yankees were, though, they still wouldn't have caught the Red Sox if Boston hadn't opened September by losing 13 of 17. As it was, Boston needed to win its final eight games just to force that one-game playoff.
But as it turned out, that furious rally only set the Red Sox up for even more heartbreak.
"I was so damn shocked," Torrez said. "I thought maybe it was going to be off the wall. Damn, I did not think it was going to go out."
8. Greg Norman, 1996 Masters
9. Portland Trail Blazers, 2000 Western Conference finals
10. Laurent Fignon, 1989 Tour de France
Dishonorable mention
With the 1986 California Angels one strike away from advancing to the first World Series in franchise history, Dave Henderson hit a two-run home run off Donnie Moore in Game 5 of the ALCS. The Red Sox would win that game in extra innings, then rout the Angels in Games 6 and 7 to reach the World Series.
The 1942 Detroit Red Wings became the first team in sports history to lose a series after taking a 3-0 advantage, losing four straight to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Stanley Cup finals.
Both the 2003 Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox were five outs away from the World Series, thus ensuring at least one of the longest streaks of postseason futility would end.
LSU misses 11 of 12 free-throw attempts while blowing a 31-point second-half lead during a regular season contest against Kentucky.
The 1975 Pittsburgh Penguins coughed up a 3-0 series lead before falling to the New York Islanders in the quarterfinals of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Islanders almost turned the trick again in the next round, rallying from the same deficit to force a Game 7 before falling to the eventual Cup champion Philadelphia Flyers.
No eighth seed had ever upended a No. 1 since the NBA adopted its current playoff format in 1984. And after the 1993-94 Sonics easily won the first two games of their best-of-five series against the woeful Nuggets, it didn't appear one was going to. But Denver won three straight, including two overtime games, to spring the upset.
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