Trade of the Century: An Alternate Baseball Timeline

[free my dawg]

“There was certainly a sense after Game 7 that we couldn't endure this pain again. We're gonna have to finish the job.” - Gordon Edes, beat writer for ESPN.com, ESPN's 30 for 30: The Deal

2003 had left the Red Sox reeling. In Game 7, just as all hope had lost, an unknown third baseman named Aaron Boone dashed New England's hopes with a single stroke of his bat. First it was Babe Freaking Ruth. Then, nearly 60 years later, it was Bucky Freaking Dent. And now, Aaron Freaking Boone had extended the Curse of the Bambino for one more year. After 85 years of suffering, something had to give.

“When he signed the agreement, you know, we started to really think, “This is what gets us over the hump.”” - Theo Epstein

The Red Sox's turnaround all started on November 29, 2003, when the Red Sox traded for Curt Schilling. It represented the first real offseason win over the Yankees in years, especially after losing the bidding war for pitcher Jose Contreras. But after a Thanksgiving week of intense negotiations, Theo Epstein came away with an ace to pair with Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe. They had three top pitchers in their rotation, but real prize of the Red Sox offseason was yet to come.

“He was our spark. Manny and Nomar are great players and teammates...” Kevin Millar

On December 17, 2003, everything looked hopeless. The Red Sox had a deal in place to acquire Alex Rodriguez, including a restructure, but the MLBPA had vetoed it at the last second. The thought of leaving money on the table concerned the players' union, and they refused to approve on those grounds. However, in a stunning reversal, the Red Sox decided to do whatever it took to win – even if it meant going over the luxury tax.

“But A-Rod was A-Rod!” - Kevin Millar

[free my dawg]

A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE: BOSTON ACQUIRES A-ROD, ORDONEZ
December 22nd, 2003
Boston Globe
by Bob Ryan

In a blockbuster move, the Red Sox have acquired Alex Rodriguez, giving up Manny Ramirez and prospect Jon Lester. This comes as a shock to the baseball world, as Boston was previously unwilling to take on Rodriguez's contract. But in a Christmas miracle, the Red Sox have reversed course, trading away face of the franchise Nomar Garciaparra for Magglio Ordonez and pitching prospect Brandon McCarthy.

Rodriguez, better known as A-Rod, is the reigning American League MVP. At just 27 years old, he has seven All-Star titles under his belt and has finished in the top 10 of MVP voting for the past 4 years. Ordonez has four All-Star seasons under his belt. He joins a lineup with breakout star David Ortiz, who hit 31 home runs and 109 RBIs in limited playing time last year.

When asked about why he chose Boston, Rodriguez said, “Watching the 2003 ALCS really made me appreciate the Sox-Yankees rivalry. I knew from watching the team that the Sox were one step away from winning it all, and from that point on I knew I wanted to bring a championship to Boston.”

The introductory press conference was an unusual affair, with Ortiz joining Red Sox brass to make their pitch. Instead of the rest of the jerseys, he wore a Santa hat with his current attire. Ortiz later said, “I'm so excited to have A-Rod here. He's been a friend of mine for a long time since we were in the minors, and I knew we had to get him here. Merry Christmas, Boston.”

This not only adds tremendous pressure to the Red Sox's rivalry with the Yankees, but to his personal rivalry with Derek Jeter. Their once-close friendship fell apart after Rodriguez said that Jeter was “surrounded by talent” in New York and never had to lead like he did. But for the first time in three years, the best player in baseball has the surrounding talent to make it work.