On July 31, 2004, the Red Sox took a momentous step toward winning a World Series for the first time in 86 years by completing a blockbuster trade.
Of course, at the time that then-superstar shortstop Nomar Garciaparra was sent to the Cubs as part of a trade deadline deal, many Boston fans viewed it as anything but a step in the right direction.
Yet as beloved as Garciaparra was (and remains) in Boston, the deal ultimately worked out positively for the Red Sox. Both players acquired in return (Doug Mientkiewicz and Orlando Cabrera) went on to help the team win its first World Series since 1918.