When Aaron Boone sent that Tim Wakefield knuckleball deep into the New York night in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS, it seemed like rock bottom. Earlier that evening, the Red Sox were just six outs away from heading to the World Series when manager Grady Little decided to leave a tired Pedro Martinez in the game and... you know the rest. It was one of the most devastating losses in Boston history.
But, in hindsight, it may have been a blessing.
Who knows if the Red Sox win Game 7 if Boone’s home run isn’t hit, but even if we say they do, those 2003 Marlins were a wagon.