All 9 Times The Boston Red Sox Have Won The World Series

Netflix’s new docuseries The Comeback: 2004 Boston Red Sox follows the historic and improbable World Series victory by the 2004 Boston Red Sox. Released on Netflix on October 23, 2024 – exactly twenty years after the start of the 2004 World Series between the Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals – The Comeback features new interviews with Red Sox legends such as David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez, and more. The Comeback overviews the Red Sox’s “Curse of the Bambino” that superstitiously prevented them from winning a World Series since 1918 before they finally pulled it off in 2004.

The Red Sox are one of the oldest teams in Major League Baseball and as a result, have one of the richest histories of the game. Because of this, the team also had one of the most devoted fanbases of diehard supporters, a tradition that has been passed down through multiple generations. The Red Sox were founded in 1901 and have played in the legendary Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts since 1912. Fenway Park remains the oldest active MLB ballpark in the world, followed by the Chicago Cubs’ Wrigley Field, which was established in 1914. Fenway Park is the home of the iconic Green Monster.

As depicted in The Comeback, the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees have one of the most historic and heated rivalries in all of professional sports. Before the Red Sox’s miraculous come-from-behind victory over the Yankees after being down 3 games to none in the 2004 American League Championship Series, the Yankees were a dominant force who won the World Series a league-high 26 times. They won their 17th title in 2009. Despite the Yankees having the most World Series wins of all time, the Red Sox have established themselves as consistent contenders in the modern era following their 2004 win.

All three episodes of
The Comeback
are streaming exclusively on Netflix.

9 1903

Defeated Pittsburgh Pirates 5 games to 3

The first World Series ever was between the Pittsburg Pirates and the Boston Americans, who changed their name to the Boston Red Sox in 1908. The Americans defeated the Pirates by a margin of 5 games to 3 to take home the first-ever World Series title in a best-of-nine series. The 1903 World Series took place at the original home of the Pirates, Exposition Park, and the Red Sox, Huntington Avenue Grounds. Buck Freeman, Freddy Parent, and Chick Stahl led the Red Sox in hitting, while legendary pitcher Cy Young pitched four games with an ERA of 1.85 and 17 strikeouts. Despite the Red Sox being considered underdogs at the start of the series, they were able to come back from a 3-1 deficit to win 4 straight games and take home the first World Series banner.

8 1912

Defeated New York Giants 4 games to 3

The Red Sox defeated the New York Giants in the ninth-ever World Series in 1912. It was the first World Series to ever be hosted at Fenway Park. The Giants, who moved to San Francisco in 1957, won the World Series in 1905 and would go on to win again in 1921, 1922, 1933, and 1954 before relocating to Northern California. The Red Sox won the first game but blew a 3-1 series lead to head into Game 8 with the series tied at 3 wins apiece following a Game 2 draw. Ultimately, the Red Sox were able to pull through and beat the Giants by a score of 3-2 after 10 innings at Fenway Park. The location of Game 8 was determined by a coin flip. Notable Red Sox hitters include Jake Stahl, Steve Yerkes, Tris Speaker, and Harry Hooper.

7 1915

Defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 4 games to 1

The 1915 World Series was the first in the Red Sox’s history to feature the most legendary MLB player of all time, Babe Ruth. Ruth was one of four future Hall of Famers on the 1915 Red Sox World Series championship team along with Harry Hooper, Herb Pennock, and Tris Speaker. It marked the first World Series appearance for the Phillies in their franchise history. Woodrow Wilson became the first U.S. President in American history to attend a World Series game during this series. The Phillies had future Hall of Famers Grover Cleveland Alexander, Dave Bancroft, and Eppa Rixey, the first of whom pitched in the Phillies’ Game 1 victory. Despite Ruth’s acclaim, he was still early in his career and did not make an appearance on the pitcher’s mound for the Red Sox. He pinched-hit for one at-bat but did not record a hit.

6 1916

Defeated the Brooklyn Robins 4 games to 1

The Red Sox won their fourth World Series title in 1916 against the Brooklyn Robins, which was a nickname for the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Dodgers became the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1957 but were founded as the Brooklyn Grays in 1883. Babe Ruth pitched 14 innings in the series, 13 of which were shutout, and only allowed one earned run, helping the Red Sox defeat the Robins in five games. Ruth also had five at-bats and recorded zero hits but got an RBI on a walk. Future Hall of Famer Casey Stengel led the Brooklyn Robins’ offense but proved to be no match for the Red Sox’s elite pitching staff, which also included Ernie Shore and Dutch Leonard. Both the 1915 and 1916 World Series were held at Braves Field in Boston instead of Fenway Park due to its larger audience capacity.

5 1918

Defeated the Chicago Cubs 4 games to 2

Despite the victory, the 1918 World Series would go on to haunt the Red Sox franchise and fanbase for the following 86 years. It would be the final World Series that the Red Sox would have Babe Ruth on their squad before his infamous trade to the New York Yankees, where he would help the Red Sox’s arch-rivals win seven American League pennants and four World Series Championships in 1923, 1927, 1928, and 1932. Ruth had his most impressive World Series performance as a member of the Red Sox in 1918, which included a Game 4 win in which he pitched eight innings and went 1-for-2 with a 2-RBI triple. “The Curse of the Bambino” would subsequently be born following Ruth’s trade in 1919. The Red Sox effectively sold Ruth to the Yankees for $100,000.

4 2004

Defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 4 games to 0

The famed 2004 World Series finally ended “The Curse of the Bambino” for the Boston Red Sox in what became the most remarkable season in the franchise’s history. After multiple close calls and World Series opportunities throughout the decades, including the infamous 1986 blunder against the New York Mets, the Red Sox finally sealed the deal behind the magnificent pitching of Pedro Martinez and the clutch hitting of David Ortiz. As depicted in Netflix’s The Comeback, the Red Sox improbably defeated the New York Yankees in the 2004 ALCS on their way to sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series, becoming the first team in MLB history to ever come back from a 3-0 postseason deficit.

3 2007

Defeated the Colorado Rockies 4 games to 0

The Boston Red Sox won their seventh World Series title in 2007 by sweeping the Colorado Rockies 4 games to none. Terry Francona became the second manager in Red Sox history to win two World Series titles along with Bill Carrigan (1915 and 1916). The Red Sox finished first in the American League East with a total of 96 wins, defeating the Los Angeles Angels in the ALDS and the Cleveland Indians 4 games to 3 in the ALCS. The Red Sox made a statement in Game 1 of the 2007 World Series by defeating the Rockies by a commanding score of 13-1 behind the dominant pitching of the ALCS MVP Josh Beckett. The Red Sox also had a strong starting pitching rotation to thank for their swift victory, which included aces Daisuke Matsusaka, Curt Schilling, and Jon Lester.

2 2013

Defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 4 games to 2

The Red Sox once again defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2013 World Series on the back of MVP slugger David Ortiz. This was the tenth meeting between teams from Boston and St. Louis in a major league professional sports championship. This matchup had previously happened in three World Series (1946, 1967, 2004), four NBA Finals (1957, 1958, 1960, 1961), Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002, and the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals. The Cardinals finished the season with 97 wins and placed first in the National League. Despite their best efforts from a core group of heavy hitters such as Yadier Molina, Matt Carpenter, and Allen Craig, the valiant Red Sox defense was able to hold them off. Notable players included Jacoby Ellsbury, Sane Victorino, and Dustin Pedroia. The Red Sox won just months after the Boston Marathon bombing.

1 2018

Defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 4 games to 1

The most recent Red Sox World Series victory arrived in 2018 in a commanding 4-1 series win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Red Sox came off a franchise-best regular season record of 108 wins and 54 losses and were a red-hot favorite going into the postseason led by All-Stars Mookie Betts, Craig Kimbrel, J. D. Martinez, and Chris Sale. Betts led the league in batting average while Martinez led in RBIs, creating a powerful batting duo that was tough to beat. The Dodgers came back from a 16-26 start to the season and defied the odds to make it to the World Series after mid-season acquisitions Manny Machado and David Freese. In what is arguably the best Red Sox team ever assembled next to the 2004 team depicted in The Comeback, the 2018 Red Sox won the franchise’s ninth World Series title in dominant fashion.