MLB Baseball's Seasons: 2003

[Music] [Applause] [Music] welcome to baseball seasons 2003 a wild ride [Music] [Applause] [Music] at the beginning of every baseball season we know two things one hope springs eternal even for the most star-crossed of franchises and to with change comes opportunity for myself each new season also brings a new set of goals from defending champions aiming to repeat [Music] [Applause] two familiar championship contenders looking to rebound from disappointment my first job tell mr. Steinberg I thought I had a lot of high expectations I mean if we don't get to the World Series and when it's an off year force and that's the price you pay when you play for the Yankees and after Clemens pettite Messina wells and Weaver failed to get the Yankees to the Fall Classic in 2002 the team set its sights on the Caribbean and Cuban Jose Contreras the offseason prize of Oh three they'd have to battle their arch-rivals we all know the george steinbrenner when there's a premium free agent out there that everybody wants George makes up his mind that he's going to get this guy he's one of the best international pitchers of all time he was going to be the guy that tipped the scales in the American League East there was a lot of competition between the two teams the 2002 season was the fifth consecutive year in which the Red Sox had finished behind the Yankees which was then a major league record to combat the disappointment of the past the Red Sox turned to the future hiring the youngest general manager in baseball history 28 year-old Theo Epstein skeptical about my age so you think I'm too old for the job well I think there's a difference between youthfulness and inexperience but youth rarely Trump's tradition and like so many other Yankee Red Sox battles the Yanks once again came out on top when they signed Contreras was that signing sweeter because you'd beat out the Red Sox it's a prince benefit Theo Epstein was rumored to be so furious that he picked up a chair and threw it against the wall the minute that you heard that the Yankees had won the bidding once again while the Yankees big-spending made them favorites again in 2003 Major League Baseball's a new collective bargaining agreement promised smaller market teams a piece of the pie as well what was born out of the labor talks in 2002 was the Robin Hood theory of taking for the rich and giving to the with the idea of trying to enhance competitive balance the Yankees are just gonna beat everybody up I'm sharing a goodly amount of that money every year with them so that everybody can have something but while the game's economic policies aim to help David compete with Goliath some felt the key to parity could be had for much less it could be found in any local bookstore a Moneyball really took baseball by storm that year and everybody was debating the methodology the book focused on A's G and Billy Beane and his unconventional approaches to building winners in Oakland by focusing on different statistics they were going to the undervalued statistics and say okay what wins baseball games and that's really where on-base percentage really started taking off you know get the guys who don't make outs owners were reading that book and asking their general managers why they couldn't do it and that's when you started seeing thinking GM's go deeper into baseball statistics more than just batting average home runs and RBIs doesn't matter about how much money getting paid is whether or not you could play the game and as the games began in 2003 an early injury appeared to shift the balance of power [Music] [Applause] Derek Jeter's dislocated shoulder would put him out for six weeks but yet another international import to the Bronx quickly picked up the slack well they didn't call him Godzilla in Japan for nothing [Applause] [Music] [Applause] he's a tough cookie he's a blue-collar guy that the players really took a shine to and while Natsu is home opener heroics were a revelation baseball's biggest early surprised was in the AL Central you know the way the Royals started the 2003 seasons was something that was completely unexpected [Applause] scorches this there's no one who could have seen that coming dances city no no no for the first time in club history in that first month the season they were the story of baseball as the 2003 season came into focus it became clear the Angels would not repeat our team wasn't built much differently from the to the 1 and O 2 but Oakland they were the jewel of our division I think it showed up during the season as Moneyball sat atop the bestseller lists in the spring of 2003 the A's under new manager Ken maka continued to cool they were baseball's quintessential small market success story going into the year I mean obviously we had made the playoffs three straight years knew we had a great team we have the big three there the big three mark Mulder Barry Zito and [Applause] who combined for 45 wins in the 2003 season and a 3.0 3 DRA what what's Oakland all about is three things Hudson motor and museum one looks through you guys are there they can pick any philosophy they want you're gonna be very very competitive with the big three on the mound and an offense powered by Eric Chavez and Miguel Tejada the a's got hot early you know three well today's a 22 or 13 off to their best start since 1990 meanwhile in the AL Central the Royals followed their 16 and 7 April with at ten and nineteen eight dropping them into second place behind another small market success story the defending division champs know that team it was definitely special we play like we're just having fun and we're just were just that close rarely is chemistry alone an explanation for a team success [Applause] [Music] but the twins found ways to win despite not having any player ranked in the top ten and homers runs batted in or er a we feel for the first time in a long time in this organization the World Series is a legitimate chance for us [Applause] for Minnesota by the end of Minnesota was on fire but by then the eyes of the baseball world had turned East to the premier rivalry in all sports where two titans of the game were sitting on embers on the brink of election [Applause] having already been trumped by the Yankees and the Jose Contreras sweepstakes the 2003 Red Sox needed to seek other ways to improve their team the Red Sox were trying to find some salary bargains that they could work into the lineup they made some convoluted deal with Kevin Millar who had already committed to play in Japan Bill Miller came in nor T's was simply one of those inexpensive stopgap players who might have some upside I think even they will tell you they didn't realize how good Ortiz could be there's a dry now the Red Sox look like geniuses we've brought him in in 2003 and he really exceeded our expectations [Music] he was just dangerous to hitter as there was long baseball forties joined Manny Ramirez and Nomar Garciaparra to form a fearsome middle of the other than Boston and as the Sox on-field success is mounted so too did their confidence this isn't 1980 16 this is the 2003 sighs we had our own personality the personality that could be summarized in a single phrase wide said listen somebody needs to step up and cowboy up in this locker room and appreciate this team because you're not gonna see a team come around like this too often and we'll all of a sudden this cowboy F thing takes off and then the city adopted this cowboy up with this 2003 Sox and then the shirt started being made and then their hats and I think that's what we believed that this was gonna be the year belief was one thing but after a speedo Martinez the sucks were no match for New York's arsenal of arms four thousand in the Bronx the rocket history is sights [Applause] with Clemens 300 out of the way and a healthy Derek Jeter back patrolling a shortstop New York hit the mid-season marker and full stride but the Red Sox were just two games back and sought to chase the Yankees for the entire season in 2003 the American League's premiere franchise was unmistakable the New York Yankees for the fifth straight year are the American League East champions but the class of the National League had been dominating regular season play even longer we've always kind of built our club on pitching your starting rotation they are the mill victim and for a decade the Braves had an unstoppable trio in Greg Maddux Tom Glavine and John Smoltz they made the Braves who they were for so long facing those guys back to back to back there was no weak spot but Smoltz had moved to the bullpen later no one to protect a fragile arm one two strike three balls of a ball game is over in prior 203 another vaunted member of the Braves rotation signed with a divisional rival when Tom Glavine left it it was like oh my goodness there goes a franchise it looked like things were just going to be destroyed that moment as far as a great amount of race one but acquisitions of Russ Ortiz and Mike Hampton provided new reinforcements on the mound and led by Gary Sheffield Atlanta put together a staggering lineup that flipped the script to redefine Braves dominance and with veterans Chipper Jones Andruw Jones and Javy Lopez also putting together big years the Braves cruised once again in all three title at West the Giants not only had to rebound from October heartbreak but also do so with a new manager and several new players there was high expectation even though we turned the roster over to the point where we had some new people that were gonna contribute the newcomers included infielders at Garden Alphonzo and Rhea Durham who would support reigning MVP Barry Bonds in the San Francisco lineup [Applause] wasn't just Barry Bonds they just had a lot of surrounding parts that made that team really good and great pitching staff with Jason Smit lead the way the Giants would win 100 days in 2003 a known first place the entire season Dusty Baker had left San Francisco after 2002 for a new challenge managing their Cubs led by another feared Slugger and Sammy Sosa Sammy needs a man and I just am from a similar situation were buried the man but Baker had something else to work with a pair of pitchers as talented as any in the game carries a guy that was knocking on the door of high success Pryor was a young pitcher that came with a lot of collegiate a callate and they had real real real good stuff the Cardinals were also in the NL Central Hunt thanks to perhaps the best young player in the game super Slugger Albert who holds [Music] you look for with a great deal like Albert you look for protection in front of behind and we had a right hand hitter he's got rolling and left-hand hitter in Jim Edmonds they got some thunder in this lineup and he just couldn't avoid any of them and they all complemented each other the Astros had their own collection of strong bats in Houston in Jeff Bagwell Craig Biggio Lance Berkman and the newly acquired Jeff cam [Music] [Applause] and the magic continued one night in June at Yankee Stadium after Astros ace Roy Oswalt left after one hitless inning with an injury we know hidden by a group of Astro pitchers Jimmy Williams the manager and said with all the pitchers I'm using it can't be a no-hitter going on here it was the first time it ever happened and it won't happen again as the Cubs cards and Astros jostle for position in this central several other upstart teams set their eyes on the wild card the Expos were in a unique position honed by Major League Baseball and playing a quarter of their home games in Puerto Rico led by hall-of-famer Frank Robinson the club kept an unlikely postseason berth in its sights all summer long Miami Florida a city of contrasts a late-in-life retreat for retirees the trendy stomping ground for the young and restless back in the summer of 2003 Miami's baseball team the Florida Marlins reflected the city's two-prong population I feel like I'm a seasoned citizen in both years and baseball experience here was this grandfatherly guy around this coterie of young spirited talented ballplayers that by and large was still trying to find his way but when McKeon took over the Marlins in May the fish were floundering Jack McKeon's been asked to try to get this flood back on the winning track but I'm not a miracle worker we got a lot of work to do and hopefully we can take this club to another level the club did have talent with a roster that boasted solid pitching reliable defense and speed most notably at the top of the lineup where Juan Pierre and Luis Castillo sparked the offense getting on base they make things happen I'm real excited we'll be a team that's focused around speed Busfield old bassist does getting in scoring position for the team and we do have a little power here also old that power came in the form of budding stars at the infield corners Derek Lee and Mike Lowell [Music] it worked behind the plate was a perennial all-star and Yvonne Rodriguez signed by the team to guide the talented but unproven pitching staff this thing can make the play up all the pieces were in place and as the Marlins heated up they got a jolt of personality on the mouth we will witness the major league debut of Dontrelle Willis Don choke him on the scene you know the turning of the leg a little bit he's got that funky jerky why he had some kind of great contortions I mean hey you know I never seen any buy like dr. Willis was a guy that looked as if he just enjoyed the game was pure joy this guy's got character he's got charisma he's brought prime-time back to South Florida people will enjoy watch me play dr. Willis has taken this community by storm I undo those things you know to me notice I just did those things because I was comfortable doing it that's breakthrough story in the major leagues now that he could pitch a little bit too [Applause] kind of made it a friendly competition between the starting pitcher put a little challenge to him by what he's done on the mound those eyes since he came but really turned it on and they've been great as the mornings crept into the wild-card race the team was bolstered by another strong young arm Josh Beckett along the rookie hitting sensation Miguel Cabrera and Jeff Conine a veteran we've been on Florida's 1997 championship club by summer's end these fish found themselves among eight teams with legitimate hopes of a wild-card berth the logjam continues the nationally wild card race [Applause] I've never been apart anything like this for this many different clubs have a chance to go somewhere in October there's so many teams that are still in the hunt the hunt for October by September the eight teams were all within three and a half games at each other and they'd spend the season's final four weeks jockeying position and if that weren't enough three of those teams were also playing for an NL Central title and that's how it goes you just reshuffle the deck every day it was crazy but ultimately it was us in the Phillies and we had up sweeping him at home and that was the deciding factor [Music] [Applause] [Music] in a year when Moneyball outlined a blueprint for building small market contenders Florida along with al central champion Minnesota and Al west winner Oakland all captured playoff berths despite ranking among the bottom half of teams in payroll what we saw right then is when it comes to baseball there's not so much about money it's about whether or not you can evaluate talent those tears showed you can win a lot of ball games with just talented players even compete with the Yankees Yankees win New York wrapped up its sixth straight division title with relative ease and along the way made a minor upgrade at third base and a deal with Cincinnati oh and one other note today in sports the Yankees got Aaron boom oh okay great a division title for the Yankees meant the Red Sox were once again second but this defeat had a silver lining as the Sox captured the wild-card and battled the ice hard during the season convincing their fan base that this was a different kind of Club the Red Sox finally showed that they were capable foes they were challengers legitimate challengers to the Yankees while the Sox entered the 2003 playoffs trying to exercise 84 years of ghosts at Wrigley Field the Cubs were aiming to vanquish nearly a century's worth [Applause] in Chicago and Boston hopes were high heading into October but as the playoffs would show overcoming ancient demons can be a tricky business the Cubs and Marlins emerged from heated playoff races in 2003 to face teams that had cruised into the postseason with Chicago battling the Braves and Florida taking on the Giants and the start of both series show the pennant was anyones for the taking the crowd is ready and here's the first pit [Applause] bounced back and beat the Cubs [Applause] [Applause] come to Pacbell Park and they get a split I thought we should have one in our own ballpark and we didn't and that be a huge advantage to being up too and all instead of being one on one going into Fargo but a pro player Stadium in Miami in game 3 the Giants clawed their way to an extra enemy and were just one out away from regaining home-field advantage when a viola denita's step to the plate two outs bases loaded bottom of the 11th the Giants leading freaky [Applause] we're good team employer play against us they have to play hard into the last hour because you never know and in Game four San Francisco did just that trailing by two and the ninth the Giants rallied and two and the Marlins would have to take the defending NL champs best shot you've got JT snow in scoring position if he scores we are dead even kids one to left field [Music] [Applause] to the championship series the Marlins may have been eating up but the Cubs appeared the team best armed for a World Series run with aces Mark Prior and Kelly was leading the way past and better there's a great one-two punch prior with power change of speeds and smooth delivery etc [Applause] Carrie wood with a live fastball I mean live he plays it right by him that ball exploded we believed that we could beat the Braves at that time we believed we could beat anybody [Applause] when they beat Atlanta everybody in Chicago figured we are finally going to the World Series it had been 58 years since the Cubs had reached the Fall Classic and there was a sense that the baseball gods were stirring meanwhile in New York one year seemed like an eternity for Yankee fans and with their sights set on reclaiming the AL pennant the Yankees against the things that appeared the Red Sox long championship drought would continue as Oakland took the series opener in dramatic fashion and then made it to behind a dominant Barry Zito leaving the A's one went away from the ALCS and the Sox searching for answers so we get back to Boston at night about 3:30 in the morning we've flown for five hours and I came in the clubhouse I said boys I'm shaving my head and I think 25 guys or 30 guys shave their head these kind of things work and I said you watch we'll be in Game five [Applause] [Music] we had a couple plays in Game three where we've scored a bunch of promise [Applause] we get to the 11th inning in trot Nixon came up [Applause] [Music] [Applause] it's just getting a small piece of momentum believing in yourself and we all did that carries on to the next game [Music] David Ortiz go ahead double and give him for help tie this is and in Game five Manny Ramirez down the heroes care I think going into that game Manny was like three for 24 off a berry [Applause] [Music] [Applause] we just didn't finish him off you know we had plenty of opportunity but it's couldn't get the job done [Music] [Applause] those are five outstanding games this time of year guys can take it to another level we did that's exciting when we play them in April so I know it in October I don't know what will be exciting - can you believe it from the friendly confines of Wrigley Field in Chicago the National League Championship Series about to get underway the Chicago Cubs were the Cinderella team in baseball this season dusty comes in turns them from lovable losers into winners I was fresh coming off the World Series and in San Francisco the year before so my confidence and Leif was at the peak Dusty Baker had other reasons to be confident as well with a strong lineup at his command and a staff led by a pair of young stars on the mound cherrywood bursted strikeouts in the national a teammate Mark Pryor second and strikeouts but while the Cubs appeared armed and ready the Cinderella Marlins also had an impressive young pitching staff and a group of players who were excited to try on the wild card glass slipper this is a club that played with a great deal of heart our players had tremendous desire and there was no fear whatsoever over in the American League the Red Sox and Yankees had faced off 19 times in the regular season now another chapter to their historic rivalry would be written in the ALCS I don't think there's anything that has to be described about when the Yankees go to Boston or or when Boston comes to the stadium it was war that's what makes this series awesome you got to heavyweight fighters this is almost like the World Series really Mike Mussina I got the call for round one of the heavyweight bout and the Sox wasted little time and throwing the first punch [Music] [Applause] Chicago meanwhile had begun as a slugfest with the Cubs taking a four to nothing lead in the first but the Marlins answered it with a five spot of their own in that third you couldn't give that team any breaks because they really took advantage I mean we scored to the score three score for this they score five which is like that in the Bronx Boston's game one power search continued with homers from Todd Walker and Manny Ramirez and knuckleballer Tim Wakefield baffled the Yanks Unruh to a 5-2 Sox win over the Boston Red Sox they call one game in the American League Championship Series while Game one ended quietly in the Bronx the Cubs and Marlins went to extra innings in their wild opener and in the 11th Mike mole hit the game's seventh over the Yanks and Cubs both even things in their respective game twos setting up key battles of Boston and Florida we game through in Miami Doug Glanville RBI triple in the 11th gave the Cubs an extra inning many but that drama was overshadowed the next day at Fenway where everyone was excited for a marquee pitching matchup we got Roger and Martinez fireworks were expected and delivered this is the first postseason game in which there have been nine combined saw Young Awards ever and as the battle between Boston legends past and present began things heated up in a hurry Garcia delivered a base hit an RBI first time up over his head CNN talaikan there's a lot of stuff going on at the ball park that day balls coming in on guys Pedro and what I thought was a clear attempt to hit a guy I thought it was really retribution more than it was making a statement or competitive Korean gets the first base and next next ball is a ground ball and he tries to kill Todd Walker [Music] [Applause] the entire level of intensity has been raised another knot is highlighted now Manny walks and he shot angrily Wow is this ugly cooler heads eventually prevailed and the Yanks got the win and the edge in this series and this will definitely go down as an intense the game 3 brawl stole headlines all over the country but back in Miami that Cubs were only interested in taking a commanding lead in their series which they did by beating Dontrelle Willis and the fish 8 to 3 [Applause] World Series in Boston meanwhile Tim Wakefield's nutless Stein make New York again even in the ALCS at 2 and quite a night for Tim Wakefield he gets a huge ovation as he walks off the mound from the fanlight faithful we don't 5 in Miami that Cubs were looking to finish off the fish and reach their first World Series since 1945 but the Marlins wouldn't go easily as Josh Beckett tossed a 2 hit shutout keeping the Florida season alive at least a couple more nights this is a great game against him just tip your hat to him say hey we're going home with Pryor in would and will went at home in front of our fans [Applause] have a chance again how many times have you heard that phrase wait till next year decades of frustration by Cubs and Red Sox fans have begun to give way to anticipation as their teams battled in the 2003 league championships Cubs Red Sox World Series Wow but the Yankees didn't share any sort of excitement and in Game five New York regain control of the ALCS the Red Sox down faced with the daunting task of going to New York down three games to two all the money's got to be on the 80s here the 2003 Sox walking in here whereas losses can be besides besides watching these Red Sox having a good time you wouldn't know that they were down 3 to 2 Nomar is going to store a triple and it we believed in ourselves we knew we were going to game seven this is what's about as a storybook for baseball's others star-crossed franchise game six offered the chance to capture an NL pennant and advance to the World Series for the first time in nearly six decades and starting Game six was a symbol of a new era with Cubs baseball [Applause] [Music] [Applause] mark pryor was just dominating us it was three nothing there was one out in the eighth inning where they had five outs to get to the World Series fly ball to left toward the line Alou over does he have room I know I had it I had a great jump I timed the ball real well and I had it my god the Cubs tragic saga had included everything from a cat to a goat and now a fan named Steve Bartman stepped into the spotlight at the same time we all said let's make this guy famous that's a patient coming in the store is Pierre they called the Bartman game but we had an opportunity to get out of that situation you know with the double play it wasn't the Bartman non play that did it it was the four hits and the air after the Bartman ball can you believe it game is tied at three there's no stopping the fish into the eight to three game [Applause] all real Cubs fans knew it was over they knew it was over down two runs in Game seven Kerry woods home run gave Cubs fans a final glimmer of hope [Applause] but on the mound food couldn't deliver one more dominant performance and soon the Cubs clear shot at the Fall Classic was done when you have a three run lead and five outs to go to get you someplace you haven't been since 1945 you really need to get those five outs Cubs couldn't do it the next night at Yankee Stadium the rejuvenated Red Sox were primed and ready for the opportunity of a Game seven we won in this game as comprehend as can be Pedro Martinez coming here to the Bronx to try to get the Red Sox into the World Series against Florida he's focused he's in control remarkable so far tonight with Martinez dominating the ladies David Ortiz appeared to punch the Sox ticket to the World Series in the a we're starting to feel good about yourself with the Red Sox five defensive outs away from heading to the World Series Pedro was ruling but entered the eighth just at his normal 100 pitch count threshold and that was the only opening of the Yanks with me [Applause] [Music] Grady comes out and ask Pedro basically how you feeling and and he says I want the ball I got these guys is gonna stick with his starter I'm right with gray on this issue Pedro Martinez the pitch and if anybody can get out of a jam Pedro can do it even if his players had faith in their ace littles decision to leave Martinez in the game would become one of the most infamous in postseason history Ceri this was not second guessing everyone said what is he doing why is he leaving in there [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] we managed to come back on him and now here we are any extra neck Mariano Rivera's three scoreless innings kept the momentum in Yankee hands into the bottom of the 11th I knew I was leading off the inning just running off the field and actually feeling like I was going to do something good I just happen to say don't I said just get a single hey just think back through the middle doesn't mean you won't you won't hit a home run doesn't mean you won't hit a home run [Applause] who's the greatest feeling I could ever have all of a sudden we're heading to another World Series for the Boston Red Sox more heartbreak game was especially tough I think everybody on our team that night felt like there really is a curse [Applause] [Music] good evening everyone that welcome to Yankee Stadium the site of the 2003 World Series it's a beautiful night in the Bronx it was a tale of two very different clubs the perennial powerhouse back in the series spotlight for the sixth time in eight years and the scrappy underdogs aiming for the speck and shooting for a second title as a wild-card no I think that really let us be free and play loose and together as a team my guess would be no it was savvy intuition and in Game one Florida used its trademark speed at the top of its lineup to grab the early lead on a night one starter Brad Perry kept the nanti bats at babe after Penny's strong start we gather abena came on to close it out tomorrow and you know hopefully we take games but in Game two the Yankees return to a reliable source of postseason success on the mound while at the plate a newcomer provided power Hideki Matsui is first in any blast made in the first Japanese player ever to homer in the Fall Classic and the Yanks cruised to a 6-1 win tying the series at one game apiece as the teams headed south to sunny Florida the right-handers yielded just one run apiece through seven innings but anyways the Yanks rallied off Dontrelle Willis and then the best closer and they get him to shut the door for his pit save at the postseason now leave this world series two games to one the Marlins took the lead early in Game four but in the ninth the yankees rallied against Urbina [Applause] [Music] one more strike to wrap it up here's the strength [Applause] [Applause] the game stayed tied into the 12th when Alex Gonzalez made just his second hit of this series of big [Applause] [Music] and the next night Florida snagged another early lead and boost I'm headed to grab a 3-2 series lead well we're back where we started right here at Yankee Stadium the Marlins roll in after winning two of three at home they're up three games to two six seasons earlier the Marlins had won their first World title and now with Florida one went away from again surprising the baseball world the club turned to Josh Beckett on three days rest a decision that appeared like the right one from the ELSA home plate still 60 feet six inches away I said Colin execute pitches and I was I was at Beckett get the Yankee bat silent all night and after Florida scratched out two yards off Andy Pettitte the big righty came out for the 9th looking to finish he started Jorge Posada the last toke for the Yankees here that I do [Music] [Applause] [Music] David had sling Goliath or at least that's how everyone else in the baseball establishments on in our minds we were alleged contender we were the hottest team in baseball going in there and we proved over the next four years four more wildcard teams would advance to the World Series Astros are going to the old five World Series series [Applause] [Music] only one of them would win it all the Boston Red Sox who in 2004 would make an improbable journey to world series a journey that in many ways began the night they fell to the Angels a series that was the highlight of an incredible numerable 2003 a wild ride in what was an unforgettable baseball season [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] you

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Id: _s3qYxYymDo

Length: 47min 58sec (2878 seconds)

Published: Tue Mar 03 2020