He’d done the same thing in a game at Yankee Stadium in September. But nobody played a bigger role in getting the Red Sox their first World Series title in 86 years than Roberts did. 1 stolen base of all time. And then-Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein's mind went somewhere else entirely. His father, Waymon was a United States Marine stationed in Japan when he met and married Eiko, Roberts's mother. Mariano Rivera walked Kevin Millar, and Roberts ran for him and stole second base and scored the tying run on Bill Mueller’s single. Finally he took off with Mueller at the plate. Listed generously at 5’10”, Roberts exceeded expectations and enjoyed a ten-year Major League playing career. “That’s all he had to say.”, Roberts said: “Even with Mo on the mound, and as bleak as things looked, we felt as if we were still in the game.”. Sox activate Moreland from IL, demote Weber By the time Oct. 17 had become Oct. 18 and the game was in extra innings, David Ortiz hit a walk-off home run at old Fenway, and that was the beginning of the greatest postseason comeback of them all. And I knew he was going to try to hold the ball and hold the ball and hold the ball between throws. In 1995, he left the school as the all-time stolen base leader and completed his bachelor’s degree in Arts. Boston's rally for the ages in the 2004 ALCS started with the No. Ortiz won it. But Rivera didn’t glove the ball. Log in here. He said he spent the first few innings of Game 4 in the dugout, then went back to the Red Sox clubhouse from the fifth inning to the seventh, and watched video of Yankees relief pitchers who might be in the game if he went in to pinch-run, which he knew he would do in the late innings if the Red Sox needed a run. Dave Roberts, who manages the Dodgers now, was talking on Monday afternoon about what is still the most famous stolen base in baseball history, Game 4 of the 2004 American League Championship Series, Red Sox against the Yankees, bottom of the ninth, the Red Sox that close to being swept. In the right moment, a stolen base can live forever. Again. A lot, and we mean a lot, had to go right after Roberts stole second base in the ninth inning of Game 4 of the 2004 American League Championship Series. “He said, ‘How the ---- did you just do that?’” Roberts said. The Red Sox had lived to fight another day. Roberts did some stretching, too. So I was ready for that, too. And that's just what he did. In the 14th inning, Ortiz knocked in Johnny Damon. And he would not have scored the tying run in Game 5. by NESN Staff. But he knew he had beaten Jeter’s tag. Dave Roberts’ 2004 ALCS Stolen Base Turns 10, Still Unbelievable (Video) So much changed in just 90 feet. He says that when Rivera fell behind in the count against Millar, he put his helmet on. Ball got through. In Game 4 of the ALCS, Dave Roberts swipes second base for the Red Sox, which set up the game-tying run and remarkable series comeback. He ended his career with a .266 batting average, a .708 OPS, 95 doubles, and 243 steals in 301 attempts. Roberts scored. Roberts was used as a pinch-runner at first base. Roberts entered Game 2 as a pinch runner after Bill Mueller led off with a single, and after Johnny Damon fell behind in the count 0-2 -- patiently waiting for Roberts to break for second -- Damon chopped into a fielder's choice. Man City. New, 38 comments. But nobody ever talks about Game 5.”. Red Sox were behind again, in the bottom of the eighth, by two runs. 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