THE "IDIOTS" REVERSE THE CURSE

October 4, 2004 ... Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz, who were the first set of teammates to each hit at least 40 homers and 40 doubles in a season, led the way as they became the 11th tandem in major league history to exceed a .300 batting average, 40 homers, and 100 RBIs. They joined the likes of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, Duke Snider and Roy Campanella, and Willie Mays and Orlando Cepeda.

Ramirez became the first Sox player to lead the league in homers (43) since Tony Armas hit 43 in 1984. Ramirez also led the league with a .613 slugging percentage. Ortiz finished with a league- leading 91 extra base hits, one shy of Jimmie Foxx's 1938 franchise record.

Johnny Damon fell just shy of becoming the first Sox player to lead the league in runs since Wade Boggs scored 113 in 1989. Damon, who scored 123, finished second to Anaheim's Vladimir Guerrero (124).  The Sox's 373 doubles tied the major league record set by the 1930 Cardinals and matched by the '97 Sox.

Mark Bellhorn, who had a career year, also set the major league record for strikeouts by a switch hitter (177) and broke Butch Hobson's club record of 162.

Terry Francona finished the regular season with the best record (98- 64) for a first-year Sox manager since the 1912 team went 105-47 under Jake Stahl and won the World Series. Francona joined Stahl, Ed Barrow (1918), Dick Williams ('67), Joe Morgan ('88), and Kevin Kennedy ('95) as the only Sox skippers to lead the team to the postseason in their first years at the helm.

JERRY REMY & DON ORSILLO

About 6,000 fans crammed the first-base grandstand as live interviews with players were carried on the big center-field screen from Anaheim, Calif. The rally, which was free and open to the public, was hosted by NESN's Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy at Fenway during the team's workout in Anaheim. Entertainers included the Dropkick Murphys.

The stands even included stars of Red Sox pennants past. Halfway up, unnoticed by many fans who were too young to fully suffer the heartache that was the 1986 World Series, sat former pitcher Dennis "Oil Can" Boyd and catcher Rich Gedman from that historic squad.