Netflix’s brand-new documentaryThe Comeback: 2004 Boston Red Soxrevealshow the Boston Red Sox ultimately overcame the infamous Curse of the Bambino, which is believed to have plagued the baseball team for 86 years. AlthoughThe Comebackisnew to Netflix, with an June 30, 2025, release date, it could easily move up the ranks ofNetflix’s best sports documentaries. The show’s three episodes are an exhilarating, in-depth recap of the 2004 MLB events with footage from that year.
There have also been a number of documentaries about the 2004 World Series. This includes the well-known 2004 movieReverse of the Curse of the Bambino, which has previously ranked amongthe best HBO sports documentaries. With years of developments, reflections, and changes since the event, however,The Comebacksheds a whole new light upon this major event in MLB history and the Curse of the Bambino itself.
The Curse Of The Bambino Was A Superstitious Curse Applied To The Boston Red Sox Between 1918 & 2004
For Many Bostonians, This Was So Much More Than A Superstition
The Curse of the Bambino was named for world-renowned baseball legend Babe Ruth, whose nickname was the Great Bambino (one of them, at least; he had several others). Trading Babe Ruth to the Yankees was believed to be the catalyst for the curse that the Red Sox felt they were up against for 86 years. Initially, Babe Ruth played for the Red Sox.
“Trading Babe Ruth to the Yankees was believed to be the catalyst for the curse.”
Babe Ruth played for the Red Sox from 1915 to 1919, during which time the Red Sox won multiple World Series, in 1915, 1916, and 1918. In fact, up to that point, the Red Sox had built quite a good reputation, as they had also won in 1903 and 1912. Despite that winning streak with Ruth on their team,the Red Sox traded Ruth to the New York Yankees in 1919, which would prove a fateful decision.
With Ruth on their team, the Yankees absolutely dominated the world of baseball. The team remains the record-holder for the most World Series wins of all time, currently sitting at 27 World Series titles. Ruth played for the Yankees from 1920-1934, during which time the Yankees won four World Series, in 1923, 1927, 1928, and 1932.
Not only did the Red Sox not win a single World Series between the year they traded Babe Ruth and 2004, but they also faced a much bigger problem. They couldn’t manage to beat the Yankees, even outside World Series games. Because of these records, the so-called Curse of the Bambino—the notion that trading Ruth had cursed the team—came about. For some, this was only a superstition, said sarcastically when the Red Sox lost, but for many in Boston (and beyond), this curse was real.
How The Curse Of The Bambino Impacted Boston’s Approach To The 2004 World Series
The Stakes Couldn’t Have Been Higher For Boston In 2004
As if the Curse of the Bambino wasn’t enough of an obstacle on its own,the 2004 World Series that would change the fate of Boston came on the heels of the team’s most crushing loss to date. In 2003, the Red Sox faced off against the Yankees in theAmerican League Championship Series (ALCS). The winner of this series would be the team to advance to the World Series, at which point they would play the Florida Marlins. This series went all the way to game 7, meaning whoever won that final game was going to be the champion.
In the end, the Red Sox came incredibly close, and they were even heavily projected to win midway through the game, but the Yankees took home that win. Many attribute this Red Sox loss to former Red Sox manager Grady Little (who was fired after this game, notably), as he left pitcher Pedro Martínez in the game long after many felt he was too tired out to keep going. This loss was particularly devastating for the team, andThe Comebackshowed the players back in the locker room, many of them brought to tears.
This loss was particularly devastating for the team.
This context and the Curse of the Bambino heavily informed how the Red Sox approached their game against the Yankees in 2004, which once again saw the rivals facing off to determine who would advance to the World Series. In a shockingly similar scenario to 2003, the Red Sox and Yankees went all the way to game 7. This had in fact been a record-breaking outcome, as the Red Sox were the first MLB team to come back from a 3-0 loss record and win the series—they remain the only team to do so.
The team was not going to make the same mistake it had made the previous year, though. Not only had a number of trades happened in the year since (including, controversially, trading Nomar Garciaparra, but also, the team was much more mindful of players tiring out. This time, the pitchers traded off in the seventh inning, with Pedro Martínez stepping in for starting pitcher Derek Lowe.
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How The 2004 Boston Red Sox Team Finally Ended The 86-Year Curse Of The Bambino
After Nearly A Century, The Red Sox Finally Beat The Yankees And Ended The Curse
With this brand-new approach and a dedication to finally end their curse,the Red Sox managed to beat the Yankees in game 7 of the 2004 ALCS series, with an impressive 10-3 final score. The Red Sox had officially beaten the Yankees and advanced to the World Series, where they ultimately defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in a clean sweep. After winning four back-to-back games against the Cardinals and taking home the World Series title, the Red Sox had officially broken the Curse of the Bambino.
The Red Sox had officially broken the Curse of the Bambino.
It’s difficult to adequately describe what this win meant to the Boston Red Sox, but it was a momentous occasion, to say the least.The Comebackdepicts the streets of Boston lined with fans waving the Red Sox bus on upon their return home and Red Sox merchandise laid out on gravestones, as many wanted to share the win with late relatives. The Boston Red Sox have since won the World Series in 2007, 2013, and 2018, suggesting the 2004 win shown inThe Comeback: 2004 Boston Red Soxwas the end of the curse.
The Comeback: 2004 Boston Red Sox
The film chronicles the Red Sox’s 86-year wait for a World Series title, with insights from players and personnel involved in the victory.
