After their 2003 season ended with Aaron Boone's home run, the Red Sox began to look for help that could take them to the next level in 2004. They added two key arms, one by trade, the other through free agency, and it is hard to imagine how they could have worked out any better. Curt Schilling rebounded from an injury-plagued season to win 20 games for the Sox, while closer Keith Foulke saved 32 games, bringing order to a bullpen that had been chaotic a year earlier.

        Twice while pitching for the Arizona Diamonbacks, Schilling had been runner-up in the Cy Young vote, behind his teammate Randy Johnson. In 2004, Schilling was again runner-up in the vote, and again behind a left-hander. The Twins' Johan Santana doesn't stand 6'10", but otherwise was every bit as dominating as the Big Unit.
        Santana was a former Rule V draft pick who had worked his way into the Twins' rotation the year before. Early on, this season did not appear to be destined for greatness; he had been plagued early in the spring by a sore elbow and forearm spasms, and after he lost his start of May, Santana was 2-3 with a 5.61 ERA.
        Over the remainder of the season he was 18-3 with a 1.51 ERA, one of the most incredible four-month stretches that any pitcher has ever put together. Even after the slow start, Santana was still clearly the best pitcher in the league, and was deserving of the Cy Young.
        The Twins gave up the fewest runs of any team in the league. A lot of that was Santana, but he also had two outstanding teammates, Brad Radke and Joe Nathan. At age 31, Radke was pitching in his 11th season with the Twins. He made his debut as a regular in the Twins' starting rotation in 1995, and in his first seven seasons almost never missed a start. He won 20 games in 1997; that was followed by three losing seasons, though he pitched well in each year. He came back and won 15 games in 2001.
        Then came a career crisis. In 2002, he was forced onto a lengthy stay on the disabled list by a groin injury. In 2003, he pitched very poorly in the first half of the season. Then came a remarkable turnaround; Radke was 9-1 in the second half of 2003, and contined his success in 2004. Though only 11-8, he pitched much better than his record, and was again one of the best and most durable starters in the league.
        After the Twins lost All-Star closer Eddie Guardado to free agency, they acquired Joe Nathan in a trade with the San Francisco Giants. Pitching in middle relief, he had made a remarkable comeback with the Giants in 2003 following shoulder surgery. He had only one career save entering this season, and though the team did not commit to him as their closer entering the season, he quickly grabbed the job, converting all of his save opportunities in April and never faltering the rest of the season.
        There's not a heck of a lot to choose between Nathan and Yankees great Mariano Rivera, who led the league with 53 saves. Another Yankee, veteran Flash Gordon, had a magnificent year as Rivera's setup man, while Keith Foulke of the Red Sox had a terrific regular season, and was one of their playoff heroes. But if forced to choose, I think that Nathan was the best reliever in the American League. Across the board, his numbers — saves, save percentage, strikeouts, walks, ERA, opponents batting average and OPS — are just a tiny bit better than the rest.
        Curt Schilling's 2004 regular season is certainly worth discussing; though not quite at Santana's level, he was still clearly the #2 pitcher in the American League. He was 37 years old, and had been plagued by injuries in the previous season; even this year, he pitched with a deep bone bruise in his right ankle. And been brought to Boston with the enormous expectations that he would lead them to a championship.
        The regular season, however, was overshadowed by the postseason. In the ALDS, he won his only start against the Angels — but suffered a tear in the ankle that caused the tendon to loosen. He started the first game of the ALCS against the Yankees wearing a brace on his foot, but was beaten soundly; the brace failed to keep the tendon in place, and Schilling's mechanics suffered.
        Seven days later, Schilling pitched again in Game Six. His opportunity to make history was fortunate; the Sox staved off elimination with a 12-inning win in Game Four and a 14-inning win in Game Five. Schilling gave up only one run in seven innings, leading the Sox to a 4-2 win. In an experimental procedure, doctors put three stitches into Schilling's ankle to keep the tendon in place. With the help of painkillers, Schilling pitched a great game; television viewers also got to see, up close, the blood slowly seeping into his sock.
        Schilling was only needed once in the World Series; he shut down the Cardinals and called it a season. After the Sox won the championship, he donated his bloody sock from the game to the Hall of Fame. The irony was lost on no one, that the most enduring symbol of the Red Sox first World Series in 86 years was a blood-red sock.