Despite the New York Yankees’ best attempts both on and reportedly off the field, the Boston Red Sox broke their 86-year World Series drought in 2004.
In the recent Netflix documentary, “The Comeback: 2004 Boston Red Sox,” Red Sox legends Pedro Martinez and Curt Schilling allege that the Yankees bugged the visitor’s clubhouse before Game 2 of the AL Championship Series. These claims are being revealed publicly for the first time, two decades after the series.
According to Mass Live, Martinez stated in Episode 3 that “something was going on…” “I recall climbing to the clubhouse ceiling prior to the game and removing a microphone and, I believe, a small device that was transmitting our conversations.”
Schilling went on, “I understand the difference between a microphone and not a microphone, and this was similar to a lapel mic.” “The red light was on, and it was fastened to a small box.”
Despite losing Games 1 and 2 in New York, the Red Sox won the ALCS in seven games. The Yankees took a 3-0 series lead before blowing it all away, and Martinez was the losing pitcher in Game 2 against Jon Lieber, which they won 3-1 to earn their second series triumph.
The series was directed by ardent Red Sox supporter and former intern Colin Barnicle. He stated that these accusations “came up organically” in an interview with The Boston Globe.
The Yankees’ manager at the time, Joe Torre, categorically refuted the charges in the series.
(Expletive). According to Boston.com, Torre stated, “I say it didn’t happen.” “And if that did occur, someone else benefited from a microphone, not us.”
In Mass Live’s podcast, “Fenway Rundown,” which was released on Tuesday, Barnicle stated that the three-hour series took 12 to 14 hours of labor every day for six months.
He told Mass Live that the claims weren’t exclusive to Schilling and Martinez. (In case you missed it, former shortstop Nomar Garciaparra was not featured in the documentary.)
“There were a number of players in that section at first because Pedro was the last to be interviewed (in June),” Barnicle stated on the show. Bronson Arroyo, Doug Mirabelli, Curt Schilling, and the majority of the pitchers spoke to us. “Yeah, no, that happened,” they said. We lowered a microphone. On the team bus, they then held their team meetings, which were the pitcher team meetings. They would get aboard the squad bus after walking outdoors.
Perhaps that didn’t actually result in anything, but the evidence is kind of in the pudding. Perhaps it did. “No, I had never heard of that before,” was all the Yankees’ response.
Maribelli was one of those who took it down, according to Barnicle.
Martinez refused to give The Boston Globe further details.
