2004 Major League Baseball season
Sports season
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The 2004 Major League Baseball season ended when the Boston Red Sox defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in a four-game World Series sweep. The Red Sox championship ended an 86-year-long drought known as the Curse of the Bambino. The Red Sox were also the first team in MLB history and the third team from a major North American professional sports league ever to come back from a 3–0 postseason series deficit and win. This happened in the ALCS against the New York Yankees.
| 2004 MLB season | |
|---|---|
| League | Major League Baseball |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | March 30 – October 27, 2004 |
| Games | 162 |
| Teams | 30 |
| TV partner(s) | Fox, ESPN |
| Draft | |
| Top draft pick | Matt Bush |
| Picked by | San Diego Padres |
| Regular Season | |
| Season MVP | AL: Vladimir Guerrero (ANA) NL: Barry Bonds (SF) |
| Postseason | |
| AL champions | Boston Red Sox |
| AL runners-up | New York Yankees |
| NL champions | St. Louis Cardinals |
| NL runners-up | Houston Astros |
| World Series | |
| Venue | |
| Champions | Boston Red Sox |
| Runners-up | St. Louis Cardinals |
| World Series MVP | Manny Ramirez (BOS) |
The Montreal Expos would play their last season in Montreal, before relocating to Washington DC, becoming the Washington Nationals in 2005.
Statistical leaders
| Statistic | American League | National League | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AVG | Ichiro Suzuki SEA | .372 | Barry Bonds SF | .362 |
| HR | Manny Ramírez BOS | 43 | Adrián Beltré LAD | 48 |
| RBI | Miguel Tejada BAL | 150 | Vinny Castilla COL | 131 |
| Wins | Curt Schilling BOS | 21 | Roy Oswalt HOU | 20 |
| ERA | Johan Santana MIN | 2.61 | Jake Peavy SD | 2.27 |
| SO | Johan Santana MIN | 265 | Randy Johnson AZ | 290 |
| SV | Mariano Rivera NYY | 53 | Armando Benítez FLA Jason Isringhausen STL | 47 |
| SB | Carl Crawford TB | 59 | Scott Podsednik MIL | 70 |
Standings
American League
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (1) New York Yankees | 101 | 61 | .623 | — | 57–24 | 44–37 |
| (4) Boston Red Sox | 98 | 64 | .605 | 3 | 55–26 | 43–38 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 78 | 84 | .481 | 23 | 38–43 | 40–41 |
| Tampa Bay Devil Rays | 70 | 91 | .435 | 30½ | 41–39 | 29–52 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | 67 | 94 | .416 | 33½ | 40–41 | 27–53 |
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (3) Minnesota Twins | 92 | 70 | .568 | — | 49–32 | 43–38 |
| Chicago White Sox | 83 | 79 | .512 | 9 | 46–35 | 37–44 |
| Cleveland Indians | 80 | 82 | .494 | 12 | 44–37 | 36–45 |
| Detroit Tigers | 72 | 90 | .444 | 20 | 38–43 | 34–47 |
| Kansas City Royals | 58 | 104 | .358 | 34 | 33–47 | 25–57 |
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (2) Anaheim Angels | 92 | 70 | .568 | — | 45–36 | 47–34 |
| Oakland Athletics | 91 | 71 | .562 | 1 | 52–29 | 39–42 |
| Texas Rangers | 89 | 73 | .549 | 3 | 51–30 | 38–43 |
| Seattle Mariners | 63 | 99 | .389 | 29 | 38–44 | 25–55 |
National League
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (2) Atlanta Braves | 96 | 66 | .593 | — | 49–32 | 47–34 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 86 | 76 | .531 | 10 | 42–39 | 44–37 |
| Florida Marlins | 83 | 79 | .512 | 13 | 42–38 | 41–41 |
| New York Mets | 71 | 91 | .438 | 25 | 38–43 | 33–48 |
| Montreal Expos | 67 | 95 | .414 | 29 | 35–45 | 32–50 |
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (1) St. Louis Cardinals | 105 | 57 | .648 | — | 53–28 | 52–29 |
| (4) Houston Astros | 92 | 70 | .568 | 13 | 48–33 | 44–37 |
| Chicago Cubs | 89 | 73 | .549 | 16 | 45–37 | 44–36 |
| Cincinnati Reds | 76 | 86 | .469 | 29 | 40–41 | 36–45 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 72 | 89 | .447 | 32½ | 39–41 | 33–48 |
| Milwaukee Brewers | 67 | 94 | .416 | 37½ | 36–45 | 31–49 |
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (3) Los Angeles Dodgers | 93 | 69 | .574 | — | 49–32 | 44–37 |
| San Francisco Giants | 91 | 71 | .562 | 2 | 47–35 | 44–36 |
| San Diego Padres | 87 | 75 | .537 | 6 | 42–39 | 45–36 |
| Colorado Rockies | 68 | 94 | .420 | 25 | 38–43 | 30–51 |
| Arizona Diamondbacks | 51 | 111 | .315 | 42 | 29–52 | 22–59 |
Postseason
2004 was the last postseason until 2020 where both LCS went to 7 games.
Bracket
| Division Series (ALDS, NLDS) | League Championship Series (NLCS, ALCS) | World Series | ||||||||||||
| 1 | NY Yankees | 3 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Minnesota | 1 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | NY Yankees | 3 | ||||||||||||
| American League | ||||||||||||||
| 4 | Boston | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Anaheim | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Boston | 3 | ||||||||||||
| AL4 | Boston | 4 | ||||||||||||
| NL1 | St. Louis | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | St. Louis | 3 | ||||||||||||
| 3 | Los Angeles | 1 | ||||||||||||
| 1 | St. Louis | 4 | ||||||||||||
| National League | ||||||||||||||
| 4 | Houston | 3 | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Atlanta | 2 | ||||||||||||
| 4 | Houston | 3 | ||||||||||||
Note: Two teams in the same division could not meet in the division series.
Managers
American League
National League
| Team | Manager | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona Diamondbacks | Bob Brenly | Replaced during the season by Al Pedrique |
| Atlanta Braves | Bobby Cox | |
| Chicago Cubs | Dusty Baker | |
| Cincinnati Reds | Dave Miley | |
| Colorado Rockies | Clint Hurdle | |
| Florida Marlins | Jack McKeon | |
| Houston Astros± | Jimy Williams | Replaced during the season by Phil Garner |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | Jim Tracy | |
| Milwaukee Brewers | Ned Yost | |
| Montreal Expos | Frank Robinson | |
| New York Mets | Art Howe | |
| Philadelphia Phillies | Larry Bowa | |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | Lloyd McClendon | |
| St. Louis Cardinals | Tony La Russa | Won the National League pennant |
| San Diego Padres | Bruce Bochy | |
| San Francisco Giants | Felipe Alou |
±hosted the MLB All Star Game
Milestones
Batters
- Ken Griffey Jr. (CIN):
- Became the 20th player in Major League history to hit 500 home runs in the sixth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 20.[1]
- Barry Bonds (SF):
- Became the third player in Major League history to hit 700 home runs in the third inning against the San Diego Padres on September 17.[2]
- Ichiro Suzuki (SEA):
- Broke the Major League record for single-season hits with 262 hits, breaking George Sisler's 1920 84-year-old record of 257.[3]
Pitchers
Perfect games
- Randy Johnson (AZ):
- Pitched the 17th perfect game in Major League history and the first in franchise history on May 18 against the Atlanta Braves. Johnson threw 117 pitches and struck out thirteen in the 2–0 victory.[4]
Other pitching accomplishments
- Randy Johnson (AZ):
- Became the fourth member of the 4,000 strikeout club by striking out Jeff Cirillo of the San Diego Padres in the eighth inning on June 29.[5]
- Greg Maddux (CHC):
- Became the 22nd member of the 300-win club, defeating the San Francisco Giants on August 7, winning 8–4.[6]
Miscellaneous
Awards
Other awards
- Edgar Martínez Award (Best designated hitter): David Ortiz (BOS)
- Hank Aaron Award: Manny Ramirez (BOS, American); Barry Bonds (SF, National).
- Roberto Clemente Award (Humanitarian): Edgar Martínez (SEA).
- Rolaids Relief Man Award: Mariano Rivera (NYY, American); Éric Gagné (LAD, National).
- Warren Spahn Award (Best left-handed pitcher): Johan Santana (MIN)
Player of the Month
| Month | American League | National League |
|---|---|---|
| April | Carlos Beltrán | Barry Bonds |
| May | Melvin Mora | Lance Berkman |
| June | Iván Rodríguez | Jim Thome |
| July | Mark Teixeira | Jim Edmonds |
| August | Ichiro Suzuki | Barry Bonds |
| September | Vladimir Guerrero | Adrián Beltré |
Pitcher of the Month
| Month | American League | National League |
|---|---|---|
| April | Kevin Brown | Roger Clemens |
| May | Mark Buehrle | Jason Schmidt |
| June | Mark Mulder | Carl Pavano |
| July | Johan Santana | Russ Ortiz |
| August | Johan Santana | Jake Peavy |
| September | Johan Santana | Carlos Zambrano |
Rookie of the Month
| Month | American League | National League |
|---|---|---|
| April | Gerald Laird | Khalil Greene |
| May | Kevin Youkilis | Terrmel Sledge |
| June | Bobby Crosby | Jason Bay |
| July | Robb Quinlan | Jason Bay |
| August | Frank Francisco | Khalil Greene |
| September | Ross Gload | Jason Bay |
Home field attendance and payroll
| Team name | Wins | %± | Home attendance | %± | Per game | Est. payroll | %± |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Yankees[8] | 101 | 0.0% | 3,775,292 | 8.9% | 46,609 | $184,193,950 | 20.6% |
| Los Angeles Dodgers[9] | 93 | 9.4% | 3,488,283 | 11.1% | 43,065 | $92,902,001 | −12.3% |
| Anaheim Angels[10] | 92 | 19.5% | 3,375,677 | 10.3% | 41,675 | $100,534,667 | 27.2% |
| San Francisco Giants[11] | 91 | −9.0% | 3,256,854 | −0.2% | 39,718 | $82,019,166 | −1.0% |
| Philadelphia Phillies[12] | 86 | 0.0% | 3,250,092 | 43.8% | 40,125 | $93,219,167 | 31.7% |
| Chicago Cubs[13] | 89 | 1.1% | 3,170,154 | 7.0% | 38,660 | $90,560,000 | 13.4% |
| Houston Astros[14] | 92 | 5.7% | 3,087,872 | 25.8% | 38,122 | $75,397,000 | 6.1% |
| St. Louis Cardinals[15] | 105 | 23.5% | 3,048,427 | 4.7% | 37,635 | $84,340,333 | 0.7% |
| San Diego Padres[16] | 87 | 35.9% | 3,016,752 | 48.6% | 37,244 | $55,384,833 | 22.5% |
| Seattle Mariners[17] | 63 | −32.3% | 2,940,731 | −10.0% | 35,863 | $81,515,834 | −6.3% |
| Boston Red Sox[18] | 98 | 3.2% | 2,837,294 | 4.2% | 35,028 | $127,298,500 | 27.4% |
| Baltimore Orioles[19] | 78 | 9.9% | 2,744,018 | 11.8% | 33,877 | $51,623,333 | −30.1% |
| Arizona Diamondbacks[20] | 51 | −39.3% | 2,519,560 | −10.2% | 31,106 | $69,780,750 | −13.5% |
| Texas Rangers[21] | 89 | 25.4% | 2,513,685 | 20.0% | 31,033 | $55,050,417 | −46.8% |
| Colorado Rockies[22] | 68 | −8.1% | 2,338,069 | 0.2% | 28,865 | $65,445,167 | −2.6% |
| Atlanta Braves[23] | 96 | −5.0% | 2,327,565 | −3.1% | 28,735 | $90,182,500 | −15.1% |
| New York Mets[24] | 71 | 7.6% | 2,318,951 | 8.3% | 28,629 | $102,035,970 | −12.9% |
| Cincinnati Reds[25] | 76 | 10.1% | 2,287,250 | −2.9% | 28,238 | $46,915,250 | −21.0% |
| Oakland Athletics[26] | 91 | −5.2% | 2,201,516 | −0.7% | 27,179 | $59,425,667 | 18.2% |
| Milwaukee Brewers[27] | 67 | −1.5% | 2,062,382 | 21.3% | 25,462 | $27,528,500 | −32.2% |
| Chicago White Sox[28] | 83 | −3.5% | 1,930,537 | −0.5% | 23,834 | $65,212,500 | 27.8% |
| Detroit Tigers[29] | 72 | 67.4% | 1,917,004 | 40.1% | 23,667 | $46,832,000 | −4.8% |
| Minnesota Twins[30] | 92 | 2.2% | 1,911,490 | −1.8% | 23,599 | $53,890,000 | −2.9% |
| Toronto Blue Jays[31] | 67 | −22.1% | 1,900,041 | 5.6% | 23,457 | $50,017,000 | −2.4% |
| Cleveland Indians[32] | 80 | 17.6% | 1,814,401 | 4.9% | 22,400 | $34,319,300 | −29.4% |
| Florida Marlins[33] | 83 | −8.8% | 1,723,105 | 32.2% | 21,539 | $42,143,042 | −14.8% |
| Kansas City Royals[34] | 58 | −30.1% | 1,661,478 | −6.7% | 20,768 | $47,609,000 | 17.5% |
| Pittsburgh Pirates[35] | 72 | −4.0% | 1,580,031 | −3.5% | 19,750 | $32,227,929 | −41.2% |
| Tampa Bay Devil Rays[36] | 70 | 11.1% | 1,274,911 | 20.4% | 15,936 | $29,856,667 | 52.1% |
| Montreal Expos[37] | 67 | −19.3% | 749,550 | −26.9% | 9,369 | $41,197,500 | −20.7% |
Television coverage
This was the fourth season that national television coverage was split between ESPN and Fox Sports. ESPN and ESPN2 aired selected weeknight and Sunday night games, and selected Division Series playoff games. Fox televised Saturday baseball, the All-Star Game, selected Division Series games, both League Championship Series, and the World Series.