Red Sox Brawls: Tempers flare during Game 3 of 2003 ALCS versus the Yankees
Red Sox Brawls is a brand new article series that focuses on the donnybrooks and skirmishes during Sox history.
The 2003 ALCS was filled with wild moments between the Red Sox and Yankees rivalry. This series would go on to drive a dagger in the hearts of Red Sox fans. The ALCS series featured fireworks at Fenway Park between two of the greatest rivals in professional sports.
On Saturday, October 11th, 2003, the Red Sox would play host to the Yankees for Game 3 of the ALCS. The pitching match up was legendary, former Red Sox ace Roger Clemens would do battle against Pedro Martinez. The series was tied 1-1 and the series would shift back to Boston.
Karim Garica incident
It was the fourth inning, Yankees outfielder Karim Garcia would step to the plate. The bases were loaded, there was nobody out and the Yankees were leading 3-2. Pedro would fire a pitch that would sail over the head of Garcia.
Garcia would start to chirp at Martinez. Tensions would immediately begin to flare up with that one pitch from Martinez. Yankees manager Joe Torre would come out of the dugout after the home plate umpire would warn both benches. While Torre would make his way out, Garcia was awarded first base because the pitch would hit the left handed hitter.
The Yankees would take a 4-2 lead.
“There’s no question in my mind that Pedro hit him on purpose,” Yankees’ manager Joe Torre said in a postgame interview. “I didn’t care for that.”
Garcia would be on first and would slide hard into Red Sox second baseman Todd Walker, resulting in the two players to have words. The two began shoving each other, and both teams emerged from their dugouts. Zimmer, Clemens and Yankees catcher Jorge Posada seemed to be very vocal in how they felt about the whole situation.
Roger Clemens throws at Manny Ramirez
Clemens would take the bump for the Yankees for the bottom of the fourth. Red Sox left fielder Manny Ramirez would lead the inning off. Clemens first pitch was up and around the head of Ramirez. Ramirez would take offense at that pitch and would bark back at Clemens pointing his bat in his direction. Clemens and Ramirez would yell at each other the benches would start to empty.
Ramirez would have some select language for the Rocket and David Ortiz would have to hold him back.
The benches would clear, and then…. Yankees coach Don Zimmer would charge at Pedro. Martinez would grab Zimmer by the melon with both hands and would toss him to the ground. Zimmer would land face first and rolled over onto his back. Zimmer, 72, would have to be helped up by a Boston Police officer.
The game would resume after a 10 minute delay and Clemens would go onto strike out Ramirez in the at bat.
The scrum would continue when what appeared to be a Boston grounds crew member would get into it with Yankees reliever Jeff Nelson and Garcia in the Yankees bullpen.
Grady ‘Bleepin’ Little
The series was back and forth, the teams would trade wins in the series until Game 7. Red Sox manager Grady Little would leave Martinez in the game too long, Posada would get a huge hit and Aaron “bleeping” Boone would hit a home run into the left field seats off knuckle baller Tim Wakefield to end the series. The Yankees would win the series in seven games and advance to the World Series. Damn it, I said I wasn’t going to bring this up!
The Yankees would lose that World Series to future Red Sox righty Josh Beckett and the Florida Marlins.
In just one year later, everything would finally change. The Boston Red Sox would erase 86 years of heart break and the would be the greatest thing every fan was waiting to see.
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