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BOSTON -- The Red Sox found themselves back on the red carpet on Monday. When you win the World Series, these are the type of glamour moments that happen.
On a soggy November night, Red Sox players, executives, coaches and fans gathered at the Wang Theatre in Boston to witness the premiere of the "2007 World Series Film" DVD, which was produced by Major League Baseball Productions.
Among the guests of honor were manager Terry Francona, right-hander Curt Schilling, reliever (and Boston native) Manny Delcarmen and hitting coach Dave Magadan.
There was a similar red-carpet gathering at the same venue in 2004.
"I've never done this before, so this is kind of neat," said Schilling. "Being able to bring the family is kind of cool. This is by far the earliest I've ever looked back on a season in any shape."
Though everyone knew the ending of the story -- not to mention all the scenes leading up to it -- there was a buzz throughout the theater as MLB Productions masterfully weaved together the story.
Giving the film an extra Boston touch was the narration of the actor Matt Damon, a diehard Red Sox fan.
Before the show began, Schilling walked down the aisle with the 2004 World Series trophy in his hands. Shortly thereafter, Red Sox president/CEO Larry Lucchino came through with the '07 trophy.
The crowd erupted.
"Last time we did this, I was running [around], and I ran here, and I was on my way somewhere else, and I didn't even stay for the video," Francona said. "I'm actually going to take it in this time and watch it and enjoy it. Last time I was going all over the place -- too much."
The video had terrific images and insightful interviews with all of the key players, including Francona and such executives as Lucchino, owner John W. Henry and team chairman Tom Werner.
Josh Beckett's epic October (4-0, 1.20 ERA) looked even more impressive on the mammoth screen at the Wang Theatre.
So, too, did some of the more memorable highlights. There was Manny Ramirez, raising his arms in ecstasy as he admired his bottle rocket of a walk-off homer in Game 2 of the American League Division Series against the Angels. There was J.D. Drew belting a grand slam in the first inning of Game 6 of the AL Championship Series against the Indians. There was Dustin Pedroia pounding a homer over the Monster in his first career World Series at-bat.
In 2004, the defining team moment for the Red Sox was the steal of second base by Dave Roberts in Game 4 of the ALCS against the Yankees. This time around, Schilling thinks Beckett was the difference-maker.
"For me it was the first fastball Josh threw," Schilling said. "It was the proverbial [case of taking] the bull by the horns. We had him either on the mound or in our pocket for future use whenever we needed him. I thought he set the tone in a way that very few guys ever have or could. We're down 3-1 against Cleveland. We knew -- I think we knew with him on the mound, it was going to be 3-2. Guys like that, they affect the staff, they affect the team. For me that was it."
When Francona is asked to point out one key moment, he goes back to the top of the seventh inning of Game 7 against the Indians.
"Yeah, there's one," he said. "The ground ball, the double play that [Hideki Okajima] got against Cleveland. We ended up blowing them out that night, and that was not a blowout game. The ball that went off the wall [before that], [Kenny] Lofton didn't score. When that ball was hit, I remember thinking, don't let the baserunner get to second. I had conceded the run. We're a flair away from being down. And it just turned in such a hurry. It's unfair, because so many guys did so many things. But that really sticks out. When he got that double play, it was like, look out."
For Delcarmen, who was as big a Sox fan growing up as Damon, the red-carpet evening was a bit of a surreal experience.
"Being born and raised in Boston, my dream was to make it with the Red Sox," said Delcarmen. "I made that happen. I never thought I'd be a World [Series] champion at 25 years old. That's pretty good. This is a great time in my life."
Magadan got a bit of a chuckle at his red-carpet experience.
"They didn't know who I was, which was great. They were wondering who I was," Magadan said. "It was silence. They were all like, 'Who is that guy?' "
Despite the title of the film, all three rounds of Boston's October domination are highlighted, not just the World Series.
"I got to live through it, and the journey was the fun part of it," Francona said.
The ninth inning of the clinching Game 4 of the World Series is recounted in detail. There was the massive scare of Jamey Carroll belting a liner off Jonathan Papelbon that looked as though it might have a chance to be a game-winning homer before landing in the glove of Jacoby Ellsbury at the wall.
"My heart was in my throat," said Francona.
At that point the camera flashed to David Ortiz literally holding his heart as he grinned from the top step of the dugout.
When Papelbon struck out Seth Smith for the final out of the World Series -- and then threw his glove about 10 feet in the air -- the entire theater roared.
There was in-depth footage of the on-field celebration, including such poignant moments as Schilling bear-hugging Daisuke Matsuzaka and saying, "Congratulations, I'm very proud of you" and Francona embracing Ortiz and saying, "Thanks for everything."
Viewers were taken inside the clubhouse, where champagne was sprayed with vigor. Then it was on to the Rolling Rally, where a city rejoiced in the Red Sox winning the World Series for the second time in four years.
The film ended with captain Jason Varitek saying, "It was just another amazing feeling that finally, we got it done."
The official World Series DVD is available at MLB.com and in various retail stores
On a soggy November night, Red Sox players, executives, coaches and fans gathered at the Wang Theatre in Boston to witness the premiere of the "2007 World Series Film" DVD, which was produced by Major League Baseball Productions.
Among the guests of honor were manager Terry Francona, right-hander Curt Schilling, reliever (and Boston native) Manny Delcarmen and hitting coach Dave Magadan.
There was a similar red-carpet gathering at the same venue in 2004.
"I've never done this before, so this is kind of neat," said Schilling. "Being able to bring the family is kind of cool. This is by far the earliest I've ever looked back on a season in any shape."
Though everyone knew the ending of the story -- not to mention all the scenes leading up to it -- there was a buzz throughout the theater as MLB Productions masterfully weaved together the story.
Giving the film an extra Boston touch was the narration of the actor Matt Damon, a diehard Red Sox fan.
Before the show began, Schilling walked down the aisle with the 2004 World Series trophy in his hands. Shortly thereafter, Red Sox president/CEO Larry Lucchino came through with the '07 trophy.
The crowd erupted.
"Last time we did this, I was running [around], and I ran here, and I was on my way somewhere else, and I didn't even stay for the video," Francona said. "I'm actually going to take it in this time and watch it and enjoy it. Last time I was going all over the place -- too much."
The video had terrific images and insightful interviews with all of the key players, including Francona and such executives as Lucchino, owner John W. Henry and team chairman Tom Werner.
Josh Beckett's epic October (4-0, 1.20 ERA) looked even more impressive on the mammoth screen at the Wang Theatre.
So, too, did some of the more memorable highlights. There was Manny Ramirez, raising his arms in ecstasy as he admired his bottle rocket of a walk-off homer in Game 2 of the American League Division Series against the Angels. There was J.D. Drew belting a grand slam in the first inning of Game 6 of the AL Championship Series against the Indians. There was Dustin Pedroia pounding a homer over the Monster in his first career World Series at-bat.
In 2004, the defining team moment for the Red Sox was the steal of second base by Dave Roberts in Game 4 of the ALCS against the Yankees. This time around, Schilling thinks Beckett was the difference-maker.
"For me it was the first fastball Josh threw," Schilling said. "It was the proverbial [case of taking] the bull by the horns. We had him either on the mound or in our pocket for future use whenever we needed him. I thought he set the tone in a way that very few guys ever have or could. We're down 3-1 against Cleveland. We knew -- I think we knew with him on the mound, it was going to be 3-2. Guys like that, they affect the staff, they affect the team. For me that was it."
When Francona is asked to point out one key moment, he goes back to the top of the seventh inning of Game 7 against the Indians.
"Yeah, there's one," he said. "The ground ball, the double play that [Hideki Okajima] got against Cleveland. We ended up blowing them out that night, and that was not a blowout game. The ball that went off the wall [before that], [Kenny] Lofton didn't score. When that ball was hit, I remember thinking, don't let the baserunner get to second. I had conceded the run. We're a flair away from being down. And it just turned in such a hurry. It's unfair, because so many guys did so many things. But that really sticks out. When he got that double play, it was like, look out."
For Delcarmen, who was as big a Sox fan growing up as Damon, the red-carpet evening was a bit of a surreal experience.
"Being born and raised in Boston, my dream was to make it with the Red Sox," said Delcarmen. "I made that happen. I never thought I'd be a World [Series] champion at 25 years old. That's pretty good. This is a great time in my life."
Magadan got a bit of a chuckle at his red-carpet experience.
"They didn't know who I was, which was great. They were wondering who I was," Magadan said. "It was silence. They were all like, 'Who is that guy?' "
Despite the title of the film, all three rounds of Boston's October domination are highlighted, not just the World Series.
"I got to live through it, and the journey was the fun part of it," Francona said.
The ninth inning of the clinching Game 4 of the World Series is recounted in detail. There was the massive scare of Jamey Carroll belting a liner off Jonathan Papelbon that looked as though it might have a chance to be a game-winning homer before landing in the glove of Jacoby Ellsbury at the wall.
"My heart was in my throat," said Francona.
At that point the camera flashed to David Ortiz literally holding his heart as he grinned from the top step of the dugout.
When Papelbon struck out Seth Smith for the final out of the World Series -- and then threw his glove about 10 feet in the air -- the entire theater roared.
There was in-depth footage of the on-field celebration, including such poignant moments as Schilling bear-hugging Daisuke Matsuzaka and saying, "Congratulations, I'm very proud of you" and Francona embracing Ortiz and saying, "Thanks for everything."
Viewers were taken inside the clubhouse, where champagne was sprayed with vigor. Then it was on to the Rolling Rally, where a city rejoiced in the Red Sox winning the World Series for the second time in four years.
The film ended with captain Jason Varitek saying, "It was just another amazing feeling that finally, we got it done."
The official World Series DVD is available at MLB.com and in various retail stores
