‘The Comeback’ is fascinating | News, sports, jobs

AP photo
Former Boston Red Sox player Pedro Martinez, left, enters the field followed by teammate Kevin Millar during ceremonies honoring former teammate David Ortiz before a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays on October 2, 2016 in Boston.

We’re back to Netflix with another docuseries to enjoy “The Comeback: Boston Red Sox 2004” delves into the revival of a once-familiar baseball franchise.

This series shows us the fear and triumph of the Sox. Not only were they struggling to compete with the rival New York Yankees, but Boston desperately needed a World Series champion.

When Boston won the World Series in 2004, it broke an 86-year drought. Not only that, the Sox rallied to stun the Yankees in the ’04 ALCS, coming back from a 3-0 series deficit to advance to the Fall Classic.

This documentary did a great job highlighting what the Sox had to go through in the clubhouse and what the city of Boston felt towards the franchise. It also showed the intensity between the Sox and Yankees.

This project brought together the battles that took place on the field of play between the Red Sox and the Yankees, the disgruntled Red Sock Nomar Garciaparra and the firing of a Boston manager after 2003.

It’s also cool to see how the Sox players handled being down 3-0 in the 2004 ALCS and how they worked together to overcome all odds.

You’ll see fan favorites like Kevin Millar, Pedro Martinez, David Ortiz, Jason Varitek, Curt Schilling, Johnny Damon and managers Terry Francona and Grady Little.

Netflix has done a great job of putting together big plays from a number of series that Boston has been a part of, including the 2004 World Series, ’04 ALCS, and ’03 ALCS.

Even if you don’t

baseball fan, this series taps into the mentality of a champion. What does it take mentally when you have no options left and your back is against the wall? When things look bleak, do you give up or crawl through the mud to reach the other side?

There were a lot of positives to take from this Netflix piece. But one that really stood out was how the Red Sox found a way to live a little and have some fun even though they were on the brink of elimination several times. It showed that even with rocky waters beneath them, they knew the importance of being themselves and loving every moment.

“The Comeback: Boston Red Sox 2004” is an A+ miniseries. It has three one-hour episodes and is rated TV-MA on Netflix.

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Anthony Fiuza is the sports editor of the Lewistown Sentinel.