Boston Red Sox outfielder Johnny Damon's grand slam against the New York Yankees in Game 7 of the 2004 American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium was the biggest hit of his MLB career, but he didn't show a ton of emotion rounding the bases or after crossing home plate.
There's a good reason for that, though.
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The Red Sox had a 6-0 lead in the second inning, but Damon was well aware that celebrating too early was a mistake. He was on the Red Sox squad that lost a heartbreaker in Game 7 of the ALCS at Yankee Stadium the previous year. Damon wasn't going to get all excited until the final out was recorded.
"(That) has everything to do with it," Damon said on Barstool Sports' "Section 10" Red Sox podcast. "I mean, 6-0 against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium, it's never safe. And I'm not that big rah-rah guy. I was taught to pretend like you've been there before. Unfortunately, some players don't have that same mentality. They're (excited) about a bloop single. But I respect the game too much. I know if there's winner, that there's a person who lost, so I always respected the game that way."
Damon did admit he "was a little bit happier after the 2-run homer, for sure." He also admitted he felt "a little more relief" rounding the bases following his second homer, which gave Boston an 8-1 lead in the fourth inning.
Check out Damon's demeanor on both home runs in the video below:
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The Red Sox eventually won 10-3 to become the first MLB team to win a Best-of-7 series after trailing it 3-0. The Red Sox went on to sweep the St. Louis Cardinals and win their first World Series championship since 1918.