The dramatic postseason collapses and logic-defying defeats suffered by the Boston Red Sox in the 86 long years between their 1918 and 2004 world championships are the stuff of legend. Fan fixation on the climactic moments--Johnny Pesky's late throw in 1946, Bill Buckner's boot in 1986 and so many others--leaves the full story of the team's experiences in the playoffs and World Series too little remembered.

This thorough history covers all postseason appearances from 1903 through 2005, including the one-game playoffs of 1948 and 1978. A review of each playoff team's regular season exploits not only explains how the team qualified for postseason play, but also captures the feeling of the team and its fans during the campaign. Every postseason game is studied in detail.