Remembering Joe Castiglione’s most memorable calls

Joe Castiglione’s legendary tenure as one of the radio voices of the Red Sox will come to an end on Sunday.

The iconic radio announcer will call his final game when the Red Sox conclude the 2024 season against the Rays. Castiglione announced earlier in September that he was retiring from his role as one of the Red Sox’ radio announcers after 42 seasons.

As the Red Sox will honor their longest-tenured announcer ahead of Sunday’s game, let’s recall some Castiglione’s most memorable calls, from “Can you believe it?” to a pair of his funnier moments in the booth.

Dave Roberts’s steal and Bill Mueller’s game-tying hit in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS

Arguably the most pivotal sequence in Red Sox history was called by Castiglione. You likely know the story by now, but in case you need a refresher, Roberts pinch-ran for Kevin Millar after a leadoff walk in the ninth inning of Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS.

Down a run, Roberts was looking to steal second with Mueller at the plate and Yankees closer Mariano Rivera on the mound.

After a few pickoff attempts and Castiglione reciting Roberts’s stolen base stats, the speedster finally took off.

“Rivera to the set, he goes, the pitch taken outside. Here’s the throw. Roberts dives and he is safe! Stolen base, Dave Roberts,” Castiglione said in his call of the moment. “Tying run at second base. He went in with a hand tag. Jeter took the throw and it was close, very close at second.

Two pitches later, Mueller knocked in Roberts to tie the game, 4-4.

“Roberts leads, the 1-1 pitch. He’s not going to bunt. He swings and lines one up the middle into centerfield, a base hit,” Castiglione described the moment. “Roberts hits third, here he comes! Bernie Williams’s throw is cut off and the game is tied! Rivera cuts the throw and Bill Mueller has tied it with a single up the middle. We’re knotted at 4! Rivera has blown a save and the Red Sox have life.”

Johnny Damon’s grand slam and the final out in Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS

David Ortiz gave the Red Sox an early 2-0 lead in Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS against the Yankees with a two-run homer. But Damon blew the game open in the second inning after Javier Vazquez took over with the bases loaded.

“Johnny against Vazquez, 2-for-14 this year — both home runs. Bases loaded, 2-0 Boston. Kevin Millar at third, Bill Mueller at second, Orlando Cabrera at first. Vazquez to the set, here’s the pitch: Swing and a high drive to deep right! Back toward the corner it goes, Sheffield looking up — grand slam! Johnny Damon! With one swing of the bat has given the Red Sox four more runs. They lead it 6-0! Johnny Damon hits the first pitch that Javier Vazquez delivers into the right field seats,” Castiglione described the moment.

Castiglione was on the call too when Ruben Sierra grounded out to Pokey Reese for the final out of the series.

“The 1-0 pitch, swing, and a ground ball to second base. Pokey Reese has it, he throws to first, and the Red Sox have won the American League pennant! They mob Alan Embree on the mound. The Boston Red Sox have pulled the greatest victory in team history! In the 104 years of the Boston Red Sox, this is the most important of them all as the Red Sox have won the pennant, beating the Yankees, their arch-rivals in seven games. They lost the first three games of the series and became the first team ever to win the next four and the championship,” Castiglione said in his call of the final out of the 2004 ALCS.

“Move over, Babe! The Red Sox are American League champions! They’re on the field mobbing each other by the pitcher’s mound as the Yankees walk slowly toward the clubhouse. An amazing comeback story here in The Bronx.”

The final out of the 2018 World Series

Castiglione called the final out in three of the Red Sox’ four World Series’ wins since 2004. He was on the mic for their most recent win over the Dodgers in 2018, calling Chris Sale’s strikeout of Manny Machado.

“Machado pinwheels the bat, nobody on base, two-man out, bottom of the ninth, 5-1 Red Sox,” Castiglione began. “Sale winds, he fires, swing-and-a-miss! Strike three! It’s over! The Red Sox have won the world championship! The Red Sox have beaten the Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-1! They win the World Series, four games to one. The Red Sox become the first team in the 21st century with four world championships, can you believe it?

“They sprinted from the bullpens. They sprinted from the dugout. They’re mobbing each other between third base and home plate. The Boston Red Sox are the champions for 2018. They win their 119th game this season. Can you believe it?”

The final out of the 2007 ALCS

Castiglione was on the call for three of the Red Sox’ pennant wins since 2004 as well. He called the final out of the 2007 ALCS, when Boston outfielder Coco Crisp made a chaotic catch to help it beat Cleveland.

“Swing and a high fly ball to right-center field. Coco going back, still going back, to the triangle, going back, he makes a great catch in the triangle! He falls down, hangs on, and the Red Sox have won the pennant! Coco Crisp, with another sensational play in the triangle — grabbed it over his shoulder, banged into the wall, and held on!”

The final out of the 2007 World Series

A week after calling the Red Sox’ ALCS win over Cleveland, Castiglione called the final out of their sweep over the Rockies in the World Series.

“Papelbon sets, at the belt, the pitch: Swing-and-a-miss! It’s over! The Red Sox have swept the Colorado Rockies! The Red Sox are the world champions of baseball for 2007! The Boston Red Sox become the first team in the 21st century to win two World Series titles! Can you believe it?”

Andrew Benintendi’s catch to win Game 4 of the 2018 ALCS

Benintendi might have made the biggest defensive play in the history of the franchise in Game 4 of the 2018 ALCS. With the Red Sox holding an 8-6 lead, the Astros loaded up the bases in the ninth inning and were threatening to tie or win the game.

With two outs, Craig Kimbrel got Alex Bregman to line out to left, with Benintendi making a memorable diving grab.

“Kimbrel comes to the set, give a step to the right, the pitch: Swing and a line drive to left field, Benintendi coming on, dives, and did he make the catch? He did! He got it!”

The catch was so spectacular that Castiglione fell out of his seat after saying, “He got it!”

“I just went head-over-heels in my chair. Oh, wow! What a catch by Andrew Benintendi!”

The catch gave the Red Sox a 3-1 series lead before winning the series in five games. It also gave Castiglione a humourous moment.

David Ortiz’s 500th home run

There were several memorable postseason moments that Castiglione called in his regular season tenure. Arguably the biggest individual milestone he called was when Ortiz hit his 500th career home run in Tampa Bay on Sept. 12, 2015.

“Moore gets the sign, the windup, the 2-2: Swing and there’s a drive to right field, deep, way back it goes, No. 500 David Ortiz! He does it, a shot into the right field bleachers! A scramble for the ball, No. 500. The Red Sox, en masse, coming out of the dugout, applauding Ortiz as he touches third, and shakes Brian Buttefield’s hand. Trots to the plate, steps on home plate, points skyward in honor of his mom, and the Red Sox all coming out of the bullpen as they will form a line to greet and congratulate Big Papi on his 500th home run.”

Not you, Siri!

Sometimes, technology won’t be kind to you. Castiglione found that out the hard way when he called a Red Sox game against the Rays in 2023. When Rays outfielder Jose Siri came up to the plate, his iPhone perked up when he announced the hitter’s name.

“So first and second, still only one out, for Jose Siri,” Castiglione began before you could hear the Siri on his iPhone say something back to him.

Castiglione and his broadcast partner for that game, Will Flemming, were initially confused about where the sound came from. The veteran announcer figured out what happened a moment later, though.

“It was Siri! It was Siri,” Castiglione said with a laugh. “It came through on the iPhone. Siri’s at the plate. I’m not asking you, Siri. Not this Siri, that Siri.”