I think “The Comeback,” the Netflix Documentary on the 2004 Red Sox that debuted on Wednesday was really good.
I can only say I think so, because on some very basic level, it’s fundamentally impossible to differentiate between whether I thoroughly enjoyed it because it was really good or because it transports me back to one of the happiest sports memories of my lifetime.
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It’s the same reason why I initially liked “Fever Pitch.” Even though that movie is actually a terrible romantic comedy, its final scenes being you back to the happiness of October 2004.
I didn’t cover Boston sports yet in 2004. I watched those postseason games on barstools and couches with as much fan excitement as anything I ever did before or since. The doc had no footage of Rafters in Amherst or the Brass Cat in Easthampton, but I was transported the the barstools of those two places as I watched.
I suspect that the same will be true for most New Englanders when they step into director Colin Barnicle’s time machine for three hours.
Because we don’t see the creators, it’s easy to forget the role the documentarians play when conducting interviews. Getting the subjects to participate isn’t always easy. Getting them to look and sound genuine with camera lights on them is even more challenging. “The Comeback” does an excellent job. It’s not hard to get Kevin Millar to open up, but they managed to not only get Grady Little to sit for an interview, but they made him look both sympathetic and overmatched at the same time.
Curt Schilling has become such a polarizing figure in retirement, but watching “The Comeback,” it was possible, even easy to forget his politics, whether or not the viewer agrees with him. It’s a reminder of just how compelling he was as a player and a baseball personality.
Pedro Martinez, David Ortiz, Terry Francona and Theo Epstein have always been engaging and interesting and they continue to be so here, although Epstein seems really excited that he’s allowed to drop F-bombs.
It made smart use of underrated voices too. Few people will turn on “The Comeback” hoping to hear from an assistant general manager or backup catcher, but Barnicle was smart enough to interview and include Jed Hoyer and Doug Mirabelli. Both had a lot to offer.
Neither Yankee broadcaster John Sterling or the late Tim McCarver of FOX were interviewed, but the Barnicle effectively used lines from their broadcasts to stir old emotions from Red Sox fans.
The Comeback deserves credit for not trying to do too much. This could have been 10 episodes like so many sports documentaries have been. With the Red Sox, there’s so often a temptation to get weighed down in too much talk about 1946 or Harry Frazee etc. There was enough allusion to the history. The same was true of the aftermath. Maybe more refreshing was the lack of Afflecks or any other celebrity fans. The had a great story and told it without getting stuck in unnecessary cul-de-sacs.
The best moment of the entire project comes late in Episode 3. After showing Pokey Reese throw out Ruben Sierra to clinch their trip to the World Series, it shows Millar, Epstein, Ortiz and Martinez each choking up with emotion at the 20-year-old memory, likely reflecting a large percentage of the viewers watching.
Beyond just being relevant on the 20th anniversary, it felt timely for other reasons. The 2024 World Series is about to begin. As a sport, baseball is eager if not desperate to return to the collective front of national consciousness. The Yankees are about to start the World Series as they attempt to recapture a status they haven’t really held since 2004. Locally it’s a bittersweet reminder of just how important the Red Sox used to be, when they had a roster filled with stars and were maniacal about winning.
I don’t know how fans in Cleveland or Kansas City or Baltimore or the rest of the country will receive “The Comeback.” They might still be sick of the attention Boston vs. New York got for years at the expense of their teams.
But in Massachusetts, they’ll cherish it. I’m pretty certain of that.
Follow MassLive sports columnist Matt Vautour on Twitter at @MattVautour424.
