From Cursed To First In 86 Years

By DAVID THIGPEN

Sure, you know he hit .387 in the ALCS, with three homers and 11 RBIs, but what did Red Sox slugger David Ortiz say first when he triumphantly entered the clubhouse after one of his homers beat the Yankees? MLB's DVD of Boston's curse-reversing 2004 World Series run--with locker-room footage and sound via microphones set by the bench and diamond--brings new detail to baseball's most dramatic postseason. Sport contests can lose their luster once they wrap. But this lively DVD, narrated by Boston-bred actor Denis Leary, captures the suspense, and chats with manager Terry Francona and former Sox like Pudge Fisk and Bill Buckner exorcise the ghosts all over again. --By David Thigpen