Recent trip to Worcester reminds World Series hero Keith Foulke of spot in Red Sox history; Cassidy back in Boston

BOSTON — Keith Foulke helped erase 86 years of misery when the Red Sox finally won the World Series in a four-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals on Oct. 27, 2004. That season put into motion more than a decade of organizational success, including three more championships in 2007, 2013 and 2018.

During that time the Patriots won six Super Bowls, while the Celtics (2008) and Bruins (2011) also won championships. The Bruins returned to the Stanley Cup final twice, but lost to the Chicago Blackhawks (2013) and St. Louis Blues (2019).

Fans fell in love with players from all those teams, including icons Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez, Manny Ramirez, Dustin Pedroia, Tim Thomas, Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce.

MORE: Will Red Sox look to Worcester to replace Bogaerts? Prospects Valdez, Mayer could help

Foulke was the one who delivered the final out in 2004 and that image will forever live in Red Sox lore. Like many of the athletes from those winning teams, Foulke is treated like royalty when he’s back in New England.

“It’s very special,” Foulke said. “It’s almost like a homecoming. I don’t get recognized as much as I used to, but when people do it still puts a smile on my face. A lot of times they want to tell me their story about where they were and what it meant to them. It turns into some special times and it has created a special bond between the players and the fans.”

The WooSox invited Foulke, who lives in Phoenix, Arizona, to the team’s inaugural WooSox Foundation Awards Gala last Saturday at Polar Park. The 2004 World Series hero was a surprised guest for the sold-out event of 250 people.

Foulke has also attended a few games at Polar Park in the team’s first two seasons in Worcester.

“It’s special,” he said. “I always come back to help out their charities with a smile on my face. When I come back as a fan during the summer they always open the door for me and my family to enjoy a game and have fun.”

Homecoming for Cassidy

During his recent visit here, Foulke attended Celtics and Bruins games at TD Garden. In fact, he watched as former Boston coach Bruce Cassidy and the Vegas Golden Knights snapped the Bruins’ home winning streak at 14 games.

“I’m used to hearing ‘Dirty Water’ at the end of the game, so I’m glad I didn’t hear it tonight,” Cassidy said with a smile after Vegas’ 4-3 shootout victory.

Cassidy enjoyed 14 years working in the Bruins organization both in Providence and Boston. The Bruins enjoyed incredible success with Cassidy behind the bench for five-and-a-half seasons, but the team fell just short of another Stanley Cup championship when it lost to the St. Louis Blues in Game 7 at TD Garden in 2019.

The Bruins relieved him of his coaching duties after the 2021-22 season, but he quickly landed a job in Vegas.

When he was back in the building Monday, the fans gave him a nice standing ovation during a TV timeout. He became emotional on the bench, touched his chest and waved to the fans.

“I appreciate it,” Cassidy said. “I did what I could here to help the team win and now it’s onto Vegas and do what I can there.”

During his 24 hours in Boston, Cassidy spent some time walking around the city and took his coaching staff to Ray Bourque’s restaurant, Tresca, in the North End.

Foulke made the joke that it’s nice to have connections in order to obtain tickets at the last minute.

“It’s one thing that makes Boston a very special sports town is the franchises are interlinked,” he said.

Foulke, who grew up in Houston, Texas, has been a lifelong hockey fan. It started with the 1980 Olympic men’s “Miracle” team. As an 8-eight-year he was mesmerized with the sport while watching Team USA pull off the upset against the Russians and then beating Finland for the gold medal.

His dad also took Foulke to Houston Aeros games of the WHA days to watch Gordie Howe.

“I love the sport,” Foulke said. “I love how fast it is and all the contact. But it was the 1980 Olympics that really turned me into a hockey fan.”

Foulke later became an Arizona Coyotes season-ticket holder after he retired from baseball in 2008.

Both the Bruins and the Golden Knights are two of the best teams in the NHL this season and could be on a crash course to battle for the Stanley Cup in June. It would be a fun storyline if it comes to fruition. No doubt Cassidy would want to beat the Bruins.

“I would like to be here in the spring. Wouldn’t that be nice, eh?” Cassidy said.

If the Bruins do reach the Stanley Cup final it’s a safe bet Foulke, along with several other former local stars, will be in attendance.

—Contact Joe McDonald at JMcDonald2@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoeyMacHockey.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Recent trip to Worcester reminds World Series hero Keith Foulke of spot in Red Sox history