Red Sox's pregame ritual: Jack Daniel's

Team did shots before ALCS Game 6, and World Series

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The Boston Red Sox celebrate after defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 3-0 to win Game 4 and complete a sweep of the World Series on Oct. 27.

NBCSports.com news services

updated 1:06 a.m. ET Nov. 2, 2004

Boston Red Sox first baseman Kevin Millar told Fox Sports that the team took shots of Jack Daniel's whiskey before Game 6 of the American League Championship Series and before all four World Series games.

Millar made the surprising admission on "The Best Damn Sports Show Period" on Friday, and he also told Boston's Channel 4 about the unusual pregame regimen, ESPN said.

"It was one of those group team things, like shaving our heads last year," Millar told Fox. "What we had was one small Gatorade cup, with a little Jack Daniel's in it. We passed it around and everyone symbolically drank out of the same cup, because we are a team. It wasn't as if guys were drunk. Can you imagine Trot Nixon or Jason Varitek or Mike Timlin actually sipping alcohol before a game? No way."

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Millar added that manager Terry Francona did not participate.

"First, he never would," Millar told Fox. "Second, this was just between the players. It's not a story about 25 shot glasses, it's one small Gatorade cup that we shared as a symbol. And once we won Game 6, we had to do it before Game 7, just like the lucky coin I had in my pocket every game."

But, on the Late Show with David Letterman on Monday, outfielder Johnny Damon said the Jack Daniel's story was "nice," but was taken too far.

The Red Sox made the most amazing comeback in baseball history, defeating the Yankees in the ALCS after trailing the best-of-seven series three games to none. Then, the Red Sox won four straight from the St. Louis Cardinals.