Recency and GOAT biases aside, Tom Brady isn’t the first Hall of Fame-caliber athlete to make an on-field return to face his former teammates and fans of the Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics or Bruins.
Boston is obviously a city rich in sports history, with more than its fair share of Hall of Famers. And, by extension, Hall of Famers who left town – via free agency or trade -- to play for another team. Brady doesn’t corner the market in this area, even if he’s the most recent and maybe most dramatic example.
Heck, between Brady and Red Sox MVP Mookie Betts, Boston lost a couple true superstars in little more than a month just last year.
In fact, Boston fans have had to sit back – or stand up and yell – as they watched arguably the greatest baseball, hockey and football player of their time (maybe of any time) move on to another team in a painful reality of professional sports. But why oh why did so many seemingly have to add drama to the situation by joining rival squads from New York?
Anyway, as we continued to come to grips with the idea that Brady will come to town this October with a different team, in a different uniform and with a Super Bowl ring on his finger that’s not ours, here’s a look back at how things played out when past departed Hall of Fame players returned to take on their former teams in front of their former (still?) fans for the first time.
Red Sox
Babe Ruth – This is the only return that might be worthy of Brady’s hype show this fall, although the media scrutiny probably wasn’t quite as grand a hundred years ago. After being sold off to the Yankees over the winter, Ruth returned to Fenway Park on April 19, 1920 – Patriots Day – for a double header against his former team. According to reports from the time – if you were in stands and want to correct me, feel free! – Ruth was given a “huge ovation” by the Boston crowd. The Red Sox won both games of the double-header, though, with Ruth going a harmless 3-for-8 on the day with one RBI. This relatively lackluster first meeting did anything but preview the futures of the two franchises after arguably the biggest, most impactful transaction in sports history.
Carlton Fisk – The catcher’s return was as immediate and impactful as any. Fisk returned to Fenway on opening day in 1981 after leaving as a free agent in the offseason and did so in slugging fashion by going 2-for-4 with a home run in the win for his new Sox, the White Sox. Fisk went on to have a long, successful career in Chicago that helped land him in Cooperstown.
Roger Clemens – In what Red Sox GM Dan Duquette described as the “twilight” of his career, Clemens signed with the Blue Jays as a free agent after the 1996 season. On July 12, 1997 he made a triumphant, dominant return to Fenway in which he struck out 16 Boston batters over eight innings on the way to the 3-1 win. As he left the mound he famously stared up at Duquette’s luxury box in his Rocket fashion. While his reception by the crowd was mixed early, Clemens drew cheers as his strikeouts grew over the course of the game. Afterwards Red Sox MVP slugger Mo Vaughn told reporters that Clemens, “came to make a point. And he did.”
Wade Boggs – A hits- and batting-title machine in his time in Boston, Boggs returned as a member of the Yankees on May 21, 1993. Though the Red Sox got the win in the rivalry matchup, Boggs did what he was best at, going 4-for-4 with four singles while walking once.
Pedro Martinez – Arguably the most dominant hurler of his generation while pitching for the Sox, Martinez struggled in his return to Fenway as a member of the Mets. On June 28, 2006 he allowed eight runs on seven hits in just three innings with two walks and a mere one strikeout on the way to the 10-2 loss. He had begun the season with a 7-3 record before getting beat up by Boston and going a month without another start.
Mookie Betts – Ouch. TBD. (To be determined, not Tom Brady Day.)
Patriots
Bill Parcells – Maybe the closest thing to Brady’s return, Parcells “Tuna Bowl” return to Foxborough after jilting the Super Bowl Patriots for the Jets was massive in the growing media landscape of the 90s. Pete Carroll’s Patriots took the 27-24 victory in overtime of the ugly battle, with fans making their displeasure for Parcells known throughout.
Curtis Martin – The workhorse running back joined Parcells’ Jets thanks in part to the restricted free agent contract loopholes of the time after just three seasons in New England. On Oct. 19, 1998 he returned to Foxborough to carry the ball 28 times for 107 yards while adding one catch for 9 yards as New York got the 24-14 win in the ongoing and heated Border War rivalry.
Ty Law – Another Gold Jacket guy jumping from the Patriots to the Jets, the cornerback returned to face his former team on Dec. 4, 2005.
New England got the 16-3 win, with Brady throwing for 271 yards, including five completions each to Troy Brown, Deion Branch and David Givens. Law had five tackles in the losing effort at Gillette.
Adam Vinatieri – The man who kick-started the New England dynasty was somewhat controversially allowed to leave via free agency in 2006 to join Peyton Manning’s rival Colts. On Nov. 5, 2006, Vinatieri returned to town to help Manning and Co. beat Brady’s bunch 27-20. It was far from a perfect day for the future Hall of Famer and GOAT kicker, though, as he missed two of his four field goal attempts from 37 and 46 yards wide right, including one late that gave Brady a final chance to attempt a comeback. Vinatieri was booed throughout the game by Foxborough Faithful, and for years to come at Gillette.
Randy Moss – Moss had as much impact in a short period of time in New England as almost any player. He set an NFL record for touchdown catches with 23 in his first year as a Patriot in 2007, helping the new-look offense carry the team to a 16-0 regular season record. After notching double-digit touchdown catches in each of his three full seasons, Moss was traded to the Vikings early in the 2010 campaign as his skills eroded and his desire for a new contract grew. Moss’ Halloween night 2010 return saw the Patriots hold him to one catch for 8 yards as New England took the 28-18 victory in what would actually be his last of just four games in Minnesota as his career spiraled toward a bumpy, lackluster conclusion.
Celtics
Robert Parrish – The Chief had been a centerpiece cog in Larry Bird’s title teams of the ‘80s. By Nov. 23, 1994 when he returned to the Garden he was an aging role player with the Hornets. Parrish had eight points, four rebounds and a block in a loss to the Celtics.
Paul Pierce – The foundation of the new Big Three that brought a title back to Boston, Pierce was also at the center of a trade to the Nets that would help Danny Ainge rebuild the Celtics. On Jan. 26, 2014 Pierce returned to a supportive Boston crowd, but mustered up just six points in nearly 30 minutes of action in his team’s win. Pierce was saluted loudly by Boston fans throughout, including during a tribute video.
Kevin Garnett – While he wasn’t in Boston as long as Pierce, Garnett was loved in the city for his contributions to the title team and bringing “grit and balls” back to the court. But like Pierce, Garnett brought little to his Nets team in the Jan. 26, 2014 return to the Garden, as he tallied just six points in 20-plus minutes of the visitor’s victory. Boston fans made their support and appreciation for Garnett’s time in Boston quite obvious.
Ray Allen – After a messy free agent departure to join the bought-and-paid for rival Heat, Allen returned to face his former title team on Jan. 27, 2013. Allen’s Miami squad lost, the sharpshooter scoring 21 points in defeat. Though he got a decent reception during a tribute video that played, fans booed Allen loudly throughout the rest of the game.
Bruins
Bobby Orr – Though Orr finished out his career with two partial seasons (just 26 games total) for the Blackhawks after his ugly and unfortunate departure from Boston, he never played against the Bruins as a knee injury robbed the hockey world of one of its greatest all-time stars.
Ray Bourque – The Bruins legend was traded to Colorado to give him a chance to win a Stanley Cup, something that wasn’t likely to happen in Boston. He did just that and returned to Garden ice a year later, notching a pair of first-period assists on March 24, 2001 in a 4-2 win for the Avalanche in his only action as a visitor before retiring.
Joe Thornton – Boston’s captain was stunningly traded to San Jose in 2005. He returned to the Garden later that season for a strange reunion.
On Jan. 10, 2006 Thornton received a game misconduct penalty in the first period for checking former teammate and good friend Hal Gill from behind to cut to end his return to Boston before it really got going.
Zdeno Chara – This is the freshest of the returns, even if it was altered a bit by COVID fan restrictions. The longtime Bruins captain and Cup winner signed with the Capitals as a free agent this past offseason. He won his return to Boston 2-1 on March 3, but no fans were in attendance. He returned again on April 11, getting another Washington win, while also earning a standing ovation from the just more than 2,000 fans allowed into TD Garden to watch and honor their former star defenseman.
