Jabin's Red Sox Diary

The (Don't Call Me Devil) Rays

2008-07-03T20:09:00.004-05:00

So the Sox were swept in a 3-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays this week.

FULL DISCLOSURE ALERT: I grew up in St. Petersburg, FL, about 6 miles from where the Rays play at Tropicana Field. Of course, this was before there was a baseball team, and when I lived there the "World's Largest Shuffleboard Court" (as the Trop was called in those days) was used as bait to get teams to relocate to Florida. All that happened when I lived there was the White Sox used St. Petersburg as the "other suitor " to get new Comiskey built, and the Giants used St. Petersburg as the "other suitor" to get PacBell or whatever they're calling the ballpark in San Francisco these days. But after I moved away, MLB gracioiusly awarded Tampa Bay an expansion ballclub, and the Devil Rays were born. It was such big news, my brother and I flew down to take our parents to the first game in franchise history (pictured here).

But since I never lived there while the Devil Rays existed, I never had much of a chance to root, root root for the home team. Besides, they have been nothing to write home about in their first decade of existence, finishing in last place in the AL East in nine of the last 10 years. Let's face it, the Devil Rays have been the laughing stock of baseball for the past decade.

This year, with some nice young players, really good team chemistry, decent pitching a fine manager, the Rays (they've now dropped the "Devil" from their name) are playing the best baseball in the league if you believe the records. Their three-game sweep of the Sox this week was a "statement" to the rest of the league that they are, indeed, for real.

So why am I not happy for my hometown team?

Well, there are a few reasons. The nasty rivalry with the Red Sox is a big reason. If my Red Sox don't get along with a team, I'm naturally not going to like them. But I'd have to say the biggest reason I can't stand the Rays is their announcer, Dwayne Staats. I find this gentleman to be -- hmm, how can I put this politely? -- an asshole.

How in the name of Dewon Brazelton can this guy be so arrogant when he announces for the Rays? It's the Rays!!! -- note above, nine last-place finishes in 10 years, and this guy sounds like they've been dominating baseballf for a decade. I just don't get the arrogance all of a sudden because they've pulled 1/2 of a season out of their collective you-know-whats??? These guys are gaining on the White Sox for the title of "Announcers who make you want to shoot your friggin' television."

As I've said before, I live outside of Philadelphia and watch my Sox on the MLB "Extra Innings" package, and they usually give you the home team's feed. Since the Sox were in St. Pete this week, I was stuck with two gut-wrenching games of listening to Dwayne talk about how Zeus almighty came down from Mt. Olympus and populated the Rays organization with baseball geniuses (or is that genia? geni?). I know the announcers work for the team, but he takes it to a new level. At least Don Orsillo and Rem Dog keep it real -- and if one of the Sox screws up, they'll talk about it. I admit my bias, but I feel like they call a nice, even-handed game, which is pretty much all you can ask out of an announcer.

Staats even committed to ultimate broadcaster's sin by making himself the story last week for his comments on MLB reducing Coco Crisp's suspension, saying that other baseball teams "served at the pleasure of the Red Sox." I don't even know what that means, but I don't know the meaning of most of the babblings from this man.

Thank goodness the Wednesday Game 3 was on ESPN, so I actually enjoyed the telecast -- though not the result on the field.

Sure, some of this is sour grapes. I don't like trailing the Rays in the standings, even though I secretly think it's a good thing for baseball to have someone besides the Red Sox or Yankees leading the AL East for a week or two. So let the Rays have their moment, as they are on a nice roll. Hell, I'll even give them July, and then it's back to reality! :-)

But while they are having their moment, can someone please throw a muzzle on that pompous jerk in the booth

Sox in Philly

2008-06-20T09:46:00.003-05:00

Had the rare treat of seeing the Sox in person twice this week as they were in town to play an inter-league game against the Phillies. My "Sox Curse" is officially over, as they split the two games I saw (they used to always lose when I went in person, but lately they've been winning a lot more games when I'm there -- probably because they've been winning a lot more games lately, period, but let me have my fantasies). I had the unbelievable privilege of seeing Jon Lester pitch on Tuesday night, and wow! He's just got unbelievable stuff. With the movement on his fastball, it's no wonder he pitched a no-hitter. He baffled the Phils for seven shutout innings, and then Okajima and Papelbon finished up (textbook stuff).

Sad news this morning that Schilling is going to have season-ending and possibly career-threatening shoulder surgery. I can't say as I'm surprised by this, as I never counted on him pitching this year. If it is truly the end of his career, he will go down in history as one of the most clutch postseason pitchers of all time (I'm including his work with the Phillies in '93 as well as his stint with the D-Backs). But his performance in 2004 and the 'bloody sock' is the stuff of legends, appropriately so in Red Sox nation. Sure, he can be a self-centered jerk, and it's all about him, but the guy could sure as heck pitch. Isn't that what it's all about for the fans? With apologies to Mitch Williams, I'll take the mouth and the personality as long as you can bring it like he did every fifth day.

Too good to be true?

2008-04-23T09:50:00.003-05:00

You might think after two titles in four years that a fan of the Red Sox would stop being paranoid and just enjoy the success, but after an 86-year drought, you'd be forgiven for holding on to feelings of anxiety about the Sox' chances.

But the way the team is playing, it's almost too good to be true. There have been a couple of instances this season where I thought a game was lost, but the Sox found a way to pull out a victory (two games in Cleveland come to mind), and a few escapes in the four-game sweep of Texas over the weekend also qualify, especially Sunday's comeback.

But last night's series opener against those Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim was the biggest example yet. On a night when Josh Beckett was scratched from his scheduled start with a neck problem, and both Jason Varitek and Manny Delcarmen were out with the flu, all signs pointed to a rough night at Fenway.

The Sox called up David Pauley from Pawtucket to take Beckett's start, and the Angels quickly figured out that if they wait for the sinker-baller to get a pitch up, they were in business. It didn't look good.

But Jacoby Ellsbury hit two home runs, and the Sox rallied for a 7-6 victory in a game they probably should have lost. Too good to be true? Maybe. But this team is so solid, words like "dynasty" are starting to creep into my mind. With Big Papi in an early-season slump and Mike Lowell on the DL -- not to mention the fact that Curt Schilling might not pitch an inning this year -- the Sox have found a way to grab first place in the loaded AL East. Will the other shoe ever drop? Should I even be thinking about that? The way this team is playing and the "embarrassment of riches" success tell me that I should not.

Championship rings, Buckner

2008-04-09T15:03:00.002-05:00

It was a great day at Fenway yesterday. Opening Day, the sun was shining, and the Sox picked up their championship rings from the '07 title.

But the big headline of the day, for me, was the long-overdue return of one Bill Buckner. The "goat" of the 1986 World Series threw out the first pitch (to my boyhood hero, Dwight Evans), and got a warm ovation from the Fenway crowd.

My reaction: it's about damn time!!!

It's easy to forgive and forget Buckner after the glory of two titles in the past four seasons, but I ask why it took two titles and 22 years for this to happen? I was as upset as anyone on that October night in 1986 when Mookie Wilson's grounder went through Buckner's legs to end Game 6, but ... THIS JUST IN ... Buckner did not cost the team the world series! The fact that he has been villified, ostracized, and (of his own doing) banished out west is just plain wrong. There is a long laundry list of things that cost the Sox Game 6 against the Mets, among them:

Clemens asking (depending on who you believe) to come out of the game becuase of a sore finger

Bob Stanley's wild pitch

The above-mentioned steamer not covering the bag, so they probably wouldn't have gotten the speedy Mookie Wilson anyway at first

This was Game 6 -- people forget they had a LEAD in Game 7

And last, but certainly not least, is the biggest one of all. Manager John McNamara not using Dave Stapleton as a defensive replacement at first base as he had done ALL SEASON. That's right, Buckner shouldn't have even been in the game at that point. His bad knees, and the fact that Stapes was just a better defensive player overall should have all contributed to McNamara sticking with his game plan and putting in Stapleton.

But alas, all that could have gone wrong did go wrong, and the title was lost, leaving us 18 more years of misery to suffer as a Nation. All that being said, it STILL wasn't Buckner's fault.

I'm so glad he returned to Fenway, and judging from his emotional news conference you can tell that the events of 1986 still haunt him. The guy was an unbelievable player, and you could argue that the Sox wouldn't have made the '86 series without him.

It's sad that it took all this success to welcome him back with open arms, but at least it's done. Welcome back, Billy Buck!

Spring Training 08

2008-03-14T08:38:00.002-05:00

I just can't wait for the season to start -- should be another good one. Sure, there are questions about pitching (the Sox just put Schilling on the 60-day DL, and I honestly don't expect him to pitch even one inning for the Sox in '08), but the lineup is basically unchanged since last year, and that's a good thing.

Saddened today to learn of the release of Doug Mirabelli. I loved his role with the team as Wake's catcher, but he just didn't put up any numbers last year.

And I have to say, I'm not a huge fan of this trip to Japan to start the season. I'm all for exhibition and for spreading the game throughout the world, but that's a LOOONG way to go to play two games that count. Oh well, I'm not too concerned about it. Perhaps its the sight of the Yankees feeling that they have to slide into second with their spikes up and then have a bench-clearing brawl with the Devil Rays that has me, hmm, shall we say, feeling good. Not cocky, mind you, but feeling good.

Nice timing

2007-11-18T09:43:00.000-05:00

I think it’s a terrific irony that this blog, dedicated to the Red Sox and their success, experienced technical difficulties around the time of the World Series. As a result, all my posts from the conclusion of the ALCS and throughout the World Series have been wiped out. Since I write these things directly within the Blogger software, I don’t have a record of these posts, and I don’t think it’s worth it to try to re-create them. Suffice it to say that I’m a pretty happy camper these days, what with two World Championships within a four-year span.

It’s a little weird, I must admit, this recent success. You don’t just throw off 86 years of misery like that (snapping fingers) and *expect* to start winning, do you? Well apparently, if you’re a member of Red Sox Nation, you should have. In hindsight, this 2007 team showed no signs of a letdown from the time spring training broke until the last Papelbon fastball for the clinching strikeout. But it’s funny how many times I thought to myself – “Oh sh*t, this is it,” or “Here come the Yankees.” In reality, the Yankees could be on the verge of imploding (and no Joe Torre to steady the ship), and the Sox won with a huge contribution from young talent like Papelbon, Pedroia, Lester, and the stone-cold-lock-future-all-star Jacoby Ellsbury. Sure, they need to sign Lowell, but this team is going to be solid for years to come. I think it’s a little early to use the “D” word (no, not donuts, dynasty), but let’s admit that it wouldn’t be surprising at this point to see multiple titles come from this crew. As Torre showed – and correctly said – it’s a crapshoot when you get to the postseason, so you never know, but this group will be heard from again, no question.

Go Sox!

Beckett!

2007-10-19T08:05:00.000-05:00

Just when they needed it, the Sox got a dominating (DOMINATING!) performance from Josh Beckett tonight in Game 5 vs. Cleveland. Beckett was absolutely masterful, and didn't allow the Indians even a whiff of a chance of success. He even got in Kenny Lofton's face when Lofton thought a strike was a ball and dropped his bat. Beckett wouldn't have any of it, and yelled something at Lofton after he popped up. Lofton then had a few words back to Beckett (I don't think they were trading recipes) as he headed for the dugout. Pretty soon the umpire was out, both benches emptied, and the bullpens came charging in from right field. But it was a typical baseball fight -- lots of testosterone, no punches thrown, and cooler heads prevail in the end.

The Fox broadcasters were livid with Manny Ramirez for not legging out what *he thought* was a home run - on a play where Papi scored all the way from first base, Manny ended up standing on first and calling for time out. They make a good point, but they also fail to realize that every citizen of Red Sox Nation will take this behavior from Manny. What we casually chalk up as "Manny Being Manny" is actually some pretty flaky and sometimes poor behavior that, by anyone else, would probably get you disciplined or fined by your coach. But with Manny, people just shake their heads and say, "That's Manny." Maybe it has something to do with the fact that the guy can hit the cover off the ball, consistently, and hardly ever comes up small when his team needs him. Just maybe.

No time to panic

2007-10-18T09:42:00.000-05:00

OK, so the boys are down 3-1 in the ALCS. I think they have proven, in their recent history, that just because the other team wins 3 games in a series doesn't mean anything is settled, by any means. Now I'll be the first to admit that this is note 2004, and this is not the group of "idiots." (For one thing, this team has a much more "professional" feel to it, and baseball seems like more of a job, and less of the fun that the '04 team had). But the manager is the same, and the core of the team is basically the same. They can do it. Keep the faith.

Gag Me!

2007-10-14T20:03:00.000-05:00

Let me be very clear about this -- ERIC GAGNE IS DONE for the ALCS. There's a bigger chance of seeing me take the mound for the Sox than seeing this guy again. Can we be grown-ups here? Not only did he almost single-handedly let the Yankees back in the division race with a few poorly-timed mound implosions down the stretch, but his 1/3 inning of (ahem) relieve in Game 2 of the ALCS let the Indians tie the series at 1-1 heading to Cleveland. Nothing to panic about yet, with Dice-K going on Monday, but I sure could have used a 2-0 lead leaving Fenway.

Meanwhile, in the National League, it's looking like a Rockies sweep. They just took a 1-0 lead in Game 3 in Denver, and the Diamondbacks are starting to look like a speedbump on the Rockies' race to the World Series. Oh well.

And they're off vs. Tribe

2007-10-12T21:29:00.001-05:00

A few thoughts from tonight's great start in Game 1 of the ALCS against Cleveland, as the Sox take a 1-0 series lead.

The announcers just said a stat that is simply amazing. In 36 plate appearances so far this postseason, Manny and Papi have reached base 29 times. That is nothing short of amazing, and that's an .806 on-base percentage for those of you scoring at home (or those of you alone). Good gravy!
Were my eyes deceiving me, or is Asdrubal Cabrera of the Indians wearing a pearl necklace with his uniform. Tell me that guy doesn't take a whole load of cr*p in the locker room for that!
Another great statistic. Manny walked twice tonight with the bases loaded to force in two runs, becoming just the second player in MLB postseason history to do so. The other? Jim Palmer (a pitcher, no less) in the 1971 World Series. Tim McCarver correctly pointed out that that will make a great trivia question in 5 years.
Schilling against Fausto Carmona Saturday night in Game 2. I'm not sure what to think of Carmona. I kept thinking this season that he would wake up one day and realize that he's actually Fausto Carmona and not Cy Young, but he hasn't. In fact, the 9 innings he pitched vs. the Yankees (you remember them, don't you? they used to play baseball this season) in Game 2 of the ALDS -- the Bug Game -- was downright scary. Hopefull the Sox can do to Fausto what they did to Sabathia in Game 1.
Can we call a halt to the term "filthy" when describing a pitcher with good stuff. The term is fine, and most likely accurate, but enough already! Any pitcher who has a ball break more than 3 inches has his stuff called filthy. I guess that's in vogue now, like "nasty" was in the early 90s -- when the Reds had the Nasty Boys -- but enough is enough.

Joe Torre

2007-10-09T08:08:00.000-05:00

Far be it from me to defend a Yankee, but I think it is ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS for the Yankees to be talking about firing Joe Torre. As distasteful as it was for George Steinbrenner to issue a statement over the weekend (with his team down 2-0 in the series to Cleveland) that if the Yankees didn't win this series, Torre was gone. That was bad. Following through on the threat would be worse.

What exactly has Torre done wrong? The players love him. I defy you to point to one move he's made that is wrong (a rarity, trust me), and he seems like a classy guy. Now consider all that, and consider that it's coming from someone who HATES THE YANKEES with every fiber of my being. Hate the team -- respect the manager.

So actually, now that I think about it, I hope King George does let Torre go. I hope he hires a string of unsuccessful managers and reverts to the days of a revolving door at the helm of the Yankees. This 12 years of stability and success was getting old anyway.

Sweep in Anaheim

2007-10-07T22:01:00.000-05:00

Wow!

Just a great series against Anaheim, which the Sox wrapped up today with a 9-1 victory in Anaheim. I have to be honest and say that I thought this series would be tougher than it was, but the Sox pitching was just too strong, and it seems like Anaheim could never get its offense in gear.

A little confession -- I couldn't watch today's game because my daughter had an out-of-town soccer game. We were driving home and listening on the radio, and Manny and Papi had gone deep for a 2-0 lead. I lost the signal as Papi had a single, and couldn't get the game on any other station. About 20 minutes later I tried again and got ESPN radio, only to find out the Sox had a 9-0 lead! Well that about wraps that game up! Very nice.

On to the ALCS.

Manny! Manny! Manny!

2007-10-06T01:02:00.000-05:00

Great win tonight vs. the Angels in Game 2. It was close the whole way, but Manny Ramirez ended things in the 9th inning with a walk-off 3-run homer on a ball that is still going (I think) over the Monstah Seats and into the Boston night. Sox win, 6-3, and head to Anaheim (excuse me, Los Angeles at Aneheim) with a 2-0 series lead. Life is good.

The night was made even sweeter by the Yankees' extra-innings loss to Cleveland. And those bugs!?? What was that about? I can't wait for the Yankee fans to complain about those bugs, as if the Cleveland players didn't have to play under the same conditions. And poor Joba Chamberlain giving up the tying run. Maybe he'll start getting some media attention now, because I really feel bad for the poor guy and his "under the radar" baseball career thus far.

Remain Calm, All is Well

2007-09-19T11:38:00.000-05:00

OK, I just love the Animal House quote above, but I also think it is appropriate today for Red Sox Nation. Sure, the boys have blown a lead that swelled to as many as 14 1/2 games at one point over the Yankees, and now it's down to 2 1/2, but panicking can only make things worse.

That being said, this sucks. My Yankee fan friends are just loving this, and you know the Sox players are seeing the Yankees in their rearview mirrors. I still think the Sox will win the division, but who the heck needs this drama? And Eric Gagne is going to give me a frickin' stroke!

Donde esta el Manny?

Sweepless in Seattle

2007-06-29T20:48:00.000-05:00

Pretty crappy series in Seattle this week. Sox were swept, and the worst part as that my cable company's "MLB Extra Innings" feed was the home team (as it usually is), so I had to listen the crappy Mariners' announcers. Man, do those guys blow? They are the biggest homers this side of, well, the South Side of Chicago (you know who I mean), and if they used "we" one more time while referring to the team I was gonna shoot the television.

Luckily the boys are home at Fenway this weekend with the disappointing Texas Rangers in town. Wake on the mound tonight, so anything goes, but it's good to be home after that Mariners series.

Wily Mo

2007-04-26T20:33:00.000-05:00

I still think trading away Bronson Arroyo was a mistake, and having him on the pitching staff near the end of the 2006 season might have slowed down the collapse, but damn it's fun to watch Wily Mo Pena hit home runs! He just hit a grand slam against the Orioles in the eighth inning to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 5-2 lead just like that (snapped my fingers). And he didn't scrape any paint off the back of the fence, either. He absolutely crushed that ball, and it even made the Orioles announcers gasp a little bit. Would I like to have Arroyo still pitching for the Sox? Sure. But Pena's "upside" is fun to think about, especially after shots like that.

How Sweep It Is!!!

2007-04-23T16:34:00.000-05:00

A wise man once said "It's a long season," and I'm pretty sure he was talking about baseball, not winter. That's one reason I'm trying real hard (I said trying, not succeeding) not to get to excited about this weekend's sweep of the Yankees at Fenway. For starters, the Sox had their pitching lined up just perfectly for the series, as Schilling started Friday, Beckett on Saturday, and Dice-K making his debut against the Yankees on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball. Despite all that good pitching, the Boys from Beantown had to come from behind in every game. But who cares how they did it; the important thing is that they DID IT. Swept the bastards, that is.

Yankee fans can make all the excuses they want about inexperienced pitching, injuries, etc., but those excuses fell on deaf ears when the Sox collapsed last year. No sale. You play with the team you have, and that's baseball.

The highlight of the weekend had to have been Sunday night's third inning, when the Sox hit FOUR HOME RUNS IN A ROW. Manny, J.D. Drew, Mike Lowell, and Jason Varitek all went yard off rookie Chase Wright, welcoming him to Fenway. And although A-Rod stayed hot all weekend (bombing two homers on Friday night), he ended Sunday's game with a wimpy groundout off a fired up Papelbon.

So as I say, I'm really trying hard not to get excited, but these Sox look good, and I think it's going to be a good year. I still fear and respect the Yankees, but I'm going to enjoy the hell out of this sweep. Next weekend, to the Bronx.

Dice K is the real deal!!!

2007-04-05T15:25:00.000-05:00

I know the guy has been under-publicized, but this Dice-K guy looks to be the real deal. He's heading to the 7th inning of an absolute gem over the Kansas City Royals in his Red Sox debut, and he looks terrific. Great command of the strike zone, and he seems to be getting the Royals to do exactly what he wants them to do -- the mark of a truly great pitcher. One mistake -- a solo home run by the Royals -- but otherwise a fantastic day. I just wish the press would give this guy some attention.

2007 Season Opener

2007-04-02T21:29:00.000-05:00

I’ve never been a big fan of the thinking that the season opener is a “barometer” of things to come for the season. And it’s a pretty darn good thing today, as the Sox dropped their season opener at Kansas City this afternoon, Curt Schilling getting touched up in the process. What the hell is it with Kansas City? The Sox got swept their last year in a sign of bad things to come, and then they start off the new season with a lopsided loss at KC. And then against the rest of the league, the Royals turn into the Bad News Bears. I just don’t get it.

Anyway, I am optimistic about this season. Dice-K looks to be the real deal, I like the acquisition of Lugo at SS, and some other pickups are pretty key. I could never understand why things went so bad so quickly last year, so maybe my optimism is misplaced, but there you go. Let the games begin, let’s play two, and all that stuff. Can’t wait for this season to get into full swing!

Domo arigato, Mr. Henry

2006-12-21T19:40:00.000-05:00

The Dice-Man cometh to Beantown. The Sox, after plunking down $51 million just to talk to Daisuke Matsuzaka (actually, it was $51 to talk to his agent, Scott Boras), the Sox came up with another $50 million to sign the Japanese phenom. But what’s $50 among friends. And if this guy lives up to his hype, it could be a good acquisition. He could be a mainstay in the Sox starting lineup for years to come, and I hope he is. But the whole situation is a little creepy. I mean, this is George Steinbrenner stuff, this shelling out of multi-million dollar contracts on guys who haven’t pitched in the bigs. I hope Dice-K (looks like that will be his nickname) lives up to his billing and wins 20 for the Sox for several years to come, but that is a ton of money. But hey, it’s not my money.

Nuts

2006-09-04T21:22:00.000-05:00

This season is starting to suck…

The incredible Papi show...

2006-08-01T20:11:00.000-05:00

OK, this is getting a little ridiculous. This is baseball, after all, where failure 7 times out of 10 over the course of your batting career can get you considered for the Hall of Fame. But David Ortiz, aka Big Papi, is now *expected* to hit a walkoff home run every time he gets the chance. It's really not fair, but it's also his fault. He keeps doing it, so what are we to expect.

Papi's latest blast came against the Cleveland Indians last night, a 3-run shot in the ninth that turned an 8-6 deficit into a 9-8 walkoff win. I was watching the game on ESPN because I could get high-def (and I couldn't get that on NESN, through MLB Extra Innings), and the ESPN broadcast started showing Papi as soon as they knew he would get an at-bat in the 9th. They showed him, and they talked about it. It was the perfect scenario for overhyping something and then it not coming true. But as he walked to the plate, I started thinking: "Oh shit, Papi can do it. Wait, I know he's going to do it." That kind of thinking is just wrong in baseball, where you get used to failing more often than succeeding. But he looked at two balls out of the strike zone, and the first pitch he saw in the strike zone -- BOOM -- over the fence in center. Game over. Celebration at home plate.

Dad calls on the phone and wakes the wife. My brother Emails with the subject line "Are you kidding me!"

Just another day in the life of Big Papi. The guy is an incredible, clutch-hitting machine, and we have absolutely no right to expect him to do it every time.

Except he does.

Beckett signs extension

2006-07-20T21:08:00.000-05:00

The Red Sox put a nice capper on a 3-game sweep of the Royals as they announced they had extended Josh Beckett's contact three years. A great move all around. For one thing, it's nice that he's locked up. For another (and I really don't care about this, because it's not my money), they got him for a lot less than they would have had to pay on the free agent market. It's one of those rare things in baseball when everyone wins (although you could argue Beckett left money on the table, nothing in life is guaranteed. And at these prices...?).

19 innings in Chicago

2006-07-09T20:56:00.000-05:00

So okay, the All-Star break came a bit later for the Red Sox and White Sox. On Sunday (or 3-days-off getaway day before the All-Star break), the Sox and Sox played 19 innings on Chicago's South Side. As brutal as this game was at the end, it was made much worse by the ridiculous White Sox announcers (I wish I could get the NESN feed on satellite, but on MLB Extra Innings you taketh the feed they give). I don't mind the one guy, but the only thing more annoying than listening to Ken "The Hawk" Harrelson is listening to Ken "The Hawk" Harrelson for 19 frickin' innings. Are these guys watching the same game? Their bias is unbelievable!!!

I know, I know, all broadcasters are biased, so grow up. But not this bad. I have no doubt in my mind that NESN's Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy are root root rooting for the Red Sox, but they still describe the game on the field. If one of the Red Sox players screws up, they get called on it. After all, their job is to *describe* the game and make comments on it. But these White Sox announcers are so ridiculously one-sided, it makes it not fun to watch if you're not rooting for the White Sox. I'm sure the club knows this, and they are entitled to have whoever they want broadcast the games. But this open cheering for the White Sox (even questioning balls and strikes, for heaven's sake!) is just too much. Makes me want to subscribe to MLB.tv just so I can get a different feed. If I never hear, "Put it on the board, yup!" again, it will be too soon.

Step right up and Sweep the Mets!!!

2006-06-29T21:05:00.000-05:00

So many highlights, so much to say.

I'm not sure what I enjoyed more, watching David Ortiz advance from second to third on a sac fly (you could almost hear Chris Berman yelling 'rumblin', stumblin', bumblin'), or Coco Crisp's sprawling catch to save the game? Clearly it was the catch -- they don't come much better.

If you throw in the circumstances that surrounded it (ie, the Mets probably would have tied the score and perhaps gone ahead had he not grabbed it), it might be the best catch of the year.

Schilling vs. Glavine started out as a pitchers' duel, and it *was* as they played to a 0-0 tie through six innings. But then Carlos Beltran got to Schilling with a 2-run shot for a 2-0 lead, and that lump in my throat appeared (I really wanted this sweep!). But Mark Loretta blasted a shot over the Monstah to cut the lead to 2-1, and then Papi played wall ball with a double to left-center. After advancing on the above-mentioned sac fly, he scored to tie the game. Coco Crisp then flashed some speed on the bases before scoring on a sac fly by Youk, and Big Papi added an insurance run with a homer to deep center. Papelbon comes on to save it in the 9th, and it's broom time for the Metropolitans!!!

But the catch. Just unbelievable!

And now the winning streak has reached 12 games, the longest for the Sox since 1995. And as Orel Hershiser (who has turned into a pretty darn good announcer, by the way) said during the call of the game tonight, the Sox won this won with a team approach and they executed in every aspect of the game. That's true. They showed:

offense: (seven hits and four earned runs against Tom Glavine and a pretty darn good bullpen)
defense: Coco, you the man!
pitching: Schilling looked mahvelous, and Papelbon was his usual solid self
baserunning: Papi even looked good on the basepaths, and Crisp was fantastic

All told, a rather pleasant night at the Fens. :-)

Honoring the '86 Red Sox

2006-06-29T11:22:00.000-05:00

Maybe an 11-game winning streak just puts you in a good mood?

Maybe the 2004 championship cured everything? (I still can't get this smile off my face).

But if you would have told me that I would ever be in a positoin of looking back *fondly* on the year 1986 in baseball, I would have laughed. And then I would have cried.

But two nights ago the Sox had a special celebration honoring the 1986 AL champions, and a team that came closer to a World Series title without winning it than any team in baseball. Not that I'm still bitter, but ONE FRICKIN' STRIKE!!! Sorry, I'm back.

The celebration was not broadcast on the NESN satellite feed, but during the game they had members of the '86 team stop by the booth (Wade Boggs and Bruce Hurst) and relive some of the memories. The fact that Roger Clemens was pitching that very same night for the Houston Astros did not escape mention, and amazement. But one person couldn't be there, and you wonder if the reason he gave for not showing up was legit. Bill Buckner, whose name will forever be tied to one silly play despite an incredible career, couldn't make it. The official reason was something about his son, who is quite the ballplayer himself, having a scouting trip, or something like that. But you wonder how much motivation Billy Buck has to come back to Fenway. I was glad to see that the announcement of his name got cheers from the Fenway crowd, but these people put that poor man through the ringer for his failure to pick up Mookie Wilson's grounder. Even though the Steamer would not have covered the GOD DAMN BAG!!! Sorry, I'm back again. I've got to quit doing that.

There are so many bad memories of that night in 1986, and I can't even talk (write) about it without getting tears on my keyboard, and that's not going to be good for anyone. But I think the 2004 championship, more than anything else, has healed those wounds. That's what is so amazing about the 2004 title. Take 1967, 1978, 1986, and all bad memories of the previous 86 years and just throw them out the window. The slate is clean!

Plus, the fact that the Red Sox have taken 2 of the first 3 from the Mets (who are running away with the NL East this year, and are no slouches) in the series, and have Schilling on the hill going for the sweep tonight, doesn't hurt my mood one bit.

So I wish Billy Buck would have come back. He had an amazing career, and he should not be remembered for that play. I'm not naive enough to believe that that will ever be true, but he should know that Red Sox Nation loves him. But the Steamer should have covered the GOD DAMN BAG!!! (Sorry again...).

Pedro returns

2006-06-28T20:31:00.000-05:00

I must admit to some watery eyes tonight as I watched Pedro take the hill for the first time back at Fenway Park. I was also a bit surprised that the Fenway crowd gave him such a nice ovation. Sure, he was superhuman as a pitcher for the Red Sox for many years, and the reception was certainly deserved. But I thought the way he left, and some of the comments he made about the organization on the way out, might have turned some folks against him. I am happy to be wrong, and I was proud of the reception given to the opposing pitcher in tonight's game vs. the Mets (meanwhile A-Rod gets booed at Yankee Stadium during every at-bat lately, at least until his walk-off homer today vs. the Braves). Go figure.

I was equally happy with the way the Red Sox greeted Pedro, as they touched him for 4 runs early and went to an 8-0 lead before he hit the showers. Not exactly vintage Pedro, but given the uniform he's wearing now, I'll take it. My daughter still says that Pedro is her favorite player (how do you explain free agency to an 8-year-old???), so tonight was a little weird. She said she was definitely rooting for the Red Sox, though, because "Pedro is just one guy, and the Red Sox are a whole team." Like the way that little one thinks.

Yet another reason to hate the Yankees...

2006-06-27T21:21:00.000-05:00

I remember laughing at this when it was in the news as a controversy in May, but I just read the article by Mike Vaccaro in the New York Post where he basically called on the Yankee pitchers to throw at Ortiz. What a frickin' weasel! It is amazing how much testosterone can get you going when you're not the one who has to back up your words. I wonder if Vaccaro ever played beyond Little League? I wonder how he'd feel if his son was on a tear and someone recommended throwing at *him.* Lovely behavior, Mike, just lovely.

J.T. Snow

2006-06-21T10:08:00.000-05:00

The Sox designated J.T. Snow for assignment yesterday, starting the process on his leaving the Red Sox. Sad to say it, but he was simply an insurance policy that the Red Sox didn’t need (and that’s a good thing, right?). They simply didn’t know how Kevin Youkilis was going to work out at first base, and I think it’s now safe to say that the Youkilis experiment is working a little bit. J But Snow expected more at-bats, and he was classy about it but also made it clear that he did not sign up to spit and scratch himself on the bench. I feel bad for the guy, but for the team this is great news. It means a guy they weren’t sure about (Youk) has proven that he is a fantastic everyday player, and in the big picture that is a very good thing.

Downer week, but looking up?

2006-05-26T22:00:00.000-05:00

OK, I’d just as soon get this week before Memorial Day over with already. Losing 2 of 3 at home to the Yankees was bad enough, but then Friday night I was all geared up for the return of David Wells. No offense to Lenny DiNardo, but he just wasn’t getting it done as the fifth starter (the Phillies announcers were openly mocking him on the radio broadcast of the Phils-Red Sox game last Sunday, and they’ve seen some BAD pitching, so they oughtta know). Anyway, Boomer has been re-habbing his right knee after something like 536 surgeries, and he looked good in the early innings. But in the fifth inning, Travis Lee hit a hot smash back up the middle, and it hit Wells in, of all places, the RIGHT KNEE!!! Are you kidding me? I couldn’t believe it. The odds of something like that happening on the poor bastard’s first game back have to be amazing, and you couldn’t help feel that the end of a career was being played out as Boomer lay sprawled on the Fenway infield (Jerry Remy said much the same thing on the NESN broadcast).

But wait. Initial reports from the Red Sox locker room say that the injury is not as severe as may have been expected (I think that’s trainer speak for “the leg is not coming off,”) but there is reason to hope. He may not be done after all. Anything short of retirement would be a victory for me, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

The other ‘good news’ to end the week is that the Devil Rays are in town, and even though they’re better this year the Sox still have got to love seeing these guys. They took Game 1 Thursday night, and looked to be on their way to a second win in the series on Friday night (Pappelbon just came in with 2 outs in the ninth and a 4-run lead; I think we may be pretty safe). Two more with the Rays over the weekend, and I’m getting my broom out.

Can we play 162 games against the O's?

2006-05-16T21:31:00.000-05:00

The streak vs. the Baltimore Orioles reached 13 tonight with a nice ‘team’ win. Schilling was a bit shaky, but got the job done, and Papelbon came in in the ninth to slam the door. Meanwhile Manny and Trot both went yard, and the Sox came back after blowing an early lead with Big Papi delivering a key blow in the 6^th.

But the highlight (for me) was a play by Alex Gonzalez in the ninth inning. He went deep in the hole to field a ball hit by the O’s Nick Markakis, and made a quick throw to get the guy by a step at first. Not the kind of play that shows up on the highlights, but I bet Papelbon sure appreciated it. Just a tremendous glove, and an underrated shortstop.

So, we go for No. 14 in a row tonight in Baltimore.

Patriots' Day!!!

2006-04-17T14:06:00.000-05:00

My kids were home from school today (day after Easter and all) so we entertained ourselves quite well with the traditional day game (this year vs the Mariners).

Even without the ending, a very entertaining game. But how about Mark Loretta? He picked one heckuva time for his first homer in a Sox uniform!!! A walkoff blast, kids jumping around dancing and screaming, and I think my two little ones are hooked for life...

There is a line at the beginning of 'Fever Pitch,' after the uncle takes young Jimmy Fallon to his first Sox game; 'careful kid, they'll break your heart.'

Very true, but too late.

Que Paso, Manny?

2006-04-16T18:19:00.000-05:00

Is it too early to press the panic button on Manny?

He went 1-for-3 today with an RBI groundout, his third RBI of the season. 12 games into the season, and the guy with the funny hair does not have an extra base hit yet? Can anyone explain what is going on?

My panic on Manny is assuaged a bit by the good news today from Josh Beckett, who won again to move to 3-0 on a very promising young season. Both Schilling and Beckett are now 3-0. Good stuff.

Home opener

2006-04-11T19:56:00.000-05:00

Tremendous home opener today at Fenway.

Josh Beckett overcame a shaky first inning to pitch a 3-hitter. Big Papi went yard. Mike Lowell banged out four hits. And the Sox raised their record to 6-1 on this young season with their fifth straight win. Life is good.

But the highlight, for me, had to be about the sixth inning (or seventh, I forget) when the following scenario occurred during the NESN broadcast.

The camera is showing Wally the Green Monster, the Sox mascot that everyone usually ignores, and the announcers (Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy) are highlighting some of the changes for the new 2006 season. One of the changes is that they’ve made Wally rotund (like 100 pounds heavier), and he now looks more like the Philly Phanatic than last year’s green Elmo. Wally still sucks, so sometimes change is, well, just change. But as Orsillo and Remy are making wisecracks, RemDog finally quips: “Fat and stupid is no way to go through life, Wally.” Any telecast that includes a vague “Animal House” reference is ok by me.

Indeed, life is good…

Tito speaks

2006-04-06T19:49:00.000-05:00

So I read today that Tito says the reason Papelbon pitched the ninth inning in Texas was bacause the Sox had an off day on Thursday, and he didn't want Papelbon to go that long without work. He says he meant no slight to Foulke.

Are we buying that?

What the Foulke?

2006-04-06T18:24:00.000-05:00

The Sox had an unbelievable game in Texas on Thursday night, with some great highlights, but much of it was overshadowed by a brewing bullpen controversy. Jonathan Papelbon was money out of the bullpen, which left Sox fans happy, but also wondering why Tito went with Papelbon instead of Keith Foulke to start the ninth inning. I’m not much for pitching controversies – or any controversies that involve the Red Sox, for that matter. In my mind, if Tito thinks Papelbon is going to get three outs for the Sox in the ninth, he should feel comfortable going that way. But one has to wonder what this means for Foulke. Was this a permanent move on Francona’s part? If not, should it be? Papelbon was bringing some serious heat (he even impressed the totally biased Rangers’ announcers I watched on the satellite), so one has to wonder if he is our new closer?

All of the above is what has people buzzing, but what almost went overlooked was the stellar debut of one Josh Beckett. He was FANTASTIC!!! Darn it was fun watching him pitch. I couldn’t have cared less about this guy when he was with the Fish, and the only exposure I’ve ever really had of him was when he beat the Yankees in the World Series. But this first look at him in a Red Sox uniform made me very optimistic for the rest of 2006. Beckett was fired up, pumping his fist on several occasions after getting the third out of an inning. He’s a competitor, and he’s got serious stuff. This guy is the real deal, but I suspect we already knew that. It’s just nice to see it proven, and proven in a tight, well-played game.

The Sox 2 runs came on a 2-run homer from one Trot Nixon, which hopefully sets a tone for him this season. I’d love to see him tear off a career year. Scoring ahead of Trotter was Manny Ramirez, who walked in what was the only positive thing he’s done so far in 3 games. I’m not raising any alarm flags here, but I just expected “Manny Being Manny” to come out of the gate strong. He’ll be there when it counts, though.

And we're off!!!

2006-04-04T14:32:00.000-05:00

The 2006 season got off on the right foot yesterday, as Schilling looked great on the mound, newcomer Mike Lowell went yard, and Papi Ortiz hit a moon shot that practically put a crater in the right-field foul pole when it finally came down. Red Sox 7, Texas 3. 1 down, 161 to go.

Here we go, Red Sox, here we go.

2006-03-06T20:38:00.000-05:00

A buddy of mine just EMailed me this picture. Even though I can't say this player's name, the picture is pretty funny. That's all I have to say about that.

Pitchers and Catchers Report

2006-02-16T18:02:00.000-05:00

Say it with me people: "Pitchers and Catchers Report." I love those 4
words.

Theo McArthur says: "I shall return."

2006-01-24T19:47:00.000-05:00

Well, they made it official today. The Sox announced that Theo Epstein is returning to his position as General Manager, the post he vacated in a gorilla suit in October. Only with the Red Sox, huh? This is great news, and I'm glad that everyone was able to put their egos in check long enough to get this done. Red Sox Nation rejoices.

Coco Crisp???

2006-01-22T16:57:00.000-05:00

Rumor has it that the Sox have reached a trade agreement with Cleveland for Coco Crisp (pending the Tribe's deal with the Phillies for Jason Michaels). I hope this is true, but we'll see. I wonder what the over/under is on bad breakfast cereal puns surrounding this poor guy? What was he thinking with this nickname, or what were his parents thinking if it's his real name? Anyway, the rumors surrounding Crisp coming to the Sox have been around since our former centerfielder signed with the Yankees, but I sure hope this time it's coming true. Also looks like they are in the final stages of acquiring SS Alex Gonzalez. If both of these things are true, it's been a good day. Stay tuned.

Someone get me a tissue

2006-01-22T16:51:00.000-05:00

I know I said I wouldn't mention his name again, but I'm going to link to an article about our former centerfielder. When will rich ballplayers get it through their heads that whining after taking a $52 million contract over a $40 million contract is not going to win you too many hearts with the fans? Screw him!

Take the cannoli ... leave the gorilla suit

2006-01-20T09:29:00.001-05:00

He's baaaaack. Theo Epstein returned to the Red Sox today in a capacity that will be announced next week. The Sox released a terse statement on Friday.

So few are the times when I tell my wife something, and I turn out to be right (just ask her). Well, when Theo donned a gorilla suit and snuck out of Fenway to end his tenure as GM, I told my wife, "I don't know, I have a feeling he'll be back." I then started to see the same rumors appear in print and online, and I had the rare feeling of thinking that I might not be full of shit. Well, now it's happened. I think A LOT of people thought Theo would be back, so I'm not claiming to be some genius or anything, because it just felt right. Nobody liked the way he left, and everyone thought his tenure was too short. He will be the GM again, it's just a matter of time. I'll be interested to see what they announce next week about his duties, but whether de facto or not, Theo will soon be pulling the strings for the Sox again.

And it's about damn time. Here's my Top 10 list (well, not really 10) of things Theo or whoever is pulling the strings needs to do to get the Red Sox ready for the 2006 season:

10. Sign a centerfielder
9. Sign a shortstop
8. If not accomplished, repeat Step 10
7. If not accomplished, repeat Step 9
6. You're still here? Get on the phone
5. Yes, Omar Moreno was good, but he played for the '79 Pirates
4. No, Cal Ripken Jr. is not coming out of retirement
3. Are you still not getting this?
2. Sign a centerfielder
1. Sign a shortstop

Exit Millar, Enter Tavares

2006-01-13T15:58:00.000-05:00

Exchanged Emails today with a fellow resident of the Nation about one Julian Tavares, who the Sox signed for middle relief, assuming Keith Foulke comes back to his 2004 form. I defended young Julian and his supposed flakiness (hitting your fist and doing damage after a bad pitching performance is classic "head case" stuff), but then I read that Kevin Millar signed with the Orioles. Not that the two moves are in any way related, but it got me to thinking. Millar is out (he was really out months ago, to be fair), and Tavares is in. Is that a good swap of players, from a personality standpoint? Millar was the author of "Cowboy Up" during the Red Sox 2003 playoffs, and his now-famous (to me) carefree attitude after falling behind 3-0 to the Evil Empire in 2004 ("Don't let us win tonight, boy, don't let us win tonight...") will never be forgotten. In many ways, Millar symbolized the 2004 'idiots' just as much, if not more, than that centerfielder whose name will no longer appear in this blog (please, don't make me say it, the former long-haired gentleman). For that, I will miss him. Sure, Millar's bat tailed off in 2005, and I couldn't believe it when he was booed on one of my visits to Fenway, but you have to wonder how the 2004 team would have been -- mentally, at least -- without him. Plus, when that guy connected, man, he connected. He had a very sweet home run swing over the monster when he was on (see picture), and I will miss that.
So this off-season continues to be a depressing one. We have no shortstop to speak of (Cora?), and the guy they have penciled in in centerfield (Adam Stern) has a total of 15 major league at bats in his career. His CAREER. I don't care how many GMs the Sox have or who is really pulling the strings, somebody make a move! The Nation is waiting.

Johnny Damon sleeps with the fishes...

2005-12-21T09:33:00.000-05:00

The news this morning hit me like a ton of bricks. At first a friend left me a voicemail message asking if I was now going to root for the Yankees. Knowing that was, let's see, frickin' impossible, I still wondered what would prompt such a sarcastic message. A quick check of the web confirmed my worst fears. Johnny Damon, the "Unfrozen Caveman Centerfielder" Sox fans have come to know and love, has signed a 4-year pact with the Evil Empire.

First of all, I will never forget the contribution Johnny D. made to the 2004 Red Sox and the joy he brought to Red Sox Nation. I wish him nothing but the best in the future.

That being said. Johnny, how could you? Sure, I could see the Dodgers, now that they are building an outpost of Red Sox Nation on the Left Coast, but the Bronx? It actually makes good sense for the pinstripes, with an aging Bernie Williams needing to be replaced in centerfield. And Damon will certainly provide a nice spark at the top of a potent lineup. But this one stings. I think I'm still in shock, but the first time I see the 'Unfrozen One' suited up in pinstripes is really going to be a dagger. I will always think of Damon's grand slam in Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS as the nail in the Evil Empire's coffin (even given all of Ortiz's heroics), so it's going to be weird, to say the least.

So, chalk up Johnny D. in the pantheon of former Red Sox greats suiting up in pinstripes, starting with the Babe and going right through to Wade Boggs and the Rocket (no, I didn't forget Mark Bellhorn, but I tried to). The really hard part of this is going to be explaining this to my 7-year-old daughter. She hates the Yankees (she has been brainwashed, uh, I mean 'well schooled), and she loves Johnny Damon. I'm not sure how I'm going to break this to her. In the end analysis, just two words come to mind: "This sucks."

Co What???

2005-12-12T20:59:00.000-05:00

When the rumors were circulating that the Red Sox were going to name co-General Managers (or shouldn't it be Generals Manager) to replace Theo Epstein, I thought it was a joke. Theo was good and all, but two people to replace him? Come on.

Well, darned if they didn't do it. Today the Sox announced that Jed Hoyer and Ben Cherington will share the GM duties (and presumably all decision-making responsibility about trades, free agent signings, etc.). Sounds a bit suspect to me, but hey, Larry Lucchino had a straight face when he announced it, so why not give it a shot? Stranger things have happened.

The Rocket, Part Deux?

2005-12-12T15:26:00.000-05:00

The rumor mill is buzzing with news that the Sox have been in touch with the agents for Roger Clemens (newspapers have quoted Larry Lucchino confirming it, so I guess it's not much of a rumor anymore). To me, this is the definition of "mixed emotions." Now hear me out on this one.

I LOVED Roger Clemens when he pitched for the Sox. The year he had in 1986 still makes me shake my head in amazement. The guy just mowed people down like they were mannequins. He was untouchable. And I'll never forget the 20-strikeout night against Seattle. However, the way he left town and suddenly got 'healthy' when with the Blue Jays, not to mention the fact that he suited up in freakin' pinstripes (!!!!) makes me, I don't know, not love him so much. In fact, I've hated Roger Clemens for the past few years. Even when he came out of retirement for Houston, I didn't really care about him, but any thoughts I had of him were negative because of the Yankee days. Now what the heck am I supposed to think?

First of all, as nice as it is to think about the days of old and how great they were, the Roger Clemens of 2006 is NOT the Roger Clemens of 1986. Not that there was any doubt about that, but just to be clear. But, he's had a couple of decent years in Houston, so he's not exactly done yet, either. What to do, what to think?

But then it hit me. The Yankees have called his agents as well. That tears it! I want him wearing Red Sox in 2006, not pinstripes. Let's get this done, GM by committee or whatever we're calling ourselves this week. Stay tuned, because this thing is going to play out until January.

No word yet on conversations between the Red Sox and Calvin Schiraldi's people.

Explaining "the business" of baseball to my daughter

2005-12-08T23:37:00.000-05:00

One of the joys I have had over the past couple of seasons is sharing my passion for the Red Sox with my 7-year-old daughter (she would correct me here and say "I'm almost 8, daddy!"). She always picks the Red Sox when we play MVP Baseball on the computer, and she knows the members of the team by heart. But that joy is tempered by the difficulty of events this week spent explaining the 'business' of baseball to her, as the Red Sox say goodbye to several of her favorite players. Even though he was only with the Sox for 1 year, Edgard Renteria was one of her favorites, she adored Doug Mirabelli (the knuckle-ball catcher), and she's crazy about Kevin Millar. Renteria is now on the Atlanta Braves, Mirabelli is in San Diego, and Millar will soon be gone, as the Sox have not offered him salary arbitration. Sure, she will learn new names like Mark Loretta and others, but it's tough to say goodbye to these players. I know the days of Yaz, Cal Ripken, and other players staying with one team for their whole careers are long gone, but try explaining that to a 7, or 8-year-old.

All that being said, I *really* don't want to have to explain to her that we have a new centerfielder, which makes the signing of Johnny Damon a pretty important priority. I hope they get it done. Trying to explain why the Red Sox have a completely new infield in 2006 is going to be tough enough.

Beckett and Lowell, come on down!

2005-11-22T09:38:00.000-05:00

Looks like the Sox have reached an agreement with the Fish for pitcher Josh Beckett and third baseman Mike Lowell (all players have to pass physicals over the next few days, so it could still fall apart). They had to give up shortstop prospect Hanley Ramirez (this guy is supposed to be something else!), but they get immediate pitching help and noted Yankee killer Beckett (MVP of the 2003 World Series, when he totally baffled the Evil Empire's batters). I guess this means that Bill Mueller is out at third. Lowell is a pretty solid 20-homer, 90-100 RBI guy for about the past five seasons, although his numbers were a little off last year.

The most intriguing thing about this deal is that it was done sans GM. Assistant GM Jed Hoyer worked with Larry Lucchino on pulling the trigger in the three weeks "Post Theo." Interesting.

On its surface, this is a good deal. You hate to give up bright prospects, especially one as good as Ramirez is supposed to be, but Beckett is the real deal. My first reaction is that this is worth it, and it's a good trade. Well done! (I'm sure Lucchino was sitting on pins and needles waiting for my approval).

Kapler released

2005-11-19T10:28:00.000-05:00

The Sox added six players to their 40-man roster yesterday, and released Gabe Kapler yesterday. I will miss him. Kapler was a nice utility player for the Sox, and perhaps more than anything, he was a member of the 2004 team, and will thus forever be enshrined in a special place in my heart. But I think perhaps the biggest thing I'll remember about Kapler is that he may be the first -- and last -- player to be injured while rounding the bases in a home run trot.
On Sept. 14 this year, Kapler was on first base when Tony Graffanino homered. As Kapler rounded second base, he collapsed in pain. Diagnosis: ruptured Achilles' tendon, season over. Definitely one of the weirdest things you'll ever see watching a baseball game.

Among the new additions to the roster are Jon Lester -- the Minor League Pitcher of the Year -- right-hand pitchers Jesus Delgado, Harvey Garcia, and David Pauley, as well as outfielders David Murphy and Brandon Moss. I hope Delgado eventually works his way into a closer role, setting up the most obvious headline pun ever -- "Jesus Saves."

Still no general manager, although they are interviewing David Wilder -- no relation to Gene -- from the White Sox front office. Stay tuned.

Theo dons gorilla suit

2005-11-04T09:49:00.000-05:00

Now this is one of the funniest stories I've seen in a while. Seems Theo Epstein donned a gorilla suit to escape reporters as he made his way out of Fenway on Monday, hours after announcing that he was leaving the Red Sox. This is one of those "only the Red Sox" stories. No word yet on how many bananas it's going to take for the next club to sign Theo.

Say it ain't so, Theo

2005-11-01T10:12:00.000-05:00

Theo is gone.

It's only been 3 years, but forgive me if I say that I really liked the tenure of young Theo Epstein as general manager of the Sox. I will admit to some initial skepticism when Epstein was hired -- I at first couldn't get over the initial shock of the fact that the GM was younger than me (the 'image' of the GM, to me and many others, is of some old guy chomping on a cigar, but those days have been surrendered to the era of sabermetrics). But once I got over this and started to understand some of his moves, I really liked this guy. The Nomar trade was, in hindsight, a stroke of genius. Again, at the time, there was initial shock, but soon realized that Nomar had to go. The picture of him sitting in the dugout at Yankee Stadium while all his teammates were on the top step cheering spoke more than any words ever could, and he had to go. So Theo pulled the trigger, and he got more value than he gave up. If that's not a trademark of a good GM, I don't know what is.

So it is with sadness today that I read that news that Theo turned down the Sox latest offer, and even greater sadness that this appears to not be about money. Initially they couldn't agree on a salary, but apparently they had closed that gap, and the differences were now about power. Let's hope Larry Lucchino knows what he is doing, and perhaps they will be better off. But Theo was the GM of a team that won the Sox first title in 86 years, and he pulled some of the significant strings that made it happen. That earns you some clout in my book, so I am saddened by his departure. But in baseball, as in many things, one individual does not make the team, and they will move on.

Anyone have Billy Beane's cell numbah?

Mad Props to the White Sox

2005-10-27T21:35:00.000-05:00

OK, so this American League domination of the World Series is getting a little ridiculous. Do you realize that the AL has won eight straight World Series games? That's right, after the Red Sox and White Sox back-to-back sweeps, the last time the NL won a WS game was in 2003, when the Florida Marlins won a Game 6 clincher against the Evil Empire. Unbelievable.

But the White Sox really deserved this title. They were a strong team, and they peaked at the right time during the postseason. They were nothing short of dominating. I thought Houston was a great team (and I *thought* they were peaking as well, although I was wrong), but the White Sox just decimated them. They found different ways to win ballgames, and that's always the sign of a good team.

In other news, a few points:

The Red Sox need to pay Theo. Today it looks like they are getting close. After negotiations reportedly broke off earlier in the week, both Theo and Larry Lucchino described talks today as "fruitful." That's a good sign. Sure, he may be over the hill as a GM and it's probably time for him to retire, but I think the Sox can squeeze another 40 years or so out of Theo.
I live in Philadelphia, and all the talk lately about the Phillies opening at GM has centered on Brian Cashman (it doesn't anymore). The local media was all aflutter about what a wonderful GM Cashman is. Now I admit my bias here (or haven't you been paying attention), but please! Give me $200 million to spend, and even a pinhead like me can build a competitive baseball team. The Yankees needed pitching in the offseason last year. Cashman signed Randy Johnson and Carl Pavano! Where did Cashman come up with that brilliant move? That's not brain surgery, that's called spending George's money! So can we please get some perspective and call BS on this Cashman talk. Give Billy Beane $200 million in payroll and just imagine the juggernaut he would build. Or Theo. And just remember, with all that money in the Bronx, their last title was in 2000. Where's your genius now?
Manny wants to talk. I read those words today and a big smile crossed my face. I really thought he was gone, and he may still be, but the fact that Manny wants to sit down and talk about the Sox future is a very good sign. As I said, I think the odds are still against him coming back, but I'll take any chance at this point of keeping him in Beantown.
How many days is it until pitchers and catchers report?

There's always last year

2005-10-07T21:18:00.000-05:00

I've given this a great deal of thought, and I think I liked the ending to last season better. Yea, 2004 was definitely better.

At least we have a new fan...

2005-10-06T21:15:00.000-05:00

Picture on the right is from my brother.

"The Nation" may be down 2-0, but at least we have some of the coolest fans on the planet.

Yet another reason to like U2.

I say we win on Saturday, and then make the next day "Sunday Bloody Sunday" to tie the series at 2-2.

Damn Yankees

2005-10-06T13:09:00.000-05:00

This just in from the coast ... the Yankees still suck. I repeat, breaking news out of a Anaheim. The Yankees still suck.

I know it's immature, petty, whatever words you want to use to describe it, but at least the dreaded Yankees aren't going home with a 2-0 victory. The Angels rallied Thursday night to defeat the Evil Empire and now face the prospect of facing the Big Unit in the Bronx with the series tied 1-1 instead of staring at a 2-0 hole.

Et Tu, Tony???

2005-10-06T10:19:00.000-05:00

Poor Tony Graffanino.

You gotta feel bad for the guy. Rarely can you ever point to one play, by one guy, that completely cost a team a game like that. The broadcasters were making comparisons to Bill Buckner (who didn't see that coming?), but I don't think this is going to define Graffanino's career or anything, like unfortunately it did with Billy Buck. Tony even made an effort to make go from goat to hero with a nice double in the ninth, but was left stranded.

So down 2-0 and heading back to Fenway. It's easy to lose hope, and it really doesn't matter what I think, but the Sox know they can come back from this. They don't need to look back too far in their history to see that. You know Kevin Millar is keeping the clubhouse loose, and I'm sure the references to last year are flying. Still a pulse. Still a pulse.

At least we got a safety...

2005-10-05T09:15:00.000-05:00

OK, so as beginnings to the post-season go, this was not what you would call auspicious. 14-2 loss to the White Sox. The Pale Hose were clearly jacked for the start of the postseason, and they jumped on Matt Clement for five runs in the first and cruised home.

But if 2004 proved anything, it is that one game (or more???) does not a series make. Sure, this is a short series, and the Red Sox don't have much time to screw around, but they basically lost one game at the opposing teams' ballpark, no matter what the score. They can steal one tonight (with Boomer on the mound, who knows?) and go back to Fenway needing to win two home games to take the series. We're ok.

That being said, yesterday's game was so annoying in so many ways, I just had to make a list. So herewith, I present my "Top 10 Annoying Things About Game 1," brought to you by the good folks at Foxwoods Resort & Casino.

10. The ESPN Announcers (I usually love Chris Berman, but hate the 3-person booth)
9. The 5-run first inning
8. Mike Piazza's tie
7. The trendiness of the White Sox. (Listen, we all "get it," ok. The White Sox play small ball, Ozzie Guillen is a great coach with a great staff, yada yada yada. Enough already!).
6. Comparisons of the 2005 White Sox to the 2004 Red Sox. Sorry, no sale. The 2004 Red Sox were a unique band of idiots. Come up with another comparison, because I'm not seeing that from this group of Pale Hose.
5. Mike Piazza's tie (still)
4. Matt Clement
3. The bullpen
2. When Guillen elected not to go for 2 after the 2nd touchdown. I thought that really could have turned things around.
1. The Yankees won. That just put a cherry on the ice cream sundae that was my day.

But like I keep telling myself today, it's just one game. We've still got a pulse. Let's just steal one tonight.

We're in!!!

2005-10-03T10:26:00.000-05:00

OK, we take 2 of 3 from the Yankees on the last weekend of the regular season, and we have to watch the bastard Yan-KEES celebrate at Fenway. (Well, some of us outside of Boston didn't get to watch, as by some licensing rule it was not available on MLB extra inning package, and the mlb.tv internet broadcast was blacked out as well. If any genius as MLB can explain that one to me, I'm all ears). So I had to "listen" on mlb live audio to the Yankees celebrate, which was just as well. Some things are better left unseen.

So here it is. I think the Sox got the better divisional series matchup. I don't know what it is about the White Sox, but they just don't scare me as much as the prospect of travelling all the way out to Anaheim, as the Yankees have to do. Don't get me wrong, I've got a healthy amount of respect for the Pale Hose, and they are perfectly capable of beating the Red Sox, but my point is that I don't mind this matchup. Call them co-division champions, call them wild card entrants, whatever. The important thing is that it's October, and "The Nation" is still alive and well, and the Sox are in the playoffs for the third year in a row. As Martha Stewart would say, "It's a good thing. Now get out of my face before I bust a cap in your ass." Clearly prison changed Martha.

Go Sox! The Red ones...

Papi and Varitek and Timlin, oh my

2005-10-01T08:18:00.000-05:00

What a great game last night!

Big Papi starts things off with an RBI single (about time this guy contributed) to the chants of "MVP MVP MVP," the Cap'n Jason goes yard with a 2-run blast. Then they intentionally walk Papi to pitch to Manny? I thought the ESPN announcers were going to have an episode over that one.

But the big story was how Timlin came on with two outs in the 8th inning and slammed the door on the Yankees. Loved the intensity, and it was just the thing the Sox needed from a still suspect bullpen. One down, two to go, but the weekend is off to a great start!!

That's a good thing, because my nerves can't take much more of this...

Does it get much better than this?

2005-10-01T08:15:00.000-05:00

Big Papi comes through on Thursday night with a game-tying homer against the Jays, and the Sox come into the last weekend of the 3-game series vs. the Evil Empire one game out (thanks for the love, Orioles, we really appreciate it).

No problem. Is anyone really surprised that it ended up this way? It's still September, but that October feel is in the air, and you know it will be rocking this weekend at Fenway! Bring on the Yankee scum!!!

The night this season turned...

2005-08-18T15:39:00.000-05:00

OK, I know I'll probably regret saying this (or typing this?), but Tuesday night, August 16, might be the night that the 2005 season was decided in the AL East. Yes, there is a TON of baseball to be played, and the Sox could certainly collapse. I've always thought the Yankees had too much talent this year to be playing the way they are, so you never know. But...

On Tuesday, the Sox were in Detroit, and the Yankees were in St. Petersburg, FL, playing the Devil Rays. I was flying to St. Louis. When I got to the hotel and checked the scores on ESPN, Sox trailed 3-2 in the 8th, and the Yankees were winning 3-2 in the 8th. Had those scores stood, the Sox lead over the Yankees in the AL East would have been 2 1/2 games. Crap!

2 1/2 games is nothing. A bad weekend. You run into a couple of tough pitchers or don't catch a few breaks, and a 2 1/2-game lead is gone. Poof.

But 4 1/2 games? Now there's a lead.

Well, darned if the Sox don't come back with a run in the 9th to force extra innings, and then erupt for 7 in the 10th to beat Detroit. Meanwhile, the Pinstripers give up an Eduardo Perez homer to tie the score in the 9th, and then walk in the winning run with the bases loaded in the 11th to lose to the Devil Rays.

So, in the space of about 20 minutes, a potential 2 1/2 game lead becomes a 4 1/2 game cushion. Cushion sounds nice.

Now, I'm not saying that anything is guaranteed. My calendar still says August, and I will fear the Yankees until the last out of their last game, or until Steinbrenner's checkbook runs out. However, Aug. 17th was a big night. Huge. At least that's what I think.

Too early to celebrate Yankees' troubles

2005-05-08T21:28:00.000-05:00

Don't get me wrong -- I'm really enjoying all the problems the Yankees are having early in the season. However, they just have too much talent to stay this bad for the whole season. As I recall, they started poorly in 2004 as well, but won the division at the end. So, I am really enjoying all of this, but don't count out the Bombers.

Varitek signs

2004-12-24T18:06:00.000-05:00

'Twas the night before Christmas,
And one thought's on my mind,
There is joy in New England,
For Mighty Varitek has signed.

Indeed, an early Christmas present from the Sox, as the stud catcher and center of the clubhouse universe has re-signed for 4 years. That sound you heard across Red Sox Nation was a collective sigh of relief. This signing is huge, and I'm really glad it's done with.

When do pitchers and catchers report???

Hasta la Pedro

2004-12-19T22:36:00.000-05:00

I should probably be a bit more upset about losing Pedro Martinez to the Mets, but I'm really not, and there's a couple of reasons for that.

1. I woke up Wednesday morning to the news that Pedro had signed, and once it settled in (come on, this is human nature) I thought that the Mets overpaid and probably risked a lot by giving him a 4-year guarantee. I never would have thought this (or at least admitted it) when he was still wearing a Sox uniform, but now all of a sudden I see Pedro as vulnerable, breaking down, and succumbing to shoulder troubles that have always kind of been there under the surface with him. I know, I know, I defended him (and would have continued to do so) when he was with the Sox, but now it's easier to admit this.

2. He didn't leave with very much class. Pedro has always been one to speak his mind, but what's to be gained by blasting the Sox on his way out of town. Is it really a news flash that Theo Epstein is arrogant (I probably would be, too, if I was a GM in my early 30s), and it just didn't seem to serve any purpose. It's a helluva lot easier to dismiss this stuff as "Pedro just being Pedro" when he's your guy, but when he's wearing another uniform you don't have any incentive to let this stuff go.

I will always have a special place in my heart for Pedro, but the way he left town really left a sour taste.

3. Finally, and this is the biggest thing -- nothing ... I mean NOTHING ... could upset me now. We are still basking in the glow of the first world championship in most people's lifetimes, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let anything spoil the celebration. I know that's probably short-sighted and stupid, but it's what I feel. Now, if we can just sign Varitek...

Sox win!!! Sox win!!!

2004-10-28T04:00:00.000-05:00

I know this might sound funny, this being a blog about the Red Sox and all, but I have no words.

I am speechless. The Sox have won the World Championship, and I have no words.

Once I have had a few days to process this, I may have something. But right now, I've got nothing.

44 Innings to Paradise

2004-10-25T19:13:00.000-05:00

44 Innings to Paradise
(Note: This story also available in PDF format from my site).

By Jabin White
October 21, 2004

Before we get too far into this story, let’s get a couple of things straight:

1. I am a Red Sox fan.
2. I hate the Yankees.

Anybody who knows baseball knows No. 2 to be true based on No. 1, but in case I need to spell it out for anyone, there you go.

The hold the Red Sox have over their fans is well documented and nothing short of remarkable. This time of year, for many more years than I’ve been alive, the boys from Beantown have broken the hearts of Red Sox Nation, only to come up with new and creative ways of doing it the next year, and the next (Bucky f#@$ing Dent, Bill Buckner, Aaron Boone, yada yada yada). Whatever. It all ends this year, Theo willing.

As seems to be the case lately, this year the Sox are locked in a death struggle in the ALCS with their dreaded rivals, the New York #%@# Yankees. But I’ve got a problem. I’ve got what I call the “most poorly timed business trip in my life.” I have to go to Amsterdam for a few days of meetings on Saturday, October 16th until Wednesday, October 20 – right during the heart of the series. But as the series gets underway, it only gets worse.

The Red Sox drop the first two games in the Bronx for a 2-0 series hole, and then rain in Boston forces Friday’s Game 3 to be postponed. As I board the plane from Philadelphia to Amsterdam on Saturday night, the teams are just beginning play at Fenway. I check the score on my cell phone, and it’s Yankees 3, Sox 0 in the top of the first inning. “Son of a bitch,” I think to myself as I flip my phone closed. Not the start I wanted at Fenway.

I arrive in Amsterdam and make my way to the hotel. I rush up to the room and fire up my laptop to check the score. What??? I rub my eyes and re-focus. 19-8? Turns out I really didn’t WANT to see Game 3, as the Yankees have pounded their way to a 3-0 series lead, and my boys to the brink of elimination.

I grab a quick nap to prepare for a long night, and then fire up the Internet broadcast of the Eagles game (listening to Merrill Reese and Mike Quick on WYSP somehow makes me homesick, and I’ve been gone less than 24 hours). The “Little Laptop That Could” is just beginning to be worth its weight in gold. The Eagles avenge their loss to the Carolina Panthers in last year’s NFC Championship Game and have moved to 5-0 in this promising season. My spirits a bit uplifted, I turn my attention back to baseball.

The Einsteins at Fox, perhaps distracted by Bill O’Reilly on Line 2 wanting phone sex, have had the starting time of Game 4 moved from 4:30 to 7:30 in Boston, which translates to 1:30 AM Amsterdam time. Surprisingly they didn’t check with me, so it’s going to be a long night.

The alarm is set for 1:25 AM, and I turn in for a couple hours of sleep. Part of me – and this isn’t easy to admit – wonders whether it is worth losing a night of sleep, getting my internal clock further screwed up, and being ‘off’ during Monday’s meetings just to watch Game 4. I really have no desire to see the frickin’ Yankees celebrate a sweep on the hallowed ground of Fenway Park. Convincing myself that the boys won’t let this happen, I decide to stay awake and watch.

I am such a fan of the Internet. Yes, it has changed people’s lives in many more important other ways, but how cool is it that for $2.95 I can get the complete TV broadcast of a baseball game in Boston while sitting in a hotel room in Amsterdam? I settle in for what turns out to be a long game, even nodding off for a few middle innings, with the laptop whirring away on the bedside desk. The Sox are down going to the 9th, but get a run to stave off elimination. It’s 5 a.m., and I need coffee.

“Dial 7-7 on your phone for “At Your Service,” the sticker on the desktop phone says. I dial 7-7.

“At your service, sir,” a female voice on the other end of the line says. The accent is hard to understand and difficult to place. Not Dutch, but Asian.

“I’d like to order some coffee, please,” I say.

“You want eggs?” my new friend asks.

“No thank you, just coffee please.”

Twenty minutes later there is a knock on the door, and Coco – my new friend’s nametag says – has a tray with a pot of coffee. She is the same voice as the one on the phone. Fillipino, she responds, when asked. I think about asking her if she knows the Seinfeld episode with the maid named Coco that George gets to work so they won’t call him Coco, and then decide it’s a “had to be there” kind of story. I laugh to myself and think how funny that show was that, years later, it can make me laugh at 5 a.m. in a hotel room in Amsterdam.

“You up early,” she says.

“I not sleep,” I say, pointing to the laptop.

Coco has no idea what I mean, but stops for a moment when she sees the baseball game on the laptop screen. She points and shakes her head, as if to say, “what will they think of next?”
Regular season extra innings are tough on passionate fans. Playoff extra innings are excruciating. Playoff extra innings when your team is on the brink of elimination is Middle Ages torture stuff. The only salvation in this case is that the Sox are home, giving them a half inning to make up for any Yankee nonsense, unlike last year’s Aaron f$%@$ing Boone shot in Game 7.

Potential elimination at the hands of the asshole Yankees is bad enough, but another threat is starting to reveal itself. I’m meeting folks for breakfast at 7:45, and it’s getting close to 7 a.m. What if the Sox are still playing when I have to leave the room? I shower quickly between innings without missing a pitch, shave between the next, and it is 7:25, bottom of the 12th inning.

Then “Papi” Ortiz steps in, and as if he knows that I have to get downstairs, he launches a home run into the right field bullpen as the Sox take Game 4. I’m not sure if the importance of that shot can be put into perspective. But you could literally feel the Sox metaphorically getting off the mat. They could have laid down and just as easily lost that game, and the Series. But collectively they said, NOT THIS TIME, Yanks. The celebration at home plate greeting Ortiz is a sight to see. I’m going nuts, jumping up and down on the bed, pumping my fists. I’ve got to call someone. Some quick math reveals that it’s 1:25 AM on the East Coast, so calling home is out. I even think of calling my new friend Coco. Anyone!

“At your service, sir.”

“They did it, Coco!!! Ortiz went yard, they’re still alive!!!”

“You want eggs?”

Monday, October 18

I get through the day of meetings, and get back to my room for start of Game 5, 11 p.m. Amsterdam time. Pedro is on the hill against Mike Mussina, who gives up 2 runs in a wonderfully shaky first inning but then settles down. Pedro is untouchable until a Bernie Williams homer and a Derek Jeter bases-loaded triple gives the Yankee assholes a 4-2 lead after the 6th. I like to think of myself as a good person, kind to people, tolerant of my fellow human beings. But I frickin’ hate Derek Jeter.

The Sox bullpen comes up huge, Ortiz homers in the 8th, and they scratch out another run in the 8th to force extras once again.

I can’t take much more of this.

It’s not just the pressure, but the lack of sleep is starting to get to me. It’s the middle of the night in Amsterdam, and I’m starting to have crazy thoughts like the Sox might not be done. Sure, no baseball team has ever come back from a 3-0 hole in a 7-game series, but these are the ‘never say die” idiots. If any team can do it, it’s this one. I’m almost glad that I’m alone in a hotel in Amsterdam so I’m not spouting this drivel to anyone, but I’m really starting to believe. I’ve got to get some sleep.

It’s past 5 a.m. when Johnny “Unfrozen Caveman Center Fielder” Damon gets aboard, gets to second, and then Ortiz has one of the most incredible at-bats I have ever seen. The faith Sox fans (myself included) are starting to have in this guy is getting a little

I get through the day of meetings, and get back to my room for the start of Game 5, 11 p.m.
hard to imagine. Bearing in mind that baseball is a game in which failure nearly 7 times out of 10 over the course of a career gets you Hall of Fame numbers, this guy is on some kind of roll. But Papi battles the Yankees Esteban Loaiza, fouling off something like six or seven pitches and staying alive, until finally he deposits a base knock into right center and the unshaven one hustles home. Sox win! Sox win! We’re down just 3-2 in games, and we’re headed back to the Bronx.

I grab three quick hours of shuteye and then get through Tuesday meetings, have a quiet Tuesday night on Amsterdam time, then set the alarm for 2 a.m.

Tuesday, October 19

Is there any precedence for a ‘softprotection boot’ to be voted a series MVP? I’m not sure what the hell the Red Sox trainers did in fashioning the special boot that allowed Curt Schilling to pitch 7 of the guttiest postseason innings I have ever seen, and I really don’t need to know. I just want to say thank you, guys. Schilling was supposed to be ‘done,’ and I almost hoped he was after the three innings of BP he pitched in Game 1 of the series, setting a nasty tone that led to the 3-0 Yankees’ series lead. But he came off the mat just like the Red Sox, and a well-timed Mark Bellhorn shot forced Game 7.

But the most humorous – in the end – part of Game 6 was the “A-Rod Play.” With the Sox leading 42 in the bottom of the 8th, A-Rod grounded back to pitcher Bronson Arroyo, and then did something that, to me, showed how desperate the Yankees were becoming. As he ran to first and Arroyo applied the tag, A-Rod ‘karate-chopped’ the ball out of his glove and down the right-field line. A-Rod advanced, Jeter scored from all the way from first, meanwhile everyone in the 617 and surrounding area codes is thinking “What????” The play was so clearly a bush-league attempt by A-Rod, and thankfully the umpire crew got it right, calling A-Rod out and sending Jeter back to first. But the Yankee players’ reaction, followed by the crowd’s response of throwing crap onto the field after the umps made the correct call, showed me just what we are dealing with here.

Obviously I’m biased (or haven’t you been paying attention), but that whole thing was a joke. I congratulate the umpires for getting it right, and I think the Yankees and their fans showed their true selves with that spectacle. My yardstick for measuring this is quite simple: I honestly believe that if the tables were turned, and the Red Sox tried to pull a stunt like that, I would have been embarrassed. If the Fenway crowd had then reacted that way, it would have only added to my embarrassment. Bottom line is I don’t think either one of those things would happen.

I am running on fumes now. Lack of sleep is really altering my perception of reality. I’m starting to believe that the Red Sox have tied this series at 3-3, but that just cannot be. I grab a few hours of sleep before I leave for the airport for the flight home. Well, sort of home. I’ve got a meeting in New York, so I am headed straight there instead of Philadelphia. Yes, into the belly of the beast. But I will not be attending Game 7. For one thing, I don’t have that kind of money – I can’t even bring myself to check eBay for how much those tickets are fetching. No, I’ll be watching from the comfort of a hotel room. It will be in New York, and I’ll be watching on TV instead of a laptop, but why mess with a good thing while it’s going. Game 7 is going to be one for the ages, I just know it. Turns out I’m wrong, but I’ve never been more glad to be wrong.

Wednesday, October 20

I arrive in New York and check in on the NLCS Game 6. Oh, isn’t that nice, Jim Edmonds goes yard and the Cardinals have forced Game 7. How nice. But I DON’T CARE!!! My focus is on The Bronx, and it starts well. Sort of. The Yanks have Bucky f@!#$ing Dent throw out the first pitch. I curse at the TV screen.

But after Damon is thrown out at the plate in the first and I start to get that ‘feeling’ that you Red Sox fans know so well, up steps Papi Ortiz, who does it again. This guy is on the biggest roll this side of Carlos Beltran! Papi’s 2-run shot sets the tone, and then the unshaven one hits a salami – the biggest Red Sox home run in nearly 2 days!!! – and then follows that with a 2-run upper-deck blast (man, did he club that one, or what?) soon after that is a dagger into the heart of the Evil Empire.

The Fox cameras begin showing the faces of the Yankee crowd. Shock and disbelief … sadness … misery. Somewhere deep in my heart, I begin to feel a twinge of pity, and then I snap out of it. Screw ‘em!!! I could teach a seminar on misery and suffering while following your baseball team. The line forms here. These people can handle one night of torture followed by an off-season of coulda’s, shoulda’s, and all that. Builds character. What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger. Buck up, Bombers, there’s always next year. I’m sure George will react in a rational, positive … nevermind.

The middle and later innings are taking incredibly long, at least it seems. No Red Sox fan acknowledges the concept of a ‘safe’ lead, especially in a Game 7 at Yankee Stadium. “Why do they have to take a commercial break between every half inning?” I think to myself ridiculously. “Let’s get this thing over with already.”

And those frickin’ commercials? Hey Fox, can we see one more “Rebel Billionaire” spot? I’m not quite sure what’s on your Fall schedule. This looks like one of the worst shows ever, but then I missed it the first time it was on, when it was called “The Apprentice.” And tonight they’ve announced that the prize will be that Richard Branson will let the winner become president of his company. I think to myself: “How’d you like to be the poor hump whose No. 2 at Virgin? Kissing up to this blowhard and running the company for 20 years while Sir Richard is off snow-shoeing in the Himalayas, and all of a sudden you come in one day – uh, gee, I know you’ve run the company like a Swiss watch for 20 years, but Todd here can walk a plank between two hot-air balloons, so you’re out.”

OK, I’m getting sidetracked here. Back to baseball.

The cell phone calls start coming in around 10:30-11, but even though the boys look like they are on cruise control, I refuse to believe this is all really happening until the final out is recorded. Then Ruben Sierra grounds to second, and as Pokey Reese throws him out to wrap up a 10-3 win that was more dramatic than any 7-run win should be, and the tears start to come.
The Sox storm the mound and begin celebrating their AL pennant and trip to the World Series. But this is so much more than that. I’m not sure if I can put into words, and I’m not sure non-Red Sox fans can truly appreciate, what has just happened here. Sure, we’ve been to the World Series before (please don’t make me talk about ’86), and certainly the Sox are no strangers to, well, moderate success.

But this. This is special.

I can say without a hint of bitterness that I’m glad the Sox have gone through the Bronx to do this. If they hadn’t, the asshole Yankee fans (and you know who you are) would have said it was ‘tainted,’ or that it didn’t mean quite as much. Part of me would have agreed (before I told them to go “F” themselves). I realize I’m getting ahead of myself here and the Red Sox haven’t won it all yet, but just to have the chance, and to have the Yankees as one of their conquered foes, is all we ever wanted. We are halfway to our collective dream.

All these thoughts come pouring into my head, and I weep. I’m not talking about the kind of tearing up like you do at the end of “Field of Dreams” (be honest), and then tell folks that you were chopping onions without sounding full of shit. I’m talking like open weeping. Suddenly I’m very glad I am by myself in a hotel room, and not having to explain to my kids why Daddy is so happy that he’s crying over a baseball game. I really don’t expect people to understand this, and my wife will tell me to “get some perspective,” but as a wise Sailor-man once said, “I am what I yam.” And I’m just being honest.

This is pure joy. I don’t mean like the kind when you have kids or real-life stuff like that (I had to write that or I’d get the ‘perspective’ speech again from the wife). But in terms of being a passionate sports fan, this is about as good as it gets. Four games to go, and The Curse is gone for good.

Thank you, Johnny. I’m thinking about growing my hair and a beard as a personal tribute. Thank you, Curt. Man, that guy stepped up. And Tim Wakefield. Ask yourself how many modern ballplayers would do what he did on Saturday night, volunteering to mop up in a one-sided game so the shredded bullpen could get a break, thereby giving up his starting role in the ALCS. Unbelievable. Thanks Pedro.You had it wrong; you’re the Yankees’ Daddy. You all are. And thanks Papi. How obvious was that MVP vote. I can’t recall a guy in recent memory having a stretch like he did this week. “Hop on boys. World Series is right this way. Follow me.”

As I reflect on my odyssey of two cities, multiple time zones, and the last four games, I start to think about superstition. Any Sox fan who says they are not superstitious is lying. I plan on being home for the World Series (no business trips on the schedule), remarkably changing my routine. I know people who don’t change their underwear (or worse, if that’s imaginable) if the Sox are on a roll, and if winning four straight against the Yankees under the glaring October spotlight doesn’t count as a roll, then I don’t know what does. I begin to sooth myself with common sense thoughts like the fact that one schmuck in Philadelphia could not possibly affect the outcome of the World Series.

As I check my Email on the Little Laptop that Could (thanks for a good week, little buddy), one of my friends has written, and I don’t even need to read the Email to see what it’s about. The subject line says it all: “Stay There!”

On to the World Series! Go Sox!

Overreaction about Pedro

2004-09-26T20:37:00.000-05:00

So Pedro Martinez was frustrated Friday night after losing to the Yankees again, and he popped off to reporters. He said something like the Yankees 'owned' him, and he wished they would just disappear. That turned into a media circus, with some of the Yankee players saying "You could kill me before I'd say something like that," and other such nonsense.

Can we all just calm down?

Pedro was down. He's had a tough run of luck against the Yankees, including the frustration of Game 7 of the ALCS last year, and he's allowed to shoot his mouth off after a frustrating loss. Pedro has always been a little quirky, and this little episode is no different. So he's a freak, big deal. He's still one of the best pitchers in the game, even though he's not as dominant as he once was.

Yankees asking for forfeit

2004-09-26T11:46:00.000-05:00

Random thoughts as I catch up on the 2004 season (Hey, I only started this thing in September '04):

The fact that the Yankees asked Major League Baseball for a forfeit victory over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays earlier this month, to me, spoke volumes about the class of this organization. The Devil Rays had trouble getting out of Tampa Bay during a hurricane (shame on them!), and showed up late for a scheduled double-header at Yankee Stadium. Instead of understanding this, the Yankees allowed president Randy Levine to give an on-the-field interview where he said (I'm paraphrasing): "The rules clearly state that if a team is ready to play, and the other team does not show up ready to play, that a forfeit should be awarded."

Major League Baseball, thankfully, laughed at the request, and the next day the Yankees tried to re-write history by saying they 'withdrew' the request. That's like if I say to you "Can I have a million dollars?" You say, "No!." I say: "OK, I withdraw my request."

Why someone in the Yankees PR office didn't tackle Levine on the field before he could give that interview is beyond me, but it shows where this organization is coming from. Win at all costs, no matter the circumstances, even if you end up looking like weasels. I think the fact that they had recently seen a 10 1/2 game leader over the Red Sox reduced to 3 1/2, as well as a decimated pitching staff, might have had something to do with their motiviation. Whatever the reason, it was a humorous little window in the Yankee organization's soul.

Why the Yankees suck, Part 1 of many

2004-09-24T20:58:00.000-05:00

If you're a Yankee fan, move along. This blog is intended solely for the inhabitants of Red Sox Nation (or "The Nation" if you prefer). In order to be a member of the Nation, you must be a fan of the Boston Red Sox baseball club (presumably that was obvious, but there may be some Yankee fans watching, so I have to talk s - l - o - w - l - y.

I've lost track of the reasons why I hate the Yankees, but some of them are:

1. George Steinbrenner
2. Derek Jeter's arrogance
3. Bucky $#%**%^ Dent
4. Aaron (**&%#$ Boone
5. George Steinbrenner
6. Their fans

More on No. 6 later, but let's just say that I think Yankee fans are about the worst in the world. Yes, that may also be an obvious statement from a Red Sox fan (as well as a generalization). But most Yankee fans are such fair-weather fans, it makes me ill. Where were these people in the 80's when the Yankees sucked. Red Sox fans have consistently supported their club, and (after much suffering) will deserve the World Championship that is coming in 2004.

Test Post

2004-09-24T20:50:00.000-05:00

Just seeing if this thing works. Go Sawx!