July 2, 2004

As The Sox Turn. I am not heartbroken over last night's loss. It was one hell of a game and, honestly, the trainwrecks of Tuesday and Wednesday hurt much worse. The Red Sox rallied from a 3-0 hole, they shut the door on potential game-winning rallies by the Yankees in the 9th, 10th and 12th innings, they didn't make any errors, Pedro drilled Sheffield in the back, and Foulke-Timlin-Embree pitched four innings of 3-hit shutout ball. Even Leskanic did well before running aground with 2 outs in the 13th; his K of Bernie to end the 12th was masterful.

So what's the deal with Nomar, pouting on the bench by himself during the insanity of extra innings? I went to bed right after the game, so I missed the through-the-night rumors about a possible trade. If you have a few hours, here is the SoSH thread -- 100,000 views in 15 hours. Yeah, we're nuts. The rumored deal?

Red Sox get: Odalis Perez and Carlos Delgado
Blue Jays get: Cesar Izturis and minor-league pitcher
Dodgers get: Nomar and Kim

I would do that deal yesterday! As much as I wanted Nomar around when the Red Sox won it all (during the A-Rod soap opera last winter, it just seemed wrong to have a possible parade without #5), I have to agree with the poster who called the Nomar/Red Sox relationship a bad marriage. The two principals have clearly grown apart and there doesn't appear to be any chance of a reconciliation.

And that catch of Nixon's popup and dive into the seats by Jeter was incredible. Of course, we know he did it only because Pokey had made a somewhat similar tumble on Lofton back in the 5th and he didn't want to be upstaged. ... It pains me somewhat to say it, but the contrast between Jeter's face first header into the crowd (judging from how quickly he was swollen and bruised, he must have hit the metal arm rest between two seats) and Garciaparra's clear indifference during the most exciting game of the year was very telling. And incredibly disheartening.

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