It's About Time.

I Love These Guys!

Sunday Papers. Bob Hohler: "Remembering 10 noteworthy moments en route to a championship" ...Two special Globe sections on the World Series and parade.

The Standells and their 1966 hit. ... Monday night: Lowe on Leno; Damon on Letterman. ... First Schilling is campaigning for Bush. Then he's not. Now he is. Sounds like a flip-flopper.

Identity. A reader in Maine adds her two cents about the Red Sox fans like losing angle: "I abhor this sentiment. I will always want my team to win. The difference now is that I will no longer have to endure the sarcasm and ridicule of others, especially my Yankee-loving uncles and aunts. The whole world now knows what I and millions others do: this team is special and are the world champions. Personally, my psyche is fine."

Back in the distant past -- when the Red Sox hadn't won a World Series in 86 years -- I had a theory about why Yankee fans gave us so much shit. It couldn't be that they truly hated us, since what the hell did Boston ever do to the Yankees to inspire such venom? No, they were jealous of us. They knew, deep in their hearts, so deep they could never admit it, that if their team ever put them through what the Red Sox have occasionally put us through, they would never last. They'd stop watching, stop going to the park, stop wearing the caps and shirts and jackets. Too much trouble, too much pain, not enough winning. In a sentence: We are better fans and they know it.

We stayed. We stayed through years of crappy teams. We stayed through 1978, 1986 and the years of finishing behind New York. We stayed and endured the countless little losses and embarrassments each season brought. We stayed through 1999 and we stayed through 2003. And we came back stronger, believing even more. Most people would not do that. We are not most people.

Most fans are more fair-weather than that. I mean, why bother? It's only baseball, a game for godsakes. Why put yourself through such abuse? ... Love. Nothing but wholehearted love -- for the team, the players and the game itself. In the good times and in the bad. In sickness and in health. Love. We don't run from bad times.

I doubt that the writers penning these "Sox fans are lost now" stories even believe them. It's just a stupid, easy angle. The curse angle has vanished, so they need something equally mindless to blather on about. Being a Red Sox fan has never been about suffering and heartache. Anyone that tells you that -- even if a Red Sox cap is on his head -- is a moron. ... I recently described my 2003 ALCS experience as "soul-crushing" -- but my relationship with the Red Sox has always been about happiness. (Even in 1986, the ALCS against California was wondrous.)

Being at Fenway Park -- night or day -- is one of my life's greatest pleasures. When I walk up the aisle, get hit by that rush of green and bright red, find my seat and look around, I always say to myself, "God, I love this place." And when the game is done, I linger, wandering down closer to the field, trying to absorb as much of the park as possible, to sustain me until I return.

Anyone who was truly bothered by the losing likely handed in his cap and got off the bus years ago. When we became fans, often at a young age (I was 11), we knew nothing about Boston's past. And even if someone told us, it was just words, it had no meaning. By the time we were old enough to understand the history, to experience it first-hand, we were already hopelessly in love.

Red Sox Nation never defined itself by the curse. And we won't define ourselves by whatever label the national sports media is fitting us for now.

We still have expectations. We demand a repeat. We demand a first place finish, as befits defending World Champions, relegating the Yankees to also-ran status and summarily vanquishing all playoff foes.

And we'll boo and swear when Terry Francona screws up the bullpen or writes out an odd lineup or the team can't get a runner in from third with 0 outs. Well, maybe not as quickly as before. Perhaps we'll give Tito and the players the slight benefit of the doubt, because ...

THE BOSTON RED SOX WON THE 2004 WORLD F*&%ING SERIES!!!!!!!!!!

Bush Had Osama Trapped -- And He Let Him Get Away. Knight Ridder Returns to Tora Bora, Concludes Many Terrorists Escaped:

"Franks and other top officials ignored warnings from their own and allied military and intelligence officers ... While more than 1,200 US Marines sat at an abandoned air base in the desert 80 miles away, Franks and other commanders relied on three Afghan warlords and a small number of American, British and Australian special forces ... 'Military and intelligence officials had warned Franks and others that the two main Afghan commanders, Hazrat Ali and Haji Zaman, couldn't be trusted, and they proved to be correct.'"

From the Telegraph, February 23, 2002: "Eyewitnesses express shock that the US pinned in Taliban and al-Qaeda forces, thought to contain many high leaders, on three sides only, leaving the route to Pakistan open. ... An intelligence chief in Afghanistan's new government says: 'The border with Pakistan was the key, but no one paid any attention to it. And there were plenty of landing areas for helicopters had the Americans acted decisively. Al-Qaeda escaped right out from under their feet.'"

Indeed, only a few weeks after 9/11, bin Laden was offered to the US to stand trial for the attacks. The US rejected the offer. One official said there was a risk of "a premature collapse of the international effort if by some luck chance Mr bin Laden was captured."

Reading many stories from late 2001, one is left with the conclusion that either the US military is grossly incompetent or they knowingly allowed bin Laden to escape.

Good Riddance. John Levesque, Seattle Post-Intelligencer: "The idea that the Boston Red Sox have been hexed for nearly a century because one of their owners sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees is the appallingly flimsy crutch of writers and broadcasters who haven't formed an original thought since they ditched 'what's your sign?' in favor of 'come here often?' ... [I]t's the worst kind of hackneyed, scripted drivel." ... In other news, Dan Shaughnessy: "Personally, I already miss the old Red Sox a little."

The Red Sox picked up Bill Mueller's option for next season ($2.5 million). Gabe Kapler, Terry Adams and Pedro Astacio filed for free agency.

Great photos of the parade at the Globe's website.

Withholding Evidence. A supplemental chapter to the 9/11 Commission's report will not be made public by the Justice Department until after next week's election. A New York Times story says the Commission "quietly asked the inspectors general at the Departments of Defense and Transportation to review what it had determined were broadly inaccurate accounts provided by several civil and military officials about efforts to track and chase the hijacked aircraft on Sept. 11."

"Broadly inaccurate accounts" = lies. ... So the "official" report was published and touted as the definitive account -- but many questions about what actually happened on the morning of the attack remained unanswered. And any review of official lies, distortions and incompetence has been buried in a suppressed supplement. ... This Commission and its "work" has been a worldwide embarrassment and a grossly partisan sham from Day One.

It's Just A Shot Away. Gambler7 at SoSH: "I caught Kevin Millar on The Best Damn Sports Show Period a little earlier [Friday] and he offered up this story: Before Game 6 he brought an ice cold bottle of Jack Daniels around to the team and they all did shots at 7:45, a half hour before the game. They won so he then brought it out for Game 7 and they did the same thing ... and won. This continued into the World Series and they took shots of JD before every single game, finally before Game 4, he said Francona joined them and they all took shots before Game 4."

Three Stories About the 1918 Red Sox (And Me). As the Red Sox closed in on their sixth World Series title, a few writers spoke with me about the 1918 team. Articles have appeared in the Miami Herald, Portland Press Herald and Ft. Myers News-Press.

One point I addressed in the Herald article (which you have to register to read, I'm afraid) is that Red Sox like to lose (or rather, we liked to lose). This silliness is also mentioned in a front page story in today's New York Times, headlined: "With Nothing Left to Win, Fans of Red Sox Suddenly Feel a Loss."

I despise that angle -- and I fear this is what we'll be subjected to now that sportswriters can't bring up the curse (though the back page of the New York Daily News yesterday said the curse was merely taking a year off). There's no question that rooting for the Red Sox will be different now. It has to be different. But I don't think it will be any less passionate. I still want them to win every single game.

I love that even Theo is talking about Sox fans chanting "Two Thousand" when the Yankees come to Fenway -- which, according to the preliminary schedule, will be the 2005 home opener. They get to watch as the World Series Champions flag is raised. Sweet!

The 2004 Boston Red Sox. Thank you.

Terry Adams, Abe Alvarez, Jimmy Anderson, Bronson Arroyo, Pedro Astacio.

Mark Bellhorn, Jamie Brown, Ellis Burks, Orlando Cabrera, Frank Castillo.

Cesar Crespo, Johnny Damon, Brian Daubach, Lenny DiNardo, Andy Dominique.

Alan Embree, Keith Foulke, Nomar Garciaparra, Ricky Gutierrez, Adam Hyzdu.

Bobby Jones, Gabe Kapler, Byung-Hyun Kim, Derek Lowe, Mark Malaska.

Anastacio Martinez, Pedro Martinez, Sandy Martinez, David McCarty, Ramiro Mendoza.

Doug Mientkiewicz, Kevin Millar, Doug Mirabelli, Bill Mueller, Mike Myers.

Joe Nelson, Trot Nixon, David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Pokey Reese.

Dave Roberts, Curt Schilling, Phil Seibel, Earl Snyder, Mike Timlin.

Jason Varitek, Tim Wakefield, Scott Williamson, Kevin Youkilis.

Terry Francona, Dave Wallace, Ron Jackson, Dale Suevm, Lynn Jones.

John Henry, Theo Epstein, Larry Lucchino, Tom Werner.

Soak In It. ... At Last! ... "Generations of Sox fans went to their graves having never experienced a World Series championship but after an 86-year wait, the descendants of the unfulfilled exulted for family lines."...

John Henry: "Someone said this is the biggest thing to happen in New England since the Revolution. I don't know about that but I know there is an overwhelming sense of joy and relief."

Jackie MacMullan, Globe: "In a matter of 11 days, they turned the baseball world upside down. ... The 2004 version of New England's most valued treasure, a happy bunch of idiots with flowing manes and sturdy bats, refused to buy into the myths that had burdened their predecessors. ... Go ahead. Say it. The Boston Red Sox have won the World Series."

1903, 1912, 1915, 1916, 1918, 2004 ...

World Series Game 4: Boston 3, St. Louis 0. SWEEP!!!!!!!!!

At 11:40 pm, the Boston Red Sox were crowned Champions of Baseball for the first time since 1918. ... I just cna;lksafj'vkv'ain lkaevn'f ndbal;KSwr[gioWN< m cmX L"KN"VILBkms ,M,ASnlkmdx'boja'k ,.NZS"Kens'iUO0GJLBMVLCM
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Breathe Deeply. I've been seeing some pretty crazy shit on my television screen these past few days. How about you? ... Reading this just-the-facts-ma'am wire service intro this morning really brought it home to me -- complete with goosebumps -- that what I'm thinking is happening is actually happening:

"Manny Ramirez drove in two runs, including a solo homer, and Pedro Martinez set down 14 straight batters as the Boston Red Sox defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 4-1 Tuesday night to move within a victory of their first World Series title since 1918."

...

The Red Sox also became the first team in World Series history to hold the lead after the first inning in Games 1, 2 and 3. And they set a team record with their seventh straight postseason win. ... At the end of last night's game, as Sox fans chanted "One more win! One more win!," the Busch Stadium scoreboard posted this message: "Thanks for a great 2004 season." Hmmm. ... All 20 teams in World Series history to win the first three games have gone on to the championship -- and 17 of those did it with a sweep. After all that has happened in the last 10 days, it would be foolish of me to say that the trophy is in the bag, but you know what?

Dirt Dog has an excellent interview with Curt Schilling. ... Is MLB jumping the gun? Technically, yes. But jinxes = curses = crap, so get your shirts and hats now.



I'm having my hat surgically attached to my head.

Another thought I've been having for the past few days: There are dozens of sportswriters in St. Louis right now and all of them have been thinking about how they will begin their game stories if the Red Sox win the World Series. They've tried out many different angles, writing and rewriting, wondering how bare-bones simple to be or how poetically momentous. Especially the Boston papers (and radio announcers). What gets written on the front page of the Boston Globe will be truly historic. That cannot be something you leave until the game is over.

Was last night's start Pedro's last in a Red Sox uniform? "I hope this is not the last one. I hope I get another chance to come back to the team. If I don't, I understand the business part of it. I just hope that many other people understand that I wasn't the one who wanted to leave. ... My heart is with Boston. The emotions are always going to be there."

"A lot of people say they don't want to die until the Red Sox win the World Series. Well, there could be a lot of busy ambulances (tonight)." -- Johnny Damon

World Series Game 3: Boston 4, St. Louis 1

Pedro's line? 7-3-0-0-2-6. That will do just fine.

Nine days ago, the Red Sox were 3 Mariano Rivera outs from being swept in the ALCS. Now they are up 3 games to 0 in the World Series, with a chance to win their first World Championship since 1918 tomorrow night.

I have a feeling the hours are going to go by very slowly until 8:00 pm.

Loose. Lowe: "If you were on our plane (Sunday night), you wouldn't have known if we were going to Game 3 of the World Series or just leaving spring training. We're very loose." ... Wakefield: "I think the New York series has a lot to with that. We're not supposed to be here. This is icing on the cake. We already overcame the hardest part."

Theo: "They're unaffected by everything. Name something that's affected them. Playing .500 ball for three months? Nope -- they had the best record in baseball after that. Losing their starting shortstop and starting right fielder in spring training? No, they just went 15-6 out of the gate. Losing a franchise player at the deadline? Nope. Falling down, 3-0, with a rested Mariano Rivera on the mound in the ninth inning of the fourth game? No problem."

The Red Sox agreed to award Nomar Garciaparra a full share of playoff cash. Nixon: "Anybody who spills their blood in the field out there one time helping a club win a ballgame deserves as much as anyone else, in my opinion."

Speaking of spilling blood, there are some people that question what that red stuff on Schilling's sock really was. In the Baltimore Sun, Laura Vecsey says "word out of New York is that some Yankees players wouldn't put it past Schilling to dab his sock with red magic marker, or apply generous amounts of Mercurochrome -- anything to amplify the Red Sox's amazing postseason run and, of course, to hoist his stature."

Damn, that's some serious sour grapes.

Happy Birthday, Pedro! The 33-year-old Martinez makes his first career World Series start Tuesday night in St. Louis. ... He looks ready.

World Series Game 2: Boston 6, St. Louis 2. In the post-game interview, Curt Schilling said that when he woke up Sunday morning at 7 am, he couldn't walk. And he truly believed that he could not take the ball in Game 2. But somehow the Sox docs got him able to pitch -- removing one of the sutures apparently was one of the keys.

Schilling threw 6 innings, allowed 4 hits, 1 walk and 1 unearned run (94 pitches). He wasn't as sharp as he was against the Yankees last week, but he kept the Cardinals at bay. The first batter of the game, Renteria, took him to 12 pitches before grounding out, and his only 1-2-3 inning was the 3rd. There is talk that he will be unable to start again in the series because he's having minor surgery every few days.

Boston scored twice in the first inning (3 walks from Matt Morris and Jason Varitek's triple) and when the Cardinals cut that lead to 2-1 in the 4th, the Red Sox stormed right back in their half with 2 more -- on an HBP and back-to-back doubles from Bill Mueller and Mark Bellhorn. Orlando Cabrera's 2-run single in the 6th scored Trot Nixon and Johnny Damon and put Boston up 6-1.

Alan Embree relieved Schilling and struck out the side in the 7th (the bottom of the order). Keith Foulke was called upon to get 4 outs and he did -- on 19 pitches (after throwing 36 yesterday) -- with 2 strikeouts.

Boston's motto: "We're gonna make 4 errors every night and still kick your ass!" ... The Red Sox have taken a 2-0 lead in the World Series twice before -- in 1916 and 1986. 77% of teams with a 2-0 lead win the series. ... One of the factiods on the screen during Tito's interview noted that he now tops the list of Red Sox managers with 9 post-season wins.

A off-day Monday and Pedro/Suppan in St. Louis on Tuesday.

Notes on Game 1. St. Louis 1st -- At 8:09, Wakefield throws a strike past Renteria and we are under way. Two minutes later, Renteria strikes out on a 1-2 knuckleball and the Fenway crowd goes nuts. Walker, finishing a 10-pitch at-bat, doubles into the right field corner, but Wakefield quickly gets both Pujols and Rolen on infield popups and the inning is over.

Boston 1st -- Damon also works a 10-pitch AB before slapping the ball into the left field corner for a double. Is he still sleeping on the couch? Cabrera gets plunked in the shoulder and Damon takes third on Ramirez's long fly to right. McCarver notes that Walker's catch along the right field line was excellent because "he was able to hold Cabrera at first." One problem: Cabrera wasn't tagging on the play.

On a 1-0 count, Ortiz hits an absolute bomb to deep right, over the foul pole down the line. Boston 3-0. Millar crushes Williams's next pitch high off the Monster for a double and after Nixon flies out to right, Mueller adds a single. So much for an ALCS letdown.

St. Louis 2nd -- The Cardinals come right back. Boston shifts the infield over towards first against Edmonds, so he drops a bunt down the third base line for an easy single. A walk and a bunt move him to third and he scores on a sac fly. Boston 4-1.

Boston 2nd -- McUseless's partner, Joe Buck, says something about hearing sound of the blimp on the telecast. He says it's that "droning-on sound" ... some jokes just write themselves. Bellhorn, the only Sock not to bat in the 1st inning, singles to the opposite field. Damon lines out to shortstop and Cabrera lines out to left. Two outs, but Williams isn't fooling anybody. Ramirez singles (which gets the Cardinal bullpen stirring) and Ortiz walks, but Millar leaves the bases loaded.

St. Louis 3rd -- Walker homers to right field with one out. Wakefield then hits Pujols, but gets Rolen to ground into a 5-4-3 double play. Boston 4-3.

Boston 3rd -- With one out, Mueller walks, Mirabelli singles high off the Wall, Bellhorn walks and Damon singles (rbi). Williams leaves with the bases loaded; Haren comes in. Cabrera singles to left (rbi), Manny forces Cabrera at second (rbi) and Ortiz walks. Millar grounds out and although Boston leads 7-2, they have also left the bases loaded in two straight innings.

St. Louis 4th -- Wakefield's control vanishes. He throws 14 pitches to the first 3 batters (Edmonds, Sanders, Womack) and 12 of them are balls. Edmonds scores on a fly to right and Taguchi grounds out, but after another walk to Renteria, Wakefield is gone. Walker hits Arroyo's first pitch for an rbi-single. Boston 7-4.

Boston 4th -- Nixon (10 pitches) and Mueller (7 pitches) both walk to begin the inning, but not only doesn't Boston score, the runners can't advance at all.

St. Louis 6th -- With two outs, Taguchi hits a little dribbler down the third base line. Arroyo comes over and unwisely fires off-balance to first for an error. Taguchi scores when Renteria doubles to left center. Myers and Timlin get warm. Walker smacks another double into the right field corner for his 4th hit. Boston's 5-run lead is gone; the game is tied 7-7. After battling Wakefield for the first 9 pitches in the first inning, Walker has seen 5 pitches and has hit a: double, foul, home run, single and double. Jeez.

Boston 7th -- Calero is in and he starts off by walking Bellhorn. Damon -- not bunting -- shatters his bat on a grounder to second, which ends up moving Bellhorn up anyway. Cabrera walks on five pitches and Manny lines a single to left center. Edmonds gets the ball on the run and fires home, but his throw is up the first base line and Bellhorn scores easily (Boston 8-7). Cardinals catcher Matheny fires back to Renteria near second base because Manny has taken a wide turn around first. He scampers back, but there is no St. Louis player near the bag, so he's able to get back without incident.

McCarver immediately begins criticizing Ramirez for not hustling and getting to second base. The replay does show Manny pointing into the dugout after the hit (which is annoying), but there was no way he would have made it to second. With no one covering first, it looks to me like Manny played it right, taking a wide enough turn so that he could advance if it became possible, but not so far that he couldn't get back if he had to. McCarver, without the Yankees to drool over, apparently needs a Red Sox punching bag. LHP King comes in to face Ortiz, something we'll probably see a lot of in this series. Tizzle wins this round, smashing a vicious grounder towards Womack at second. The ball kicks up and strikes him near the collarbone and knocks him out of the game (x-rays were negative). Cabrera scores on the hit and Boston leads 9-7.

St. Louis 8th -- Timlin had set down the Cardinals 1-2-3 in the 7th. He retires Anderson (Womack's replacement) on a first pitch groundout before Matheny singles (also on the first pitch). Tito brings in Embree for Cedeno, which seems a bit premature to me. Timlin looks sharp and has thrown only 9 pitches to 5 batters; Embree could have been saved for Walker. ... Cedeno bloops a single to right and Francona goes right to Foulke for the game's final 5 outs.

Renteria singles through the shortstop hole into left. Game 4 starter Marquis is pinch-running for Matheny. Marquis slows rounding third, but scores when Ramirez has trouble picking up the ball (Boston 9-8). Walker hits a fly ball to shallow left. Manny runs in and tries a sliding catch, but his foot catches in the grass and he loses his balance. The ball hits off his glove for another error and Cedeno scores the tying run. McCarver, acting like a kid who got a new toy for Christmas, starts in on Ramirez again.

Ramirez said afterwards he shouldn't have tried to slide. Perhaps, but it looked like he could have made the play if he had slid cleanly. Foulke intentionally walks Pujols -- which loads the bases with only one out. It's 9-9. Rolen pops up the first
pitch to Mueller and Foulke (with a 1-1 count) absolutely shreds Edmonds with two perfect pitches on the inside corner to get him looking for the third out. Amazing, game-saving pitching by Foulke.

Boston 8th -- Tavarez in for the Cards. With one out, Varitek (who hit for Mirabelli back in the 6th) reaches when Renteria bobbles a ball hit to his right. Bellhorn takes a strike, hits a long foul to right, takes a ball, then hits another shot to deep right. This one stays fair, hitting off Pesky's Pole for a 2-run home run. He has homered in the last 3 playoff games, including two off the Pole. Boston 11-9.

St. Louis 9th -- Sanders strikes out on 3 pitches. Anderson hits a ground rule double to left. Molina fouls off two pitches before popping to Mientkiewicz at first. Cedeno then strikes out swinging (3 pitches also) to end the game.

P.S. -- Carl Yastrzemski threw out the first pitch, but Fox waits until the top of the 3rd inning -- after the game was an hour old -- to show us any footage of it. ... Before the game, it's reported that 4 box seats to tonight's game sold for $22,000 on ebay. ... In an interview segment, Wakefield says that bringing the World Series to Boston is "the coolest thing ever." ... With Ortiz batting in the 3rd inning, a deafening "Who's your Papi?" chant breaks out. ... Game 1 winners have won 13 of the last 16 World Series.

Schilling/Morris at 8:00 pm.

The Naked Truth. If the Red Sox win the World Series, Johnny Pesky says he's "gonna take off all my clothes and run around the ballpark. Then I can die happy. Not that I'm going to die. I mean, I am going to die. But not soon." ... This will give new meaning to Pesky's pole.

World Series Game 1: Boston 11, St. Louis 9. Not the smoothest nine innings I've had the pleasure to see -- four Red Sox errors and 14 total walks -- but on October 23, who cares about style points?

Ortiz is simply not human at this point and Bellhorn has quickly caught fire at a perfect time. Eight of the nine starters either scored a run or had an RBI. All in all a balanced offensive attack -- and the highest scoring Game 1 in World Series history.

The Red Sox are up 1-0 and have Schilling and Pedro ready to go. That is very good news.

"The Most Unadulterated, Disbelieving, Decades-Overdue Fun". Two of Thomas Boswell's recent Washington Post columns have been extraordinary. Read them here and here. In the first link, Boswell observes that "the Red Sox [stole] the pennant from the Yankees not once but four times within 72 heart-stopping hours."

What a beautiful sentence.

The Red Sox stole the pennant from the Yankees not once but four times within 72 heart-stopping hours.

Wow.

He also wrote this after Game 6: "If the Red Sox, the team synonymous with collapses, misfortune and despair, win Game 7, then, in a blink, the blackest mark in Yankees history will actually be darker than any disgrace in all Boston annals. ... [I]t is the Yankees, not the "cursed" Red Sox, who have a chance for the worst October collapse in history." This will never get old.

Today's Boswell, which also includes his prediction: "The Boston rotation entering the World Series is typical of life in Red Sox land. In the ALCS, Derek Lowe was demoted to the bullpen so Bronson Arroyo could start against the Yankees until Arroyo got knocked out early and Tim Wakefield volunteered to pitch long relief, which forced Lowe to get a start that worked out so well that Wakefield stayed in the bullpen along with Arroyo and now, because Schilling limps, Pedro Martinez needs more rest and Lowe just won the pennant, Wakefield will start Game 1 of the Series. See how easy it is to run the Red Sox? One day this winter, Theo Epstein is going to wake up and look 90."

My blog and Singapore Sox Fan were mentioned in USAToday on Friday. ... Johnny Damon after David Ortiz won Game 5 with a 14th inning single: "Hopefully he'll have six more great games and they'll make a monument of him." ... Not many people know this, but there is already one in Manhattan.

2004 is really my first Red Sox pennant. I was only 11 years old in 1975 and while I do remember some of the World Series (Looie Tiant in Game 1 and Fred Lynn hitting the wall in Game 6 (I must have been in bed when Fisk homered, I have no memory of it)), I certainly wasn't a fan. Though by the time 1976 rolled around, I was hooked.

And in the early eighties, I had drifted away from baseball for a few years. I came back to the Red Sox late in the summer of 1986 and once the playoffs started, I was as rabid as I had been in the late 1970s. But I hadn't followed the team the entire year. ... So 2004 is the first pennant I've been a part of in the obsessive way I feel is necessary. No great significance to that -- I'm just saying.

Hey -- you know what?

The Red Sox stole the pennant from the Yankees not once but four times within 72 heart-stopping hours.

And now it's Wakefield/Williams at 8:00 pm.

Unfinished Business. History continues tomorrow.

Game 1: October 23 -- Cardinals (Williams) at Red Sox (Wakefield)
Game 2: October 24 -- Cardinals (Marquis) at Red Sox (Schilling)
Game 3: October 26 -- Red Sox (Martinez) at Cardinals (Morris)
Game 4: October 27 -- Red Sox (Lowe) at Cardinals (Suppan)
Game 5: October 28 -- Red Sox at Cardinals
Game 6: October 30 -- Cardinals at Red Sox
Game 7: October 31 -- Cardinals at Red Sox

Everyone says Redbird Nation is the best Cardinals blog.

The End Of An Era. I thought about doing something like this, but Bruce Allen beat me to it. A sample of media reaction from October 17:

They are down, 3-0, after last night's 19-8 rout, and, in this sport, that is an official death sentence. ... The idea that the Red Sox accomplished anything good at all this season seems inconceivable.
Bob Ryan, Boston Globe

It is not, as [Johnny Damon] said, the Red Sox who are a bunch of idiots. What they are is a bunch of chokes. The idiots are all those fools who truly believed this would be the year the perennially disappointing Sox -- who haven't won a World Series since 1918, nor even a pennant since 1986 -- would finally beat the 26-time, world-champion Yankees, who now are on the brink of playing for a 27th title.
Jim Donaldson, Providence Journal

All season, the Yankees let their play speak for themselves. The Red Sox talk turned out to be so much bigger than their walk.
Kevin Kernan, New York Post

The victory gives the Yankees a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series going into tonight's Game 4. No team in baseball has flushed such a bulge. That means the Yankees are a lock for their 40th flag, and their second straight World Series appearance.
George King, New York Post

I found another one, from October 19, as the teams headed back to New York for Game 6:

Forget the cushion, it's time for the Yankees to play with desperation. If not, this Curse will be reversed and this Yankee team will be remembered as the Greatest Choke of all time. Don't expect that to happen.
Kevin Kernan, New York Post

Watch. This.

Lifes Rich Pageant. SoSHer "5belongstoGeorge" notes one thing that October 20's game did: "I now have bragging rights forever. Forever. It is like a perpetual blank check of "@#%$ you loser" I can cash at the Bank of the MFY Fan. Forever. I don't need to even say anything because we both know it is there. Forever."

After Saturday's rout, I believed that the task of winning four straight games was possible, though certainly not likely. However, just because something has never happened before is no reason why it might not happen in the future. I just didn't want to get swept. And once Game 4 began, we became so focused on each pitch, each batter, each inning, each game -- "just win one game" we said each morning -- that we have yet to step back and see this historic series for what it truly is.

I have heard Game 7 referred to as the greatest Red Sox win of all time and the worst Yankee loss of all time. And the crazy thing is -- THEY MIGHT BE RIGHT! That is amazing. The historical and psychological impact of what happened last week will ripple outwards for years, probably decades.

Now, I want to win the World Series so badly. But even if that doesn't happen, this 2004 team has already done something that no other team in the history of baseball has done. And for that reason, and for who they did it against, the life of every Red Sox fan has been changed forever.

I cannot forget 1978/Dent, 1999 and 2003 and the dozens and dozens of cuts and barbs along the way. I will remember those for the rest of my life. Older fans remember many others (I was only 11 in 1975). But the sting of being reminded of those heartbreaks has been nullified. ... Because now we have a response -- "bragging rights forever."

Them: "1918." Us: "2004."

Them: "Bucky Dent." Us: "Damon, Schilling, Ortiz, Lowe, Foulke, Bellhorn, etc., etc."

Them: "Aaron Boone." Us: "You choked away the pennant 3 outs from a sweep."

Them: "Boston Massacre." Us: "You're not seriously using that phrase anymore are you?"

After a dismissal loss at Yankee Stadium in the future, we will leave the park with our heads held high, impervious to catcalls and insults. Why? Because any loss the Yankees give the Red Sox -- from now until the end of time -- will never be as bad as the beatdown we put on those clowns in the 2004 ALCS. And like 5belongstoGeorge says, they know it too.

RSN will get a large measure of perspective on all of this when the Red Sox play at Yankee Stadium for the first time next season. What a glorious game that will be. How will it feel to walk into that park in April 2005? Maybe like we own the fucking place?

SoSHer "Carmen Fanzone" was there for Game 7: "Just LOVED watching spoiled Yankee fans streaming for the exits in the eighth, leaving the place to thousands of cheering Red Sox fans in the ninth. On our way down to the 3rd-base line -- running through the concourse slapping high fives with Sox fans as if we owned the place, with the fickle regular tenants having abandoned the whole house."

He also points out, as a few other posters did also, that there were "four or five very classy Yankee fans shaking hands and congratulating Sox fans -- one after another by the dozens -- as they left."

Promotional Plug. This blog has been getting a lot of traffic this week (2,522 visitors yesterday and 3,200+ today), so I want to direct all of you to the website I have for my book on the 1918 Red Sox.

I did six years of research, spoke to over a dozen descendants of the players, and interviewed a guy who worked as a vendor at Fenway Park in 1918 when he was 14 years old. Plus I look at the possibility that the 1918 World Series might have been fixed. Babe Ruth and the 1918 Red Sox is the first complete story of that infamous season and that team -- and it is 100% curse-free.

1918 should be a season we celebrate and embrace. It's a Red Sox story with a happy ending ... just like 2004 is going to be.

Seeing Red. The St. Louis Cardinals will meet the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of the 2004 World Series this Saturday night at Fenway Park.

The Cards topped Houston 5-3 tonight as Astros manager Phil Garner left Roger Clemens in too long in the 6th inning. It took only 2 pitches for Pujols (RBI double) and Rolen (2-run HR) to turn a 2-1 deficit to a 4-2 lead.

With Apologies To Bob Dylan. In the Dirt Dog tradition:

Once upon a time you played so fine
Won all the time, drew a check from Big Stein, didn't you?
Hub idiots call, say, "Let's play ball, you're bound to fall"
You thought those hairy guys were all kiddin' you
You used to laugh about
The Sox fans you thought were jealous louts
But now you don't talk so loud
Now you don't seem so proud
About having to be watching Boston play next week.

How does it feel
How does it feel
To be shut down by Foulke
Your team's a national joke
Whiplash on an Ortiz poke
Historic pinstripe choke

Sweep Dreams. Last Sunday night, Newsday jumped the gun. Its front page for October 18:

Newsstand.

Hey Derek: Where were the ghosts? Did they forget to show up? Did they get stuck in traffic? ... What happened? Why couldn't you find a way to win?

ALCS Game 7: Boston 10, New York 3.

"All empires eventually fall." -- Larry Lucchino, October 21, 2004.

There will be a baseball game played in Fenway Park on Saturday night -- Game 1 of the 2004 World Series.



I think we have our answer.

Who Will Pitch? Arroyo and Wakefield both say that it's Lowe. (So has Tito, apparently.) For New York, the most rested possibilities are Brown, Vazquez and Hernandez.

Pitches. Starts in bold.

Boston         1    2    3    4    5    6
Schilling     58                       99
Leskanic      22             13
Mendoza       17
Wakefield     25        64        43
Embree        18    5   14   30    9
Timlin        20    8        37   20
Foulke         5   17        50   22   28
Martinez          113            111
Arroyo                  60        17   23
Mendoza
Myers                   42    4    4
Lowe                         88
 
 
New York       1    2    3    4    5    6
Mussina       95                 105
Sturtze        7             25   13   14
Gordon        17   16   16   26   19
Rivera        18   23        40   22
Lieber             82                 124
Brown                   57
Vazquez                 96
Quantrill               27    8   13   19
Hernandez                    95
Heredia                           14    7
Loaiza                            59

Part of a transcript of Red Sox doctor Dr. Bill Morgan's WEEI interview today. ... Kenny Lofton on Yankees injuries: "There's a lot of stuff going on with our team that nobody knows about, that we're trying not to let the media know." ... Gordon Edes on the Rodriguez slap: "I thought it was an act of desperation, and surprising coming from him. Clearly, the Yanks are feeling the pressure."

Eric Wilbur, Boston Globe: "There is a Game 7 tonight. Keep saying that and let it sink in. These are unprecedented moments in Red Sox history that we’re witnessing. Everything is going Boston’s way in this ALCS against the Yankees, and not against the Olde Towne Team. They've already overcome a 3-0 deficit, something no team in baseball history has ever done. There are no records for what a team has done in the seventh game after completing such a historic turnaround because again, IT HAS NEVER BEEN DONE."

Karen Guregian, Boston Herald: "For the Yankees, this is no longer just about advancing to the World Series. It's no longer just about continuing to torture their archrivals, and their fans. ... Tonight, in Game 7, it's about saving face. It's about avoiding the biggest choke job baseball has ever witnessed. It's about sparing themselves the embarrassment of living with that dubious label for posterity: losers of a 3-0 lead. No team has ever coughed up that kind of lead in a baseball best-of-seven series. No team has ever come back from that deficit. No team has ever rallied to win from that far behind. Ever."

Thomas Boswell, Washington Post: "What are the stakes now? If the Red Sox, the team synonymous with collapses, misfortune and despair, win Game 7, then, in a blink, the blackest mark in Yankees history will actually be darker than any disgrace in all Boston annals. If the Red Sox somehow win one more game, it won't make up for the last 86 years without a world title, while the Yanks have amassed 26 of them. ... But it will, for at least the next decade, and perhaps the next century, allow every Red Sox fan anywhere to face any New York fan and say, without fear of contradiction, 'How does it feel to root for a team with the biggest payroll ever that has the biggest choke in the history of the game?'"

They Need Help. Check out the front page of today's New York Post:



Yankee fans never tire of talking about "The Curse." Derek Jeter says, "Eventually, the ghosts will appear." ... The message behind all that blather seems to be an admission that the actual players pitching and hitting and fielding are simply not good enough to beat the opposition.

It's another way of saying: "We can't beat the Red Sox by ourselves, we need help from the spirit world." And that's sad.

"The Most Anticipated Game In Baseball History". That's what Peter Gammons is calling tonight's game. 8:00 pm can't get here fast enough.

Ed Cossette writes: "Talk about Red Sox! When I saw Schilling take the mound without the high top cleat but instead the low cleat and that blood soaked sock I teared up. I'm tearing up now again as I write about it."

Reading the Sox blogs this morning is doing the same thing to me. The awe, wonder, happiness, disbelief, anxiousness and whatever all else is wonderful to read. Some snips:

Sully: "Curt Schilling summed it up best for me when he said, "I am just so proud to be a part of this team." Well I am damn proud to have the privilege to root for this team. Can we, once and for all, place a moratorium on any commentary that makes it seem anything but fantastic to be a Boston Red Sox fan? No more curse references, no more self-pity. Enough."

Red: "On the flipside, we had A-Rod resorting to schoolboy tactics, blatantly knocking the ball from Arroyo's glove on a close play at first, then whining incessantly when he was called out for it." ... Video.

Sarah: "I couldn't stay in bed this morning. Even though our apartment is freezing cold, even though we didn't get to sleep finally until way past four in the morning, I just can't stay in bed. Life is simply too cool right now."

The Soxaholix: "When the miraculously and obviously on Curt Schilling played the chin music to A-Rod in the 1st, I got pregnant, immaculately." ... "If I had a kitten I'd name him, Ortizzle. If I had a puppy, I'd name him Papi. If I had a baby, I'd name him Walk-Off."

Ed again: "So here we are: Game 7. Can you believe it? We waited an entire year for this and now here it is. Derek Lowe, are you ready? We are."

John Powers, Globe: "Seventy-eight years, it has been, since the last time the Yankees lost the final two games of a best-of-seven series at home. ... [U]nless the beleaguered Bombers can win tonight's American League Championship Series finale at the Stadium, they'll become the first ball club ever to blow a 3-0 lead and go down as the biggest chokers in the history of organized baseball."

Gordon Edes, Globe: "Can 86 years of tainted history be swept clean by one sweet, absurdly improbable act of redemption, the likes of which has never been seen in hardball history? ... After what we have witnessed the last three days, is there anyone of the non-pinstriped segment of society who believes the Sox are not capable of finishing what will eclipse all the bitter disappointments of the past century as the defining moment of this franchise?"

Dan Shaughnessy. The Ninth has touched on something that I've been thinking about a lot for two weeks: "The Red Sox have just played two of the most dramatic postseason games in history, on consecutive nights, in one of the most dramatic situations in postseason history. No one can write about it because we're all going insane. You have any idea how difficult it is to sit down in front of a keyboard and approach this team rationally right now?"

In my late teens and early 20s I was a sportswriter and in the early 1990s, I covered concerts for various newspapers and magazines, so I know a little about writing on deadline. The Ninth says Dan Shaughnessy of the Globe "has lately been doing some of the best writing of his career." I usually don't read the CHB -- I'm beyond sick of his Curse-pimping and negative shots at so many Sox players -- but The Ninth is right.

Shaughnessy has been writing the Globe's front page game stories instead of his more opinionated columns. And all throughout this historic week, Shaughnessy has stepped up with poetic, concise, and stirring prose. (I'd love to know his lead time.) I'm really impressed. Check it out:

After Game 4: "Carlton Fisk in 1975. David Ortiz in 2004. Twelfth inning both times. Hold on to those tickets for this afternoon's fifth game of the American League Championship Series. The left-for-dead Red Sox are still breathing. Down three games to none, down 4-3, in the bottom of the ninth, the Sox last night rallied to tie the game against indomitable Yankee closer Mariano Rivera. They won it at 1:22 this morning when Ortiz hit a Paul Quantrill pitch into the Yankee bullpen to give the Red Sox a 6-4 Game 4 victory. A lot of Bostonians will be sleepy-eyed and late for work today. No problem. Everyone in New England will be wide-eyed when Pedro Martinez gets the ball at 5:10 for the start of Game 5. The Sox trail the American League Championship, 3 games to 1, but suddenly momentum has shifted Boston's way."

After Game 5: "New England is at once sleepless, breathless, and full of hope. David Ortiz and the Red Sox just beat the Yankees in two extra-inning playoff games on the same calendar day. This century-long Sox-Yankee show, featuring themes of revenge and redemption, moves back to New York tonight. In perhaps the most thrilling and torturous postseason game in 104 years of Red Sox baseball, the Sox last night beat the Yankees, 5-4, when the mythic Ortiz singled home Johnny Damon from second base in the bottom of the 14th at 10:59 p.m. It was the longest game in League Championship Series history (5 hours 49 minutes) and came less than 23 hours after the same Ortiz cracked a walkoff homer to win Game 4 at 1:22 yesterday morning. The Hub has never seen two days of baseball drama like this."

After Game 6: "Sunday night the Red Sox were three outs from being swept from the playoffs by the hated Yankees. They had lost a playoff game at Fenway Park by the humiliating score of 19-8 Saturday night and some members of their loyal Nation felt betrayed and abandoned. That was just a few long days, sleepless nights, and extra innings ago. But now the 2004 Boston Red Sox -- the wildest of wild-card entries -- are just one victory from hardball heaven and the greatest baseball comeback story ever told."

ALCS Game 6: Boston 4, New York 2. No baseball team has ever been down 3 games to 0 in a best-of-7 series and won three straight games to force a Game 7 -- until now. ... The 2004 Boston Red Sox have done it -- against the New York Yankees.

Curt Schilling went above and beyond anything and everything that was expected of him -- 7 innings, 4 hits, 0 walks, 1 run -- and Keith Foulke was nails in the 9th, striking out Clark after having walked the tying runs on base. Mark Bellhorn broke out of his series-long slump with a 3-run, opposite field home run in the 4th inning. Boston scored all of its runs in that inning off Jon Lieber.

The biggest play of the game came in the 8th inning. Bronson Arroyo relieved Schilling and struck out Tony Clark, but allowed a double to Miguel Cairo and an RBI-single to Derek Jeter, which cut the Red Sox's lead to 4-2. Alex Rodriguez tapped the ball down the first base line. Arroyo fielded it and went to tag Rodriguez and as he did, Rodriguez slapped the ball out of his hand. The ball rolled down the right field line, Jeter scored (4-3) and Rodriguez took second. After some discussion, the umpires ruled interference -- Rodriguez was the second out and Jeter was sent back to first. Arroyo then got Sheffield to foul out to Jason Varitek to end the inning.

The story so far:

Game 1: Yankees 10, Red Sox 7
Game 2: Yankees 3, Red Sox 1
Game 3: Yankees 19, Red Sox 8
Game 4: Red Sox 6, Yankees 4 (12 innings)
Game 5: Red Sox 5, Yankees 4 (14 innings)
Game 6: Red Sox 4, Yankees 2
Game 7: ?

ESPN's scroll: TBA v. TBA at 8:00 pm. ... Sounds like Lowe/Brown, with Wakefield/Hernandez waiting in the wings. Theo says Pedro is available -- shades of 1999? A pennant-clinching save in the Bronx? ... Less than 19 hours to go...

Surreal. Bill Simmons: "There have been 25 other baseball teams that fell behind 3-0 in a series. None of the 25 ever came back. Only two of those teams even forced a Game 6. So there's no real precedent for what's happened here, and I can't imagine there have ever been two straight playoff games like that, not with these stakes, not with that much emotion, not after everything that happened last season and the 80-plus seasons before it. For a miracle to happen, you need a shift in momentum that borderlines on the surreal. Games 4 and 5 were surreal. There's no other way to say it."

From Baseball Prospectus. Will Carroll, in his Under The Knife column:

"In his bullpen sessions, Schilling has been pitching with a "soft front leg," meaning he's not getting a solid plant, allowing his injured push ankle to come up quickly and not take any more stress than necessary. It's a natural reaction and one that could be overcome with his normal painkiller injection. Once he takes the mound, we'll know almost instantly how Schilling will pitch ..."

Also from BP, Joe Sheehan on last night's game:

"What's most interesting about the last two nights is how the events don't fit the storyline. Were it the Red Sox -- or the A's or Twins -- who had blown two late leads and lost games in extra innings to the Yankees, it would be easy for the media: use the words "clutch," "experience" and "veteran leadership" as many times as possible. ...

As it usually does, this is manifested most clearly in the case of Derek Jeter. Jeter has had a terrible series, batting .182/.357/.227 and making a couple of errors in the field. When he booted a ground ball last night, Joe Buck and Tim McCarver nearly hurt themselves in the rush to point out the bad hop that caused the miscue. ... That Jeter had bad at-bats in important moments doesn't make him a bad person or player. The point is that he's the same player in big situations that he is at other times. He doesn't have the ability to "will" his way into hits; no player in baseball does, because the game isn't designed that way."

Sheehan then looks ahead to tonight: "The Red Sox will be down 6-3 in the eighth, and David Ortiz will hit homers in the eighth and ninth to tie. He'll then throw two innings of shutout relief, striking out four and walking none, then win the game in the 11th, stealing second and third after being intentionally walked, and scoring on a blooper that falls in front of Bernie Williams."

Works for me.

Get Me Rewrite! As the clock struck midnight on Sunday night, down three games to none to the New York Yankees and trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 4, the bottom three batters of the Red Sox lineup faced Mariano Rivera. I'm sure the beat writers in the press box, sensing a sweep, were writing their game story leads.

However, down on the field, Kevin Millar walked on 5 pitches. Dave Roberts pinch-ran and, on Rivera's first pitch, stole second. Bill Mueller singled to center and the game was tied. A bunt and an error put Mueller on third as the winning run with only 1 out. Rivera worked out of that bit of trouble -- Cabrera struck out, Manny walked and Ortiz popped to second -- but Boston won the game in the 12th inning, when Ortiz, in his next at-bat, cranked a two-run home run off Paul Quantrill. ... And later that day (!), Boston battled for 14 innings and came out on top, again led by one David Americo Ortiz, who has gladly taken the Red Sox and its fans on his back like Atlas.

Pedro -- He pitched out of jams in the 3rd and 4th while holding a slim 2-1 lead. He struck out Williams with runners on 1st & 3rd to end the 3rd and got out of a 1st & 2nd/no out mess in the 4th. He had thrown 82 pitches through five innings -- I thought he could go two more. But he ran into trouble in the 6th. With one out, Posada and Sierra both singled (88 pitches). Martinez took 7 pitches to strike out Clark (95) for the second out. He hit the #9 hitter Cairo with an inside fastball, loading the bases (97). (I don't think the bullpen was even up at this point.) Jeter, looking for a pitch outside, got one on a 1-1 count and doubled down the right field. All three runners scored (looked like Cairo was out on the replay) and New York led 4-2.

Pedro was now at an even 100 pitches. He plunked Rodriguez (102) and walked Sheffield (107). Myers and Timlin were up, but with Matsui at the plate, Francona stayed with Martinez. And I agreed with that move. Pedro fell behind 2-0, got a called strike and retired Matsui on a line out to Nixon in right. End of inning and end of Pedro's night (111 pitches). ... Pedro never had a 1-2-3 inning and didn't post the prettiest line -- 6-7-4-4-5-6 -- but he stranded 9 Yankee runners in those six innings, and did well enough, in my opinion.

Ortiz -- The big man singled in Boston's first run in the first inning and scored the second. He led off the bottom of the 8th with a opposite field shot into the Monster Seats off Tom Gordon. He walked in the 12th, but was called out trying to steal second. Replays showed he was safe and I actually didn't mind the attempt at that point.

And his AB in the 14th -- wow. Loazia -- in his 4th inning of relief -- had struck out Bellhorn, walked Damon and struck out Cabrera. Manny worked a 7-pitch walk and Damon went to second. Ortiz quickly fell behind 1-2, but then hung tight. He fouled off three straight pitches (the last one a long shot to deep right), took ball two, then fouled off 3 more. On the 10th pitch of the battle, he lined a single into center and Damon scored without a throw. ... Is there anything this man cannot do? I half expect him to pitch a scoreless inning tonight.

Millar/8th Inning Hit & Run -- After Ortiz's HR in the 8th brought Boston to within 1 run, Millar swung and missed at the first two pitches he saw. But he suddenly became patient and took four straight balls for a walk. Roberts came in to run and at that point, Gordon and Roberts began a lengthy cat-and-mouse game. Gordon threw Nixon a strike, but then went to first base 3 times. He also stepped off the rubber several times as Roberts danced back and forth. Obviously distracted (and perhaps a little tired (he threw 26 pitches in Game 4)), Gordon threw three pitches into the dirt, giving Nixon a 3-1 count. On a hit-and-run, Trot lined Gordon's next pitch to right center and Roberts raced to third. Perfect.

Rivera -- After Nixon's hit, Rivera came in with the bases loaded. Varitek hit a sacrifice fly to center to tie the game and Rivera had blown his second save of the day. It was the first time any pitcher has blown back-to-back saves during the Torre era. He threw 40 pitches in Game 4 and 22 more in Game 5.

Arroyo -- As Boston prepared to bat in the bottom of the ninth, Arroyo was warming up and Lowe, Wakefield and Schilling walked from the dugout to the bullpen. Would the rest of the starting rotation all be possible relievers? Arroyo had warmed up for the first time in the bottom of the 7th and he came in to pitch to the top of the New York lineup in the 10th. Jeter popped to short and both Rodriguez and Sheffield went down swinging. I would have liked to see Arroyo throw at least one more inning, but Francona brought in Myers to face Matsui in the 11th. Perhaps Arroyo is better used tonight.

Red Sox Bullpen -- In these last two games, the pen has been spectacular.

          IP   H   R  BB  K
Game 4    6.2  6   1  7   4
Game 5    8    5   0  3  10

That's an 0.61 ERA! ... After throwing 22 pitches Sunday, Foulke came out to throw 50 last night, finishing the 7th and pitching the 8th and 9th. After being unable to find the plate on Sunday, Myers came in and struck out Matsui on 4 pitches to open the 11th. ... And Tim Wakefield pitched the 12th, 13th and 14th innings, allowing only 1 hit and 1 (intentional) walk.

The walk came in the 13th, a inning in which Varitek was charged with 3 passed balls. Sheffield struck out, but reached first on PB #1. On a 3-1 count, Matsui forced Sheffield at second. Williams flew out to right for the second out. Wakefield's second pitch to Posada was PB #2 and Matsui advanced to second. The Sox decided to put Posada on base and deal with Sierra (who was 3-for-4 with 2 walks). Wakefield got ahead 0-2, but PB #3 moved the runners to 2nd & 3rd. Wakefield then threw ball 3 (argg - full count) before getting Sierra swinging at a pitch inside.

Tito -- 26 innings of baseball in only 30 hours has meant a lot of tough decisions. And his use of the bullpen in Games 4 & 5 has been brilliant. I wouldn't have wanted to be in his shoes.

It's been a soggy day in New York, so the field will be wet. ... Schilling/Lieber at 8:00 pm.

ALCS Game 5: Boston 5, New York 4 (14 innings). This is getting interesting. ... We go to New York and the Red Sox are in the same position as in 2003 -- needing 2 wins in 2 games. We can do this. ... I am a bit tipsy and blabbing -- but David Ortiz is a god among men (no news there) and Tim Wakefield is tough as nails. ... Curt/Lieber tomorrow night.

Two fillings to get replaced in the morning and I'll be back with more effusive ramblings in the afternoon. ... I love this team!!!

ALCS Game 4: Boston 6, New York 4 (12 innings). There -- now that wasn't so hard, was it?



Lowe pitches a solid 5.1, the Yankees blow leads of 2-0 and 4-3, Embree and Foulke pitch some ballsy relief, Boston scores the tying run off Rivera on only 8 pitches in the bottom of the 9th (Millar walk, Roberts SB, Mueller single up the middle that knocks Rivera on his ass), Cabrera grabs an A-Rod liner headed to left with a man at second in the 11th and then (with the bases loaded) Leskanic gets Williams on a fly to Damon to preserve the 4-4 tie, Manny singles to left off Quantrill to start the 12th and Ortiz follows by pounding a 2-1 fastball to right to give the Red Sox the win and force a Game 5 at later today.

Pedro/Mussina at 5:00 pm. ... Just win one game. Not three, not two. Only one. Tonight.

One. One game. One win. That's all.

Not four, not three, not two.

One.

Tonight.

Win Today. Bronson Arroyo against the Yankees this year:

Date   IP   H   R   ER  BB   K   BF   PIT   Score
4/19  6.1   8   4   4    1   5   30    99   Boston 5-4
4/24  6     4   2   2    2   4   23    86   Boston 3-2
7/24  5.2  10   8   6    0   4   28   104   Boston 11-10
9/17  6     4   2   2    1   3   24    89   Boston 3-2

All outings were no decisions. Arroyo trailed 4-1 after 3 innings on April 19 (Patriots Day), but blanked the Yankees into the seventh and the Red Sox rallied to win 5-4. Five days later in Yankee Stadium, he pitched six strong innings and Boston won in 12 innings. July 24 was the rain-delayed brawl game and the September start was in the Bronx (Boston won that game with 2 runs in the top of the 9th off Rivera).

Speaking of Rivera, the rainout eliminated the off-day, so Torre has to be careful with when and where he uses his closer. He can't pitch five days in a row, so Boston needs to hit the Yankee starters early and get to the bullpen. There is no off day for the Sox bullpen either, but they have more relief depth than New York. ... The Red Sox should keep Lowe pitching Game 5 at home and have Pedro go in Game 6 in New York with an extra day's rest.

Schilling had what everyone describes as an encouraging session yesterday. He threw in the bullpen for more than 15 minutes (I heard on Fox he threw 70 pitches (?)) and, according to the Globe, "was able to push off the rubber with more force than on Tuesday in the Bronx. Schilling stopped twice during the throwing session to change shoes, going from a new high-top designed for him by Reebok to a traditional cleat and back to the Reebok to test the support for the ankle." Tito: "He threw with a lot more of a normal stride than in New York. That in itself was encouraging." ... The next step is another session, probably on Sunday.

The Yankees do not plan to change their rotation. Kevin Brown goes tonight, Orlando Hernandez on Sunday and Mike Mussina will pitch Monday (on an extra day's rest).

I feel good now, but I can tell that over the next 8 hours, I'll be slowly progressing from "confident" to "confident and a nervous wreck".

The Time Is Now. Bronson Arroyo -- with his "nuts the size of Saturn" -- is ready. ... The Red Sox were 7-3 against the Yankees at Fenway this year, taking 3-of-4 in April, 2-of-3 in July and 2-of-3 in September. They batted .322/.394/.553, scoring an average of 7.3 runs per game. ... Season totals:

Home: .306/.378/.504, 6.4 runs per game
Road: .260/.342/.441, 5.3 runs per game

Alan Embree thought back to the 2003 ALDS: "All (the A's) had to do was win one game at our place. If we win (tonight), there's not going to be that total sense of urgency that there is now. One win and everything changes." ... Heavy rain is expected tonight in Boston, beginning shortly before game time (8:19) and continuing through midnight. If tonight's game is postponed -- MLB has the final call -- it will be played on Monday.

Liar. From last night's debate:

Kerry: ... Six months after he said Osama bin Laden must be caught dead or alive, this president was asked, 'Where is Osama bin Laden?' He said, 'I don't know. I don't really think about him very much. I'm not that concerned.' We need a president who stays deadly focused on the real war on terror.

Moderator: Mr. President?

Bush: Gosh, I just don't think I ever said I'm not worried about Osama bin Laden. It's kind of one of those exaggerations.

Wrong (and this one). You can also read the White House's transcript from March 13, 2002:

I don't know where he is. You know, I just don't spend that much time on him, Kelly, to be honest with you. ... And, again, I don't know where he is. I -- I'll repeat what I said. I truly am not that concerned about him.

Curt Speaks. At Dirt Dogs: "I tore this thing facing Miguel Cairo, the last out of the Yankee game during the regular season. And it popped on the first pitch thrown to him and there was some pain for, I threw five more pitches I think to finish that game, I was out of that game after that. Dr. Morgan diagnosed it probably 30 seconds after we got done looking at it. ... We had some issues in the Anaheim game. I got injected in third inning in Anaheim. And it flared up again later in that game. As far as tweaking it on the play, that last play where I threw the ball away against Anaheim ... that wasn't the trigger."

Lowe -- Not Schilling -- Starting Game 5. As announced by Francona. But it may rain. If Friday's game is postponed, it would be played on Monday. ... Schilling may still pitch at some point in the series.

Red Sox fans in Washington Heights: "The scene was pure New York: About 30 people gathered on a sidewalk, staring at a television someone had dragged onto a fire escape for the big game. To the right of the set, on the cement, was a freshly painted New York Yankees logo, as big as a beach towel. But to the left of the television, an unblemished Boston Red Sox logo graced the ground. 'The Yankees fans are over there,' said Al Duran, 24, painter of the logos, pointing to his boisterous neighbors a sidewalk crack away. 'This side is for Red Sox fans.'"

Were these guys sitting next to each other in the press box?
Bob Ryan, Boston Globe: "So much for the best-laid plans of mice, men, and Theo Epstein."
Sean McAdam, Providence Journal: "So much for the best-laid plans of mice, men and the Red Sox."

ALCS Game 2: New York 3, Boston 1. Where are the bats? In the first six innings of the two games, the Red Sox are a collective 1-for-37 (a single and a walk). Where are the goddamn bats?

Pedro pitched a hell of a game, considering 55,000 people were screaming and chanting at him from Pitch #1, good enough to win. ... And forget that silly angle of Martinez playing mind games with the Yankees with his Daddy quote. That's bullshit. What we saw and heard was a professional athlete unmasked, his guard completely down, actually saying what was in his heart. We aren't used to such brutal honesty -- that's why it was so shocking. I feel a little stab every time I see that clip.

Martinez didn't have his top-shelf stuff, though if the Fox guns can be believed (why should you believe anything from Fox?), he had his best fastball of the season (mid-90s from the start, even 97 at one point). He wasn't perfect with location, walking four and throwing 113 pitches in six innings. By contrast Lieber threw only 79 pitches through 7 innings and that included a 16-pitch battle with Damon in the 6th. He was excellent, got calls on the corners that Pedro did not, and was helped by some pathetic cuts from the Sox batters (I'm looking at you, Kevin (and shave that fucking brillo pad on your chin, please. You look like a fool.).

Friday. ... If there was ever a time for the "one-game-at-a-time" cliche, it's now. There is only one game to think about and that is the game to be played Friday night. Nothing else exists in the whole entire world. ... Arroyo/Brown.

Rut-Row. "Curt Schilling needs surgery on his injured right ankle, but the Red Sox hope he will still be able to pitch Game 5 of the AL championship series Sunday. ... The Red Sox said the sheath that covers a tendon in Schilling's ankle is torn. 'The tendon is snapping over the bone,' Red Sox physician Dr. Bill Morgan said Wednesday. ...

"Schilling pitched with a brace Tuesday and had a shot of painkiller in the ankle. Still, he had trouble pushing off the rubber with his right leg. The Red Sox hope a better brace will help, but if not, Schilling's season will be over. 'If we can get Curt's ankle stabilized to the point where the tendon stays in one place and he's able to have balance and drive and effective delivery, then he'll go out there and Start Game 5,' Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein said. 'If we can't get him to the point where the ankle is stabilized, then he won't pitch. Because then we would risk further injury in his shoulder and he would be ineffective." Hoo-boy.

Schilling, last night: "If I can't go out there with something better than I had (last night), I'm not going back out there. ... I won't take the ball again." Also. And yet Francona said Curt didn't complain about any pain. Tito: "He just didn't look right. ... We talked when he came out. I don't think he was hurting. He just wasn't right."

Speaking of pain, Scott Williamson had Tommy John surgery on Monday. His doctor was shocked at what he found. "It looked like a grenade had gone off in there. The damage was far worse that the MRIs or any examination alluded to. ... I can't believe he was able to pitch with the elbow like that."

A Possible Sideshow: Pedro hit Sheffield with a pitch back on July 1. In an interview with SI, Sheffield said, "If he says one word to me, he's done. Pedro, your buddy pass is over. I've been playing for 17 years. ... If he tries anything again, I won't hurt my team, but I'm telling you, I will take care of him." ... Millar, who played with Sheffield on the Marlins: "He's just BS-ing. He's not going to do anything."

ALCS Game 1: New York 10, Boston 7. What did we learn? (1) Curt Schilling's ankle is apparently more of a problem that we thought. (2) The Yankees pitchers have to be perfect to keep a lid on the Boston offense, and after Mike Mussina, the pitchers are far from perfect. (3) It is never a good idea to spot your opponent 8 runs. [BSG's take.]

First 19 Red Sox batters: 0 baserunners, 8 strikeouts (including Damon, Bellhorn and Ramirez all caught looking in the 4th) and only 4 of 19 outs to the outfield. ... Next 12 Red Sox batters: 8 hits, 7 runs, 2 doubles, 1 triple (Tiz!), 1 home run (Varitek's first hit in the Bronx this year; better late than never). In a matter of minutes, the game goes from Mussina being up 8-0 and eight outs from a perfect game to Boston having the tying run on third base in the 8th inning.

At that point, Mariano Rivera came in and got Millar to pop out to Jeter. Damn. New York tacked on two insurance runs in the 8th. Still, Rivera allowed two one-out singles to Varitek and Cabrera. That brought Bill Mueller to the plate as the tying run and fans on both sides were no doubt thinking of Mueller's game-winning home run off Rivera back in July. But Mueller couldn't do it again. He tapped back to the hill for a 1-6-3 double play and Boston was down 1-0 with Game 2 tonight.

Schilling either simply had a bad night or his ankle is causing serious problems (or both). I don't think his fastball hit higher than 92 and he had trouble pushing off the rubber, so his pitches are a little flat. With two outs in the first, both Sheffield and Matsui doubled and Williams singled to give New York a quick 2-0 lead. Schilling needed only 10 pitches for a 1-2-3 2nd inning, but he fell apart in the 3rd. Jeter and Rodriguez singled, Sheffield walked and Matsui cleared the bases with a double to left. Posada's sac fly brought home the Yankees' sixth run.

In the 3rd inning, as Schilling struggled, Francona had Myers warming up. WTF? I thought Lowe and Mendoza were on the roster as the long men. So why was the LOOGY the first guy up? Schilling was one hit away from being pulled mid-inning, so maybe Francona was going to use Myers against Olerud or somebody. It really made no sense. Leskanic was now up and he came in for the 4th. From there, Francona used one pitcher per inning: Mendoza, Wakefield, Embree and Timlin (although Foulke was needed to get the last out in the 8th).

Boston scored 5 times in the 7th and 2 times in the 8th, cutting New York's lead to 8-7 and silencing the crowd. Plenty of nervous faces in Fox's crowd shots. Nice to see. ... Timlin began the 8th by getting Jeter, but then both Rodriguez and Sheffield singled to left. With Matsui up, this was the time for Myers. but as far as I can tell, he wasn't even warming up (Foulke was). Francona could have had Myers face Matsui and then Foulke for switch-hitters Williams and Posada. ... Timlin got Matsui to line to Cabrera, but Williams followed with a double over Manny's head in left for two runs. 10-7.

Fox's coverage was about as bad as expected. Buck and McCarver made numerous references to "Brandon" Arroyo, with McCarver at one point saying "Brandon" would be facing Pedro in Game 2. Buck added in the 3rd that Arroyo was available for long relief, although if he had actually prepared for the game, he would have known that Francona had said exactly the opposite for two days. ... In the first inning, Schilling got ahead of Jeter 0-2 and McCarver said Jeter is "an outstanding 2-strike hitter." Here are some splits:

            2004         2002-04
          AVG   SLG     AVG   SLG
On 0-2   .286  .500    .287  .368
On 1-2   .167  .202    .193  .244
On 2-2   .256  .476    .226  .365
On 3-2   .250  .404    .301  .470

Is that really "outstanding"? What are the league averages with 2 strikes? ... And what the fuck was with McCarver talking about Jeter's "calm eyes"? (That's worse than saying (as he did last year) that one of Rivera's strengths is his "elegant gait" coming in from the bullpen.) Damn, Timmy, just propose to the guy and get it over with.

We heard several "Who's Your Daddy?" chants last night. I expect there will be a more of them tonight. Losing the first game doesn't worry me (New York lost Game 1 last ALCS), but I expect to see Pedro bring some serious shit tonight.

Believe.

The Time Is Now. Karen writes from Virginia:

"I have never been more confident and free of stress in any Red Sox playoff series save the one they just played. It is On. Why Not Us? Why not indeed? It will be. I swear I feel like the planets are lining up and cosmic strings are emitting vibes that sound eerily similar to Dirty Water. I am not saying it will be easy and it may not be pretty in some instances, but, damn, it's going to be good. The pay off rendered by each and every moment will redeem every agonizing, wretched regurgitation of Sox playoff history suffered by the RSN at the hands of the sports media. ...

My throat is already hoarse and I completely and totally expect that I will be unable to speak come the end of this month. ... It's no longer a question of belief. This Boston Red Sox team, including D-Lowe, will take the RSN to where no one alive has been before. It is On and the bottom of my throat is choking with the inevitable gut wrenching cleansing. I just have to decide if I should go into debt to get WS tix or just fly to Boston to revel in the win with the only group of people that can truly understand."

I had that same sense of confidence last October, when Boston was down 0-2 to Oakland. No worries of choking, no sweating over the task of winning 3 straight games, just a calm that everything would be alright. I've never experienced that before and it was amazing. And I'm feeling it again. ... This series will not be easy; these two teams are very much alike. What will happen in the next week -- and who will do it (whatever "it" is)? How low will we be brought? How high will we be raised? My seven scorecards remain blank -- rows and columns of white boxes free of markings.

From Jose Melendez's "Keys to the Game":

"Whose side are you on? Whose side are you on? There are no grays, there is no nuance. Whose side are you on? There is nothing to finesse, no fences to straddle. Whose side are you on? There can be no changes of heart, no defections or conversions. Whose side are you on?"

As he did for the ALDS, Curt Schilling began tonight's SoSH game thread:

8 to go. Didn't we all know it would come to this to get to a World Series? This will hopefully be a series for the ages. Say what you want as fans about the Yankees, but they are at the top, and have been, for a long time. Beating them in a best of 7, is at best, at grind, which I expect. The energy should be incredible, the games should be the same. But again I ask ... "Why Not us?"

Game 1 Lineups:

Red Sox            Yankees
Damon cf           Jeter ss
Bellhorn 2b        Rodriguez 3b
Ramirez lf         Sheffield rf
Ortiz dh           Matsui lf
Millar 1b          Williams dh
Nixon rf           Posada c
Varitek c          Olerud 1b
Cabrera ss         Cairo 2b
Mueller 3b         Lofton dh
 
Schilling p        Mussina p

Revised Schedule. Fox has changed the starting time of Sunday's Game 5. All of the games now begin at the same time. Pre-game crap at 8:00 and first pitch around 8:20. The expected match-ups:

Game 1: Tuesday, October 12: Red Sox (Schilling) at Yankees (Mussina)
Game 2: Wednesday, October 13: Red Sox (Pedro) at Yankees (Lieber)

Game 3: Friday, October 15: Yankees (Brown) at Red Sox (Arroyo)
Game 4: Saturday, October 16: Yankees (Vazquez) at Red Sox (Wakefield)
Game 5: Sunday, October 17: Yankees (Mussina) at Red Sox (Schilling)

Game 6: Tuesday, October 19: Red Sox (Pedro) at Yankees (Lieber)
Game 7: Wednesday, October 20: Red Sox (Arroyo) at Yankees (Brown)

And how insufferable are McCarver and Buck going to be? I wish I had an option here in New York (WEEI has apparently synched their broadcast to avoid the radio delay), but I don't think I do.

What I find fascinating is that many Yankee fans also hate McCarver and believe he is wildly anti-Yankee. That blows my mind because I agree with Rob Neyer, who once said that McCarver would have Jeter's babies if such a thing was possible.

I'd love to know exactly what comments tick Yankee fans off. Do they think McCarver is pro-Red Sox, or maybe pro-Cardinals (and thus anti-Yankee)? Do they think that if you are more critical of the Bombers than Suzyn Waldman, you're anti-Yankee? Is the Kool-Aid that strong?

Predictions. The New York Daily News is in Daddy-overload (see below), but check it out: 5 of their 7 writers are picking the Red Sox. ... At the New York Post, the votes are split, with 4 picking Boston (in 5 or 6 games) and 4 picking New York (in 6 or 7 games).

At the Boston Globe: Gordon Edes, Bob Hohler, Dan Shaughnessy and Jackie MacMullan all say Red Sox in 7; Bob Ryan picks Sox in 5. ... At the Herald, Tony Massarotti says Red Sox in 6; Howard Bryant has Red Sox in 5. ... Garry Brown, Springfield Republican: "Red Sox will win the series in six games, and [Bellhorn] will have a lot to do with it."

Joy of Sox readers:

Red Sox in 5:  7 votes
Red Sox in 6:  8 votes
Red Sox in 7:  1 vote (with Millar MVP)
 
Yankees in 6:  1 vote
Yankees in 7:  1 vote

Me? Red Sox in 6.

Also, a few Yankee blogs and media links:
Replacement Level Yankees Weblog
Bronx Banter
Futility Infielder
Clifford's Big Red Blog

MLB
Newsday
New York Post
New York Daily News
New York Times
Hartford Courant
Newark Star-Ledger

Why Not Us?. Not much to say about this one that hasn't been said elsewhere. The wait is over -- the battle begins.

Schilling: "I thought I had an idea of what it was going to be like when I signed last winter. I got a feel for it being around Boston, (but) when I went to Boston for the first time, I had no idea that it was going to be at the level it was right from the get-go, from spring training to early April all the way through the season." ... More Schilling: "I don't know I've ever pitched in a game that will have the atmosphere that tomorrow's has. During the World Series it was electric, but Yankees-Red Sox is a step above everything else."

Schilling is suffering from a high ankle sprain, but should be ready to pitch tonight. He suffered the injury in a start against Baltimore about a month ago, and exacerbated the problem last Tuesday in Anaheim. ... The Red Sox made one roster move: adding an 11th pitcher -- Ramiro Mendoza -- and dropping Kevin Youkilis. ... The Red Sox have no plans to bump Schilling up a day so he can pitch Game 4 on three days' rest. Sticking with the 4-man rotation will also give Pedro an extra day if he has to pitch Game 6. ... Mariano Rivera is expected back in New York in time for tonight's game, but the Yankees are also prepared to use Tom Gordon as their closer.

Boston get "Another Bite At The Apple" ... Jason Varitek at Yankee Stadium this year: 0-for-34 with 19 strikeouts. ... Recaps of the 19 regular season games.

More quotes: Tito: "It probably seems proper, to go through the Yankees. But if they'd wanted to lose, I'd have been OK with that, too." ... Manny Ramirez: "This is what you dream about -- Red Sox and Yankees. It's a new soap opera, Part 2. If we played Minnesota, it's not so good. It's a new matchup, a new year. It will be an unbelievable series."

Willie Randolph: "I love A-Rod, but I just think he handled that wrong. I think Alex overreacted in that situation. The Yankees in my day wouldn't have handled it that way." ... Speaking of which, it's nice to know that there is no love lost between Bill Lee and Graig Nettles.

ALCS Game 1. Curt Schilling on the ability of an opposing starting pitcher to set and change momentum: "I'm not sure I can think of any scenario more enjoyable than making 55,000 people from New York shut up."

There is no shortage of people that need shutting up:

Why I Want To Play The Yankees. It is not essential that the Red Sox play the Yankees en route to winning the World Series, but for myriad emotional, psychological and historical reasons, I believe it is necessary.

Can I be hurt more than I was last October? I'm not sure. ... I bought the current Sports Illustrated with Tom Verducci's "5 Outs To Go" story on the Red Sox and Cubs. I read some snips posted at SoSH and I felt so empty and angry after reading them, who knows when (or if) I'll read the entire article. If the Sox win 8 more games this year, I'll read it in November.

Anyway, it's clear to me that Yankee fans are scared of losing to us. They know it almost happened last year (only one of the most stupid decisions in all of baseball history prevented it) and it could damn well happen in the next week. They have never felt what that would be like -- it's going to be a rude awakening.

Email me with your predictions and in a little less than 52 hours from now, I'll post the results.

I'm also curious if people have an opinion on which is better: clinching both the ALCS/WS at Fenway (which would mean beating the Yankees in either 4 or 5 games) or clinching the ALCS in Yankee Stadium and the WS at Fenway (both would then be in a Game 6 or Game 7).

And So It Begins ... You know it had to be this way.

Game 1: Tuesday, October 12: Red Sox at Yankees, 8:00 pm
Game 2: Wednesday, October 13: Red Sox at Yankees, 8:00 pm
Game 3: Friday, October 15: Yankees at Red Sox, 8:00 pm
Game 4: Saturday, October 16: Yankees at Red Sox, 7:30 pm
Game 5: Sunday, October 17: Yankees at Red Sox, 4:00 pm
Game 6: Tuesday, October 19: Red Sox at Yankees, 8:00 pm
Game 7: Wednesday, October 20: Red Sox at Yankees, 8:00 pm

Meanwhile, In New York. Gotham fishwrap:

Filip Bondy, New York Daily News: "There was virtually no difference between the Bombers and Sox in 2003. ... Nothing that has happened this season, not even the Yanks' 101 regular-season victories, has changed my mind. Boston outplayed the Yankees head-to-head, outplayed them late in the season and outplayed them against top-tier competition. ... The classic, seven-game series last season with the Red Sox drained the Yankees, left them vulnerable against the lesser Marlins. Now the Yanks are a step behind where they were in 2003. They are being tested by the Twins in the first round, and may be left lifeless prey for their mortal enemies in the ALCS. The Bombers not only need to beat Minnesota. They need to defeat the Twins quickly, cleanly, without the melodrama in the next two games. That doesn't seem likely. But it's necessary, if the Yankees are to survive Minnesota, and then the real enemy."

Jay Greenberg, New York Post: "The Red Sox are not interested in history or anything other than winning the world championship they believe to be their destiny. The Angels were hot, loaded in the bullpen, savvy from their 2002 run to a world title and only idiots would want to play a team like that. But calling themselves exactly that, the Red Sox have blown out Anaheim twice ... They are loaded, act half-loaded, and all due respect to the fans whose misery they want to end, could care less about all that stuff, knowing they have the right stuff."

George Vecsey, New York Times: "One of these years, the Red Sox really ought to win it all. Like right now. ... Polish off the Angels this evening. Give us the weekend off. Then go into Yankee Stadium -- a foregone conclusion, doctor -- next Tuesday and commence shutting down the Yankees with Schilling and Martinez. ... In my early childhood, I was a fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers, with charismatic, skilled legends at almost every position. From 1946 through 1954, we ultimately experienced terrible pain every autumn. Our suffering seemed like forever. In reality, it was only nine years. In 1955, the Boys of Summer won a World Series. Just one. I can still hear the bells chiming all over Brooklyn. The Sox haven't won a World Series since 1918. Might I suggest they are overdue? Please, somebody, cowboy or idiot, star or sub, please take everybody -- even those of us who observe from an emotional distance -- out of this ancient misery."

John Harper, New York Daily News: "[O]nly minutes after David Ortiz had hit his 10th inning, game-winning home run, delirious fans spilling out into the crowded corridors of Fenway Park quickly turned their attention to their obsession with their hated rivals ... Even before the Sox had finished off the Angels, it seemed all of New England had turned its eyes toward the Yankees, actually rooting for them for a change to set up the ALCS rematch. ... [M]aybe this is a different October for this team. Red Sox Nation seems sure of it. So sure, it's rooting for the Yankees at the moment."

Roger Rubin, New York Daily News: "Okay, Yankees fans, the Red Sox have completed their part of the bargain."

Vazquez/Santana at 4:00 pm.

Who's Next? Where do the Red Sox want to play on Tuesday night?

Mientkiewicz: "I don't care who we play, at all. I just hope that the games in that series go 38 innings apiece and the pitchers all get worn down."

Arroyo: "Obviously if it's the Yankees it would be sweeter. But if it's Minnesota, that's fine too."

Damon: "Why not? Isn't that the way it should be?" And: "If we have to do that dance again, we will."

Schilling: "No preference whatsoever."

Lowe: "I guess it's politically correct to say we want to play the Yankees."

Foulke: "It doesn't matter to us. We're moving to the second round.

Millar: "You don't get an extra ring by going through Yankee Stadium. Our goal is to win a ring. I don't care who we play."

Embree: "I'm sure this team would love a repeat of last year - just to go through there - but it really doesn't matter at this point."

Varitek: "Is there small incentive (in facing New York)? Yeah. But when it comes down to it, I don't think it matters."

John Henry: "I want to play a National League team."

From Gerry Callahan's Friday column that prompted the "Go Yanks!" Herald cover: "The road to the World Series must go through the Bronx. ... Even after they dispatch the Angels, the Red Sox will say they don't care who they face in the ALCS, and maybe they don't. ... Of course, the rest of Red Sox Nation doesn't have to be so coy when the Yankees and Twins square off tonight and tomorrow, so let's just say it. Go Yanks. Rarely in life does one get such an opportunity to right a wrong, to rewrite history, to get, shall we say, even. ... If the Yanks advance, the Sox get the chance to settle all their scores ... [T]his has to happen and it has to happen in New York, the scene of the crime ..."

Howard Bryant, Boston Herald: "Every now and then, when you need a good bellyaching laugh, just remember this thought: When he first came to Boston, David Ortiz was expected to be the backup to Jeremy Giambi. ... Ortiz took Washburn's only offering of the day, a hanging slider, and sent it into the Monster Seats and the Sox toward their destiny. They can now sit on the couch and watch Minnesota and the Yankees fight for the right to play a soaring Red Sox team that doesn't believe there is a team on this planet that can beat them four times."

End Of The World? One weird thing I read in a few places was that we would be crushed if the Angels had won Game 3.

David Heuschkel of the Courant writes, "Mike Timlin was poised to join the list of goats in Red Sox history when he gave up a grand slam to Vladimir Guerrero." And in a Herald pay column, Steve Buckley says, "Had the Sox gone down to defeat after Guerrero's home run - and had they been swept in the next two games - Timlin would have been Torrez to a new generation of Red Sox fans." [Buckley at least acknowledges the other games.]

Lee Jenkins, the New York Times writer following the Red Sox, began his clinching-game story: "No one came to Fenway Park on Friday to celebrate a victory. They came to ward off a disaster. There was more tension in attendance than joy. Fans were more pensive than players. For much of the evening, the rickety old stadium sounded as quiet as the Old North Church." ... Disaster? Tension? Pensive? Quiet?

Then he writes: "While Boston devoted the off-season debating Grady Little's decision to leave Martinez on the mound one inning too long against the Yankees in Game 7 of the ALCS, Anaheim will spend part of this winter wondering why Mike Scioscia pulled Francisco Rodriguez one batter too soon."

Jesus H. Damon -- Red Sox fans DO NOT debate whether Gump made the wrong move. Do you know anyone who thinks that idiot made the right move? And Scioscia's decision (made in a Game 3) isn't even in the same universe as Gump's blunder.

Jenkins ends his story by calling the victory "a disaster averted." ... I wish these writers would realize that yesterday's game was not an elimination game and no matter how easy it is to break out the ol' gloom and doom angle, sometimes it just doesn't apply.

Angels Pick Sox To Win It All. Erstad: These boys are winning the World Series, by the way. That's the deepest team I've ever seen. They have every piece of the puzzle. I don't see anybody beating them." ... Washburn: I don't think there is anybody playing better than them right now, and if they can continue to play this good, I don't think they can be beat." ... Percival: "[O]nly one team can win, and at this point I'm going to put my money on Boston. They're pretty good."

Francona said it "was really tempting to pinch-run" for Ortiz in the 9th inning. ... After the game, "Schilling confirmed that he met with orthopedic surgeon and ankle and foot specialist Dr. George Theodore of Mass. General Hospital to get an additional opinion on the health of his troublesome ankle. ... Schilling threw in the bullpen before yesterday's game and did not seem particularly encouraged by the session." ... Scott Williamson will undergo surgery on his right elbow Monday.

ALDS Game 3: Boston 8, Anaheim 6 (10). SWEEP!



Oh Baby -- David Fucking Ortiz!

And off a lefty to boot! But it's after midnight. Why are you reading a blog? ... Go have a(nother) drink, bask in the wonderfulness of this 3-game sweep (there was never any doubt we were winning this game!) and sleep a peaceful, deep slumber (as the Angels take a loooong flight home)

3 Down, 8 To Go. ... Come back tomorrow.

Wow. The Herald looks ahead.



So does the Globe. How will the New York Post respond?

What's The Frequency Dubya? Something to think about when watching the 2nd debate tonight: Is Bush getting extra help in answering questions via an earpiece? This has been talked about in various places for nearly 4 years, but it has been gaining force in the last week. A Reuters editor in DC: "Sure, Bush uses an earpiece sometimes. State of the Union -- he had an earpiece for that. Everybody knows it." ... Um, I didn't. More at Salon and Cannonfire (links to 1st debate audio and pix).

Does Bush have "presenile dementia"? Some quotes from The Atlantic at the Cannonfire link suggest he does. But who knows? Bush has so far refused to take his required annual physical, saying he will do so after the election. ... Two points: I would think that trying to speak while another voice is talking into your ear would be both difficult and distracting. And if Bush performs like he did in the first debate with someone slipping him answers, how the hell would he do without any assistance?

P.S. From Bush's remarks in Latrobe, Pennsylvania on September 22, 2004: "The rich hire lawyers and accountants for a reason, so you get stuck with the bill. We're not going to let John Kerry tax you, because we're going to carry Pennsylvania and win in November. (Applause.) Say something else about the tax code -- something else about the tax code. That tax code needs to be changed. (Applause.) It's a complicated mess. ..." [Love that first sentence by the way.]

How Nicknames Are Born. Curt Schilling on Game 3: "Friday is going to be a legit struggle, got a team fighting for its life against a kid making his first ever post season start, FWIW I take the kid Friday night, he's got nuts the size of Saturn."

Quotes. From today's papers:

Pedro: "I was number one today. That's all that matters to me. I don't believe in what the experts from out here have to say. ... I actually shut my mouth. I ate my ego, because I wanted to let go on some of these experts around here talking trash. I swallowed it because to me, any time they give me the ball, I am special. I am number one."

Tony Massarotti: "In retiring the Angels in order in the seventh, Martinez won a 12-pitch at-bat with the feisty David Eckstein, then the 10-pitch tussle with the pesky Figgins. Martinez threw 25 pitches in the inning, including 20 fastballs in the consecutive at-bats to Anaheim's double-play combination. You want gusto? On the stadium radar gun, Martinez' final 20 fastballs of the night registered 90, 90, 90, 90, 93, 93, 94, 94, 93, 93, 93, 95, 92, 94, 92, 93, 92, 94, 94 and 93 mph."

Pedro: "You know what? It actually took a little bit of the pressure off me to actually see him [Schilling] go out there. And I appreciate that, and I respect that. ... I know I achieved a lot, and I know I have my little share of respect, but when you talk about playoffs, there is no time to be mad, there is no time to complain, there is no soreness that you can't overcome or pain, sometimes, and I hope I continue to do it. I am going to leave my heart out there for my team."

Curt Schilling would not say what he told Pedro after the 7th inning: "It's too personal. But I'm just so proud of him. A lot of people wasted a lot of paper and a lot of words this week. ... You don't question people like that."

Brendan Donnelly: "I made a bad pitch to Cabrera. I just left a split-finger [fastball] over the plate and he belted it. But I think anyone in a Red Sox uniform could have hit that pitch. It was awful. Heck, I think I might have been able to hit it, and I suck."

Schilling underwent a comprehensive examination of his right ankle yesterday (including x-rays) and everything seems fine. ... Anaheim's Game 3 starter Kelvim Escobar had tough luck all season. His 3.93 ERA was 10th-best in the AL, but he received a paltry 3.91 runs per game and the Angels were shutout five times when he was on the mound, so his record was 11-12. ... The Angels chose to fly to Boston this afternoon -- Mike Scioscia: "I think we're going to need a day to catch our breath and get ready for Game 3." -- while the Red Sox took the red-eye.

Game 6 Will Never Die. John McNamara: "It was true in 1986 and it is true today. He walked off the mound in the seventh inning and said, 'That's all I can pitch.' Too many people heard him say it. Bill Fischer, the pitching coach. The trainers, and other people. Some players came up to me and said, 'Do you need any help in this? We know what happened.' Why he won't admit it, I have no idea. I have a lot of respect for what he's done over the years, but I don't have a lot of respect for him as a person for not admitting what the hell happened. If he wants to go to war over that, I've got a lot of ammunition."

ALDS Game 2: Boston 8, Anaheim 3. Holy Shit! The rollercoaster ride continues. Scream, laugh, puke -- catch your breath today, maybe take a nap (is it possible to nap on a rollercoaster?) -- whatever, but don't you dare get off.

Missed opportunities against Colon early, Pedro hitting 93-95 right away, Millar's unassisted DP to end a 5th inning threat, Varitek's clutch 2-run HR in the 6th to tie the game at 3-3, Pedro bearing down all night and getting his final two men (Eckstein and Figgins) on 12 and 10 pitches, respectively, Mueller, Bellhorn and Manny touching K-Rod for the go-ahead run in the 8th and then Manny, Nixon and Cabrera torching Donnelly for 4 more in the 9th (OC's 3-run double doing the damage).

In the 8th, Timlin was nails against Vlad, Myers put the "ooh" into LOOGY with a K of Anderson and Foulke was calm in grabbing the last four outs. ... The Red Sox have what I'm sure will be a wonderful flight back East and a day off before Arroyo takes the hill in the Fens on Friday night. ... 2 down, 9 to go!!!

Idiots. Damon: "We are not the cowboys anymore. We are just the idiots this year. ... We want to be known as the team that rewrites the history books. ... We've got the long hair, we've got the corn rows, we've got guys acting like idiots, and I think the fans out there like it."

The seven runs scored by the Red Sox in the 4th inning yesterday set a team postseason record. They've scored six runs three times (1999 ALDS Game 3, 7th inning against Cleveland; 1975 World Series Game 1, 7th inning against Cincinnati ; 1903 World Series Game 5, 6th inning against Pittsburgh).

Doug Mientkiewicz on his wonderful 8th inning bunt: "You try to score runs, as many as possible. If I catch flak for that, so be it. I've seen that team go first to third and try to steal home up five. ... [W]henever you have an opportunity to score, you score. ... I'm trying to win games."

The You're Damn Right I'm Gloating Dept.: New York Post Headlines: "Must-Win Games Start Right Now" and "Yanks Choke in Clutch" ... From the New York Times: "The Yankees kept reiterating [after the game] how they hit the ball hard, as if the mere recounting of the grounders that turned into double plays and the shots to the warning track that became outs would suddenly change them into hits."

In a chat, Gordon Edes thinks Wakefield will pitch Game 3 on Friday. And he wrote this in today's Globe:

"[W]hen Pedro Martinez takes the ball tonight against the Anaheim Angels, taking with him to the mound an amalgam of smoldering anger, barely concealed hurt, and wounded pride, it is eminently possible -- no, make that a strong likelihood -- that he will deliver one of the signature games of his career. ... It should surprise no one that Martinez, famous for being able to single out one voice of contempt in a chorus of supporters, would be distressed by what he perceives as a pack of critics smelling blood, his blood. ... These are the times when he is most dangerous. ... Prepare yourself, Sox fans, to bear witness to the best of what Pedro Martinez has left to offer."

Pedro/Colon at 10:00 pm. Gird your loins accordingly.

ALDS Game 1: Boston 9, Anaheim 3. At least thirty minutes before the first pitch, I had butterflies in my stomach and sweaty hands. Two hours later, I was wondering what I was so nervous about. ... Well, not really. But a seven-run 4th inning -- with home runs from Kevin Millar and Manny Ramirez and a throwing error by Chone Figgins -- did lighten the mood in my apartment and throughout RSN. Better to simply get our feet wet in this one, nothing too emotionally taxing right away -- since we all know there will be plenty of those games ahead.

David Ortiz and Ramirez -- the first AL duo since Ruth/Gehrig to hit better than .300-40-100 -- got the Sox rolling in the first inning. With two outs, Manny smoked a shot of Figgins's glove at third that rolled into left field. Manny hustled to second for a double without a throw. Ortiz followed with a single off 2B Alfredo Amezaga's glove into short right field. Ramirez raced around third and Boston led 1-0.

Curt Schilling pitched well -- he topped 94-95 all afternoon long -- although he did not have even one 1-2-3 inning. He allowed a one-out single in the first, a leadoff double in the second and a single and walk with one out in the third -- but escaped trouble each time.

Jarrod Washburn began the top of the 4th by walking Ortiz on four pitches. Millar fouled one pitch off before cranking a shot to deep left, giving the Sox a 3-0 lead. Varitek singled to left, Cabrera followed with a walk, and after Mueller was caught looking, Kapler singled to right to load the bases. Damon smacked a sharp grounder to Figgins at third, who double-clutched and threw wildly to the plate. The ball kicked off to the third base side of the backstop. Two runs scored, Boston led 5-0 and Washburn was pulled from the game. ... Scot Shields struck out Mark Bellhorn, but Manny drilled a 1-0 pitch to dead center for 3 runs and an 8-0 Red Sox advantage.

Anaheim tried to rally (and both the ESPN TV and radio announcers were practically rooting them on to do so). Troy Glaus hit a solo homer in the 4th. Darin Erstad homered in the 7th, then Garret Anderson reached third base on a throwing error from Schilling and scored on Glaus's double. That play ended Schilling's outing (on the radio, Buck Martinez said the Angels had "knocked Schilling out of the game"). Embree came in and got pinch-hitter Adam Riggs to foul out.

Boston tacked on a run in the 8th inning when Damon singled, stole second and went to third on a groundout. With 2 outs, Anaheim walked Ortiz intentionally. Mientkiewicz then laid down a first-pitch bunt perfectly placed on the third base line, beating it out for a single as Damon crossed. After the heavy hitting, the Red Sox -- who had the fewest infield hits in all of MLB (87) this year -- top off the day with some "small ball." Brilliant. ... Mike Timlin pitched the last two innings, retiring all six batters he faced, striking out the top three batters in the Anaheim lineup in the 9th.

TitoWatch: No serious complaints. When Millar singled to start the top of the 7th, Francona sent in Mientkiewicz as a pinch-runner (and to take over at 1B). Pokey Reese replaced Bellhorn at 2B for the final two innings. Those are the types of moves Francona has done all year -- especially since the trade deadline with the more versatile bench -- and he has been nearly always flawless.

Although Schilling had allowed at least one hit in every inning, he had thrown only 95 pitches through six innings and I agreed with sending him out for the 7th. Figgins grounded to second, Erstad homered (cutting the lead to 8-2) and Vladimir Guerrero flew out to right (Vlad finished the day 0-for-5). ... With two outs, Anderson reached third on Schilling's error that sailed down the right field line. Even though Glaus had already doubled, homered and walked (and Schilling might have tweaked his right ankle trying to make the play on Anderson), I still didn't mind Tito leaving him in to try for the third out. Once Glaus doubled, however, Francona made the right move in pulling him.

Also, I would not have had Timlin pitch 2 innings. He threw 31 pitches, meaning he probably won't be available for much duty in Game 2. With a six-run lead, I would have had Lowe or Leskanic pitch the 9th inning.

Minnesota 2, New York 0: I split my time between this game and the Edwards/Cheney debate. Santana pitched 7 innings in the Bronx, allowing 9 hits and 1 walk. He escaped every jam he was in as his teammates turned five double plays. Mussina's line was very similar (7 innings, 7 hits, 1 walk), but he allowed single runs in the 3rd and 6th.

Every Yankee rally was repelled. New York had a runner thrown out at the plate in the second inning. In the 5th, with the tying run on base, Jeter grounded into an inning-ending 6-4-3 DP. With Minnesota up 2-0, the Yankees had 2 men on and 2 outs in the 6th, but Matsui grounded out to second. Miguel Cairo doubled with two outs in the 7th, but Jeter again grounded out to short. ... In the 8th, Alex Rodriguez clubbed a ball to deep center that Torii Hunter leapt and caught at the wall (it likely would not have cleared the fence). Sheffield then walked, but Bernie Williams hit into another double play. In the 9th, Joe Nathan retired the Yankees on three routine fly outs to secure the victory.

The Yankees and Twins will play again in prime time tomorrow before Pedro battles the Angels at 10 pm. ... And in keeping with SoSH tradition, Schilling has already started the Game 2 thread.

Predictions. My picks:

Red Sox over Angels: 3-1
Yankees over Twins: 3-2
Atlanta over Houston: 3-1
Dodgers over Cardinals: 3-2

Joy of Sox readers say:

Red Sox over Angels 3-1:  11
Red Sox over Angels 3-2:   5
 
Yankees over Twins 3-0:    1
Yankees over Twins 3-1:    2
Yankees over Twins 3-2:    3
 
Twins over Yankees 3-1:    2
Twins over Yankees 3-2:    4

It is on.

Why Not Us? ... Only about three hours to go ... And obviously, I'm not the only one slowly freaking out and whose mind is all disjointed. ... I read through a lot of the Boston papers, but very little is sticking in my head. ... Just PLAY already!

Schilling/Washburn. ... Gabe Kapler will start in right field (he's 3-for-11 against the LHP while Nixon is 0-for-9). ... Tito has not announced the roster yet. ... The Hardball Times has an excellent preview. ... The California papers are recalling 1986. Dave Henderson mojo!


Obvious Insight #1: The Angels have a very scary bullpen, so Boston has to score early and often. That's what they did in their recent series and Boston swept the three games: 10-7, 12-7 and 4-3. ... Obvious Insight #2: I don't care how they do it, but Boston has to stop the Angels running game. Anaheim led the AL in stolen bases and the Sox aren't exactly world-beaters when it comes to throwing guys out (the Globe notes that with Pedro, Wakefield and Lowe on the hill, opponents have swiped 85 of 100 bags).

Fun With Numbers: The Red Sox were the only AL team to not lose a game in which they scored 8+ runs (45-0). ... They were 62-20 when they scored first (33-4 at home, 29-16 on the road). ... They recorded at least 80 runs scored and 80 RBIs from every spot in the batting order. ... Bellhorn hit .399 when he put the ball in play, .467 when he hit the ball in the air. ... Damon batted .433 with two or more runners on base (39-for-90). ... The starters pitched seven or more innings in 74 games (most in MLB, tied with Oakland); in those games, Boston was 56-18.

Damon: "We expect to win the whole thing or this team definitely is not going to be happy. Guys felt a lot of heartache last year, how close we were and how tough it was to get there." ... Ramirez: "We've got some unfinished business." ... Pedro Martinez: "Tell the people not to worry. I'm not worried -- about the Yankees or anyone else. I'm just respecting them. There is a big difference. I want all those [Yankees] to sit back and relax, so I can sneak up on them. How do you know? I might come back in the next outing, and then I'll be their daddy."

They seem to be getting smarter over at ESPN:

Jayson Stark: Red Sox over Astros
Peter Gammons: Red Sox over Astros
Rob Neyer: Red Sox over Cards
Jerry Crasnick: Red Sox over Astros
Tim Kurkjian: Red Sox over Cards
Scott Ridge: Red Sox over Cards

Two other writers are picking the Red Sox to win it all: Mike Berardino of Florida's Sun-Sentinel and John Shea at the San Francisco Chronicle. ... Gordon Edes explains why "the 2004 Red Sox are so much better equipped to silence the '1918' chants than their immediate predecessors."

There was some discussion at Sons of Sam Horn about the protocol of starting the playoff game threads. I said there was only one poster who should start the Game 1 Thread and that was "Gehrig 38" (aka Curt Schilling). Well .....

10/04/04 Game One of the Real Season

gehrig38, 10/4/04 10:04 pm: "Why not us? There is no reason the last team standing can't be us, you know it, we know it. Now is the time to go out and prove to ourselves, the fans, the game, how good of a team we are. If 25 guys believe that what we are after is the most important thing in their lives for 4 weeks, there is nothing that can't be done. Figured I may as well start one game thread this year, considering that coming in here and reading them is sometimes more entertaining than any movie you could see, and often times more entertaining than the game itself."

In keeping with the "11:11" stuff, I like that Schilling's post was on 10/04 at 10:04 pm. ... I also think this means Pedro has to start tomorrow's thread.

Still, We Believe (A Review). I watched "Still We Believe" yesterday. I ordered the DVD a few weeks ago and decided I'd see it on the off-day before the playoffs. A way of truly washing the slate clean. ... It turns out it wasn't much of a movie. In fact, if this had been made about any other team, I'd say it was a boring piece of crap and wish I hadn't wasted my money.

The fans they chose to follow all season spouted the same cliched, empty comments after each game. Too many of them voiced the "woe is us, we're cursed" mentality that pisses me off so much. ... What amazed me was that no one -- no one -- was shown expressing any doubt about the quality of Gump's managing until Game 7 (and even that was subdued). Considering how he fucked up the bullpen all season long (and leaving his starters in too long was a season-long problem), that is unforgivable. First- and second-guessing is what we do.

The film failed to recreate the excitement of the season, the many comeback wins during the second half of the season and there was no mention of the wild Labor Day game in Philadelphia. And there were too many events that had meaning only because I knew where they fit into the fabric of the season.

What did I like? Using the split screen to show the game and the fan's reaction to what was happening was well done. A lot of the game shot angels were unique -- the way the camera stayed on Manny after he goofed up in New York, thinking the 2nd out was the 3rd out, was fantastic (because he ended up catching the 3rd out almost immediately). ... Is pointing out when the clock says "11:11" something a lot of people (Sox fans?) do? I've done it for a few years. Is this actually some ritual I don't know about? ... And the shot of Wakefield being consoled in the lockerroom after Game 7 was heart-crushing.

The film left me thinking that it's impossible to capture the feel of 174 games (and the back story to make it make enough sense to an outsider) in a 90-minute film.

Red Sox v Angels. The match-ups.

Game 1: Boston (Schilling 21-6) at Anaheim (Washburn 11-8), 4:00 pm, Tuesday
Game 2: Boston (Martinez 16-9) at Anaheim (Colon 8-12), 10:00 pm, Wednesday
Game 3: Anaheim (Escobar 11-12) at Boston (Arroyo/Wakefield), 4:00, Friday
Game 4: Anaheim at Boston, if necessary Saturday
Game 5: Boston at Anaheim, if necessary Sunday

MLB sez:

Tuesday, October 5, 2004
1:09 pm: NLDS Game 1, Los Angeles Dodgers at St. Louis Cardinals, ESPN
4:09 pm: ALDS Game 1, Boston Red Sox at Anaheim Angels, ESPN
8:19 pm: ALDS Game 1, Minnesota Twins at New York Yankees, FOX

Wednesday, October 6, 2004
4:09 pm: NLDS Game 1, Houston Astros at Atlanta, ESPN
7:09 pm: ALDS Game 2, Minnesota Twins at New York Yankees, ESPN
10:09 pm: ALDS Game 2, Boston Red Sox at Anaheim Angels, ESPN

Thursday, October 7, 2004
4:09 pm: NLDS Game 2, Houston Astros at Atlanta, ESPN
8:19 pm: NLDS Game 2, Los Angeles Dodgers at St. Louis Cardinals, FOX

Friday, October 8, 2004
4:09 pm: ALDS Game 3, Anaheim Angels at Boston Red Sox, ESPN
8:09 pm: ALDS Game 3, New York Yankees at Minnesota Twins, ESPN

Schilling on Santana: "He's had arguably the greatest second half of any pitcher in the history of the game. I have followed him almost as closely as I would somebody on my team because, as a pitcher, I appreciate that he's had just a phenomenal, phenomenal season. ... If people who actually cast the ballots understand the game, he'll win it."

We Have A Winner. Congratulations to Franco Baseggio. He was the only person to correct guess the Red Sox regular season victories -- 98 -- and thus wins three copies of my book "Babe Ruth and the 1918 Red Sox." ... Thanks to everyone who entered.

ALDS/NLDS. Here are the matchups:

Boston at Anaheim
Minnesota at New York

Los Angeles at St. Louis
Houston at Atlanta

If you have 5 seconds, email me with your prediction for the ALDS (and the Twins/Yankees if you want). You have six options: 3-0, 3-1, 3-2, 2-3, 1-3, 0-3. I'll count them up and post the results Tuesday afternoon.

No team has scored more than 950 runs in two consecutive seasons since the 1938-39 Yankees. The 2003/2004 Red Sox came one run short.

       Yankees                         Red Sox
Year  Runs   R/Gm  LgR/Gm      Year  Runs   R/Gm  LgR/Gm
1938   966   6.15   5.37       2003   961   5.93   4.86
1939   967   6.36   5.21       2004   949   5.86     ?

The Tragic Events Of 9/10. Bush during the debate: "That's kind of a pre-September 10th mentality, the hope that somehow resolutions and failed inspections would make this world a more peaceful place." ... Actually, I'm giving Bush the benefit of the doubt. I believe he simply misspoke and that he knows America was attacked on September 11 ("Of course, I know we were attacked on 9/11. I know that!")

Still, can you hear the commercial if that mistake had come from the other guy? "John Kerry -- How can he protect America if he can't remember when we were attacked?"

Here's The Deal. The Twins and Cleveland begin their suspended game in the top of the 12th inning at 2:10 pm, then play the scheduled finale. Anaheim/Oakland begins at 4:05 pm.

If the Angels win: Boston plays Anaheim.
If the Angels lose and the Twins go 1-1: Boston plays Anaheim.
If the Angels lose and the Twins go 2-0: Boston plays Minnesota.

The Red Sox may leave Boston as early as 6:30 pm, so it's possible they may not know where they'll land when they take off. ... Derek Lowe will start this afternoon (1:35 pm), but he'll pitch only two innings.

Ellis Burks's start yesterday afternoon was the 2,000th (and likely the last) game of his career. He is one of only 200 players to play 2,000 games. ... The headline is simply "Manny".

2004 Win Contest. Back on April 4, I posted the entries for my Red Sox Win Contest. Boston won its 97th game of the regular season this afternoon. With two games left, the Red Sox will finish with 97, 98 or 99 victories. Here are the entries still in the running:

                  Wins  Pedro ERA  Manny SLG
Valmoose            99    2.19      .623
Brian Donovan       99    2.37      .575
Alexander Campbell  99    2.60      .582
Naomi               99    2.97      .578
 
Franco Baseggio     98    2.60      .590
 
Ben Mahnke          97    2.97      .574
Joe Gionet          97    3.02      .584

However, in case of a tie, the contestant who came closest to guessing Pedro's ERA would be the winner. Martinez's ERA was 3.90 (the highest of the 25 estimates was 3.10), so it's actually down to these three entries:

                Wins
Naomi            99
Franco Baseggio  98
Joe Gionet       97

My ALDS Roster. If Boston carries 10 pitchers, there are only two decisions to make: Curtis Leskanic or Ramiro Mendoza in the bullpen and Kevin Youkilis or David McCarty on the bench. Here's my roster:

Starters: Schilling, Pedro, Arroyo, Wakefield

Bullpen: Lowe, Mendoza, Myers, Timlin, Embree, Foulke

Catchers: Varitek, Mirabelli

Infield: Millar, Bellhorn, Cabrera, Mueller, Ortiz, Mientkiewicz, Reese, Youkilis

Outfield: Ramirez, Damon, Nixon, Kapler, Roberts

Lots of Pedro quotes regarding pitching Game 2 of the ALDS, including this about 2005+: "I'm thinking I'm going to sign with Boston again. I just hope they don't disrespect me or anything while we're negotiating. That will be my turning point. ... The fact that I'm going to give them a chance is good enough to tell them we should get something done."

Pedro pitched 217 innings this summer, the most he's thrown since 2000. In his last three starts, he's has allowed 27 hits, 6 walks, and 18 earned runs in 17.1 innings. That's a 9.35 ERA. And dating to September 14, he has retired the side in order only four times in 25 innings. Is Martinez healthy, simply hitting a rough patch or seriously fatigued? Good sign: his radar readings in Tampa were still in the mid-90s.

Schilling will be pitching in California (probably) on Tuesday. Bronson Arroyo and Tim Wakefield are the other two starters, but there is still no official word on which one of them will pitch Game 3. ... Derek Lowe is in the bullpen and a teammate said he was "livid" after being told.

I was intrigued by the idea of starting Arroyo in Game 2 because of his huge road/home splits this season. Or even Game 1, so that if Boston lost to Santana, they would still have Schilling and Pedro coming up.

      GM   ERA    IP     H  BB   K   AVG
Road  15   5.35   75.2  90  24  58  .291
Home  16   3.15  100.0  80  23  83  .217

Arroyo has one of the best road ERAs in the AL. But ... having Arroyo start the ALDS is too simply radical. If Boston lost the series, that move would be blamed, rightly or wrongly. I'll bet the Red Sox considered having Arroyo go in Game 2, but they opted not to do it because any negative signals to Pedro would outweigh any possible statistical benefit. ... How the Red Sox have fared against their three potential first-round opponents?

              W  L  RS  RA   BA   ERA
vs. Angels    5  4  53  54  .305  6.08
vs. Athletics 8  1  76  40  .331  3.62
vs. Twins     2  4  29  21  .280  3.06

If I can't have Oakland, I think I'm leaning towards Minnesota at this point. Their hitters do not scare me as much as the hot-at-the-moment Angels.

Today: Boston beat Baltimore 7-5 in Game 1. The first seven Red Sox batters reached base in the 2nd inning; six of them scored. Things got a little sweaty after Mendoza and Timlin allowed 2-run home runs in the 7th and 8th innings. Foulke started the 9th by putting the tying runs on 1st and 3rd. But he came back and struck out Gibbons, Bigbie and Roberts to nail it down. ... Arroyo pitched 3 innings, allowing 1 hit and throwing 45 pitches.

War Is Hell ... To Watch. During the debate, Bush had this to say about the war in Iraq: "I understand how hard it is. ... I see on the TV screens how hard it is."

Can you imagine the Republican/media shitstorm if Kerry had said that? Or the ridicule if Kerry had referred to terrorists as "a group of folks," as Bush did? (This also brings to mind Bush's first public comments on September 11, 2001, in which he vowed to "hunt down and to find those folks who committed this act.")

And if you note how often Bush used the phrase "hard work," you'd never know that he's been on vacation for 40-50% of the time he's been in office. ... I watched the debate on PBS, so I didn't know that some channels (like C-SPAN) showed a split-screen until I watched "The Faces of Frustration."

Fair and Balanced: "Fox News apologized Friday for posting phony quotes from Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry on its Web site. Carl Cameron, a Fox reporter who covers the Kerry campaign, wrote an item that looked like a news story with made-up Kerry quotes..." According to Fox, this whole unfortunate mess "occurred because of fatigue and bad judgment." Josh Marshall has plenty to say.

Marshall also notes that the Miami Herald and a local Florida TV station spoke with a panel of eight undecided voters after the debate. One of them, Ted Lyons, thought Kerry sounded like "an idiot" in his response to several questions. Later on in the article, we discover that Lyons is a Republican political consultant. ... And perhaps not so "undecided" after all.