October 31, 2004
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.
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:
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!!!!!!!!!!
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.
"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.
October 30, 2004
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.
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.
"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."
October 29, 2004
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!
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!
October 28, 2004
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.
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.
October 27, 2004
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 ...
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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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
"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
October 26, 2004
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.
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.
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.
October 25, 2004
October 24, 2004
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.
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.
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.
October 23, 2004
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.
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.
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