This can either turn out to be prophetic or pathetic, but I believe this evening’s baseball game between the Red Sox and Yankees could prove to be the turning point so desperately needed by Boston. Led by their captain, Jason Varitek, the Sox finally put together a win they can build off of. Varitek knew his team needed some fire in their belly and he had plenty to spare. When he got in the face of pretty boy A-Rod while protecting his pitcher, he sent a message to his team, and to the Yankees, that they weren’t going to lie down, not yet. A-Rod, like Jeter, is quickly becoming a symbol of all the things gone right for The Yanks and all the things gone wrong for the Sox, so I felt the symbolic importance of “Tek” shoving him back like that. I also felt the other team leader, Francona, running out and getting himself ejected, was another positive step in the right direction. Someone’s got to get this team to stand up and fight. It doesn’t escape me that Kevin “Cowboy up” Millar has finally put on his spurs as well. And finally, when a team can defeat another team that was 56-0 this season when leading after the 8th inning, due to a legend in the making called Mariano Rivera, that says something. Especially when that legend steps on the mound with a 2-run lead.
I must admit that I was down and out. It has been a harrowing season already and I had reached my annual limit early of eating Yankee dust and swallowing Yankee crow. When Trot Nixon’s seemingly game tying homer in the bottom of the ninth was knocked down by the wind and caught by Sheffield, I let go some pretty choice and inappropriate expressions in front of my children. I’m not proud of this mind you, but I’m not ashamed either. I had felt all the defeats of the season and all the seasons past in that moment. “Why can’t things go right for the Red Sox,” I wailed pathetically. “Why can’t we catch one God damn, mother bleeping break!?” But when Bill Mueller hit that home run, I began to believe again. Seeing Varitek and Francona run out of the clubhouse to congratulate their team sent a surge of hope right through me.
The Yankees took a 9-4 lead after the bench-clearing melee. A 5 run lead! If the Red Sox lost after initiating that scuffle, I believe they would have been more demoralized than ever, possibly beyond repair. But instead they took a page out of last season and fought back to seize an improbable victory. Something they teased us with the night before. Things are definitely looking up.
Like I said, pathetic or prophetic? The odds are on pathetic, but I feel prophetic tonight.
I gotta admit – I’m feeling prophetic now, though I may wind up eating my words.
Regardless – I’ll always have the memory of Tek putting the smack down on Alex ‘Glamor Boy’ Rodriguez.
Best thing – if you read A-Rod’s lips his calling out Tek: “Come on. Come on.”
Well what did he think would happen? This ain’t Ranger baseball anymore Hollywood.
Ladies and gentleman, you just heard the regularly-scheduled “Just Past Midway, Maybe This Is Our Year” Stage of the Annual Red Sox Denial.
Stay tuned for the “Building Momentum” and “Making it Close” phases.
We advise you, however, not to purchase your “2004 World Champions” t-shirts yet.
In how many ways was that game just SO not normal? In retrospect, since the Sox managed to win, I’m not really complaining, but what a weird nail-biter.
As to pathetic or prophetic, every year I really do believe it’s “this year.”
The baseball gods are just playing with us.
Believe, but remember schizophrenia is the natural state of any true Red Sox fan, and prepare for the worst.
I had been thinking for a while that Cowboy Up should be sent down. Cowboy freakin’ DOWN. I am glad to see the “spurs” as well.
I keep telling you.. it would be good mojo to get Phil Mickelson to throw out the first pitch in your first playoff game (presuming you make the playoffs!). Mickelson broke that huge drought, endured fan and press pummelings for years as the “best player never to win a major.”
This year he broke through, the curse lifted. What better mojo could you ask for that didn’t involve beheading a chicken?
Seeing you’re into baseball and such, you might enjoy this article on the lost art of heckling:
http://www.mcsweeneys.net/links/fantasybball/23heckling.html
Joe – I absolutely LOVE that “fantasy baseball expert” guy – I’ve linked to him a couple times, but never seen this one. Ha!!!
Saying “you suck” to Matsui in Japanese – heh!