The screams, the shrieks, my sister’s evil cackle on the other end of the line after Damon’s grand slam, my phone ringing off the hook the second the game ended, the hanging on … hanging on … still not believing … even with a lead like the one they had … The game ain’t over until it’s over. You can’t EVER relax. But then, eventually, it started to gain weight – force – reality … We might pull this off … Holy crap … this might actually happen … Is 8 – 3 an insurmountable lead? With our history as a team? Absolutely not. That lead could disappear in a flash. And then Pedro came in, and I saw my life flash before my eyes. The entire time he was on the mound I was muttering, with gritted teeth, like a crazy person: “Get him OFF the mound. Take. Him. Out. The End. GET HIM OFF.” I couldn’t believe we could watch our lead slip away – It would have been like it had never ever happened – I was on the edge of tragedy, on the edge of despair – I could feel victory slipping through my fingers – a terrible moment … Sorry, Pedro – you’re one of the greatest pitchers ever – but it’s a tough world, and we needed to get you off the dern mound.
At the insane bar where I watched the game – slowly but surely over the night, all of the Yankee fans disappeared. They couldn’t bear to even stay and watch the end. So at the end – when victory came – it was just us Boston-ites. All of us on our phones – screaming – jumping up and down – One guy opened a bottle of champagne and sprayed it everywhere … The celebration went on and on and on and on and on – with no let-up, no diminishment of sound – for half an hour. I finally dragged myself away.
But then of course couldn’t get to sleep. My mind was racing, buzzing, I kept going over and over and over the game … one of the most incredible sporting events I’ve ever seen. An historical moment. I cannot believe that I have lived to see it.
I still can’t believe it. It feels like a dream. I can’t believe it.
As always, Bill Simmons says all of this better than I ever could.
“Do they still play the blues in Chicago?
When baseball season rolls around?
When the snow melts away,
Do the Cubbies still play
In their ivy-covered burial ground….?”
Go Red Sox. :-)
GO SOX!!!! As Marlins fan, I felt the exact same way last year. Enjoy it, Sheila.
“That used to be us. Not anymore.”
Wow, that said it best. This time, the Yankees were the desperate ones. What else was A-Rod’s attempt to get to first in Game 6 except pure, raw, desperation? Hail-mary throw that completely backfired.
For me, that’s when I thought they’d pull it off. When the bad mojo started accruing on the opposite bench.
i’m not even a fan of baseball and I watched! i still get goose bumps thinking about it. the commentators mentioned that the players watched the movie “miracle” before the game…..what a great inspirational tactic.
Ummm….horray? Yeah! Definitely HOOORRAAYYY! I’m happy for you. I feel as if Judy just won her Oscar.
YAY!!!
Congrats, Sheila. You know I’m a devout Yankees fan and I’m in pain today but your team outplayed mine. I cannot begrudge them the victory. I’ll of course be rooting against them in the World Series but I still can’t deny their amazing achievement. We’ll get you next year though. ;)
Curly
curly:
I have to say – whatever the hell happens – you can come get us next year, whatever. But nothing can take away what happened over Game 6 and Game 7 – that will be ours, forever. Curt Schilling’s feat will be talked about for years to come … and then Lowe in Game 7 (he made me so nervous over the whole season, he always looked on the verge of having an anxiety attack) – but there he was, pulling through … and then we won – I mean … of course, I want to win the World Series as well – but I still believe that no matter what happens, the amazing-ness (keep coming up with that word today) of those 2 games will NEVER leave us.
One last thing –
For whatever reason (probably because I am mentally exhausted from the last couple days) I’ve been thinking a lot about my uncles who have passed away – in particular my godfather Jimmy. Jimmy was a crazy Red Sox fan. I wish he were alive to see this. I really do.
Every year about this time, I think about the Twins’ two cinderella-story Series wins, ’87 and ’91; both times involved me partying in downtown Minneapolis until 5AM. The ’91 Game Seven is still the best game I’ve ever seen, or ever will see, in my life.
Hope the Sox go downtown, Red. Everyone should have it happen once in a lifetime.
19 hours later and I’m still hung over.
Wow. Just…wow.
Congratulations!! I was with colleagues from our Boston offices last night, and they were so happy that I made it a requirement that wherever we went for dinner, there HAD to be a tv. We went to Harry Caray’s, just to have baseball memorabilia around us. I made reservations for 6:30, so we wouldn’t miss much of the game. The best part was at the end of our dinner, when the waiter for the *next* table over came in to give an update… I interrupted him and made him update both of the tables. He crushed us with his “Damon-out-at-home”, but he was smirking because he could barely pause before he got out the “Ortiz-cranked-a-2-run-homer!!!”. The entire bar in Chicago was cheering for the Red Sox. Some people claimed our connection was a “curse” thing, or a “lovable loser” thing. I personally said it was an “Irish Catholic” thing. :-)
A Houston TX teacher today pointed out to me that if the Astros win, the World Series will mirror the presidential election: Texas vs. Massachusetts. Huh.
Is it sinking in for the Sawx faithful yet?
Umm, no. But Sheila has some very Sheila-esque observations from watching the game holed up in a notorious Red Sox bar in Hoboken. The Irish Elk has a link round-up of commentary including this gem from Jonah Goldberg: This isn’t…