This is an email I sent to my buddy, Ross, in St. Paul, MN on Oct 20, 2004 on the morning after the Sox tied up the ALCS 3-3
-----------------------------------------------------------
Wow! Who'd a thunk this could happen? I, along with many many others here, had written off the BoSox after that game 3 debacle. I wasn't down on them, mind you; they lost their best pitcher, Schilling, at the same time that the Yankees found two aces in Mussina and Lieber. It was a karmic thing - just not their time again - wait 'til next year. I still loved them, and the gritty way they play the game - no showboat, "me" guys on this T-E-A-M team.
But these last three games have defied explanation.
OK, it's hard to sweep, especially when you have your #4 guy starting, but the Sox were using their #5 guy - a guy, Lowe, who had had a zero September - losing all his starts and getting racked in the process. Lowe came up huge in game 4, and the Sox are still behind by a run entering the bottom of the ninth. And they find a way to tie the game, and then win it with Ortiz's blast.
Then game 5 - the "afternoon" game. Pedro pitches well, but he wasn't dominating - threw too many balls, too many 3 ball counts, but was really only hurt by the two out Jeter (Mr. Clutch) double that scored three. Sox again behind in the 8th, and again manage to tie it up on the Ortiz opposite field tater and a sac fly. They win 5 agonizing innings later when Ortiz fists a dink single over the infield.
So the Yankees lose two post-season extra inning games in a row (a first), and Rivera blows two post-season saves in a row (a first, though he can hardly be blamed for the second since Gorden had built the fire and doused it with gasoline before Rivera "gave up" Varitek's sacrifice fly to spark the flames).
BTW - the victories in games 4 and 5 can be attributed to my beer drinking. For game 4, I had been listening on and off. I flipped to the Sox late and see they're down 4-3 in the 8th. So I popped open a beer (Sam Adams of course) and went upstairs to be with Erica for the bottom of the 9th - no child should be allowed to watch the Sox in the playoffs all alone. 90 minutes later, we're still together watching as Ortiz (for the millionth time, it seems - you let this guy go for nothing?) sends the Fenway faithful home happy, 100%. I forgot to mention that the first beer merely provided the impetus for us to tie the game. I went down and grabbed another in the beginning of the 12th, and lo and behold, again it was the catalyst for another score and the win. Game 5, we all watched together, and after we tied it in the 8th, I got a beer, expecting a quick victory to follow, but I also got one for Eileen - bad move - her beer negated my beer, and so the extra innings rolled by until - you guessed it - I got another beer for the 14th (Erica said that Eileen couldn't have one as she, a bright girl, was way ahead on this one) and again we won. Last night no beers were needed as we were ahead the entire game. I've still got plenty in the refrigerator for tonight, though.
How huge was Schilling? Jack Morris-esque (you're absolutely right about the '91 series - E-P-I-C - Morris's game 7 10 inning shutout has to go down as one of the best pitching performances in history - I remember talking to Globe scribe Dan Shaughnessy at a kids soccer game on the Saturday after. He had been in the Metrodome for the game and said the whole experience was overwhelming - and this from Mr. Jaded Columnist - and BTW, said jaded columnist has been on the Sox bandwagon for months now - even he believes!)
I figured we'd go back to the Bronx and lose - Schilling would be game and go 5, giving up 3 runs. Lieber would hold us in check, the Yanks would add a couple off our depleted relief staff, and we could say, "Well, at least we made it a series." But Schilling was untouchable, UNTOUCHABLE - and the Sox hitters were pesky - making Lieber pitch out of jams in the early innings until the bottom of the order finally broke though in the 4th with 4 hits in a row with 2 outs capped by the Bellhorn slice job in to the left field seats. (Funny radio comment from a couple of weeks ago - fans in Boston are so rabid that I even see guys walking around wearing Bellhorn jerseys) Also of import was the way the umpiring crew made two crucial overrules for the Sox (can you say "tuck rule?"). That never happens against the Yankees - I remember vividly (too vividly) in '99 when we were jobbed by the umps on a couple of phantom tags that resulted in out calls against the Sox. But the umps get it right both times, and we have a game 7.
Finally, though I was a fan of the potential trade(s) that would have brought A-Rod and Magglio Ordonez to the Sox for Manny and Nomar, I am no longer. A-Rod is a punk - he was a punk in July when he railed expletives at Varitek after getting plunked by Arroyo, and he was punk last night when he tried to karate chop the ball out of Arroyo's glove. Bush league.
So I am poised for the Sox to fall short once again. No way they can win. Not a game 7, not in the Bronx. Not with Lowe on the hill (he pitched and lost the Game 2 that I went to in my only visit to Yankee stadium in last year's ALCS). Not against the vaunted big bad Yankees.
Before the playoffs started, I think I wrote that my big fear is that we get to the World Series, win the first three, then lose 4 straight. (the bright side would be that at least we'd stop talking about '86 :-) ). Now the tables are turned. Who knows....?
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Welcome home, Johnny Damon
This is an email I sent to my buddy, Ross, in St. Paul, MN on May 2, 2006
-----------------------------------------------------------
Went to the game last night - first game vs the hated Yankees since the Johnny Damon defection. The "lyric little bandbox" was bursting with energy. Signs everywhere - "Looks like Jesus, Acts like Judas, Throws like Mary", "Johnny $ellout". There has been lots of speculation about how he is going to be "welcomed". I'm planning on giving him a standing-O. He played well, he played hurt, he gave 100%, and he helped lead the BoSox to the promised land in 2004. Yeah, he's an idiot with a huge ego and a mouth that doesn't know when to stop, but I can't blame him for taking an extra $12M from the Yankees.
Wakefield is scheduled to start, and he's been snakebit for most of 2006 - ERA of 3.5, record of 1-4 - no run support, and worse even, no catcher that can handle his knuckleball. His old catcher, Doug Mirabelli, was dealt to San Diego for Mark Loretta (a consensus steal for the Sox as Loretta is at best a solid starter at 2nd, and Mirabelli is at best a solid #2 catcher). His new catcher, Josh Bard, a young light hitting guy thrown in with the Coco Crisp deal, has 10 passed balls in his 5 starts - an average of 2 a game, on pace for 66 for the season, and oh, by the way, the major league record for most passed balls in a seaon is 35 (by Geno Petralli in Texas who was chasing after Charlie Hough's knucklers). But the news is that we've reacquired Mirabelli from San Diego, and he's going to be there for the game!
I'm there with my softball buddy Jim, and his friend Lou - both are mid-fifties, long-time baseball fans.
Line-ups are announced - every Yankee is booed, every one. Then the Red Sox line-up, and when the announcer says, "batting eighth and catching, Doug Mirabelli, the place erupts. Standing O. After 10 seconds or so, Mirabelli pops his head out of the dugout and tips his cap. But the cheering doesn't stop, seconds later Manny Ramirez pops out and doffs his cap - pretty funny really. I doubt that there has every been such a welcome back for a .240 hitting second string catcher.
Top of the first, and Damon leads off. Massive booing,... massive. Like 75% of the crowd. I, and my buddies, were cheering though, and after a while the boos died down and you could see and hear the cheering fans (I guess it's harder to maintain a good "boo"). Johnny then tipped his helmet to the crowd - sort of like Jimmy Connors at the US Open, he did a separate bow to each section of the ballpark. Then, Wakefield, on the mound, tips his cap to Johnny - a nice gesture, I thought. Damon then flies out to Nixon in short right and the game is on. Oh yeah, that's right, there's a game tonight - Yanks vs Sox, tied for first in the AL East, Sox lead the series 37-35 over the past three years, including 7-7 in post-season - first of 19 games this season.
Sox score one against Wang, a long lean righthander with a low 90's fastball and a mid eighties slider, but leave the bases loaded (Wang didn't help matters by walking three in the inning) when newly acquired Wily Mo Pena scorches a liner to right that snared on a diving catch by Bubba Crosby. Hmmm, does Sheffield (out with a bruised hand) make that play?
In the top of the fourth Yanks score three times aided by 2 walks by a suddenly wild Wakefield. The last two came on a two out, bleeder up the middle between SS Cora and 2B Loretta. Our defensive whiz SS, Alex Gonzalez was sitting because he's batting a buck eighty. Does he make that play? Could Loretta have stopped the ball with a dive, preventing the runner on second from scoring? Sigh.
Did I mention that I don't think I've ever seen the Red Sox beat the Yankees in person? I'm pretty sure one of those games was with you - we were sitting pretty close to the field just past 3rd base. It was years ago, back when you guys were in Maine, I think. I've been there for 2 ALCS losses - one in Fenway, one in the Bronx. I was there last year on the next to last day of the season, when the teams were tied, and the Yankee win gave them the division. I warned Jim that I was bad luck, but he wasn't worried in the least. I did, however, change my approach to the game. My only Red Sox garb was a 2004 World Series Champion t-shirt and my old battered cap. I entered the field, not from the normal tunnel at field level (where you get that great first rush of green as the walk to the top), but from the back of the seating area up top.
So the Sox are down 3-1, and they've stranded a bunch of runners, but I'm still caught up in the rush of the ballpark.
In the bottom of the fifth, Cora leads off with a perfect bunt down the 3rd base line. A-Fraud makes a half-hearted throw but he has no chance. The bunt by the #9 hitter energizes the Sox and they score twice in the inning. Again, they could've had more as newcomer, Mike Lowell is the 3rd out on a shot to Matsui in left. BTW, the wind was blowing in all game - there were a few long outs (by both teams) that looked great off the bat, but were brought back by the wind.
Wakefield departs after 7 strong innings - he always does well against the Yankees. Again, not enough run support for the win. Timlin comes on to pitch the eigth, and after retiring Damon, allows a single to Jeter who is them doubled off second after turning too wide around second after Giambi grounded out to the right side on a bang-bang play from a diving Loretta to 1B Kevin (a nice Jewish boy) Youkilis. Youkilis fired to second to catch Jeter when SS Cora did a nice job of blocking the bag with his leg. It was a real nifty play all around, and has sort-of typified the new 2006 good field, not as good hitting Red Sox.
In the bottom of the eigth, Cora walks with one out, and fleet Willie Harris comes in to pinch run. He takes a huge lead, and a guy behind me taunts the Yankees by screaming, "He's gonna take off!" in an "I told you so" find of voice. It was really kind of funny. Wang is gone by now, replaced by Aaron Small in the 6th. Small throws over 3 or 4 times, then plunks Youkilis in the back on the first pitch to the plate. It's like Harris's dancing off first totally blew his concentration. #2 batter Loretta, mired in a slumped that had knocked his average from an early season .360 to .217 comes through with a hard ground ball up the middle and speedster Harris comes home with a huge unnecessary flourish of a slide to give the Sox the lead. Torre comes out and summons left submariner, Mike Myers, from the pen. Myers, who pitched for the Sox the past couple of seasons was acquired by the Yankees for one reason, and one reason only - to get out David Ortiz. Big Papi has absolutely killed the Yankees these past 3 years.
Ortiz gets ahead, 2-0, then 3-1, then it's 3-2 after a couple of foul balls, then the next pitch is just crushed - straightaway centerfield. No way it can make it out in this wind, no way. But it lands in closer Jonathan Papelbon's glove in the Red Sox pen just to the right of the 420 ft sign. 3 run homer, just the way Earl Weaver liked them. Sox lead 7-3. Papelbon, our new rookie closer who's given up no runs so far this season in 15 innings (just 7 hits and 2 walks, and lots of K's) comes out for the ninth, and blows away the meat of the Yankees, striking out A-Fraud on 3 pitches (the last a swinging strike on high 95 mph cheese) and then Posada (again swinging at the heater) after a Matsui infield pop-up.
Dirty Water is blaring from the speakers and Red Sox nation is joyous.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Went to the game last night - first game vs the hated Yankees since the Johnny Damon defection. The "lyric little bandbox" was bursting with energy. Signs everywhere - "Looks like Jesus, Acts like Judas, Throws like Mary", "Johnny $ellout". There has been lots of speculation about how he is going to be "welcomed". I'm planning on giving him a standing-O. He played well, he played hurt, he gave 100%, and he helped lead the BoSox to the promised land in 2004. Yeah, he's an idiot with a huge ego and a mouth that doesn't know when to stop, but I can't blame him for taking an extra $12M from the Yankees.
Wakefield is scheduled to start, and he's been snakebit for most of 2006 - ERA of 3.5, record of 1-4 - no run support, and worse even, no catcher that can handle his knuckleball. His old catcher, Doug Mirabelli, was dealt to San Diego for Mark Loretta (a consensus steal for the Sox as Loretta is at best a solid starter at 2nd, and Mirabelli is at best a solid #2 catcher). His new catcher, Josh Bard, a young light hitting guy thrown in with the Coco Crisp deal, has 10 passed balls in his 5 starts - an average of 2 a game, on pace for 66 for the season, and oh, by the way, the major league record for most passed balls in a seaon is 35 (by Geno Petralli in Texas who was chasing after Charlie Hough's knucklers). But the news is that we've reacquired Mirabelli from San Diego, and he's going to be there for the game!
I'm there with my softball buddy Jim, and his friend Lou - both are mid-fifties, long-time baseball fans.
Line-ups are announced - every Yankee is booed, every one. Then the Red Sox line-up, and when the announcer says, "batting eighth and catching, Doug Mirabelli, the place erupts. Standing O. After 10 seconds or so, Mirabelli pops his head out of the dugout and tips his cap. But the cheering doesn't stop, seconds later Manny Ramirez pops out and doffs his cap - pretty funny really. I doubt that there has every been such a welcome back for a .240 hitting second string catcher.
Top of the first, and Damon leads off. Massive booing,... massive. Like 75% of the crowd. I, and my buddies, were cheering though, and after a while the boos died down and you could see and hear the cheering fans (I guess it's harder to maintain a good "boo"). Johnny then tipped his helmet to the crowd - sort of like Jimmy Connors at the US Open, he did a separate bow to each section of the ballpark. Then, Wakefield, on the mound, tips his cap to Johnny - a nice gesture, I thought. Damon then flies out to Nixon in short right and the game is on. Oh yeah, that's right, there's a game tonight - Yanks vs Sox, tied for first in the AL East, Sox lead the series 37-35 over the past three years, including 7-7 in post-season - first of 19 games this season.
Sox score one against Wang, a long lean righthander with a low 90's fastball and a mid eighties slider, but leave the bases loaded (Wang didn't help matters by walking three in the inning) when newly acquired Wily Mo Pena scorches a liner to right that snared on a diving catch by Bubba Crosby. Hmmm, does Sheffield (out with a bruised hand) make that play?
In the top of the fourth Yanks score three times aided by 2 walks by a suddenly wild Wakefield. The last two came on a two out, bleeder up the middle between SS Cora and 2B Loretta. Our defensive whiz SS, Alex Gonzalez was sitting because he's batting a buck eighty. Does he make that play? Could Loretta have stopped the ball with a dive, preventing the runner on second from scoring? Sigh.
Did I mention that I don't think I've ever seen the Red Sox beat the Yankees in person? I'm pretty sure one of those games was with you - we were sitting pretty close to the field just past 3rd base. It was years ago, back when you guys were in Maine, I think. I've been there for 2 ALCS losses - one in Fenway, one in the Bronx. I was there last year on the next to last day of the season, when the teams were tied, and the Yankee win gave them the division. I warned Jim that I was bad luck, but he wasn't worried in the least. I did, however, change my approach to the game. My only Red Sox garb was a 2004 World Series Champion t-shirt and my old battered cap. I entered the field, not from the normal tunnel at field level (where you get that great first rush of green as the walk to the top), but from the back of the seating area up top.
So the Sox are down 3-1, and they've stranded a bunch of runners, but I'm still caught up in the rush of the ballpark.
In the bottom of the fifth, Cora leads off with a perfect bunt down the 3rd base line. A-Fraud makes a half-hearted throw but he has no chance. The bunt by the #9 hitter energizes the Sox and they score twice in the inning. Again, they could've had more as newcomer, Mike Lowell is the 3rd out on a shot to Matsui in left. BTW, the wind was blowing in all game - there were a few long outs (by both teams) that looked great off the bat, but were brought back by the wind.
Wakefield departs after 7 strong innings - he always does well against the Yankees. Again, not enough run support for the win. Timlin comes on to pitch the eigth, and after retiring Damon, allows a single to Jeter who is them doubled off second after turning too wide around second after Giambi grounded out to the right side on a bang-bang play from a diving Loretta to 1B Kevin (a nice Jewish boy) Youkilis. Youkilis fired to second to catch Jeter when SS Cora did a nice job of blocking the bag with his leg. It was a real nifty play all around, and has sort-of typified the new 2006 good field, not as good hitting Red Sox.
In the bottom of the eigth, Cora walks with one out, and fleet Willie Harris comes in to pinch run. He takes a huge lead, and a guy behind me taunts the Yankees by screaming, "He's gonna take off!" in an "I told you so" find of voice. It was really kind of funny. Wang is gone by now, replaced by Aaron Small in the 6th. Small throws over 3 or 4 times, then plunks Youkilis in the back on the first pitch to the plate. It's like Harris's dancing off first totally blew his concentration. #2 batter Loretta, mired in a slumped that had knocked his average from an early season .360 to .217 comes through with a hard ground ball up the middle and speedster Harris comes home with a huge unnecessary flourish of a slide to give the Sox the lead. Torre comes out and summons left submariner, Mike Myers, from the pen. Myers, who pitched for the Sox the past couple of seasons was acquired by the Yankees for one reason, and one reason only - to get out David Ortiz. Big Papi has absolutely killed the Yankees these past 3 years.
Ortiz gets ahead, 2-0, then 3-1, then it's 3-2 after a couple of foul balls, then the next pitch is just crushed - straightaway centerfield. No way it can make it out in this wind, no way. But it lands in closer Jonathan Papelbon's glove in the Red Sox pen just to the right of the 420 ft sign. 3 run homer, just the way Earl Weaver liked them. Sox lead 7-3. Papelbon, our new rookie closer who's given up no runs so far this season in 15 innings (just 7 hits and 2 walks, and lots of K's) comes out for the ninth, and blows away the meat of the Yankees, striking out A-Fraud on 3 pitches (the last a swinging strike on high 95 mph cheese) and then Posada (again swinging at the heater) after a Matsui infield pop-up.
Dirty Water is blaring from the speakers and Red Sox nation is joyous.
Expired passport
Saturday morning - final prep in getting Tia ready to go to camp Sunday morning.
AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
Passport is expired!!!!!!!
Called Air Canada and they said they would not let her on the plane with an expired passport.!!!!!!!
Can't fly to Toronto from Boston!!!!!!
Passport office is closed!!!!!
Darn! Darn! Darn! - (well maybe a little stronger than darn)
Could drive her to Camp Kodiak, but that's two days in each direction, plus she can't fly back on her ticket if she doesn't use the outgoing flight.
Montreal is only 5 hours away - border crossing there is always easy - there's never a line (unlike Buffalo where there's always a huge jam of traffic), and they barely check credentials.
Yes, Air Canada can change flight to start in Montreal (1pm flight) and arrive between 1 and 3 in Toronto (window for Camp pickup)
OK, first submit an "expedited" passport application at the post office since she'll need it to get home, then we'll drive to Montreal early Sunday AM - hoping they'll let her cross the border with just a birth certificate She'll fly from Montreal to Toronto where she'll meet her camp bus
Should be OK, but some web searches dredge up:
1) As of June 1, 2009, everyone from every country that comes to Canada by air, land and sea needs a passport
2) U.S. and Canadian citizens ages 15 or younger with parental consent will be allowed to cross the borders at land and sea entry points with certified copies of their birth certificates rather than passports. (Tia turned 16 on June 18)
but also this:
3) When you enter Canada, a border services officer may ask to see your passport and a valid visa (if you are arriving from a country from which one is required). If you are a U.S. citizen, you do not need a passport to enter Canada; however, you should carry proof of your citizenship such as a birth certificate
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After a night of tossing and turning, get up at 4:30 and we're on the road at 5:01am
Canadian border at 9:00am - birth certificate fine for Tia so they let us through - no problem. Big big sigh of relief. Even if we have airport trouble, we can just drive her all the way to Parry Sound. (we packed for 4 days away, just in case).
Hit Montreal at 10am - P-L-enty of time since her flight left at 1pm. Of course the highway to the airport was a parking lot - huge, huge backup. After 30 minutes of crawling, we made a wrong turn and ended up having to do a big loop back to the airport, but I think we actually saved time that way and got there 30 minutes later at 11am.
Checked Tia's luggage, got her boarding pass, had lunch, showed her the Gate and Flight numbers on the boarding pass and the receipts for her luggage and watched her as she went through security (they didn't even ask her for ID) - thankfully it was almost empty.
Had her call when she reached her gate, and when she was boarding, and when she was in her seat. Then we headed back home (had to survive 2 more detours) and had just crossed the border, when Tia landed. There was no one there to meet her at baggage claim, so Eileen called our camp person who told her that Tia had to get her luggage by herself, but they would meet her right after. So Tia got her two huge duffel bags by herself and found the camp people and woo-hoo!!! She was such a good trooper the whole day.
A long, long, long, but ultimately successful day.
And a good test of a marriage, I guess. Eileen and I both took the blame for not checking to make sure the passport was valid, and we rallied around each other to fix the problem. I'm not sure that either one of us could have gotten this done by ourselves.
AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
Passport is expired!!!!!!!
Called Air Canada and they said they would not let her on the plane with an expired passport.!!!!!!!
Can't fly to Toronto from Boston!!!!!!
Passport office is closed!!!!!
Darn! Darn! Darn! - (well maybe a little stronger than darn)
Could drive her to Camp Kodiak, but that's two days in each direction, plus she can't fly back on her ticket if she doesn't use the outgoing flight.
Montreal is only 5 hours away - border crossing there is always easy - there's never a line (unlike Buffalo where there's always a huge jam of traffic), and they barely check credentials.
Yes, Air Canada can change flight to start in Montreal (1pm flight) and arrive between 1 and 3 in Toronto (window for Camp pickup)
OK, first submit an "expedited" passport application at the post office since she'll need it to get home, then we'll drive to Montreal early Sunday AM - hoping they'll let her cross the border with just a birth certificate She'll fly from Montreal to Toronto where she'll meet her camp bus
Should be OK, but some web searches dredge up:
1) As of June 1, 2009, everyone from every country that comes to Canada by air, land and sea needs a passport
2) U.S. and Canadian citizens ages 15 or younger with parental consent will be allowed to cross the borders at land and sea entry points with certified copies of their birth certificates rather than passports. (Tia turned 16 on June 18)
but also this:
3) When you enter Canada, a border services officer may ask to see your passport and a valid visa (if you are arriving from a country from which one is required). If you are a U.S. citizen, you do not need a passport to enter Canada; however, you should carry proof of your citizenship such as a birth certificate
------------------------------
After a night of tossing and turning, get up at 4:30 and we're on the road at 5:01am
Canadian border at 9:00am - birth certificate fine for Tia so they let us through - no problem. Big big sigh of relief. Even if we have airport trouble, we can just drive her all the way to Parry Sound. (we packed for 4 days away, just in case).
Hit Montreal at 10am - P-L-enty of time since her flight left at 1pm. Of course the highway to the airport was a parking lot - huge, huge backup. After 30 minutes of crawling, we made a wrong turn and ended up having to do a big loop back to the airport, but I think we actually saved time that way and got there 30 minutes later at 11am.
Checked Tia's luggage, got her boarding pass, had lunch, showed her the Gate and Flight numbers on the boarding pass and the receipts for her luggage and watched her as she went through security (they didn't even ask her for ID) - thankfully it was almost empty.
Had her call when she reached her gate, and when she was boarding, and when she was in her seat. Then we headed back home (had to survive 2 more detours) and had just crossed the border, when Tia landed. There was no one there to meet her at baggage claim, so Eileen called our camp person who told her that Tia had to get her luggage by herself, but they would meet her right after. So Tia got her two huge duffel bags by herself and found the camp people and woo-hoo!!! She was such a good trooper the whole day.
A long, long, long, but ultimately successful day.
And a good test of a marriage, I guess. Eileen and I both took the blame for not checking to make sure the passport was valid, and we rallied around each other to fix the problem. I'm not sure that either one of us could have gotten this done by ourselves.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)