This is almost as big as a World Series win. Almost, but not quite.
What we have here is the greatest comeback in sports history as well as the greatest collapse. The vaunted Yankees could not measure up and the weight of 27 championships could not carry them. But it was more than the collapse of the Yankees; it’s about the grit and digging deep of this Red Sox team.
When everyone else was counting them out (and I’ll admit that after Game 3 last Saturday, I was among them), these guys dug and wouldn’t say die. They ground out inning after inning, scrapping for hits and runs, pitchers shutting down the most explosive offense in the league to force a final and decisive Game 7 that was never close.
My brother-in-law Pete called Damon’s grand slam. He said, “He’s going to hit a home run here,” and then Damon did it. I said before the game that the Sox bats would come alive, that they couldn’t be kept silent for so long.
But I wasn’t comfortable or complacent the whole game. I had faith in them, but after all the times things went wrong at the last minute, I couldn’t let myself go until the last out. Wow, it’s beautiful.
I’ll be curious to see how Terry Francona explains putting Pedro on the mound in the seventh, because it was enough to scare us silly.
Still, I’m keeping the faith. I believe in this team. They can do it. I can’t wait for Saturday.
Congratulations on the defeat of the Yanks! But you haven’t won the big prize yet—gotta stay focused!
Oh, and I have an explanation of Francona’s move at my blog.
YEEEEEEESSSS!!!!! Red Sox Rule!!!!
It is hard to be mad about anything right now, but putting Pedro in in the 7th was a little perplexing and nerve-wracking. I read Dale’s explanation and he may be right. But I was going nuts. Putting Pedro in whipped the quit crowd into a frenzy. And Pedro didn’t seem to have his best stuff. But it all worked out in the end. The evil empire is defeated. One more step for the prize. Keep the faith. Go Sox!
Huh? There was a baseball game last night…?
Just kidding… Great win and comeback from 0-3 for the Sox. I just loved Damon’s Grand Slam in the second. Sweet!
I don’t think I’d want to be in the Steinbrenner household this morning…
Now, on to the World Series. Bring it home!
Good job Red Sox. What a lesson in perserverence.
“perserverance” Sorry, sleep deprived from watching the perservering Red Sox!
When Pedro gave up those hits and the Yankees scored two to make it 8-3, or in other words … a five-run lead in the seventh inning with Pedro on the mound in Game 7. Flashbacks. The “who’s yo daddy” chants. The script was written … Red Sox tease the greatest comeback ever but find a new way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. (Rehearsals during the regular season went well, with the Red Sox whittling an 11-game Yankee lead down to 2 1/2, but not QUITE passing the Evil Empire.)
The Senators/Orioles fan I was watching the game with said “there must be come clause in Red Sox manager contracts requiring them to make stupid decisions involving Pedro, the Yankees, and game 7s.”
As warmth fades with fall,
The Sox set my heart ablaze,
Like a glimpse of heaven.
To all doubting Thomases (the name means Twin) congrats on the Sox coming up very big! Damon’s grand slam was classic stuff that was precceded by Jim Edmonds’ big bop in the bottom of the 12th out here in flyover land. What a beautiful day for baseball. Damon’s interview after the game was cool, too. Never had the chance to hear the guy before and seems like a good guy.
Secret wish: Ab. Burke throws out the first pitch tonight.
FLASH: if you didn’t hear Jim Rome’s interview on Wednesday, go to the site and see if you can pull up Schilling’s interview. Great interview and Schilling flat out stoned A-Rod. Blew him up!
Hopefully, I’ll meet some of y’all in St. Louis. Go Cards!!!!!!!
Hats off to the Sawx from this Yankee fan. They showed who’s whose daddies. You generally do need hits and pitching to win games, and the Yanks had neither coming down the stretch. And even I’ll admit that it’s hard not to like Johnny Damon and Ortiz (no comment on Petey and Schilling).
I don’t believe there was ever a Curse, but even if there were one, I think the Yanks’ signing of A-Rod singlehandedly lifted it. Any chance the Sawx may still be interested in taking him? (Maybe we could ship him to the Cubs where he could play 3rd alongside Nomar…)
But of course winning the pennant ain’t the same as winning the whole enchilada. Go Card/Stros!
Let me add my congrats from here in the hearland. The Bosox/Cards series will be something.
Just a couple of thoughts. I thought Torre showed a lot of class in his interview after the game. He made no excuses. “They won. We lost. I’m proud of my guys.” Good stuff.
On the other hand, I thought the Yankee fans and the organization showed no class at all (big surprise).
If it weren’t so sad, it would have been funny to listen to Joe Buck and what’s his name discussing what would happen if a ball-in-play hit one of the riot cops who had to surround the field to protect the players from the “fans”.
Then, last night after the game, the geniuses who run Yankee Stadium had to keep playing “New York, New York” over and over while the Sox celebrated on the field.
Red Sox players and fans will be welcomed to St. Louis next week. The fans won’t throw baseballs at you and they may even cheer when you make a spectacular play. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to see how gracious we are in defeat.
I’m sorry not to share in your joy Dom. There’s nothing so enjoyable, for many non Red Sox or Cubs fans, as a lovable loser. If the Sox win the big one what do I have to look forward to, other than my A’s spending 1/10 of the Red Sox salary losing their star year after year, and sneaking into the playoffs and losing in the first round. No more stores of the curse of the Bambino, no more collective screams of AAAAARRRRRGGGGHHH as Jeter, or Williams or whomever snatches victory away from the Sox in the bottom of the ninth, no more dreams and optimism dashed. Am I a bad person for harboring such schadenfreude?
BC,
No, you’re a bad person for using the word schadenfreude! ;^)
Oh, Deacon Mike, you have one thing wrong. The Sox will be welcomed in Houston, the team my sister-in-law works for.
And if I kiss up really, really well, I’ll be attending my first WS game!!! I have to be in TX anyway!!!
Right on Deacon Mike. The Sox will love StL. Having them here AND having McCarver calling a game for the Sox will be icing on the cake. ( I use the radio/tv bit. TMcC is annoying.)
Dom, we still on for a pint? Also, please fetch the priest who wanted to lay off a kegger of Guinnness. Need to firm him up, but only for a pint. No kegger.
Fact is, I’m heading to the pub now and salute your Sox on a fine series. Barkeeper!
The Sox will be welcomed in Houston, the team my sister-in-law works for.
I have now incurred the sin of envy.
I too am rooting for the Astros. In part because I think it will be a more entertaining series. In part because the Cardinals have terrible hot dogs.
http://cachewww.patriots.com/homepage/
Check out the Patriots home page: GO SOX!!!
Think they learned something from their brothers in Foxboro before going into this series? Selfless play… Team mentality… different hero every day…
GO SOX. GO ‘STROS.
Christine, please get me tix!
I can’t believe anyone on a Catholic blog would root against the Cardinals. Our guys wear red hats and everything.
One of my sons reminded me last night that he and his brother once sang the National Anthem at the Astrodome. They were in a Catholic singing group that was on a tour in Texas.
So even though I expect the penant to end up in St. Louis, if it doesn’t the Astros will represent the Nat’l League well. It will be pleasure to see a World Series that doesn’t have a team from New York or California.
Amen Deacon Mike!!
Hey, Deacon Mike, that’s a bit of a broad brush that you’re using on Yankee fans. Yeah, there were a few jerks in the stands, but the riot cops were a total overreaction. (If the umps were scared, why didn’t they keep the cops out there for the bottom of the inning? Or had the umps decided in advance that all calls in the bottom of the frame would go to the home team?)
And as for unruly fans, surely New York has no monopoly…
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2004/10/21/injuries_reported_as_fans_get_out_of_control_after_last_nights_red_sox_victory/
Dom:
We beat the Astros !!! And we’re coming to Boston to see what the Red Sox have!
BTW, congrats to the Red Sox and all of the fans! It’s certainly going to be a great series. It’s going to be fun, I’m sure.
Dom,
Don’t give the Yankees credit where it isn’t due. They have won 26 championships. And if we have anything to do with it, they won’t have a 27th for quite sometime and we can start chanting “2000!2000!” at them.
The Cardinals have been the best team in baseball, so it is going to be an interesting team. Their pitching is vulnerable with guys that we have battered around in the AL (Sup, Williams, Carpenter), a closer that can be beaten, and a banged up middle releif corps.
Plus, we get the home field advantage thanks to Manny and Papi’s longballs in Houston in the midsummer classic. I think that could be a huge factor.
It has already been the best week of my life and its only half over.
Dream On.
I don’t like to say I told you so, but……on to Boston. Congratulations to the Astros for giving the Cardinals a real series. I think if they had played 99 games, one team would have won 50, probably the team with home field advantage.
I pointed out in my homily this morning that there are two cities in the US where the church has been in a real crisis, Boston and St. Louis. Boston being the epicenter of the child abuse scandal and St. Louis being right in the middle of the Catholic/pro-abortion political thing.
But, for the last couple of weeks, and for at least another week to come, all of that stuff has been pushed off the front page by the baseball playoffs. Wednesday night in Boston and last night in St. Louis, there were no Catholics, protestants, muslems, jews, democrats or republicans. There were Red Sox and Cardinal fans, high-fiving and hugging total strangers.
In St. Louis, they have been calling this “the hunt for red October”. They were right about that.
Peace