这真是一个漫长的赛季，这个秋天也是漫长的。窗外邻居家的几株枫树一直火红的不肯退色，路上的树木也红的此起彼伏，人人都在说这是一个火红的十月。但这个红十月在昨晚的凌晨，在夜色中随着一个19比8的屠杀悄然落幕。
对于关心 RED SOX 的所有人来说，昨天应该是一个被永远记住的日子。
Once you mean disaster, that means couldn't be worse.
Naturally, it's a disaster
By Eric Wilbur, Boston.com Staff | October 16, 2004
Oh, so NOW you want the Twins. Hate to say I told you so, but I told you so.
This series is over. Baseball in Boston is over for another season. If you headed to the game this evening, you’re forgiven for leaving in the seventh. Not to avoid traffic. To avoid watching the Yankees celebrate on your team’s home turf.
Last night the bats finally came alive. Too little to late in what was an all-time ugly 19-8 win. This time it was that vaunted Red Sox pitching staff that fell apart. You remember, the one that had Boston “favored” in this ALCS. I suppose the Yankees winning is an “upset” then.
This wasn’t a baseball game. It was a deflating pinball wizard of an all too common disaster in these parts. When the game was more than three hours old, it was in the seventh inning, running at an excruciating pace. Even worse for Sox fans who had longer to watch their team fall into a 3-0 hole. Stay away from Manhattan for some time. The nausea is going to be overwhelming. Doubly so if you try one of those hot dog vendors.
There will be plenty of eulogies over the next couple days, so we’ll spare you one here now. But know this. This Red Sox team, the vanilla Red Sox for nearly half a season, choked at the wrong moment. The Yankees are their Daddy for reasons unknown. As one New York fan on the Manhattan subway following Boston’s loss in Game 2 put it, “You take those players, put pinstripes on them, and they win the World Series.”
And he’s right. We don’t know why he’s right, but he is.
It could be a nuclear winter for the Boston Red Sox roster. But we’ll discuss that at some other time. For now enjoy your last chance this year to watch what was admittedly a fun Boston team. Then prepare to assume your normal position for the winter, wondering where the hell it all went wrong.
Seeing as we’re sure after the National Anthem most of you ran out and picked up the Cowsills’ greatest hits and were forced to miss the game, here’s a recap…
First Inning: After spending nine hours over the past two days at a Fenway Park with less action than my post-prom party experience, and more than 68 hours after the last pitch was thrown in this series, Bronson Arroyo unleashes a first-pitch strike to Derek Jeter. Jeter backs away from the plate like it’s far too inside because, well, that’s what Jeter does on EVERY PITCH.
Following a Jeter walk, Alex Rodriguez drives him in with a double down the left field line. The only chance Manny Ramirez has at throwing Jeter out at home is that he’s not Johnny Damon. It’s not enough.
Hideki Matsui plants a 1-2 pitch into the bullpens in right field, and it’s 3-0 Yankees less than 10 minutes into the game. Arroyo is not confusing anyone, as the Yankee bats are swatting his pitches around Fenway. In fact, the only person he’s confused in the whole park is Tim McCarver, who still can’t figure out his name.
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I’m seated in the makeshift right field press section the Sox trot out come ALCS time. In Section 3. Should this concern me, particularly after Dan Shaughnessy rode back from New York Thursday on Flight 1918? Maybe this is all a ruse and there’s really no coincidence to it at all. Yeah, that’s it. A ruse.
Following a Ramirez infield base hit, which must have erroneously put it into his head that he is indeed, fast, David Ortiz singles to right, and Manny makes like the Energizer bunny for third. No contest. It may have been the first time Dale Sveum tried to stop a runner all year.
Second Inning: The temptation of free cornrows, as one barber salon was dishing out early yesterday morning on Lansdowne Street, really had the gerbil working overtime on my way into the office. Then I remembered the whole balding thing and decided against, thinking I might look like something out of “Hellraiser.”
Trot Nixon puts the first jolt of caffeine into the sold out crowd with a two-run bomb to right that cuts New York’s lead to one. The first “Yankees Suck” chant also breaks out. The highly offended among us try to explain that it’s not true. Yeah, neither is McDonald’s, “I’m lovin’ it.” So what?
The crowd really lets Kevin Brown have it, chanting his name. I wonder if Brown likes being the center of attention of the city of Boston. After all, just last year he was in Los Angeles, sitting under a palm tree with barely enough money to rent a yacht to Catalina.
RIGHT NOW! Kevin Brown is getting hammered.
Jeter bobbles a ball, and it’s 4-3 Sox. Questions begin to arise about the man’s deity.
Third Inning: Back to the Cowsills, who in addition to the Anthem, sang their hit, “Hair,” which I guess is apropos with this band of free-flowing locks Red Sox. But who exactly is lining up the singers for these ALCS games? Last year, Joey McIntyre and Michael Bolton were roundly booed during their renditions, and the ‘Sills (the inspiration for the Patridge Family!) didn’t exactly receive an outpouring of acknowledgement from the Fenway fans.
Then again, I guess it’s one less day that the Dropkick Murphys perform.
Which brings to mind a suggestions reader Steve Sylven submitted: “Hey Eric- Now that the Sox have proclaimed themselves "idiots" do you think we can implement a new theme song? I'm thinking we go with Jane's Addiction's "Idiots Rule" and finally dropkick the Murphy's over the Green Monster? I can't stand the thought of winning it all this year and having to hear Tessie for the rest of my lifetime.”
I like it. Although I’m sure when Charles Steinberg hears the lyrics, it won’t fly. Where’s Dickie Barrett when you need him most?
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A-Rod plants one over the left field wall and ties the game back up. A couple more hits later, Terry Francona makes his way to yank Arroyo, who obviously doesn’t have it. Ramiro Mendoza makes his way to the mound, and actually receives applause from eight fans down the first base line.
In the ALDS, Arroyo threw the best start of all Boston starters. This series, by far the worst with two-plus innings, allowing six runs. As Chris Berman would call a strikeout, “Ughagh.”
Torre lifts Brown after just two innings, in favor of Javier Vazquez. We can only assume this is because Ja-Ve-Air is tougher to chant.
Fourth Inning: It is 10 p.m. and I did just write fourth inning correct? At the rate this one is going, it’ll be a nice little three hour nap before we’re all back here again tomorrow.
Which reminds me…must tape “Desperate Housewives.”
They ran out of Swiss Miss up here and I thought more than a few of the New York media guys were going to lose it. Like BA Baracus before he flies.
Sheffield. Bomb. 9-6. It is THE FOURTH INNING.
Triple. 11-6. FOURTH INNING. This game in the end is going to have more runs than your average day at Taco Bell.
Fifth Inning: Before the game, Howie Long, in town for Sunday’s Patriots-Seahawks game, and the rest of the FOX NFL crew were hanging out down by the Red Sox dugout. Long was giving Mets pitcher Al Leiter, who by all accounts has been great in the booth, some advice about the broadcasting business. Hopefully he passed some on to McCarver.
They should have Francona miked for this game. I can only imagine the Boston manager. “Get an out. Please, can’t someone get a &^%$#@& out?” 13-6 Yankees. The 19 runs combined thus far set an ALCS record for most runs in a game. Can we mention it is the FIFTH INNING?
Sixth Inning: Fans in right field start to chant, “We want Tanyon,” as in Worcester’s own Tanyon Sturtze. Speaking of the Sturtzes, The Newark Ledger had a piece Friday about how they were forced to convert to the dark side after their son was traded by Tampa Bay to New York. There is good news for Tanyon’s family though. His performance this season for the Yankees pretty much assures them they can go back to rooting for the Sox once the season is over.
By golly, we’ve had our first inning last less than 45 minutes. Now we’re cooking.
Seventh Inning: Mark Bellhorn picked a fine time for one of his worst games of the season. A strikeout hat trick, and now he can’t squeeze a pop fly in the top of the inning. Time for Lobel to whip out those “Pokey would have had it” bumper stickers again.
As the Yankees run it to 16-6, fans start cheering, “Let’s go Patriots.” Thousands start to file out toward the exit.
Seventh inning stretch at 11:32. This is ridiculous.
Jason Varitek homers to make it 17-8. Not exactly the moment that makes the columnists here start to re-write their pieces to alter the outcome.
Eighth inning: It’s the eighth. One more inning to go. That’s really all the commentary I have left at this point.
Sweet Caroline is a heck of a lot less peppy tonight for some reason.
Ninth Inning: Hooray!!!!!
By the time this game ends, there are going to be about 17 people left here at the rate folks are rushing to the gates, unable to take the pain anymore.
Matsui homers for two more. Don’t these guys want to go to their hotel already?
Twenty-one hits by New York tie record for an ALCS game. Boston had 21 against Roger Clemens and New York in 1999.
Twenty-two hits by New York are a new record for hits in an ALCS game.
It was the longest game in ALCS history. And quite possibly the worst.
Apparently this won't be the year the Sox enjoy a pregame ceremony at Foxborough. How many times are they going to have to invite those guys here without a return trip?