How Full is Your Bucket?

Because, mine is completely overfloweth.

I recently referenced a post I made with a bucket list of sorts for the Red Sox fans. Things it would be cool to be at Fenway to see live. Of the 36 things on the list, the one that gnawed at me was a clinching victory. I didn't have one of those yet. Well, to be honest, I didn't have one by the Red Sox yet. As I mentioned a little bit ago, I had seen three other teams clinch something...including the Yankees twice. But, I had been dying to see the Red Sox pile on top of each other in the middle of the diamond. This event was one of the trickier items on the list. If you want to see a playoff game, you just need to buy a playoff ticket. If you want to see a ring ceremony, buy a ticket to next year's home opener. It's assured. You have the ticket, so you'll be able to cross it off the list. The clincher is a little bit trickier. You don't know when those will be, or even if they'll be. Sure, you can increase your chances. If you're buying a playoff ticket, get a game later in the series. Or buy lots of tickets for September. But, you can still miss the exact game they decide to clinch. I've actually gone to a game immediately before or after a clincher. But, it hadn't happened yet. Until this year's ALCS that is. Thanks to Victorino and his three little birds, I finally crossed that item off the list.

Last night, it was crossed off with a big bold marker.

My bucket overfloweth.

What an experience. To watch the Red Sox pile up as World Champions was something I never even dared think about. After all, what are the odds of it even happening, let alone being there for it. I'm definitely going to have to rethink a few items on another one of my lists.

I don't think I've been to another game quite like that one. Which makes sense, since there hasn't been one like that for me to go to in almost 100 years.I remember thinking that the fans seemed oddly confident. Maybe it was just hope spilling into bravado. Whatever the cause, you could feel it. Sitting in your seats was optional, but frowned upon. I think I actually used my seat for maybe three innings, total. Every out was cheered as if it were a game winner. Every run was savored. Everything that moved us all closer to the goal was celebrated.

I remember the feeling in the ninth inning of Derek Lowe's no-hitter. I had chills knowing that I could witness something very special. This was just like that, but it lasted nine innings. And there was no fear of a base hit ruing it.

That was the best part. Once the Sox decided to score three runs in back-to-back innings, the pressure was off. Sure, it got tight there at the end with a few more base runners than we'd have liked. But, even that would have only made the game closer. It wasn't it doubt. It was just anticipation.

Until it was released.

Then all hell broke loose. Everything that had been barely contained all night was let loose. Those physical issues I mentioned yesterday? They were gone. It was all jubilation!

Every little thing was alright.

Game Seven Tonight

The Sox should act as if tonight is a must win. I want absolutely no part of another game tomorrow night.

One reason is personal. I’m a friggin mess. I haven’t slept in a week. I’m living, basically, on coffee and Mt Dew. My appetite is gone due to nervous anticipation. My stomach is in knots. I’m jumpy and cranky, and just need them to win now.

It’s funny. I don’t remember this level of distress with the other championships. I think 2004 happened too fast to get all worked up. Once they went down 0-3, there wasn’t really the stress of coming back. More of a “Boy, be nice if they won this one so they won’t be swept.” Then, “gee, they forced a game seven after all.” By the time they got to the World Series, it was cruise control for a week. There wasn’t time to be nervous. In 2007, it was different too. The Red Sox were clearly the better team in every round. Even going down 1-3 wasn’t stressful because you knew Beckett was going to win before you came back home. In the series, the Rockies had no business being there in the first place. There wasn’t time to be worried. Tired, yes. Stressed? Not really. I actually remember the feeling of being able to enjoy that series.

This year? Not so much. I still don’t trust this team unconditionally. I can’t sit back and say, “They can’t touch Pedro, or can’t get Manny out.” They’re going to scrape and claw, sure. But that’s not a comforting feeling. Do I think they’re a better team? Absolutely. Do I feel it in my bones that they’re going to win the game? Certainly. Can I think straight today? Nope. Heck, even the most dominant closer in maybe forever can’t help me out. He gave up baserunnes at a lower rate than anyone else ever this year. But, as I’ve said, it’s not like I can rest my nerves on a devastating fastball. He’s tricking people into missing his splitter. Much like a Rivera cutter, sometimes the trickery goes away.

So, I stress.

Of course, the other reason in baseball related. Game sevens are the worst. For the same reason a one game wild card is unfair, so is a game seven. One play can throw it all away. One terrible obstruction call. One error on a damp ball. One anything, and it’s all over. Plus, it’s not like the Sox have Smoky Joe Wood sitting back there to start. While I have faith in Peavy…I don’t have that much. And as much as people like to say “everyone’s available” that hardly ever actually works. So, I’d prefer to stay away from another game on Halloween. I’d much prefer being able to dress up tomorrow as a fan of the World Champions. Win tonight!

Sox in six.

FOX Must Be Loving This

Seriously. They couldn’t have planned this any better. In two consecutive games, the most important, controversial, talked about play was the last one of the game. Everyone who went to work today to talk about the games with their coworkers needed to have watched the whole game. How could anyone not stay up and watch the whole darn thing tonight? You might be completely lost tomorrow. You might just miss THE play. Why would you risk it? It’s perfect for FOX.

So, about those two games. They were pretty incredible. Back and forth. Huge pitching performances. Timely hitting. The games had it all. Too bad the Sox aren’t up 3-1.

Which they might have been was it not for the call in game three. An absolutely terrible obstruction call. I know I’m probably late to the party. But, I was waiting a bit to hopefully let the dust settle and become a bit more objective. But, it didn’t work. It was a terrible call then, and now I think it’s even worse.

Everyone keeps talking like it’s a black and white rule because it doesn’t mention intent. But, check out the last line of the example given right in the rule. It says that a fielder who dives for a ball, and stays on the ground in the runner’s way has “very likely” committed obstruction. Very likely. Not “has” but “very likely has.” It’s not cut and dry. It obviously allows for the fielder to dive and be in the way of the runner without it being obstruction. There’s obviously umpire judgment allowed. So, what are some cases where it wouldn’t be obstruction? If this case wasn’t one of those “exceptions” I don’t know what would be. When a runner runs the wrong way to create contact with a fielder lying on the infield grass? If that’s not a time to not make the call, when is? Did you hear the umpire Q & A following the game with Torre? He read the rule for the crowd…but obviously was reading it cold. When he got to the “very likely” part, you could see his whole demeanor change. Like he suddenly realized it wasn’t black and white after all.

Oops.

It also annoys me that Joyce made the call for all the “wrong” reasons. At the press conference he mentioned that the runner has the right to use the baseline. But, Craig had the whole baseline open, and chose not to use it. They had to come to his rescue and talk about the runner establishing the baseline as opposed to the, you know, actual baseline. So, if the runner takes a wide turn rounding third, the baseline follows him. Weird that the runner can also decide to establish a baseline going in the wrong direction directly towards the fielder for no apparent reason. Joyce also said he made the call because Craig was literally on the chalk. Obviously he was nowhere near the chalk. Basically everyone else at the table spent the whole interview telling people to ignore what the person who made the call thought. So, he blew the call he thought he was making, but everyone let him off the hook by pretending he had gotten it right anyway. Bogus.

As for the ending of last night, that’s just terrible. There are any number of reasons why a player might take a big lead at first base. Steal the base. Try to eliminate the force out. Enable you to go first to third on a single, or help you score on a double. There’s nothing wrong with getting yourself into position to make a play.

Until you get picked off to end the game with the second best postseason hitter in the series at the plate.

So, the series stands tied with three left. The Sox need to win two out of three, with two games at home, and games started by Lester and Lackey. You have to like the situation. While it’d probably be wrong to look back at game one and say the Sox should take tonight’s game…at least you know there’s a blueprint on how to do it. And, the last time Lackey and Wacha met up, a throwing error decided the game. As Johnny Gomes pointed out last night, the Sox have stopped throwing to third. (By the way, I don’t blame Salty for the wild throw. He saw a slow runner going to third, and took a good chance. If Molina doesn’t kick his foot as Salty is making the throw, I bet the ball doesn’t end up in left field. Nothing he could do about that.) Obviously, I hope the Sox just get it over with in the next two games. Based on games one and two, I like their chances.

Sox in six.

From the Pedro Binder

2004 Topps World Series Gift Set

First off, rest assured. This card has borders. Scanners just don’t like borders for some reason.

This card is from the hastily thrown together money grab put out by Topps following the Red Sox World Series win. It’s actually a nice set, with cards featuring the members of the team, as well as highlights from the year. It takes its design from the 2005 Topps set, which was an interesting choice for a set celebrating a 2004 accomplishment.

This card certainly celebrates a great accomplishment. The first World Series start of Pedro Martinez’s career.  It was in Game Three, in St Louis. I was always disappointed it wasn’t in Fenway, but that’s the way it works sometimes.

This is a nice card, with a big picture of Pedro. The World Series logo is clearly displayed on his hat, which is fantastic. It has all the important information tucked onto it. It’s game three. A clever headline, and the game result. I’d normally say the Red Sox logo is too large. But, since this is a Red Sox themed set, it doesn’t bother me as much.

The important thing is that the card celebrates a great moment in the Red Sox postseason, and in Pedro’s career.

And does it well.

That Was The Best They Had?

Yeah, I know it’s just one game. But, that one game couldn’t have been more lopsided. The Cardinals are the team that’s been in the World Series most recently. They were in the NLCS just last year. They should have been poised and ready. Instead, they looked like the nervous newbies.

This was going to be the big game for the Cards. They had their ace on the mound. A true ace. If ever there was a time for the Cardinals to steal home field away from the Sox, this was the game. Instead, the Sox knocked their ace out after five innings. The Sox starter on the other hand was Jon Lester. He asked in spring training what he needed to do in order to be considered a true ace. I’m guessing something like what he did last night. 7.2 shutout innings in game one of the World Series. Yeah. Something like that.

And it got better for the Sox from there.

The Cardinals were a good defensive team, but one of their best defenders made two errors. They make three as a team. Four if you count a terrible mental error. At times they looked like a little league team.

Even when the Cardinals tried to salvage something from a lost cause, it went bad. They brought their young lefty specialist into a 5-0 game to face David Ortiz. It was a good idea. Get the kid into a World Series game in a relatively low pressure situation. Take advantage of the circumstances to get his feet wet before you really need him. Except that the kid went and threw up in his mouth. The first pitch he threw went for a two-run home run. The first homer he’d given up against a lefty all season. Not exactly the exposure to the situation the Cardinals were looking for.

It happened again later when they brought in Martinez. Another young reliever with a live arm. Again, a good idea to get him into a low key situation. Let him get exposure, and his feet wet. He proceeds to give up a double, a wild pitch, and allows a run. Oops. That’s not thy type of thing you want to build on for the next appearance. Unless you’re the Sox.

So, the Cardinals have to throw another rookie tonight in a big spot. Sure, he’s pitched well in this postseason. And, it’s not quite a must win for the Cards. They only need to win one game in Boston. But you have to wonder what it will take to get into his head a bit. Or the rest of the team?

It reminds me a bit of ALCS game one. The Sox were supposed to be the great offensive team. But the Tigers were able to not only limit their damage, but shut them down completely. The Sox were able to overcome that disaster. It’s time for the Cardinals to see if they can do it too. Or, it’s time for the Red Sox to see what it will take to send them into a spiral they can’t get out of.

It’s time for game two.