Friday, October 27, 2006

Our Special Day

As we celebrate this greatest of days, October 27th, and move into year three of the current blessed era, I think I'll show you some stuff you've never seen.

I was at my parents' house that night--they were on vacation, to which I still say, "terrible scheduling job!" I had my video camera because I wanted to film the (greatest) lunar eclipse (of all time). I set up my camera on a tripod, pointed it at the moon, and let it roll while I watched the game, occasionally moving it slightly when the moon would drift off the screen. Remember, we didn't know the Red Sox would win the World Series that night. I'd planned to go with friends to the Riviera in NYC for a possible Game 5. But on this night, the plan was to go to parents' house, watch Game 4 by myself, and tape the moon.

As the night went on, I knew an historic moment was about to occur, so I turned the camera on myself. I remember walking around, holding it to my face, saying, "this is the last you'll see of the 'old' baseball me..." or something like that, when we were a few outs away. Here's the moment Doug Mientkiewicz jumps up after catching the toss from Foulke.

As you can see, I was down on my knees. What a moment. Much of that series lacked drama on the surface. Over those last few innings, and dare I say games, it was only a matter of time. The world had already changed when we beat the Yanks. In Game 7 of that ALCS, the tables had turned to the point where Yankee fans, for once, knew they'd lose. And even before Game 4 of that World Series, we Sox fans actually knew we'd win for a change. A total protonic reversal. So until that last inning, it was just a waiting game. But to see that last out, man... My mind still has a hard time grasping that that was a moment that did happen. One of the many people I talked to on the phone shortly after that moment was Pat, who said, "Do you believe it?" He really wanted to hear my answer, it wasn't a rhetorical question. I said, "I don't know!" He told me to believe it, because it just happened.

I had to work the next day, and I was an hour away from Danbury, where I worked at the time. So I got up really early. It hadn't been a dream, fortunately. I walked out of the guest bedroom to find myself bathed in light. I walked to the window. Hell hadn't frozen over, but heaven had indeed dawned:

So glad I had the video camera. As I started taping, this bird started flying around. My mom would say it was my Grandpa. My dad might say it was my Nana. Two Red Sox fans who had seen eight Red Sox championships between them, and saw this one from above. Ah, being spiritual when it's convenient--it really is the way to go!

They say every cloud has a silver lining. But a Red Sox World Series cloud has a GOLD lining, that goes on and on forever in both directions...

And closer.

And closer still.

Then it was on to work, before cruising on that same cloud to Boston for the Rolling Rally. As some of you know, I made a movie which featured my footage of that rally, along with some I shot when the team later brought the trophy to the New Haven Green. And, of course, sped-up shots I got of that wonderful, pink, ascending, eclipsing moon, just above and to the left of where the sun would soon rise over a happy Red Sox Nation. Click below to watch the movie.

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Comments:
Happy 27th! I was at Rumors Pub in DC, with a pretty pregnant wife and my friend Kim (from the Jets Suck post) and my brother and a few friends. I will never forget running down the street to our restaurant to snag 2 bottles of Dom Perignon, and as I was running, there were people coming out of other restaurants who were just high-fiving me as I ran in my Trot jersey, just yelling cause I was yelling. And we drank $200/bottle champagne out of plastic cups that night, and did every red shot the bartenders could make, and I watched the last out on a 13" tv, and wondered later if I'd really seen what I seen, cause the tv was so small. The Red Sox can even win on a tiny TV. That's how good we were.
 
Wow, I haad to search for this post in question on your blog, as I'd missed it. I grew up with the Jets... you told me to go fuck myself! Oh well, I guess you got a bad view of Jets fans, what am I gonna do? It's really not like that. The Giants are the Yankees. The Jets are the Met--no, the Jets as I knew them, were just like the Red Sox. Always coming so close, and under the shadow of another team, and never winning. In heartbreaking ways. After I stopped caring about football, I kind of thought maybe I'd be a Pats fan--but decided I'd have to wait at least 10 years, until all the players I followed were out of the game. Then the Pats went and became the Yankees, and I said screw 'em, that's no fun.

It's Fireman Ed. Anzolo. That was good stuff. A cheer invented by the fans, led by one of them. Some dude sitting on his brother's shoulders, getting 70,000 to cheer along with him.

The Jets were my winter Red Sox....

And honestly, I never remember any kind of "bad" behavior at Jets games (unless fires count). But that also could be because we'd be the only ones in section 214 or whatever it was with the Jets being 2-11 at the time, so there was no one there to do anything bad. But my mom would always go and I don't remember anybody treating her any other way than LongIslandish/outer Boroughsish gentlemanly.

But can we get back to the October 27th Red Sox talk please????
 
Beautiful, BEAUTIFUL pictures, Jere!

What a great way to remember the day!
 
Thanks, Cyn!

Hey, last night I had a dream that I was at Fenway Park, section 5ish, with Chan, watching YOU pitch. For the Mets! #16. I turned to Chan and said, "see the pitcher? I bought her that jersey."

Explain that one!

(I didn't bring this up at your blog because surely one of your Yankee commenters would make a big deal about you being in my dream or whatever.)
 
I can explain that, Jere and Cyn. Jere, you see, she WAS pitching that night, but channeling all her energy into the guy on the mound. And the pics? WOW...even when I click on them and they enlarge nicely, the resolution lost is minimal. Have a great weekend Jere, and you too Cyn. Oh, Cyn? Keep pitching..your slider is breathtaking! You and Timlin can be the bridge to "the guy who's name we do not know."
 
Jere, thanks for sharing the great memories of the '04 postseason. And your photos of the following morning are breathtaking.

Best regards.
 
Thank you.
 

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