Thursday, October 24, 2013
Sox Pull A Cardinals, Lose To Cardinals
Something the Fox guys didn't say:
On the Shitty Play, did you notice on the replay that the runner on second was way off the bag as Gomes was about to catch the ball? He was so far off, in fact, that he actually sprinted back and slid into second. You could see the ball fly over his head on its way home right as he got back. Therefore, a throw to second would have arrived just ahead of him and he would have been doubled off, end of inning, no runs score.
However, for Gomes to have thrown to second means he would have needed to catch the ball, start to throw, THEN realize the guy was caught off second, and change his mind about where to throw in a split second, while he's winding up. Of course, an infielder could have yelled at him to go to second, but they would have needed to be sure--you don't want to not throw home when you've got a legit shot at gunning down the potential tying run unless you're sure you can get the third out somewhere else.
Anyway, that was a tough play to take. Salty probably figured there was no harm in doing everything he can to give himself a shot at tagging that runner. At that point I was still just thinking, Fine, it's tied, we win it in the 8th or 9th. But no, Brez has to pull an "every single pitcher" and throw wildly to a base. They score the go-ahead run and that was all they needed.
Stinks that it was right after the inning with yet another heroic Papi dong. We suddenly went from losing to "x outs to go," but it was short-lived. At least we got to have that moment.
So we go to Mizzou tied at 1. We're still on my dad's theory's pace: win one at home, one on the road, then come home and win two. Anything on or better than that pace is fine.
On the Shitty Play, did you notice on the replay that the runner on second was way off the bag as Gomes was about to catch the ball? He was so far off, in fact, that he actually sprinted back and slid into second. You could see the ball fly over his head on its way home right as he got back. Therefore, a throw to second would have arrived just ahead of him and he would have been doubled off, end of inning, no runs score.
However, for Gomes to have thrown to second means he would have needed to catch the ball, start to throw, THEN realize the guy was caught off second, and change his mind about where to throw in a split second, while he's winding up. Of course, an infielder could have yelled at him to go to second, but they would have needed to be sure--you don't want to not throw home when you've got a legit shot at gunning down the potential tying run unless you're sure you can get the third out somewhere else.
Anyway, that was a tough play to take. Salty probably figured there was no harm in doing everything he can to give himself a shot at tagging that runner. At that point I was still just thinking, Fine, it's tied, we win it in the 8th or 9th. But no, Brez has to pull an "every single pitcher" and throw wildly to a base. They score the go-ahead run and that was all they needed.
Stinks that it was right after the inning with yet another heroic Papi dong. We suddenly went from losing to "x outs to go," but it was short-lived. At least we got to have that moment.
So we go to Mizzou tied at 1. We're still on my dad's theory's pace: win one at home, one on the road, then come home and win two. Anything on or better than that pace is fine.
SOX Win Game 1
E-Z win. We go up big early and coast home. A few tough spots for Lester but he works his way out of them. Papi gets robbed of a grandma but later connects on a grandpa. Napoli with a 3-run doobler that gets us out in front. 8-1 final. Three wins away from glorytown. The Cards were hilarious out there. Also, I was there! A couple pics:
It was really cool to finally be able to take this photo.
View from the seat.
More later, I would assume. Game 2 Thursday night, Lackey against a player of the National League persuasion, 8:07.
More later, I would assume. Game 2 Thursday night, Lackey against a player of the National League persuasion, 8:07.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
That Game
About Game 6....
3rd inning: So pissed. First two guys walk. You have to score. Shane can't get the bunt down, and then in the blink of an eye, the inning is over as Dustin hits one right to the third base bag, easy DP. Of course, it wasn't really the blink of an eye, since there was a long delay as they reviewed Pedroia's near-dong. How crazy was it that you could see shadow on pole? It was thisnospacehereclose.
5th: A little two-out rally makes it 1-0 us. I kept saying to Kim, "Xander is disciplined as fuck!" He "dissed" his way to two sweet-ass walks in this game. Here he doubled on a 3-2 pitch and Ells singled him home.
6th: Again Farrell takes the starter out fairly early, and this time it doesn't work. With two on and no outs, Morales comes in to face Prince. Everybody in the world knows the guy is slumping and can't do shit at the plate...except Morales, who walks him on four. Victor then hits one way out to left center for a two-run long single. Workman comes in and gets a crazy DP. Dustin gets the grounder and basically gets Prince in a rundown but as a bonus, tags Victor on his way to second. Prince ends up doing a weird fall near third, and then looks up at the ump as if he might take pity on him and call him safe, even though he's not in arm's reach of the base. This was the play of the game. Maybe. Without that, they might run away with it and we go to Game 7. Next batter Ks, and we move on, down only 2-1.
Bot 6th: We get the first two guys on. But the next three guys are not exactly "move the runner over" types. We do get a wild pitch after Papi flies out. But Nap Ks and Salty pops out, and we've squandered a HUGE opportunity.
7th: I got really pissed at Workman. A pitcher is also a fielder, and he screwed up that part of his job royally in a key spot. With two outs he takes a stab at a grounder and deflects it so Dustin has no time to make a play. It was a fairly easy hop and I think he made the right move going for it, he just didn't get his glove around it. Then he makes what's actually called an error, and he's done. Fortunately Cabrera hits one that Drew has time to go get and throw him out since he's so damn slow. Stretch time at Fenway, time is ticking away.
Bot 7th: Okay, THIS is the play of the game: Gomes hits one inches from being over the Monster. It's a double, and the second ball that missed dong-ness by the hair of a long-haired cat. Reminded me of the very close bounces that went our way in the 2004 ALCS, only the opposite. But at least we had a man on second with nobody out. Gotta tie it. And after the coach's son (that's the only possible explanation I can think of that Drew keeps playing for our team) does his usual whiff, the Zan Man works a walk. Okay, now THIS is the play of the game: Grounder up the middle, and IGLESIAS boots it. I watched the replay a hundred times trying to figure out if he was doing his show-off routine and was trying to shovel or not, but the way he reached into the glove tells me he wasn't. Not that he wasn't still showing off in this game because he was. But either way, he can't even get one out, and we're talkin' loaded with one down, instead of inning over, maybe. By the way, the Tigers had a Coke and a Smyly in this inning. I can't believe it took me that long to squeeze that joke in. Anyway, Victorino comes up, and on an 0-2 pitch, he lofts one up and over The Wall, and Fenway and my living room erupt. I think I actually stayed in the air for several minutes. The feeling of "it's ours now"-edness was palpa-frickin'-bull. I got that same feeling in Game 7 of the 2007 ALCS when Pedroia hit his dong, also to left field, also with one out in the 7th. Of course, in that game, we were up one, not down one at the time, making 2013 even more dramatic. It was 5-2 Boston, 6 outs away from the World Series.
And it was a party from then on. We got the last six outs, save for Drew botching a grounder that would have been a close play. Koji was named MVP. We went on to the World Series where hopefully we utterly dominated the National League.
3rd inning: So pissed. First two guys walk. You have to score. Shane can't get the bunt down, and then in the blink of an eye, the inning is over as Dustin hits one right to the third base bag, easy DP. Of course, it wasn't really the blink of an eye, since there was a long delay as they reviewed Pedroia's near-dong. How crazy was it that you could see shadow on pole? It was thisnospacehereclose.
5th: A little two-out rally makes it 1-0 us. I kept saying to Kim, "Xander is disciplined as fuck!" He "dissed" his way to two sweet-ass walks in this game. Here he doubled on a 3-2 pitch and Ells singled him home.
6th: Again Farrell takes the starter out fairly early, and this time it doesn't work. With two on and no outs, Morales comes in to face Prince. Everybody in the world knows the guy is slumping and can't do shit at the plate...except Morales, who walks him on four. Victor then hits one way out to left center for a two-run long single. Workman comes in and gets a crazy DP. Dustin gets the grounder and basically gets Prince in a rundown but as a bonus, tags Victor on his way to second. Prince ends up doing a weird fall near third, and then looks up at the ump as if he might take pity on him and call him safe, even though he's not in arm's reach of the base. This was the play of the game. Maybe. Without that, they might run away with it and we go to Game 7. Next batter Ks, and we move on, down only 2-1.
Bot 6th: We get the first two guys on. But the next three guys are not exactly "move the runner over" types. We do get a wild pitch after Papi flies out. But Nap Ks and Salty pops out, and we've squandered a HUGE opportunity.
7th: I got really pissed at Workman. A pitcher is also a fielder, and he screwed up that part of his job royally in a key spot. With two outs he takes a stab at a grounder and deflects it so Dustin has no time to make a play. It was a fairly easy hop and I think he made the right move going for it, he just didn't get his glove around it. Then he makes what's actually called an error, and he's done. Fortunately Cabrera hits one that Drew has time to go get and throw him out since he's so damn slow. Stretch time at Fenway, time is ticking away.
Bot 7th: Okay, THIS is the play of the game: Gomes hits one inches from being over the Monster. It's a double, and the second ball that missed dong-ness by the hair of a long-haired cat. Reminded me of the very close bounces that went our way in the 2004 ALCS, only the opposite. But at least we had a man on second with nobody out. Gotta tie it. And after the coach's son (that's the only possible explanation I can think of that Drew keeps playing for our team) does his usual whiff, the Zan Man works a walk. Okay, now THIS is the play of the game: Grounder up the middle, and IGLESIAS boots it. I watched the replay a hundred times trying to figure out if he was doing his show-off routine and was trying to shovel or not, but the way he reached into the glove tells me he wasn't. Not that he wasn't still showing off in this game because he was. But either way, he can't even get one out, and we're talkin' loaded with one down, instead of inning over, maybe. By the way, the Tigers had a Coke and a Smyly in this inning. I can't believe it took me that long to squeeze that joke in. Anyway, Victorino comes up, and on an 0-2 pitch, he lofts one up and over The Wall, and Fenway and my living room erupt. I think I actually stayed in the air for several minutes. The feeling of "it's ours now"-edness was palpa-frickin'-bull. I got that same feeling in Game 7 of the 2007 ALCS when Pedroia hit his dong, also to left field, also with one out in the 7th. Of course, in that game, we were up one, not down one at the time, making 2013 even more dramatic. It was 5-2 Boston, 6 outs away from the World Series.
And it was a party from then on. We got the last six outs, save for Drew botching a grounder that would have been a close play. Koji was named MVP. We went on to the World Series where hopefully we utterly dominated the National League.
Monday, October 21, 2013
My Playoff Record
As a kid, the playoffs in general were a rare bird. And actually going to a playoff game was unthinkable. Then I got to be in my 20s, and during Dick Dynasty I'd hear my Yankee-fan friends all talking about going to "Game 2" and shit, like it was just another game. Those bastids played so many playoff rounds in those years it was sickening. Finally in '04 I got the 10-game plan which offered a guaranteed playoff game whenever the team made it in. From there, I got way more savvy about tickets, and between my super-savviness and the one guaranteed game per year, I've ended up seeing some pretty sweet post-season action. And here it is, in a cojon conch:
2004 ALCS Game 3: Yankees 19, Red Sox 8. You know all about that one. No photos, but I mentioned the game in this post (in which I make some mistakes: "Charles" Drinkwater? And it wasn't Avalon we heard, it was that street drummer who used to sit on Lansdowne after every Sox game). Anyway, my plan always gives me ALDS, but if that game isn't played because we win the series before it happens, we get ALCS. That's what happened here, and we had "home game 2," which turned out to be home game one, or ALCS Game 3, because of a rain-out. In other words, I should have been at the Dave Roberts game.
In 2005, I would have been at Game 4 of the ALDS, but we lost in 3.
In 2006, no playoffs for us.
2007 ALDS Game 2: Red Sox 6, Angels 3. Manny hits a walk-off dong, and we all watch Joba swatting flies on the scoreboard. My photos here.
2007 ALCS Game 7: Red Sox 11, Indians 2. I called the ticket office that morning and got a great single bleacher seat. The Pedroia dong was huge. I get to see the Sox celebrate an AL pennant. My pics from the game here.
2008 ALDS Game 3: Angels 5, Red Sox 4 (12). Our only loss of that series. My limited photo gallery here.
2008 ALCS Game 4: Rays 13, Red Sox 4. Sox blown out to go down 3-1 in the series, but we had lots of fun after moving to the good seats. Pics here. ("The tray!")
2008 ALCS Game 5: Red Sox 8, Rays 7. THE COMEBACK. One of the best games I've ever seen. My photos here.
I would have gone to Game 7 of that year's World Series, but much like Aunt Baby, we'd never make it.
2009 ALDS Game 3: Angels 7, Red Sox 6. We were on the verge of staying alive, but it turned out to be a sweep, as well as the last Red Sox playoff game until this year. A few pics of the crappiness here.
And then of course there's 2013:
2013 ALDS, Game 1: Red Sox 12, Rays 2. It just happened, you remember....
2013 ALCS, Game 2: Red Sox 6, Tigers 5. Yet another candidate for "best game I've ever seen." The Papi grand slam--I'll never forget it. Relive the last week-ness of it all!
Okay, let's tally it up... 5 wins, 4 losses. Woohoo! That's LWWLLWLWW. 65 runs for us (more than 7 per game!), 63 for our opponents (7 per game, he said anti-climactically).
Next up, this year's World Series. I assume I'll just update this post from now to eternity. If I remember.
[Update, 8/16/2019! I will now add the postseason games since this post below! That took toooo long....]
2013 WS, Game 1: Red Sox 8, Cardinals 1. Photo gallery part one here. The Red Sox took a 1-0 lead on their way to another world championship.
2016 ALDS, Game 3: Indians 4, Red Sox 3. The Sox missed the playoffs in '14 and '15, but we were AL East champs in 2016. I was there for Papi's last regular season game, and then this, his final game overall, the one 2016 home playoff game. Cleveland completed the sweep that night. My blog ended in 2014, but here's a pic from that game on my Twitter account.
2017 ALDS, Game 3: Red Sox 10, Astros 3. The Sox avoid the first-round sweep this time, before being knocked out the next day. I was at this game myself, and I can't find any pics from my Twitter (due to their weird search function), except this one.
2018 ALDS, Game 2: Yankees, 6 Red Sox 2. I sat alone next to a weird duo in the GS behind the plate for this one, as the Sox lost to the Yanks, who tied the series at one. But Boston would go on to win the next two in New York to advance to the ALCS. (I also had tickets for Game 5, which never happened. Pre-game pic from me on Twitter.
2018 WS, Game 1: Red Sox 8, Dodgers 4. Sox win on their way to yet *another* title.... Pic from me on Twitter. And here's how I got the ticket.
Current record: 8-6. 96-81 Red Sox in total runs. 6.9-5.8 average score.
2004 ALCS Game 3: Yankees 19, Red Sox 8. You know all about that one. No photos, but I mentioned the game in this post (in which I make some mistakes: "Charles" Drinkwater? And it wasn't Avalon we heard, it was that street drummer who used to sit on Lansdowne after every Sox game). Anyway, my plan always gives me ALDS, but if that game isn't played because we win the series before it happens, we get ALCS. That's what happened here, and we had "home game 2," which turned out to be home game one, or ALCS Game 3, because of a rain-out. In other words, I should have been at the Dave Roberts game.
In 2005, I would have been at Game 4 of the ALDS, but we lost in 3.
In 2006, no playoffs for us.
2007 ALDS Game 2: Red Sox 6, Angels 3. Manny hits a walk-off dong, and we all watch Joba swatting flies on the scoreboard. My photos here.
2007 ALCS Game 7: Red Sox 11, Indians 2. I called the ticket office that morning and got a great single bleacher seat. The Pedroia dong was huge. I get to see the Sox celebrate an AL pennant. My pics from the game here.
2008 ALDS Game 3: Angels 5, Red Sox 4 (12). Our only loss of that series. My limited photo gallery here.
2008 ALCS Game 4: Rays 13, Red Sox 4. Sox blown out to go down 3-1 in the series, but we had lots of fun after moving to the good seats. Pics here. ("The tray!")
2008 ALCS Game 5: Red Sox 8, Rays 7. THE COMEBACK. One of the best games I've ever seen. My photos here.
I would have gone to Game 7 of that year's World Series, but much like Aunt Baby, we'd never make it.
2009 ALDS Game 3: Angels 7, Red Sox 6. We were on the verge of staying alive, but it turned out to be a sweep, as well as the last Red Sox playoff game until this year. A few pics of the crappiness here.
And then of course there's 2013:
2013 ALDS, Game 1: Red Sox 12, Rays 2. It just happened, you remember....
2013 ALCS, Game 2: Red Sox 6, Tigers 5. Yet another candidate for "best game I've ever seen." The Papi grand slam--I'll never forget it. Relive the last week-ness of it all!
Okay, let's tally it up... 5 wins, 4 losses. Woohoo! That's LWWLLWLWW. 65 runs for us (more than 7 per game!), 63 for our opponents (7 per game, he said anti-climactically).
Next up, this year's World Series. I assume I'll just update this post from now to eternity. If I remember.
[Update, 8/16/2019! I will now add the postseason games since this post below! That took toooo long....]
2013 WS, Game 1: Red Sox 8, Cardinals 1. Photo gallery part one here. The Red Sox took a 1-0 lead on their way to another world championship.
2016 ALDS, Game 3: Indians 4, Red Sox 3. The Sox missed the playoffs in '14 and '15, but we were AL East champs in 2016. I was there for Papi's last regular season game, and then this, his final game overall, the one 2016 home playoff game. Cleveland completed the sweep that night. My blog ended in 2014, but here's a pic from that game on my Twitter account.
2017 ALDS, Game 3: Red Sox 10, Astros 3. The Sox avoid the first-round sweep this time, before being knocked out the next day. I was at this game myself, and I can't find any pics from my Twitter (due to their weird search function), except this one.
2018 ALDS, Game 2: Yankees, 6 Red Sox 2. I sat alone next to a weird duo in the GS behind the plate for this one, as the Sox lost to the Yanks, who tied the series at one. But Boston would go on to win the next two in New York to advance to the ALCS. (I also had tickets for Game 5, which never happened. Pre-game pic from me on Twitter.
2018 WS, Game 1: Red Sox 8, Dodgers 4. Sox win on their way to yet *another* title.... Pic from me on Twitter. And here's how I got the ticket.
Current record: 8-6. 96-81 Red Sox in total runs. 6.9-5.8 average score.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
I'm Going To The World Series!!!!!!
First time ever. I'd been trying the automated line all morning, and even the tickets they supposedly had were "not available." But those were $250 and up anyway. Finally around 12:30, they had bleachers. Which are $125 each. I tried for 3, no go. Two, nothin'. Tried a single...and got it! FRONT ROW! At this point, I wanted to secure the ticket, as opposed to trying for two more separate singles, just because you never know if you'll somehow lose the one you had for whatever reason. So after sweating out the actual acquiring of the ticket, I called right back and got another single, then started over with another game (the same game) and got yet another single for a total of three between the two orders. Again, sweated through "the process," got my second confirmation number, and I was gold. So they're not together but they're all very good seats. WORLD SERIES!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!! !!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!! !!!!!! !!!!!!!!!
Keep trying that line, people. Good luck.
Keep trying that line, people. Good luck.
Running For Joy/Peeing With Pride
So last night I jumped around like a fool when Victorino made every little thing all right. Why do we jump? Well, because when you're watching a game, whether you're in a house or a bar or at your ballpark seat, there's nowhere to go but up. Stay with me now. So today I got up and went for a "workout," which is windsprints in the park because I've decided that's more fun than the long, slow, boring runs. I've always been a sprinter, not a distance man, so why not sprint as a workout? Anyway, I got out there, started to run, and...realized I was still celebrating that grandiose slam Shane "came back" with (that's a literary reference) last night. I was running for joy! You see, without a mansion, you can't celebrate something that happens on TV by running. You can try, lord knows our cats do, but you just can't air it out like you can outside.
In other bodily function news, you know how when you have a bad break-up, and then you finally get some sleep, and then you wake up, and now your mind is empty for about 10 seconds, and then it hits you, and all the pain comes flooding back? And you wish you could go back to those 10 carefree seconds? Well this morning I woke up, and I immediately thought, "I, fan of the 2013 American League champions, have to pee." So I wonder if the body/mind tries to protect itself from the bad, while just letting the good flow.
In other bodily function news, you know how when you have a bad break-up, and then you finally get some sleep, and then you wake up, and now your mind is empty for about 10 seconds, and then it hits you, and all the pain comes flooding back? And you wish you could go back to those 10 carefree seconds? Well this morning I woke up, and I immediately thought, "I, fan of the 2013 American League champions, have to pee." So I wonder if the body/mind tries to protect itself from the bad, while just letting the good flow.
A Few From Tonight
Shirt I saw during the celebration:
It says, "IF YOU SEE THIS, YOUR IN SECOND." So disappointed.
But NESN isn't. They love mistakes. Check this out from tonight's post-game coverage:
How could you forget about the FIRST World Series, in 1903?
Bonus gaffe: Mrs. Autry gives the hardware to Mr. Henry, and calls it the 2003 AL championship trophy. Oh well, I've made the "one decade off" mistake myself on occasion, and I'm a lot younger than she is.
But NESN isn't. They love mistakes. Check this out from tonight's post-game coverage:
Bonus gaffe: Mrs. Autry gives the hardware to Mr. Henry, and calls it the 2003 AL championship trophy. Oh well, I've made the "one decade off" mistake myself on occasion, and I'm a lot younger than she is.
Every Little Thing IS All Right. (Mofos!)
What did I just watch? What a classic series. It was fitting that we won in a pressure-cooker instead of the long, drawn-out three-hour celebration.
AL CHAMPS IN ALL CAPS!!!!!!
The World Series starts Wednesday...at Fenway Park, fo's of mo!
I shall talk more about tonight's game later. For now, I will continue to jump around until I collapse and then sleep a lot. But I'm hoping they release more WS tickets so I'll be up around 10 just in case. More likely they do it Monday though. If you hear anything, let me know. Thanks.
AL CHAMPS IN ALL CAPS!!!!!!
The World Series starts Wednesday...at Fenway Park, fo's of mo!
I shall talk more about tonight's game later. For now, I will continue to jump around until I collapse and then sleep a lot. But I'm hoping they release more WS tickets so I'll be up around 10 just in case. More likely they do it Monday though. If you hear anything, let me know. Thanks.
