SawxBlog

Wanted: One (or two) Heroes -- If Interested Please Contact Game 7 of the 2008 ALCS

Game Seven of the 2008 ALCS should be good. (SawxBlog Illustration)

In the past decade the Boston Red Sox have not played in an ALCS where a Game 7 hasn't taken place. We all have been hearing and reading ad nauseum about how the Sox have come back from similar deficits in 2004 and 2007, however, this game isn't what that's about anymore. This is now a one game series with the winner being awarded a trip to the World Series. The previous six games mean nothing, and it's time to put up or shut up for both teams tonight.

You have to love the experience the Red Sox have to pull from, however experience is only as good as your starting pitcher, and I know every Boston Red Sock and fan alike would rather have no one else then Jon Lester on the mound tonight. Lester is primed for this start, and although his last outing wasn't anything to write home about, the 24 year old is veteran enough to put that behind him. Also, he has a pitchers best friend right there with him to help calm him down, and that special weapon is our Captain, Jason Varitek.

We Sox fans have to recognize that what we are seeing is Jason Varitek's swan song. Much like Pedro in 2004, you almost know that this is his last year with the club. It's sad to write, and I may end up being wrong in the end, but I think age is finally catching up with the captain, and his bat has become too much of a liability. It's been utterly painful to watch him bat this year, but his resiliance and professionalism have always been at top form, and that's why he's our captain. Varitek's go ahead homerun last night was his own personal Rocky moment. You know he's always going to call a good game, but you just don't expect it with the bat anymore. To see our captain pull one out was a miraculous feeling, and you just hope he has a new found confidence at the plate for at least one more game. Either way Tek will be loved forever in New England, and last night he penned another chapter in his book, just when you thought it was over.

Tonight, most likely after midnight, there'll be a hero with champagne running down his face along with a ticket to the World Series in his hand, and I sure as hell hope he has Boston written accross his chest. Lets Go Sox!!!

27 outs left, lets be smart with them.

BIG LAME JAMES

27 outs left. For both of us now...

Will Josh Beckett grant us another Game 6 ALCS miracle?

Josh Beckett looks to reclaim his spot in October lore tonight. (SawxBlog Illustration)

Although the Boston Red Sox play ball this October as the reigning World Series Champions, I often find my memory being flashed back with comparisons from 2004 instead of 2007. That being said, this 2008 squad still has a whole lot of ball and luck left to have 2008 have the same ring as the previous two seasons. From the fan perspective, with the level of nerves and improbability that we're feeling, it becomes hard not to recognize the two different years synergy.

The latest parallel between 2004 & 2008 is laying just under four hours away on this Saturday afternoon. We have our embattled and injured ace about to take the mound, it's yet again on our opposing rivals (yes, the Rays are at rival status now) field, and it's after an unbelievable emotional Fenway walk-off victory. This time instead of Curt Schilling taking the mound we have Josh Beckett. And instead of the forever there Yankees it's the how'd they get there Rays. No matter each rival teams traditions or past, they both hold one thing in common, they're both damned good baseball teams. They both may even be better then the Red Sox in these respective years, but for whatever reason, I can't stop hoping that the results will be the same.

Rooting for the Red Sox the past few Octobers is kind of like believing in magic. The odds, plots, and storylines would make a horrible movie script because the extremes faced wouldn't be believable, yet the Sox have been making it a common occurrence during this familiar autumn bite. I have no reason to hope for Beckett to have a good game tonight. He's been nothing but bad this postseason and he's obviously hurt. What draws me back in is the man's pride. I just have a hard time believing he'd allow himself to let the Red Sox lose in a situation such as this. A win tonight could help further cement his incredible postseason reputation along with adding another chapter to what's becoming a Hall of Fame resume for him.

I believe in Beckett, it's as simple as that, and I know his team and fan base do too, and that just may be enough. One game at a time, and that game's tonight, lets Go Sox!

Through this haze of despair and disbelief, I still have hope, I still have faith

I told you that Mark Kotsay was a Hero in the Making. (AP Photo)

In the great words of the Immortal Kevin Garnett:

“ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!!”

Wow.

As I rode the subway into work today there was an eerie calm about almost everything around me. It was as if the city of Boston had its volume turned down while laying in a familiar, yet equally strange haze of having too many spirits the night before, and expending too much energy and hope on the local nine. The T drivers were quiet & nice. Fellow riders were cordial & kind. And in this early morning state of shock & bliss it was as if the T was gliding on something other then tracks while pulling into Park Street Station. It’s almost as if you could tilt your head slightly, and while listening closely, hear Paul Revere scream.

“The Red Sox won! The Red Sox won! The Red Sox won.”

There’s no need for me to look at a box score to recount last nights game, it’s already emblazed upon my memory banks for a lifetime. This is one of those all-time great games that I will never forget. The only other Game that I can possibly compare this to is Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS. And you know what else this was?

This was our Rocky moment. This was the point in the movie where Clubber Lang is drooling and screaming all over our beaten and bruised corpse. This is the part where Adrian has a hand over her mouth and tears in her eyes wanting our misery and pain to end in a swift and humane manner. This is when, despite odds and reality, the 2008 Rocky Sox lift up to one knee, raise their head -- look Clubber square in the eyes, and let the world know that we’re not dead yet, not by a long shot. It’s beyond fairly tale, it’s beyond epic, and it’s all still too much. This was baseball at its most ugly and beautiful. This is when you cue that Rocky music as those glorious horns rise to a crescendo lifting both spirit and heart. This may have been the best baseball game I have ever watched in my life.

The heroes were plenty last night for sure. But it all started with the lifeblood of this Boston Red Sox team in Mr. Dustin “Frodo” Pedroia. The Red Sox were down 7-0 in the seventh, with two outs and two strikes, when our scrappy MVP kept hope alive and passed the torch along to the Ghost of Big Papi. David’s blast was vintage, and is another in a long list for him; while suddenly all playoff woes of his are now distant and setting with the sun. Coco Crisp’s at-bat may have been the best at bat I’ve seen…..well………ever. Talk about an Odyssey, his journey during that 10 pitch epic would make Homer proud. Then there’s Johhny Paps whose heroic innings kept hope alive, and by the power vested in Mark Kotsay and J.D. Drew, puff, bam, boom. Fenway Park is once again turned into Oz, where reality is just a word.

Game 6. Saturday night, featuring Josh Beckett. Get your popcorn ready, because remember, anything is possible.

27 outs left, lets be smart with them.

Tell Me When I Can Look - Chronicles of a Scared Red Sox Fan

Jason Bay looks like a lot of Sox fans last night. (AP Photo)

The word painful often comes to mind. Numb could be close behind too I guess. Déjà Vu's also right there come to think of it. <takes breath> What I'm trying to get at here is this, being down isn't necessarily foreign ground for the Sox or us fans, but it certainly isn't welcome ground. Being down 3-1 the way we are now just doesn't seem right. Like a rotten sour milk taste in the mouth. Bitter, but nothing's sweet. The Red Sox are looking old and hurt, and the Rays are looking young and hyped. The difference between both clubs demeanor is night and day.

The Rays are cool and calm, the Sox are cool and cold. Last night I missed the first four innings due to a softball engagement (we won...mercy rule) and when I turned on EEI and heard...

 "Masterson delivers the ball...."

...spew out of Joe Castiglione's mouth I knew the night's good start from softball was just a blip on the radar screen.

The strangest thing about the game, and the previous few, is that it was such an impervious beating by the Rays that you became indifferent eventually. Me and my friends were just laughing and hi-fiving any hit the Sox obtained. When David Ortiz hit that you triple you damn well would have believed that the Sox just won the game. It was odd, and looking back I can see we were completely masking the feeling we truly had. Sadness.

With all the injuries the Sox have I wouldn't have been shocked to see them lose this series, but my oh my, this is some way to lose it. I was all but lost on hope when Krazy Kris pulled me right back in there.

He turned to me and said, "Dude, we got Dice-K in Game 5...."

And then it clicked...

If Dice-K can win Game 5, then you have yourself an angry Beckett out to prove himself in Game 6, and likewise by Lester in Game 7. Call me delusional, or call me crazy, I'm fine with either. But call me anything but a Sox fan and I'll be offended, because i think we can win the 2008 ALCS. Tito kept saying this is a seven game series right? So lets make it one.

27 outs left for us, lets be smart with them.

Some Sort of Homecoming - Rays Run Over Sox, 9-1

V-Tek tags out Carl Crawford at home in a rare Game 3 highlight. (AP Photo)

So hopefully last night was the part of the movie where Clubber Lang really lets Rocky have it, only to find that Rocky still has a little juice left in the tank in later rounds. Between the Pats Sunday night clobbering by the Chargers and last nights Game 3 loss to the Rays there hasn't been too much sporting joy in the greater New England area in the past few days.

Once your team gets down a game in a playoff series things instantly take a turn for the more serious. Suddenly you realize your team's only two losses away from being eliminated and things start to get a little more intense. You glance at the scoreboard more often, countdown outs, and break out the strangest of rituals. We have to remember that the Red Sox have come back from a 3-0 deficit as well as a 3-1 deficit in the ALCS so there is certainly no need to panic yet. What is concerning for the Sox is that they truly look tired and spent. David Ortiz, Josh Beckett, & J.D. Drew are obviously playing through some pain, Mike Lowell is sitting on the bench, and our pitchers seem to be wilting a bit under the October pressure.

You can't say anything too bad about Jon Lester, he is after all human, and in the long run I'm sure he learned a lot from last nights game. Having the Rays beat both Beckett and Lester back to back sure must give the Rays a lot of confidence, but in reality, they don't need anymore, they've had it all year long. I'm sure all of Red Sox Nation as a whole is a little hesitant with Wakefield on the mound tonight, however he may be the perfect switch to help cool of these Rays hitters.

And although Paul Byrd did give up that three run jack, effectively ending the game, he ate up valuable innings that has now made our bullpen fresher then fresh. Remember when Wake pitched those innings in the 19-8 loss to the Yanks in the 2004 ALCS? Very similar. The bullpen has now ALL had two complete days off, and I would suspect that if tonight's game is close Tito will be quick to pull the trigger and send in a new pitcher. This is what I take out of the loss, yes it was 9-1, but it only counts as one game. If you're going to lose this was the smartest way to do it, by saving the bullpen, and I'd very much suspect Game 4 to have an all hands on deck feel.

Yeah last night sucked, yeah our team's pretty beat up, but there's certainly no fat lady singing yet, the 2008 Rocky Sox need to take a few blows before they can stage their comeback. Let's just hope it's not as drama filled as the last two ALCS's, where the Red Sox never were able to tie it up 2-2.

The 2008 Red Sox Postseason Run = Rocky III

The Rays once again outlasted the Red Sox. (AP Photo)

No one said the ALCS was going to be easy for the Red Sox, because, well...it never has been easy for the Red Sox. This was the second time of the 2008 playoffs that the Sox have lost a long, tough, five hour plus extra innings game, and just like the last time they lost in extras they have to dust off, stand-up, dig in, and get ready for another round. Because that's where the Red Sox now find themselves, in the midst of a good ol' fashioned AL East brawl with a more then formidable Rays team.

While watching the game Saturday night I equated this current Sox playoff run with one of the best movies in cinematic history, and that movie is of course Rocky III. This is the third run the revitalized non-racist Tom Yawkey Red Sox are making at a World Series title and they're older, wiser, and no longer everyone's lovable underdog. (Side Note: 2005 doesn't count because Matt Clement of all people started game 1 of the ALDS, which leads me to wonder what the hell he's up to, and if Clay Buckholz borrow his goatee?) Rocky I was totally the 2004 Sox, the truest of underdog stories. While 2007 was more Rocky II because while it still wasn't as dramatic as 2004 (Rocky I) it still contained some similar plot lines. Sweep Angels in ALDS - Check. Make a historic comeback in ALCS - Check. Sweep the World Series - Check. This year has been different from the start.

While the Sox have been one of the best teams all year long in MLB, it's always seemed to be an uphill battle for them. There's never truly seemed to be any breathing room where they coasted for any extended period of time, and there's always been some sort of pressure exuded on them. It all started off with them playing games in Japan, then losing key players to injury, dealing with Manny being an asshole, etc. etc. etc.

But what are you going to do? Lay down for a standing eight count, or wipe the sweat off your brow, bang your gloves together, and get back in there and fight. I bet you the 2008 Rocky Sox are going to be standing up to fight.

Rocky III was always my favorite of all the Rocky movies. Aside from there being a robot maid and Hulk Hogan in the beginning (see, right there you're nodding your head in agreement aren't you?) you have the best Rocky villain ever with Mr. T as Clubber Lang. Do you think it's a coincidence that the Tampa Bay Rays, the upstart young team, are all wearing Mohawks? I don't think so. They're totally the Tampa Bay Clubber Langs to me now. Micky died in Rocky III, Manny died in 2008. Rocky was rich, famous, and used to winning in Rocky III, the 2008 Sox also need to regain that edge and identity we once had. Maybe Mike Lowell can be our inspirational Apollo Creed from the bench, or side of the ring? Parallels are abound I tell you. This whole theory may be turned upside down, or twisted all sorts of ironic if we end up facing the Phillies (Drago?) in the World Series, but right now all focus is on the Rays, and the Rocky Sox need to punch them right back in the mouth today at 4:30pm.

I feel like a Rocky III montage with some Dokken is in order. Let's Go Sox!

Dice-K Pitches A Game 1 Gem - Red Sox Steal Home Field Again - Beat Rays 2-0

Dice-K delivers to home plate during Game 1 of ALCS. (AP Photo)

The greatest trick Dice-K ever pulled was convincing the baseball world he couldn't pitch. Dice-K's magical season rose to a crescendo last night in the Trop as he composed an utterly brilliant game for the Boston Red Sox. Winning a Game 1 when you're the road team in a playoff series is just huge. Especially when you have Beckett and Lester waiting in the shadows ready to pitch games 3 & 4. People have been on Dice-K all season because of his unorthodox style of approaching hitters. They've thrown his stats out the window because he's pitched a style that they're just not used to. Am I used to his style yet? Hell no. Do I like the results of his style? Hell Yes.

There's three things that he has on the mound that make him so successful. He has confidence, he's fearless, and he's a stubborn son of a bitch. He often reminds me of Pedro in his prime. Not with their pitching styles, but with their coyness and ability to own the mound when on it. It's like watching a master work within his craft, and it's really fun. It's maddening to a lot of people because we've been led to believe that you have to be a husky 6'2'' red neck from Texas in order to be able to pitch well. But Dice-K's mind games and magic acts have proven over and over again that his way, is his way, and it's how he's going to approach the game.

But in the end that's what's the best part about magic, no matter how you break it down, you just can't figure out how it's done. And that's the allure of Dice-K, he takes things from the impossible, to the real, and it's a joy to watch.

Red Sox vs. Devil Rays 2008 ALCS Preview

It's time for the Red Sox to take off the gloves and end the Rays run. (Samara Pearlstein Photo)

So here we are, mere hours away from yet another ALCS for the Boston Red Sox, and from a fans vantage point it just doesn't get any better then this. Playing for the right to play in the World Series is beyond exciting, and is the ultimate goal for both the player and the fan alike. And to think, people used to tell us that after the Red Sox "finally won it all" we'd all become disenfranchised and not care about the team as much anymore. I'm pretty certain that the opposite has happened since, wouldn't you?

As far as this series is concerned I'm feeling anxious, yet confident in the Red Sox and their chances. I believe that we just beat the most talented team in the playoffs in the Angels, and we were tested each and every step of the way by them. I truly believe this is finally the time when the Sox are going to pull some mind game voodoo over the Rays. Look at the Sox kind of like an older brother, no matter how talented or whatnot the younger brother is, the older always has a slight mental edge over them. Shoot, I'm the youngest in my family, and I've had my fair share of wins, but I never won the first time.

The experts are all wet down below over the Rays, and for good reason, they're a great team. But trust me, the playoffs have nothing to do with the regular season, just ask the LA Angels about that. Much like Game 1 in the ALDS, I think tonight sets the tone for the rest of the series, and if we can pull off a win tonight you'll start to see the Rays think maybe a little too much with an error here, and error there. A base running gaff here and mistake there... They've cleared every hurdle that's been in front of them thus far but the pressure is finally going to mount (I hope). Playing an ALDS against a bad White Sox team is a hell of a lot different then an ALCS against the Right Sox. My head says Sox in 6, but my heart says Sox in 5, and that's what I'm sticking with.

Let Go Sox!

Mark Kotsay, Unsung Hero in the Making

Mark Kotasy scores during game 4 of the ALDS. (AP Photo)

Call it a hunch, but I still think the best is yet to come out of Mark Kotsay in these 2008 playoffs. Maybe I'm biased due to the fact that he wears the #11 on his back, which was once worn by one of my all-time favorite Red Sox, Billy Mueller. But obviously it goes deeper then a hunch and a number. I file Kotsay along with Youk into a category that I'm pretty sure I made up. And that category is, "If Bill Bellichek managed a baseball team he'd want this guy to play for him". Basically that's a fancy (non-fancy?) way of saying that Kotsay is versatile, a gamer, and an intelligent athlete.

Now that Mike Lowell is out for at least the ALCS Mark Kotsay is really going to be given an opportunity to shine. We briefly saw what Kotsay was capable of in Game 4 of the ALDS, where he had a key hit, scored a valuable run, and made some stellar plays at 1B. Now Kotsay isn't a 1B by trade, but he's plenty athletic enough to handle a position which is one of the easiest in the game. This helps give the Red Sox the best defense in the playoffs now, and we all saw in the ALDS how big of a role defense can play. I think we'll be seeing Sean Casey in more of a pinch hitter role now because of the defense Kotsay can bring to the table.

Not only is Kotsay going to continue to flash some leather, but you can also expect him to have solid playoff worthy at-bats. He's a patient hitter who fits right into the Sox game plan. Having him bat near the end of our lineup is also going to give him some RBI opportunities with the hitters that are in front of him.

So yeah, it's part hunch , part circumstance with Kotsay. But trust me, there'll be a time when you're watching one of these game when it'll click for you, and Kotsay will do something big (again). It's in the writing, and that's why the Red Sox are so good. It's not just the Papi's and Pedroia's, it's the Cora's, the Kotsay's, and the Casey's that have us charging once again to the Championship.