Hearing this scene on the radio made my stomach turn. (AP Photo)Last night's game made me feel absolutely sick to my stomach, caused me to speed a little faster than planned, and almost had me veer off the road and into some desolate New Jersey guardrail. I was traveling from Boston to Jersey with my fiancée for some time with family and along with wedding planning (sorry ladies), and amid listening to the game through the crackle of AM radio - I almost had a heart attack. I already have a checkered past in relation to listening to Red Sox games on the radio and having dramatic events occur, and last night was no exception.
During the 2004 ALCS, like most of you, I was a complete and utter basket case - and as Game 6 was unfolding I came to the conclusion that I could no longer watch the game in the accompaniment of my roommates and friends. So I left my apartment living room, grabbed my shower radio, and went on my back porch with a couple of beers and racing thoughts to take in the anxiety of the game by myself. It was shortly after I made this decision that the infamous A-Rod "slap play" occurred, and my memory of the incident will forever be engrained in my head. Hearing Joe Castiglione call that play had visions of Buckner and Boone dance rapidly through my head, and as he screamed, "ARROYO DROPPED THE BALL!!!" I literally fell to my knees of my third floor apartment deck, and let out one of the most guttural and primal screams of my life. The most
disheartening part about this moment was the stereo sound of very similar cries of anguish that came all around me from fellow neighbors, as the entire Brighton neighborhood was tossed into what seemed like an inevitable downward spiral. Obviously the good guys ended up winning, but I'll never forget that moment of naked despair as I stared alone on my Boston porch with only the crackling of the AM radio.
Last night was no very different for me. Obviously the stakes weren't as high, however without Lester, the 2009 Red Sox season is over. He's been the ace of the staff all year, and having that play happen was basically a worse case scenario for the Sox. I'm not sure how dramatic it all was while watching on TV, but trust, hearing this on the radio while cruising through enemy territory was like a swift punch to an non-flexed stomach. It wasn't until this morning that I discovered the X-Rays were negative, but still, in what was already a meaningless game, this knocked the collective wind out of my sails - and brought back deep awful flashbacks of rivalries past.
As a Sox fan you just have to hold your breath and hope this is nothing more than a deep bruise, but if anything this shows you how thin the razor's edge can be for a ball club. Like I said yesterday though, "you have to expect the unexpected with these two" - and last night certainly proved this.
This just in though. In this meaningless game... he got knocked around real good. But i must say... when i saw him go down... even I as a Yankee fan said..."Oh no." Cus it looked BAD. You dont want that to happen to anyone... especially a guy who beat cancer. But... then again as you said... your chances were OVER had it been serious. And that would have restored my faith in curses a bit, as the "Curse of Mark tex" isn't exactly playing out the way your boy Mr. Henry thought it would. (RIDICULOUS)
This off season is going to be fun. But if Beckett cant keep the ball in the park at the stadium and there is any similarity to tonight from Lester... the series certainly wont go 7.
The Yankees dont play you guys scared anymore. Period. That brief moment in history is over. I'm not saying anything is a fore gone conclusion... but times have changed. back to reality in terms of the Yankees Sox rivalry. We are the team to beat again, and quite frankly.. that's the way it should be. Now I'm off to Laguna Beach. Seriously. haha
PS. Might I note that the Yankees crowd gave a standing O for Lester. Just keep that in mind when we compare the two fan bases in the future.
Posted by: Erik | September 26, 2009 at 01:54 PM