Tim Blair

That explains it. Now I know why Red Sox fans have no life. They're all hanging around the phone, waiting for someone -- anyone -- to call.

Maybe they should move to Cleveland.

Unless you grew up watching the Red Sox, you will be unable to fathom the passion this region has for the team.

Even I can't explain it ... it's woven into the fabric of our lives.

If they win this thing, I'm taking a week off from work to celebrate. And I'm not kidding.

i just don't know what they're going to do if they actually win the series. for 86 years their lives have revolved around the red sox always losing. i fear the change may be too drastic for some...

haha, exactly to my point!

it should be "...an inning ended." I know the singular doesn't exist in cricket, but it's alive and well in baseball.

You think we take the Red Sox too seriously?

Nahh.....ok maybe a little.....

Via mASSbACKWARDS-
http://massbackwards.blogspot.com/2004/10/let-us-play.html

Our Papi, Who art in Fenway
Hallowed by thy team.
Thou kicketh ass,
On Yankee grass,
And at home, as you did in the Bronx.

Give us this year our shiny rings,
And forgive us our talk of curses,
As we forgive those who talk of curses against us.

And lead us not into extra innings,
But deliver us from errors.

For thou art the Schilling,
And the Pedro,
And the D-Lowe,
For ever and ever.

Damon.

...............

Honestly, it's impossible to describe the passion we have for the Red Sox. Words do not do it justice. During October, the police regularly patrol the bridges if the Sox lose. I'm deadly serious.

Obstructed view tickets for Game one of the Worlds series (meaning you sit directly behind a large steel girder so you cannot see the game from your seat) were going for $1800 (US).

But hey, it's just a baseball game...yep, juuussstt a baseball game...I figure if I tell myself that enough times, it will eventually ring true...

For a mere $54,000 (American) you can have a couple front-row seats for a possible game seven.

You might call this major-league scalping.

Cards aren't finished yet!!!!!
Well, if they keep pitching like that they are.....

Sox fans no nothing of losing. It takes a Cubs fan to really appreciate losing. We haven't even been to a series since 1945, and just had our first back to back winning seasons since the early 70's. Haven't won a series in almost 100 years. I am rooting for the Sox so we can quit hearing about their losing ways - even amongst losers they are not winners!

And of course, as a Cub fan, St. Louis winning is worse than death itself!

JEM - as a fellow Cubs fan, I too am rooting like crazy for the Red Sox; OK, so it's now *our* curse being broken, but maybe it'll set a precedent! (I can dream).

NOT our curse. Damn it, what a difference a letter makes. I think Steve Bartman must have messed with my keyboard...

Then you must publicly on this blog blow your keyboard up so it cannot hurt us again.

During which the rest of us can enjoy a cold one and cheer you on!

To paraphrase Standing Wolf (erstwhile regular over at Lucianne.com) every day I thank God that I was born without the sports gene, or chromosome, or whatever it is that compels people to pay any attention to this stuff.

That said, I can't see why anyone roots for the Red Sox. They're from Boston, aren't they? - the spawning ground of the horrible Kennedys, idiotic Irish-Americans who romanticize the IRA, and of course John F'n Kerry. For all of this they deserve to lose now, always and forever unto the end of time.

annalucia,

Well, that was logical. Because obviously everyone from Boston is left fringe, IRA endorsing, Kerry fellating, Kennedy binge drinking taxocrats. Right?

Um, annalucia? You are an idiot. I'm glad people such as yourself stay away from sports, you would have trouble figuring out who to root for anyways. If you knew anything about Boston beside the drivel you posted, you would know that the Red Sox are the ultimate underdog, and deserve their hard earned success. That's why there are fans around the world who love the Red Sox.

Sorry that you can't understand people rooting for sports teams, you are missing out on the excitement- your loss.

GO RED SOX!!!

Nice try. You barrack for Collingwood - the phone would never ring at your house celebrating victory.

"During October, the police regularly patrol the bridges if the Sox lose. I'm deadly serious."

I think the death rate in New England will spike if the Sox WIN the Series. Do you know how many old coots have been waiting for this so they can finally give up the ghost?

I went to my first Red Sox game as a Cub Scout.
Fortunately they kept us away from the bleachers, because back then you could get a contact high
there. In high school, we loved the field trips to Fenway, because they always stuck us in the bleachers.

I grew up on Long Island, NY, as a die-hard Mets fan in the 80's. My dad is a life-long Sox fan. In 1986, he watched the World Series on the downstairs TV, I watched it on the upstairs TV. He was on the phone with his brother at the end of game 6, congratulating each other, only to hear me yippeeing incredulously at the Mets miracle (and Buckner-aided) comeback.
Now, I've been in Boston for 10+ years, and am a big Sox fan. Im afraid they aren't allowed to win since I was rooting against them in '86.

And to address the Cub fan complaints, it's precisely that the Sox are pretty good almost every year that mkaes the losing so painful. They get so close, raise hopes so high, only to blow it.
If they sucked every year, there's be no pain.
Sox in '04, Cubbies in '05!

I want the Red Birds to win. Go Larry Walker!!!

Hell is being an Adelaide fan when Port Adelaide win the Premiership.

TMan, please cool down. I know Annalucia (in fact, she's my mom, so pardon me if I get slightly defensive) and she's married to a rabid baseball fan; I think sometimes the endless talk of possible trades and lineups etc just gets to her. And calling someone an idiot off the bat is not a great way to dispel the stereotypes about Bostonians, 'kay? And sorry, but the title of ultimate underdog is the true property of neither the Red Sox, the Cubs or any team currently active: it will always belong to either the St. Louis Browns or the Washington Senators. The Browns are dead and gone and the Senators only recently crawled out of their most recent coffin, but any team that's gotten to the series as many times as Boston has is NOT the ultimate underdog. Ultimate underdog is when you throw a party for a REGULAR season win.

Rob - Oh, we're starting to understand. We had a serious taste of that last year. But thank you for graciously letting us have '05 :).

JEM - *straps explosive onto keyboard* ...

*waits*

*BLAM!!!!*

*"BALL IS GREAT!! BASEBALL AKBAR!"*

annalucia,

that was pure poetry!

One more thing: I think that, despite the differences in our sporting allegiances, we can all agree that watching John Kerry repeatedly and royally screwing up when trying to state the game scores was a thing of schadenfreudilicious beauty.

Totally agree with you Tim. Nothing I hate more when I watch Bathurst is people wanting to come over to visit or try to start up a conversation. Though I will ring my brother and/or sisters if their is a big crash so they can see the replay.

Me and some of my friends go to games at Seattle's Safeco field about 15-20 times a year. Seen nearly all the teams multiple times. We've come to the following agreed upon conclusion about the Red Sox, we:

Love the team.

Hate the fans.

I've never seen a bigger collection of obnoxious ass-holes in my life. Worse than Yankees fans by a country mile. Actually, Yankees fans aren't all that bad. (Second biggest collection of obnoxious ass-holes: Orioles fans. Although not as many of them show up.)

I will give the Red Sox fans living in the Pacific Northwest this much, they do turn out for their team. Easily the biggest group of "away" fans of any visiting team. (Second biggest group: Canadians coming down from British Columbia for the Toronto Blue Jays.)

If the red sox win will Kerry get any bounce,underdog made good stuff,he is from around there right?Is Boston in a swing state?I'm getting a little edgy I've backed Bush and his odds are drifting.

Well, take some reassurance in the fact that the election is determined by votes, not mythic comparisons to things like how many times a certain horse in Nebraska farted during the debates, even if the horse wind has never failed to predict an election yet!

I hate watching sport at home because I throw things at the TV when things go wrong. Fortunately I'm at school today, so if things go boss-eyed I'll throw things at students.

Go Sox! Go Manny! 1-0.

No one knows anything about what it is like to lose until they barrack for the Dockers.

World series, U.S.Presidential Elections.... People! Dithering around with trivial concerns when real hairy chested RWDB are in lock down for the mighty, the magnificent the awe inspiring....
HALO2! November 9th is the magical day, when Xbox's around the world will be thrashed without mercy as Master Chief [Modeled by Tim, according to Andrea], returns.

Tim — it could be worse. Poland banned aluminum softball bats as deadly weapons...

Is Boston in a swing state?

Boston is Kerry's hometown. It's about as swingy as Utah.

In 1972, the Democratic nominee for President, George McGovern, received the electoral votes from exactly two localities: The state of Massachusetts, and the District of Columbia (Washington, DC).

Richard Nixon recieved the electoral votes of the 49 other states.

No, Massachusetts is not a swing state.

Sonetka-
I toast your explosion - Cubs for sure in '05 now!

Sonetka,

"TMan, please cool down."

k.

"I know Annalucia (in fact, she's my mom, so pardon me if I get slightly defensive) and she's married to a rabid baseball fan;"

Dad's a rabid baseball fan.....check...

"I think sometimes the endless talk of possible trades and lineups etc just gets to her."

Or, that's what she was initially attracted to. Probably both.

"And calling someone an idiot off the bat is not a great way to dispel the stereotypes about Bostonians, 'kay? "

Well, implying that one should ignore the fanbase of Red Sox Nation because we are from the Bay State is simply asking to be fisked. I'm just representing. I'm not in Kerry's email list, and I hail from Boston.

"And sorry, but the title of ultimate underdog is the true property of neither the Red Sox, the Cubs or any team currently active: it will always belong to either the St. Louis Browns or the Washington Senators. "

Impressive baseball knowledge you have there. For the Bostonians, winning a World Series title is huge, and surviving a 0-3 deficit in the ALCS against Mariano Rivera in game four is bigger than any comeback in the history of this fair game.

"Ultimate underdog is when you throw a party for a REGULAR season win. "

Name me one team that has come back from being down 0-3 in the post season.

Answers on a postcard.

Name me one team that has come back from being down 0-3 in the post season.

The St. Louis Cardinals, five days from today. ;)

(Sorry, couldn't resist.)

Scotty, Scotty, Scotty.

Get over it.

After all some of us Port supporters are really nice, once you get to know us.

"Which would be much easier if Australia had more lenient gun laws."

Less draconian gun laws, surely?

Howard's one big mistake - the uniform gun laws - although all of the evidence suggests that he was very badly advised by the vestigial Keating bureaucracy ( much of which has since disappeared into limbo). I have a lot of time for Howard but, for me, the major blot on his record was, and is, the apparent knee-jerk (and badly advised) reaction to Port Arthur, and his 'UFL' initiatives - not that he mentions them much these days. At the time I felt much like Auda abu Tayi (Anthony Quinn)in "Lawrence' when he said, "So he is not perfect after all".
The legacy of Howard's gun laws is the huge upsurge in illegal gun crime in Australia, specifically, illegal hand-gun (pistol) related crimes- long illegal in Australia. A perfect example of the law of unintended consequencesa

>Which would be much easier if Australia had more lenient gun laws.

The police chiefs in the UK advice people not to tackle with burglars accordign to Daily Telegaph. One of the added: He added: "If the intruder steals some of your property, that's far better than someone getting killed."

I prefer the US way where reasonable force is to shoot the bastard as (s)he after all has the choice of not breaking in.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/10/27/ncrime27.xml&sSheet=/portal/2004/10/27/ixportaltop.html

Ah, TMan, I think the problem is that we're working with different definitions of the term "ultimate underdog." The Red Sox have, as you rightly point out, done something no other baseball team (can't speak for other sports) has ever done; they successfully came back from an 0-3 deficit. In a playoff series, they certainly were in the ultimate underdog position. But this is one year; I don't think that makes them the *all-time* ultimate underdogs. They have fielded many good teams before who made the series and had a good chance of winning it all, it just didn't work out that way. I still think the ultimate underdogs are the ones who have a history not just of losing in the postseason, but of being pretty much out of postseason contention by July - in their better years. (And for seasonal long shots: I find the 0-3 comeback the most impressive, myself, but you could probably make a case that the 1991 Twins/Braves series was also pretty impressive; two worst-to-first teams had never met in the postseason before then, and the statistical odds on that were also, and still are, very long).

Of course winning a series for Boston is huge, and coming back from an 0-3 deficit is even huger. If they win this, it'll be one of the great sporting accomplishments of the century (OK, the last century plus this little bit). But it will not be the *only* one, or even necessarily the most impressive. The Cubs winning a Series title would be pretty huge as well (and there are several fairly old teams which have never taken one). It's all in how you look at it. I think we'll just have to disagree on what constitutes an "ultimate" (as opposed to series or seasonal) underdog.

As for slagging off Boston - come on, you're telling me you never maybe judged the Yankees by a few New York stereotypes that do not necessarily apply to every one of the millions of people who live in the city? Imagine the Yankees were in the series, that you have no particular love for the team anyway, and Kerry was going around pimping his "lifelong" love of them, plus maybe you've had some bad experiences with New Yorkers and don't particularly care for the place. You'd probably have a few nasty words about the situation as well; it wouldn't mean you would be committing seppuku if the Yankees won or personally wishing shame and dishonour on every Yankee fan. Please believe that my mom does not truly think that by being a Boston fan that that means you're a rabid Kerryite. I think it just means that she dislikes the prospect of Kerry's nauseating grandstanding when/if the Red Sox win.

BTW, I say "when/if" just to ward off the evil irony gods. I'm still rooting like crazy for the Red Sox, because damn it, curses are made to be broken :). And although I don't think you've had the ultimate in baseball suffering, it doesn't mean you haven't had it pretty damn bad. So I hope tomorrow night finds you popping open your own champagne or beer or whatever your celebratory beverage of choice might be - I'll be rejoicing for you and Red Sox nation in general.

JEM - thanks :). Though I have a weird feeling that they're going to go for the century mark and maybe wait to take it all in 2008. Or maybe 2108. Meanwhile we can all make small, discreet sacrifices. "Blessed be God, that hath not made me Steve Bartman." (I've got nothing against the guy, but I can't *imagine* how awful it must still feel to have been in that position. You just know that when he dies, no matter what huge civic accomplishments he might have gotten done, his obit will still read "Fan Involved In Controversial Cubs Playoff Game Dies At 87").

In Australia, one does not politely "Root" for one's team, at least not unless you are a groupie, and are a consenting adult...

yes Fat_Pat, I am distressed by all these american women who seem to so readily root for their team.

Hah hah, guys, "root" means something quite different in the US and you know that.

Andrea, U R correct, but do these seppos? Do they know what a seppo is??

yes, we do; 'seppo' was groucho's brother.

i'm counting down the days to halo2!

diff'rent seppo, buddy!

halo2?

Three
quick things.

#1 Not all of us in Massachusetts are voting for Kerry, I'm sure not.

#2. When the New England Patriots won the Superbowl 2 million showed up for the party, if we win I suspect triple the number. My kids will not be attending school on Friday if we win.

#3. The oddest thing is it seems so unreal to me. A week ago Sunday the guys were all depressed and vowing not to be taken in again. The point was made that you actually have to win 4 games to win a series. I guarantee that NONE of us are going to be convinced until the final out.

#4. Finally we are all emotionally exausted from the Yankees series, St. Louis is in many ways an anti-climax. This team was built to beat the Yankees who won only two less games than St Louis in a tougher league with better pitching and tougher hitting. St. Louis best pitcher (Suppan) was on the Sox last year and left off the playoff roster. St. Louis is better at only 3 positions, Center Field, Right Field and Third Base.

#5 The greatest irony is that the phony baseball fan Kerry will attempt to use a Sox win to his advantage while the true fan Bush will not.

Ok so I can't count, I haven't slept much in the last two weeks.

I hope the Red Sox, for all the blokes like my father, who have been waiting for so damn long!

that was a joke, fat_pat, winkwinknudgenudgesaynomoresaynomore

fat_pat

halo 2

Bingers, sorry I had my serious hat on nudge-nudge. I sometime forget to think nudge-nudge wink-wink.

I get all carried away with stuff, say-no-more...

What's it like then?

That Halo thingy looks pretty groovy, maybe I should get one of these new fandangled x-box jobbies, maybe some time too..........and a TV.

Keep nudging.

it's all good! get an xbox and look for Mr Bingley online!

Just wanted to add my 2 cents as a citizen of 'Red Sox Nation'..

As others have already stated, we are not all Kerry-supporting, Kennedy lovers in the Bay State (Massachusetts). I can't see a win for the Sox as having anything to do with Kerry, EXCEPT that he may try and crash whatever parade we have. (Rumor has it that Kerry's people have been asking about including Kerry in whatever parade Boston has for the Red Sox. I can't see it happening myself.)

Those who have pointed out teams that are more the underdogs than the Sox are correct. There are teams who have been underdogs for longer. The problem for Sox fans has been we've had good teams that have made it either to the AL playoffs or even to the World Series and we've watched the teams turn 'victory into defeat' so many times it's maddening. Crazy little things have gone wrong time after time after time after ... you get the idea.

It's one thing if you don't have a good team, and the team never gets anywhere near the playoffs. You know it's a terrible team. Hopes never get raised.

The Red Sox would get hopes raised, perhaps even getting to the playoffs, and then crush everyone's hopes with the strange way they had of seizing defeat from the jaws of victory.

It's easier to have a bad team than to have a team that teases you with victory and doesn't deliver.

The Red Sox' fans created a mythology to explain how the Sox could come soooo close to winning and then blow it: 'The Curse Of The Babe'. 'The Babe' being Babe Ruth who was traded by the Sox to the Yankees. (The Sox haven't won a series since that trade.)

If you look at the NY papers (forget which one) for the week when the Sox were playing the Yankees, you'll see a report about the Yankee and Sox fans who were trooping out to visit Babe Ruth's grave in NY. The Yankees were asking that Babe keep 'the curse' intact and the Sox fans were asking the Babe to rescind it.

Finally, it seems as if 'The Curse' will be broken, by a bunch of self-named 'Idiots'. One of the 'Idiots', who came to Boston to help remove 'The Curse' with prayer and pitching is Curtis Montague Schilling. He's the pitcher you may have seen who has pitched with his ankle stitched up (and bleeding through his sock).

I guarantee that the streets and stores around here will be empty tonight while the same is on. Nobody has been talking about anything else and we're all glued to the TV when the game is on.

Boston PD has called in help from neighboring towns and they've got the riot gear ready.
Boston is a college town (we've got quite a number of colleges and universities concentrated in a small space) and unfortunately, the trend is to get rowdy when our teams either win -or- lose.

It will seem very strange, to me, to see the Sox finally win the Series. I'm so used to being disappointed year after year after .... .

It's just a game, guys. And not even a very exciting one, at that.

Sheesh.

Just a game?!?! You obviously are not a Red Sox fan or even a baseball fan :)
I have watched at least parts of all of Boston's playoff games. I am exhausted from the late night extra inning heroics. I look like somebody has punched me in both eyes. I will keep watching until the World Series is over. I don't want to jinx them by going to bed before a game is over.
This is the third trip the Sox have made to the Series in my lifetime. Third time is the charm!

By the way you forgot first base - Pujols is outstanding, better than anything Boston or anyone else can bring up. Lee in Chicago might be a better glove man with good offensive stats, but Pujols has far better offensive stats and is getting better defensively. Far superior to Ortiz, which I know is not saying much, notwithstanding his play last night.

Sonetka - yes I think you are right. It will probably be the lead story when it occurs!

Hey Chris, they haven't won it yet, buddy.
Weren't they Sox down 3 games to zero against a very over-confident Yankees team just last week? Looks kind of familiar, although I will admit that the Cards are playing like little-leaguers. This could easily have been Cards up 2-1 right now, but for some reason the birds are in a real funk at the worst possible time.
I watched this team all summer, and they were like a machine, just destroying other teams. They won more games than ANY other team in baseball. They were down 3 game to 2 to Houson last week and snuffed the Astros out in game 7 like it was a baseball clinic. The main core team is still there. Are they capable of coming back? You bet, but I won't hold my breath. I just get a kick out y'all starting the party already. Your collective New England neurosis is gonna kick in hard if the Cards really wallop the Sox tonight. If the Sox win; well congratulations, and wait 'till next year. If my hunch is right we'll see you tomorrow night, too!

Hey Mojo! Halo2 'aint just a game, ok!...
On the other hand Baseball's a pretty good game to watch.. whatta ya reckon?

It isn't a matter of life and death....it's much more serious than that (apologies to ??)

I'd rather talk about HALO2!

BTW, when I played in juniors (softball), I went through a whole season ~~ 30 games WITHOUT getting out, and making at least 60 runs. Does that mean I batted 1000?

Congratulations, Red Sox fans. Your team deserves it. We'll see you next year, dammit!!!!!

They won last night. They won it for me, they won it for all Red Sox fans, but most of all, I like to think they won it for my Grandfather.

My Grandfather taught me a lot of things ... like how to shoot a gun, how to turn a wrench and how to be good to others, but most of all he instilled in me the love I have for the Red Sox.

Pepe was a great guy. He had an 8th grade education because he had to leave school to work on his family farm, but he was one of the smartest men I ever knew. He fought in WW2, spending 2 and a half years in Europe fighting the Germans then came home and raised 3 daughters. He worked on boilers his whole life and while he never made a lot of money, he always gave his family everything they needed. He could fix everything himself and my earliest memories are of standing next to him in his garage while he worked on something and listening to the Sox on the radio with him. Fortunately, because I spent time with him listening to the Sox, I learned a whole new world of swearing as well.

I have a lot of memories of him and most involve the Sox. So this weekend, I'm getting in my truck, driving to Burrillville RI and I'm going to sit next to his grave and he and I will have a beer to celebrate. Just like it should be.