Category: Sports

I can’t quote just part of this. Here. Have the whole thing.

It’s going to happen someday. We’re going to win the world series someday. You know it. I know it. We all know it. And somewhere buried deep within all of us is the tiniest sliver of the joy that is that someday. And that joy is boundless. If it were a mountain it would stub it’s toe on Mount Everest. If it were an ocean, it would consider the Atlantic a puddle of rainwater. If it were a painting it would make the Sistine Chapel, the Mona Lisa, and all the works of all the greatest artists in all the great museums of the world look like the fingerpaints of a two year old. In its depth, breadth, and sheer beauty, the world has not seen its like. Perhaps that’s why it has been too long, because the world is terrified what might happen if that joy is released. Breaking the atom has nothing on this.

And we’ve each got a little bit of that inside us so when we take the field Saturday night our world will be filled with joy. And should we lose, our world will be filled with joy cunningly disguised as anguish, fury, and utter disappointment but only for the moment. Once that moment has passed the crowd will rise as one and cheer for the team, for the joy we’ve had in watching them, and for the knowledge that someday it will be our day.

Home run!

Yeah, it’s way dorky to be celebrating a single win when there are two to go. But — this is joy; this is the sweet pleasure of being a Red Sox fan. This is why we put up with the suffering. This is victory in Red Sox Nation.

Glum and glummer.

Ed Gray, a sportswriter for the Boston Herald, came out today.

“I’m out because I no longer, in good conscience, choose to ignore the unabashed homophobia that is so cavalierly tolerated within the world of sports. I’m out, because the silence of a closeted gay man only serves to give his implicit approval to bigotry. I’m out, because I refuse to continue hiding from the truth that an openly gay man has as much right as a straight man to play sports or report on them.”

It’s not a superbly written article, and Ed Gray isn’t a top tier Boston sportswriter, but he’s a brave guy and I admire him. Come to think of it, the Herald also deserves some praise. They didn’t have to print that piece, and if you buy into stereotypes you might think that the conservative Boston paper formerly owned by Rupert Murdoch would be unlikely to print a pro-homosexuality piece. Goes to show that stereotypes are tricky things.

I found out about the story while listening to WEEI on my drive into work this morning; Dennis and Callahan gave him a call, and he agreed to do an interview. He doesn’t want to be a pioneer or a trailblazer. He just wants to be able to say “I’m gay” without people like Todd Jones, Garrison Hearst, and Jeremy Shockey insulting him. He was quiet, calm, and didn’t rant. He sounded a little worried. He sounded like he was utterly sure he made the right decision.

He also said, during the call, that he thinks a gay player could come out and survive. I hope he’s right. I do know this: whether or not he wants to be a pioneer, he just made it a little bit easier for the first gay player to make that decision.

Hey!

Manny is a goof

A big fat goof, but we love him

David Ortiz having a ton of fun

Yeah, might as well jump!

Once again: old enough to drink? That’s our general manager!

(They’re thumbnails. Follow the links. Celebrate!)

NESN just tried to interview John Henry, owner of the Boston Red Sox, out in the middle of Fenway Park. They asked him how he felt, and all he could do was wave at the fans. God bless him and Larry and Theo for buying the Red Sox. And man, it feels good to watch the team getting up a good head of steam. It feels good to see ‘em back in the playoffs.

And yeah, Oakland will be tough. The Yankees could be tough. Atlanta or San Francisco? Very very tough. Right now, though, the Red Sox are in the playoffs — where they belong. They have what may be the best offensive lineup ever to step upon a baseball diamond for 162 games. Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe can pitch. It might happen; it just might.

At Fenway, “Dirty Water” is playing. Boston! You’re my home!

Earlier tonight, while I was sitting around enjoying an evening of daring adventure, we heard a huge cheer from across the Boston rooftops. Brant’s place is not far from Fenway, so it was pretty clear what was going on. About fifteen minutes later, there was another cheer — this one even bigger, and longer, and more passionate.

It was a three run homer in the bottom of the ninth, and a homer in the tenth. The reporters are calling it the comeback victory of the year. I knew, from the sound and timbre of the crowd, that it must have been something of the sort. From the time I heard the second cheer to the time I got home and read the news, I had the warm glow of satisfaction that comes from knowing the Red Sox did something spectacular. And now, I’m just happy that the sounds of cheering from across the Boston rooftops told me what was going on.

It’s a good time to live in Boston. I’m glad I’m back.

Sorry about the playoff race banner. I’m a Red Sox fan, and the information is of some importance to me, you see. Take heart: as soon as the Sox flop I’ll remove it.

Actually, Dan, Pedro is not “the neediest 10-game winner in baseball history.” He’s the guy who’s giving the Boston Red Sox a chance to win a World Series. It’ll take Manny and Nomar and Varitek to get us to the playoffs, but if the Sox get there, it’s going to be Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe who take the team the rest of the way. This team — this city — needs Pedro.

I am wholly sick of the sports radio idiots who whine about Pedro’s 17.5 million. Most of Boston isn’t, in fact, paying Pedro’s salary. I didn’t buy any tickets this season, and I’m still getting the pleasure of watching Pedro pitch on television. From where I sit, it’s a freebie. Dan Shaughnessy isn’t paying for tickets — in fact, without the Pedros and the Nomars and the Birds and the Bradys of the world, Dan wouldn’t have a job.

It’s valid to criticize sports stars, but Boston takes it to a different level. There was a really telling segment on WEEI this morning with Dennis and Callahan. They were talking to a caller, a journalist, whose name I didn’t catch; they said something about how Pedro would find the same reception and the same criticism no matter where he wound up.

Said journalist pointed out that this was absolutely incorrect. There are plenty of markets out there where the fans don’t get this heated up. You don’t get the same excitement when you win, but maybe (he went on) Pedro doesn’t need that; maybe Pedro gets all his motivation from the inside.

That’s really the bottom line: Boston is hard on its sports stars. People talk a lot about Pedro’s track record of injuries and missing games, but there hasn’t been much talk about the track record of the Boston media. It would have been nice to have a healthy, happy Mo Vaughan around in 1999, you know?

Nobody bitched about Pedro missing the team picture when he made that relief appearance in 1999 against the Indians. He’s paying for the team’s lack of success over the last few years, because Dan Duquette isn’t around any more so there needs to be another target. I guarantee that the people complaining about Pedro now will be asking why Larry Lucchino and John Henry can’t find an ace pitcher two years from now.

Via the Dead Parrots, one of the more painful pictures I’ve ever seen. That sucker’s in there.