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Brooklyn Sox Fan

by John Brian Quinn

Mail Brooklyn Sox Fan!

Check out his daily blog!

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Get the weekend wrap from a fan that isn't afraid to tell it how it is!

david@bornintoit.com

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NOTABLE QUOTES

"I'm so happy. I'm happy for the fans in Boston, I'm happy for Johnny Pesky, for Bill Buckner, for (Bob) Stanley and (Calvin) Schiraldi and all the great Red Sox players who can now be remembered for the great players that they were."-2004 Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling

"A hundred years from now, how will we make people understand what just happened here? How will we ever make them understand what happened The Year The Red Sox Finally Won The World Series? There was no way they could ever do this the good old normal way. Never. They're the Red Sox."-Jayson Stark, ESPN.com

"We wanted to do it so bad for the city of Boston. To win a World Series with this on our chests -- it hasn't been done since 1918. So rip up those '1918' posters right now." -2004 Red Sox first baseman Kevin Millar

"I dreamt about this day. I said my prayers every night to the big guy: 'Bring us a World Series."-Johnny Pesky, former Red Sox infielder after WS victory

I think if you're Red Sox, well, it's something you're born with, and affection you have."

- Johnny Pesky

2005 Brooklyn Sox Fan Page

"I think if you're Red Sox, well, it's something you're born with, and affection you have."- Johnny Pesky

by John Brian Quinn

Mail Brooklyn Sox Fan!

2005 Brooklyn Sox Fan

A view of a Sox fan living in the heart of the Evil Empire

Johnny, we hardly knew ye.

I was stunned when I was on my computer on Tuesday night and checked on ESPN.com to discover that Johnny Damon, Boston World Series hero, the leader of "The Idiots", a man who will forever be remembered as "one of the 25", and a player who had rock star status in the city of Boston, agreed to a four-year, $52 million deal with the hated, archrival New York Yankees.

However, I was stunned for only a few moments. After I allowed the news to completely filter through my brain, my next reaction was, "Are the Yankees insane??"

I will make a bold prediction here. Sometime during the length of this four-year contract, the New York Yankees will come to rue the day that they signed Damon to this deal. It may not happen in 2006, or even in 2007, but it will happen. The Yankees have just added yet another untradeable contract to a roster list of players they cannot possible move in a trade if they wanted to. In the short term, they have added one of the best leadoff hitters in baseball. (Sorry Johnny, you're not THE best, as he told a reporter last night. Ichiro Suzuki is the best. And Derek Jeter even had a better OBP than Damon did in 2005.) It will make the Yankees' very good offense even more potent. But that is not their most critical need. Their money would have been better spent improving their starting pitching, and especially their bullpen. Remember, Mariano Rivera can't pitch every day.

Didn't someone once say that pitching and defense wins championships? And how many times have the Red Sox had the best offense top-to-bottom in the AL and not won the pennant?

This new episode reminds me of the Alex Rodriguez trade of February 2004. Many of my friends who are Red Sox fans were really upset about it. The press were falling all over themselves patting the Yankees on their backs for "making the greatest trade since Babe Ruth." I tried to calm my friends down by reminding them of one simple fact: Alex Rodriguez can't pitch.

And neither can Johnny Damon.

The Yankee brass should know by now that adding all-stars is no guarantee of winning a World Series. The move hurts the Red Sox, but it doesn't kill their 2006 season, as some so-called "experts" seem to think. Adding Damon to me seems like they are putting a Band-Aid on a gaping wound. I watched about 70% of all Red Sox games in 2005, and as the season wore on, it looked like Damon was breaking down in the field. Balls hit out to him seemed more and more like an adventure, and one friend back in September said to me, "I'm just not confident with Damon in centerfield anymore." At the time, I thought it might be because of the injuries he played through last season. Offensively, his second half numbers were much lower than his first half numbers. He hit .316 in 2005, but he was leading the AL in batting in the early part of the season. His power numbers also dropped, from 20 HRs in 2004 to 10 in 2005. (But with the short porch in Yankee Stadium, his HR total should increase slightly.)

But it makes me wonder if the Red Sox front office believes that Damon's defense is truly on the decline, and they don't want to be hamstrung by tying Damon up to a long term deal. Now he will be patrolling the vast outfield that is Yankee Stadium. He still has good speed, but his throwing arm is among the worst in the American League. He will be giving Derek Jeter a workout on those relays to the plate, just as Bernie Williams did in recent years too.

It was clear to me that the Red Sox brass was not willing to give Damon anything above the four-year, $40 million offer they made to him earlier this month. I heard one commentator on ESPNews say that the Red Sox "blew it" by not offering Damon a five year deal for less money. I practically screamed at the TV that the Red Sox simply weren't going to tie themselves up to such a commitment. I'm sure Damon would have taken more money for less years from the Yankees than stay in Boston for less money and more years.

I also found it interesting that the Red Sox found out about Damon going to the Yankees by news media reports about it, and not by Damon or agent Scott Boras. You would think that they would go to the Sox and tell them about the Yankee offer and see if they would match the deal, or better it. They didn't have the common courtesy to do it, and that says a lot about Boras and Damon as people. It tells me that Damon wanted out of Boston, and any talk of his wanting to come back was a lot of empty nonsense. He and Boras may have been waiting for that "offer they couldn't refuse" from the Yankees, and they got it.

And I'm still wondering about this $52 million contract they Yankees gave to Damon. Exactly who were the Yankees bidding against for Damon? The Sox weren't going above $40 million, so why are they paying him $12 million more? This moves smacks of Yankee desperation, as they clearly weren't confident going with Bubba Crosby playing CF to start the 2006 season. (Of course, that could all have been a cleverly disguised ruse by NY). This move also has "the mark of Steinbrenner" on it. He always wants "the sexy name" for his club, whether he's a good fit or not. And not all Yankee fans are jumping for joy over this move. Many simply won't ever forgive Damon for the Comeback of 2004, and others think the Yankees are making a big mistake in such a commitment to a player who may have just passed his prime.

You also have to wonder if Damon is a good fit for the Yankees. Obviously, the long hair and beard will be coming off to fit into the Yankees "clean-cut" image. He's known to be rather laid-back and "marches to the beat of his own drummer". How that will fit into the Yankees corporate, "stuffed shirt" image remains to be seen, and as to whether it will affect his on-field performance. (I've heard the "Samson" comparison already; you know, Damon losing his effectiveness by cutting off his long hair.)

So, I'm not devastated by this turn of events. I went on a number of Red Sox fan message boards after the signing was announced, and the fans overwhelmingly thought the Red Sox had done the right thing by not signing Damon to such an extortionate contract. I wanted Damon to come back, but not with a deal that would hamstring the Red Sox payroll. (Remember, they will have to sign David Ortiz to a huge deal before the end of 2007.) I just can't see the Red Sox giving him this type of deal, and they are NOT to be blamed for letting Damon walk. The Yankees overwhelmed Damon with the deal, and being a good businessman, he took it. Baseball is a business, and it always has been and always will be. (Don't believe any of the nonsense that baseball was "just a game" before free agency. If free agency was around in the 1940s and 1950s, players would have jumped around just like they do today.)

I heard more than one caller on talk radio make an interesting comparison between the Damon signing and when Andy Pettitte left the Yankees in 2003. The Red Sox made a serious pitch for Pettitte when he became a free agent, but eventually he chose to sign with his hometown Houston Astros. Pettitte later said he couldn't "slap the Yankee fans in the face" by signing with the rival Red Sox. In many circles he was hailed as a "class act" for not doing so. Now compare that statement to the events of the past few days.

Damon went to the Yankees for the Big Money, plain and simple. He's not the first player to do that, and surely won't be the last. You could argue that he would have been a fool if he hadn't done so, especially if the Sox had not upped their offer. But what he's done is simply destroyed the legacy he built in Boston. He gained nationwide fame and status as one of the "Idiots", the group that pulled off the greatest comeback in the history of American sports in the 2004 ALCS against the Yankees, and put an end to the idea of "the Curse of the Bambino". For that he will be remembered forever. He appeared on talk shows and even co-authored a nearly unreadable biography. But he will not be forgiven by many Boston fans for "moving over to The Dark Side." Perhaps Damon doesn't care about his legacy. Maybe a big payday is what REALLY motivates him.

So be it.

My friend Alan wrote a me a very good email this morning about all of this.

"Now The Bronx is no longer the place where Red Sox all-stars go to win championships, but let it henceforth be the place where fading Red Sox champions go to get richer."

Now the Red Sox have a gaping hole in centerfield to fill. There are a number of possibilities out there for the Sox to trade for, but the consequence of Damon's defection will be that the price for getting a quality player will have just shot up. The two most talked about names are Jeremy Reed of Seattle and Coco Crisp of Cleveland. I like Crisp a bit better than Reed, but both are very good outfielders and can hit leadoff. The Mariners are interested in Bronson Arroyo, but the Sox would rather move Matt Clement.

No matter who the Red Sox get, it will cost them. I figure that trade talks will heat up in a hurry, as Sox management will be attempting to deflect what has turned into a PR nightmare. I wouldn't be surprised to see a deal for a centerfielder in place by the end of the calendar year.

Johnny Damon will always be remembered for his ALCS Game 7 heroics in beating the Yankees, giving the Red Sox the pennant and putting the choker tag on the Yankees forever. But he's seems to have turned his back on the Red Sox, their fans and his legacy in Boston for a bigger payday in New York, despite what he told MLB.com last May. Ultimately that is his choice and he'll have to live with the consequences that comes with his decision.

Thanks for the memories Johnny.

Now let's go get a centerfielder.

Keep the Faith everyone.

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all of you in Red Sox Nation.

"Two GMs In, One Lawsuit Out"

This past week, Jed Hoyer and Ben Cherington were named co-general managers of the Red Sox, and they become the 12th and 13th general managers in team history. This may prove to be one of the smartest moves the Red Sox have made this entire off-season.

Hoyer, 32, and Cherington, 31, were both right-hand men of former Red Sox GM Theo Epstein. Their contract information (years and dollar value) was not revealed by the front office. Hoyer was the assistant to the GM and Cherington was the director of player development. Hoyer originally joined the Red Sox as an intern the day the new ownership gained control of the team, hired ironically enough by Cherington. Cherington joined the Red Sox as an intern hired by former GM Dan Duquette, and his Sox resume is heavy on scouting and minor league operations.

Each man will look over different aspects of the team. Hoyer will handle the major league issues, such as player contracts and trades. Cherington will handle the minor league side, which has always been his area of expertise.

It's not the biggest surprise that the Red Sox stayed "in-house" with the GM selections. It was apparent that none of the candidates previously interviewed, such as Jim Beattie, Jim Bowden and Dan Evans, really knocked the socks off the Red Sox brass. John Henry especially wanted the choice to be one of "continuity of the direction we have gone in the last four years."

And now lurking in the weeds is the possibility of a return to the Red Sox by Theo Epstein. Both co-GMs are close with Theo and talk to him frequently. A return in an advisory role is not out of the question, and now appears it may actually happen soon. Even CEO Larry Lucchino said during the press conference introducing Hoyer and Cherington that "there have been some general discussions about bringing Theo back", but wouldn't discuss in what role that could be.

Both Hoyer and Cherington come to their new roles with excellent reputations. They know the Red Sox and their inner workings inside and out, and for all concerned it appears that the Sox may not have seriously considered any outsider for the GM position. Staying within the organization seems to be the best move John Henry & Co. could have made.

It also leaves open for a return by Theo Epstein to the position that got him his greatest glory. What exactly his role will be remains unclear at this time. But stay tuned. The never-ending soap opera that is the Boston Red Sox never ceases to disappoint in terms of drama.

On Friday it was announced that the Red Sox were dropping their lawsuit to try to keep the ball Doug Mientkiewicz caught as the final out of Game 4 of the 2004 World Series. Both the Sox and Mientkiewicz agreed to take the dispute to an independent arbitrator, who will decide once and for all who really has the right to keep the now-infamous ball.

It really shouldn't have come down to this. Right after this dispute made news, the reactions of most Red Sox fans I know and on the Internet message boards was the same: "we don't care!" If Doug wants to keep the ball, fine. Didn't someone once say that "possession is nine-tenths of the law?" He lent the ball to the Red Sox for one full year with the proviso that they could display it and then return it to their former first baseman after that.

Then a few weeks ago, the Red Sox filed a lawsuit in Massachusetts saying the ball rightfully belonged to them and wanted to keep it. They came off looking really petty in such an attempt. Most fans just didn't seem to care who had the ball. All they cared about is that the Sox finally won a championship.

In all of baseball history, I can't recall one case of a team saying they had the right to keep what is perceived as an historic ball. This past October, the White Sox' first baseman Paul Konerko gave the last-out ball that he caught to owner Jerry Reinsdorf. Most of those type of baseballs are either lost forever, or sitting on the shelves of players who decided to keep them. (There are three last-out baseballs that are displayed in the Hall of Fame.) Mike Timlin has one, the last out made when the Blue Jays won their first World Series in 1992. Timlin saved that game and was given the ball by Joe Carter, who caught that final out.

Let's hope the arbitrator finally puts all this childish nonsense to rest. Whoever he decides to award it to is fine with me, and probably to about 99% of Red Sox Nation as well. At least going to arbitration did have one positive result already.

It took one frivolous lawsuit out of the courts.

As I write this, this isn't much going on in terms of the Johnny Damon sweepstakes. It sounds like he and his agent Scott Boras are going to drag this saga out for the rest of the year and maybe even into January.It looks like it will finally come down to the Red Sox, Yankees, Dodgers, and maybe even the Orioles. Nomar Garciaparra will announce in the next few days which team's offer will accept. Four teams are bidding for his services: Dodgers, Yankees, Indians and Astros. It sounds like the Dodgers and Astros may have the inside track, as Nomar has two homes in LA and he was born not far from there. His wife Mia Hamm is from Austin, Texas, so being with the Astros might be beneficial to them both. But no matter how you slice it, a Nomar return to the Red Sox right now looks highly unlikely.

I also wouldn't bet on a Roger Clemens return to Boston either. Although the Astros didn't offer him arbitration this month, he may still return to Houston on May 1, the day they can resign him. It would make sense for him, as at his age, starting the season then might not lead to the physical breakdown he suffered this past October. He also wants to play in the World Baseball Classic for the USA next March, so that makes a return to Houston more probable if he doesn't decide to retire.

With Christmas and Hanukkah both coming up on the horizon, it was brought to my attention that there is a very special program to remember those many Marines who will be hospitalized this holiday season. They are currently at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington DC, after being wounded defending our freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many of the Marines have not received many Christmas and holiday cards, and they all could use a boost in their morale at this time of the year. It would be a wonderful gesture to send them a special card to let them know that we care about them and appreciate the sacrifice they made for all of us. If you would like to send a card to an injured Marine, please send it to:

Any Marine

Walter Reed Army Medical Center

c/o Red Cross

6900 Georgia Avenue

Washington, D. C. 20307

I sent out a card this week, and I included information about Bornintoit.com and the site I am proud to write for. (I hope the Marine who gets my card is a Red Sox fan!) My special thanks to Bornintoit.com message board poster Warrdawg for bringing this very worthy project to our attention.

It happened late in the week. On Wednesday, the rumors began that the Sox would trade Edgar Renteria to Atlanta as part of the three team trade with the Braves and Devil Rays. The Red Sox were trying to get Tampa Bay shortstop Julio Lugo, but eventually, they dropped out, so the Sox and Braves traded Renteria for 22-year-old third baseman Andy Marte. He is a highly regarded prospect, considered to be one of the top ten in all of baseball. Marte was up briefly with Atlanta in 2005, and hit .140 in two short stints with the club. But he is projected to be a 25-30 home run a year player. His defense is considered to be about average. At AAA Richmond in 2005, Marte hit 20 HRs, 74 RBI and .275 AVG in 109 games there. The Sox project him as their third baseman of the future, and he will probably begin 2006 at Pawtucket. But he may also see some time at first base and possibly even the outfield. This trade seems to be universally applauded, as many baseball experts think the Red Sox acquired a future superstar.

As for Renteria, it was one year and out. His time in Boston will probably be looked back on as a big disappointment. The two-time Gold Glover made 30 errors at shortstop to lead all major league players. There were times Renteria just didn't appear to be comfortable playing in Boston, and seemed to be pressing both at the plate and in the field. He never seemed to adjust to playing in the American League, and the change to the Braves and the NL might be a blessing for him. Personally, I would have liked to have seen Renteria play at least one more season in Boston, if just to see if 2005 was just a fluke. (He struggled in his first season in St. Louis after being traded by the Florida Marlins many years ago.) But Red Sox management wanted to get out from under the $29 million they owed Renteria for the next three seasons (but they will be paying Atlanta $11 million of that).

So now the question remains: who will be the Red Sox starting shortstop in 2006? Highly touted prospect Hanley Ramirez was dealt to Florida in Josh Beckett trade, and at this moment Alex Cora has been penciled in there. But the Red Sox clearly will go out and find an everyday player at SS, as they view Cora as more a utility player. There are a number of shortstops out there on the free agent market, such as Alex Gonzalez and Royce Clayton. Gonzalez seems to be the logical choice, as he has a superior glove and does have a bit of pop in his bat (he hit 18 HRs in 2003 and 21 in 2004). He is a lifetime .245 hitter.

Of course there is another shortstop out there I did not mention who has been getting a lot of attention the last few days who is also very much available: Nomar Garciaparra. I wouldn't bet the farm on him making a return to Boston right now. When Nomar was traded back in July 2004, there was a lot of animosity between him and the Red Sox brass, and I don't think enough time has gone by for a reconciliation to happen now.

But of course, we're dealing with the Red Sox here, so even stranger things than a Nomar return have happened.

On the same day as the Renteria trade, Baltimore Orioles shortstop Miguel Tejada made it known that he was not happy about the direction his team was heading in, and told a newspaper in the Dominican Republic that he would like to be traded. And he also let it be known that he wouldn't mind playing for the Red Sox. (Some coincidence, eh?) So naturally, the idea of a Manny Ramirez-for-Miguel Tejada deal was launched, and it has been rumored the Red Sox have already approached the Orioles about just such a deal. On paper it would make sense, swapping two all-star and extremely high-priced superstars for each other. (The Red Sox would have to send either another player or more cash to the Orioles to balance the difference in salaries.)

I would trade Manny to Baltimore for Tejada in a heartbeat. But I honestly don't believe this trade will happen. Orioles owner Peter Angelos is extremely difficult to deal with, and the Orioles may simply not want to trade Tejada to a team inside their own division, even if they get back a tremendous hitter as Ramirez. And of course, Manny could throw a monkey wrench into the whole thing by not wanting to be traded to Baltimore (Manny has the say on where he goes as he's a "10 and 5" player). It has also been reported that the Orioles have now received about five or six offers for Tejada, so if Baltimore does seriously want to move him, they could easily start a bidding war between the teams who really want him.

So what about Manny? According to many insiders, the Sox tried "extremely hard" to trade him this past week, to clubs such as the Mets and LA Angels, but there was just not the right fit to satisfy the Red Sox brass, who simply won't give Manny away. The Tejada trade rumors seemed to have jump-started the Manny speculation once again, but it is still my feeling that Manny Ramirez will be playing left field for the Red Sox at Fenway Park on April 11.

It's also no huge surprise that Johnny Damon has not signed with the Red Sox, or anyone else yet. This past week, there was a story in the New York papers about how much Damon loves New York and respects the Yankee players, and even talked about the "jealousy" among some Red Sox players have in regard to Alex Rodriguez. The article made me laugh more than anything else. It was a really shallow attempt on his and Scott Boras' part to try to get the Yankees more interested in signing Damon to a long term deal. The Yankees simply aren't biting on their demands for a seven-year deal. Right now, the Yankees are loaded with many long term and hence, untradeable contracts, and they are not interested in giving Damon that kind of contract. I found it interesting that Yankee GM Brian Cashman was asked at the end of the meetings about Damon, and his reply was that he and Scott Boras hadn't even met to discuss a deal this past week. So if the Yankees are hot after Damon they clearly aren't showing it. They may only be interested in driving up the price the Sox will have to pay Damon eventually.

I still think that before Christmas ends, Boras and the Sox will meet somewhere in the middle of what the Red Sox are offering and what Boras and Damon want and they'll hammer out a new deal. Stay tuned.

The Red Sox also traded backup catcher Doug Mirabelli to the San Diego Padres for second baseman Mark Loretta. I really like this trade. Loretta is an ideal number two hitter who was second in the NL in total hits in 2004. He had injury problems last season, but he is still a quality ballplayer (as well as a quality person, as my friends in San Diego tell me). He can be a great mentor and bridge for Dustin Pedroia, who the Red Sox feel needs another year in the minors in 2006. I am saddened to see Mirabelli leave, as he was a great catcher for Tim Wakefield, as Wakefield's numbers are so far superior than when Jason Varitek is catching him. Mirabelli will see more action with the Padres, as they want him to bring young Miguel Olivo along. The Red Sox will now have to get a veteran backup for Varitek, and it is rumored to be Ken Huckaby of Toronto. (It sounds like young Kelly Shoppach will be moved in a trade.) I have also heard that Wakefield will actually have a say as to who the Sox sign, as he will be taking Mirabelli's slot in catching Wakefield.

The Red Sox also had no success in trading David Wells. The Padres and Dodgers were interested in him, but it now appears that the Red Sox are in no rush to deal him, and may even wait until January to pull the trigger on a deal.

This past week, all major league clubs had to offer their free agents arbitration, or else they could not negotiate a new deal with them until next May 1. As far as the Red Sox went, they offered it to Johnny Damon, Bill Mueller and Tony Graffanino. They declined to offer it to Kevin Millar, Matt Mantei, Mike Myers and the now-retired John Olerud. Players have until December 19 to accept and if they do, they are considered to be signed. If they decline (and all three will) the Red Sox have until January 8 to sign them. Mueller appears ready to go to either the Dodgers or Pirates, and Graffanino is looking for a two-year deal, and wants to play everyday. It's doubtful he will be back in Boston.

This now means that the Kevin Millar Era in Boston has come to a close. It was certainly an enjoyable run he had here, but it was pretty clear that his days as an everyday player are behind him, so the Sox cut him loose. I haven't heard of even one team interested in signing him, but if he's willing to play part-time, someone will surely pick him up. Otherwise, his next stop maybe Japan, where the Red Sox rescued him from going to in early 2003.

Anyway, I wish "KFC" all the best in his baseball future. It was sure fun while he was here, and I'll never forget it was him who started "The Comeback" in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS with the walk. And of course, before that game, it was Millar and his "Don't let us win today!" rousing speech during batting practice that turned out to be so incredibly prophetic. Good luck wherever you career path leads, Kevin.

I wish all the best to Bill Mueller and John Olerud too. They are both classy players who play the game the right way, and left the Red Sox for different reasons. I've always admired Olerud, and hated to root against him when he was with the Yankees in 2004. Bill Mueller got two of the biggest hits in Red Sox history in 2004, both off Mariano Rivera. They will be remembered forever. Good luck to whichever team you land with, Bill.

Another important question maybe answered soon, as the Red Sox may actually be going with co-general managers next season in Jed Hoyer and Ben Cherington. An announcement maybe coming next week, but the brass seem to be leaning in that direction. And rumors have gotten hotter that Theo Epstein may return as "an advisor" to his two former proteges. We'll see what happens, but that move would make a lot of sense. It will be interesting to see if CEO Larry Lucchino will sign off on that. Theo's return seems to be coming from the mind of owner John Henry, and it will be fascinating to see if it does happen, will it cause any rift between Lucchino and Henry.

Boy, this team is never boring.

Well, the Winter Meetings are over and the Sox have made a number of moves, and they will have a whole new infield next season.The club is being turned over again, and now only 13 players remain from the 2004 champions. They clearly aren't as yet done, as the Manny and Johnny D situations are still not settled. They still need a shortstop and a first baseman. Four players from the 2004 World Championship team (Millar, Myers, Mirabelli and Mueller) will not be wearing Red Sox uniforms next year, and we wish them all the best. (Yes, even to Myers, who signed with the Yankees.)

They'll always be "one of the 25", no matter what opposition uniforms they wear.

And the Red Sox figure to be right smack in the middle of it all.

The Red Sox still don't have a general manager in name, but that didn't prevent them from pulling off the biggest trade of the off-season so far when they acquired Josh Beckett, Mike Lowell and Guillermo Mota. They have gone down to Dallas to try and shore up a number of problem areas. Of course the sexiest name out there in all of the trade talksl is Manny Ramirez.

The rumors about Manny being traded have been swirling since last July, and soon as the playoffs concluded they started to pick up speed again. The Sox' brass will of course be listening to all offers for him, and late last week, assistant to the GM Jed Hoyer said there were five clubs that had solid interest in swinging a deal for him.

We all know that Mets' GM Omar Minaya highly covets Ramirez. The Red Sox are definitely interested in Mets' prized minor league outfielder Lastings Milledge and righthanded pitcher Aaron Heilman. The Mets have been acquiring big name, as well as big salaried talent the last month, like Carlos Delgado, Billy Wagner and Paul LoDuca. They feel they can still absorb Manny's huge contract, but the Mets have also dealt away some good young talent from their system in these deals, and have become a bit reticent in dealing away Milledge and Heilman. (They have to be careful not to fall into the trap the Yankees have fallen into by gutting their farm system.) But still the Mets may not have enough to satisfy the Red Sox for Manny in terms of talent ready to step in now for Ramirez. I still think it's unlikely he goes to the Mets.

The Angels and Rangers have also been teams thought to be a landing spot for Manny. The Angels just lost out in the Paul Konerko sweepstakes and are looking to add another big bat to their lineup. The Sox are hot after their young starter Ervin Santana and a young slugger named Brandon Wood, who the Angels don't want to give up. The Angels are trying to move Darin Erstad and Steve Finley, but the Sox don't want to take on those salaries, so more and more it appears Anaheim (or LA of Anaheim if you prefer) doesn't seem to be a place Manny will end up. The Rangers have been offering Alfonso Soriano in a possible trade, but he doesn't want to play the outfield. Unless Texas wants to sweeten that deal considerably, I wouldn't bet on Manny playing there either. A possible swap of Manny to the Phillies for slugger Bobby Abreu doesn't appear likely either, as the discrepancy in the salaries doesn't appear to be a match, and the Sox won't up the trade just to get Abreu.

My feeling is Manny will still be with the Red Sox after the meetings end. I just don't see the Red Sox getting anything close to Manny's value in a trade. I know the Sox want to get out from under that contract, but they shouldn't do anything foolish just to move him. I still think that Manny will be in a Red Sox uniform come next March 1.

The other big name the Sox have to deal with is Johnny Damon. The Red Sox maintain that re-signing Damon remains a high priority. He and his agent Scott Boras are seeking a seven year deal, and are finding no takers for that length of contract. The other teams beside the Red Sox who have shown interest are the Yankees, Cubs and Tigers. The Yankees have no interest in Damon unless he brings his demands down, and probably wouldn't sign him for more than a three year deal. The Yankees may still use Damon (or vice versa) to get the Red Sox to give him a better deal and drive the price up. I don't see the Yankees committing anything long term to Damon, and I honestly can't see him starting his career anew in Detroit. The Cubs interest hasn't been that strong, so I really believe that Damon and Boras will back off their pie-in-the-sky demands and meet the Red Sox somewhere in the middle. It sounds very similar to what Boras did for Jason Varitek last winter.

The Red Sox also a have a number of other holes to fill, namely at first base, second base and middle relief. Rumors of a trade of Matt Clement to Milwaukee for first baseman Lyle Overbay have surfaced, and this would be a deal I'd love to see the Sox make. But I wouldn't bet on it. I don't see the Brewers doing it. They would love to move Overbay for some pitching, as they have rookie Prince Fielder waiting in the wings to take over first. But Clement will make $9 million next season, and Overbay makes less than $500,000. Unless the Sox add more to it, they may turn their attention over to the Reds' Sean Casey, who Cincinnati is looking to move with his $8 million salary. Travis Lee is a cheaper alternative to Casey and a free agent. He's a good first baseman who could platoon with Kevin Youkilis there in 2006.

At second base, the Red Sox could go with a platoon of Alex Cora and rookie Dustin Pedroia next year, but there are some that feel that Pedroia may not be fully ready yet. The Red Sox have talked to free agent Tony Graffanino, but he is seeking a two year deal and wants to play full time. Still, the Sox may swing a deal to bring in another second baseman in the interim until they feel ready to give Pedroia the job. This past week, a rumored trade of David Wells and Doug Mirabelli to San Diego for Mark Loretta surfaced. Loretta is a very good second baseman and quality hitter, who suffered through an injury-plagued 2005. If the Red Sox make this deal, a new question surfaces: who catches Tim Wakefield every fifth day? I would imagine that Jason Varitek would be having different off-days in 2006 than he did last year if Mirabelli is traded.

The Red Sox should make an effort to re-sign lefty specialist Mike Myers, who is currently getting much interest from teams such as the Yankees. He will be getting a hefty raise over 2005, and the Sox shouldn't wait and get into a bidding war over him. If he should depart, I would hope the Red Sox would give Lenny DiNardo a shot at being a full time member of the pen next season. He was very impressive in his stints last September.

As for Wells, he appears to be heading back home to San Diego, and all that's left is for who. The original trade that came to light was for former Sox folk hero Dave Roberts and setup man Akinora Otsuka. The Padres have cooled on parting with Otsuka, as they maybe losing long time closer Trevor Hoffman to free agency, and he could take over that role.

Well Red Sox fans, this should be an interesting week for the club. Despite not having a general manager, they should be active this week. Who knows what surprises might be in the works. What exactly will happen is unknown, but I still feel that Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon will return to Boston in 2006.

In the immortal words of comedian Dennis Miller: "That's just my opinion, I could be wrong."

But I hope I'm not.

"The Calm Before the Winter Storm"

As the month of December is about to commence, all eyes in the baseball world will be turning towards Dallas and the Winter Meetings, which will begin next Monday. But before we get into that (which will be my next column), I noticed a few interesting things that I thought I would comment on.

I received a very interesting email from Eric Wass, a Red Sox fan from Rockland, Maine. Eric's a lifelong Red Sox fan, and he's also a guitar player. He and some friends put together a band called The Red Sox Rockers, and they have recorded a CD called "Red Sox Family". Eric's CD has 9 songs, all professionally produced with many different types of music.

The song list includes "Go Red Sox", "Fenway Girl", "Manny and Ortiz" and "We are The Nation". Eric and his band recorded a video for "Fenway Girl" and it was shown twice on NESN during the past baseball season. Eric hopes to get his band in the "Hot Stove, Cool Music" program, which is the Boston music show that has featured such icons as Peter Gammons and Theo Epstein playing guitar. The Red Sox themselves enjoyed his CD, and this past October they sent him a letter thanking him. He also says that he's received hundreds of emails from people who loved his music, and he told me "Some like to use the CD to torture Yankee fans!!" (A perfect stocking stuffer for that Yankee fan in your life?)

Eric is also donating a generous portion of the proceeds of the CD to the Red Sox Foundation. There is a website where you can check it out at: www.Klaritymusic.com.

(Once there you click on "Rock" and scroll down to the bottom of the page.)

The price of the CD is $15, or 2 for $25. You can order the CD by sending a check to:

Best World Records

18 Halls Lane

Rockland, Maine 04841

Best of luck Eric! Hope I see you playing in the "Hot Stove, Cool Music" program soon.

A couple of weeks ago, I was reading the New York Daily News and saw an interesting tidbit in one of the paper's gossip columns. It's something I'm honestly surprised was virtually ignored, especially here in New York. New York state congressman John Sweeney, a Republican from Dutchess County, was in Bobby Van's Steakhouse in Washington D.C. one night and was talking to a bartender there, who happened to be a big Red Sox fan. He and Sweeney, a huge Yankee fan, started to get into it pretty good about their teams, as most Yankee and Red Sox fans often do. Apparently it was really rather good natured, but another Red Sox fan at the bar didn't think so, and he hauled off and hit Sweeney. The report did not say where Sweeney got hit by the fan, or whether the fan was drunk or not.

An aide to the congressman said there was "an ugly incident" and said that Sweeney "didn't get punched" or at least "not hard". Sweeney didn't press charges against the fan, so it doesn't sound like anything serious occurred. Sweeney, in typical Yankee fan "wiseguy" fashion, said, "It just goes to show Red Sox fans can't handle losing any better than they can handle winning."

I'm honestly surprised the New York press didn't play this incident more. I could see a screaming NY tabloid doing just that: "Yankee Fan Pol Sucker-Punched By Bosox Thug!"

I'm certainly glad the congressman was not hurt and basically laughed off the incident. But be careful out there, Congressman Sweeney. Red Sox Nation is everywhere!!

Last week I went to a very special screening of an independent film near Lincoln Center in Manhattan. The film is called "In-Between", and it was written and directed by Deborah Twiss, who also stars in it. The film is centered on the lives of two New York City couples, and how their lives are forever altered by the terror attacks of September 11, 2001. The movie takes a number of interesting twists and turns.

Of course, the 9/11 attacks are something that altered my life forever, so I was very curious about this film. There have only been a few films or television programs that have dealt with the terror attacks of four years ago, but I watched "In-Between" and I was absolutely captivated by it. The film was made on a very low budget, but Ms. Twiss has put together a very fine film that deals with the 9/11 tragedy very respectfully.

I spoke with Deborah after the film's screening and she told me that "In-Between" was her way of giving back and remembering the victims of that terrible day. If you ever get the chance to see the movie at a future screening or on DVD, I would definitely recommend seeing it. The film has a webpage: www.traaxproduction.com/html/in-between.html, where you can read more about it.

And I'd like to conclude with this. I was watching the Vikings-Giants football game a few weeks ago, and I heard the color commentator, who's name I can't remember, say this gem once the Vikings had won and upset the Giants: "The Vikings win and they break 'the curse' against the Giants!" The Vikings had lost to the Giants the last THREE years in a row, and apparently in the NFL, to lose to a team three consecutive years is now considered a "curse".

Haven't we had enough of this nonsense about curses, once and for all? Every time I hear ANY announcer use the term "curse" in any sport, I "curse" the name of Dan Shaughnessy.

See you next week everyone, when all the speculation about Manny Ramirez' and Johnny Damon's futures with the Red Sox may finally come to a conclusion, one way or another.

Or maybe not.

Theo Epstein's "Halloween Surprise" shook Red Sox Nation to its core, with his shocking departure after just three years as the club's general manager. Just days before his announcement, the man who could have been his logical successor, assistant GM Josh Byrnes, left to take over as general manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks (and he just brought Peter Woodfork, another trusted Theo lieutenant, with him as the team's assistant GM).

Manny Ramirez told Red Sox officials he wants to be traded (for what, the 150th time?), and that if he is not dealt over the winter he says won't report to spring training. Of course if he sits out the 2006 season, he forfeits his $20 million salary. He has said he'd like to play for the Mets, Angels or Mariners. (Now that the Mets have tentatively traded for Carlos Delgado, it looks pretty unlikely that the Mets will get Manny. The Mets are taking on a huge contract in Delgado, and look to sign a free agent closer and catcher, so taking on Manny's contract now looks highly doubtful.) David Ortiz was told by Manny recently that he'd want to go to a West Coast club, and Big Papi said he thought Manny would be gone from the Red Sox. (Remember he also said Pedro Martinez "won't be going to no Mets" last winter.)

Johnny Damon and his agent Scott Boras are looking for a deal in the seven-year, $84 million range. I can't see anyone biting on this deal, especially the Red Sox. We all know that Boras shoots for the moon for his clients, but this kind of deal is just insane. Damon has said on many occasions that Boston is the city he wants to play in. The Red Sox are looking in the three-year, $10 million a year range for him. I still believe that he and his agent will play the field throughout the winter meetings (which start on December 5), see what teams are spending to sign free agents, and then go from there. I still feel that they will do what Boras did with Jason Varitek last winter: wait until about Christmas, then get down to some "approachable" numbers with the Red Sox brass (hopefully there is a GM by then) and get Johnny signed. Could Damon leave Boston? Sure, but we'll see. There aren't many quality free agent options for CF, so the Red Sox really have to make a concerted effort to sign him.

It has been over three weeks and the Red Sox still don't have a general manager. Many probable candidates declined interviews for various reasons, while former Expos GM Jim Beattie has been interviewed twice for the job. But still, no successor has been named. As time continues to drag on, it made me wonder what the Red Sox are waiting for. Could there be a surprise, and Theo Epstein would return as GM, as those rumors that started last week seem to say? I highly doubt that, as I can't see the major players in the bust-up (Theo and Larry Lucchino) return to running the Red Sox as if nothing happened. There are big egos involved, and I believe that Theo will have to live with his decision.

This past Monday night, I went out to a movie screening, and when I got home, I got the news from my dad that "the Red Sox pulled off a big trade". "Did it involve Ramirez?" I asked him.

"Yes, but not for the Ramirez you're thinking of."

I then knew it was Hanley Ramirez the Sox had traded, and then he told me it was for Josh Beckett. I was really shocked to hear it, as I heard that Beckett was probably heading to Texas for third baseman Hank Blalock. I got to my computer and I found out that Beckett and third baseman Mike Lowell of the Florida Marlins were heading to Boston (once all players pass their physicals, that should be any day now) for Hanley Ramirez and minor league pitchers Anibal Sanchez and Jesus Delgado. My reaction to this trade was: what a steal!!

Beckett is the 25-year-old star righthanded pitcher who is best known for shutting out the Yankees in Game 6 of the 2003 World Series and giving the Florida Marlins their second world championship. He was 15-8 for Florida in 2005 with a 3.37 ERA in 179.2 innings. He figures to move into the number two slot in the rotation after Curt Schilling (assuming that the Sox indeed trade David Wells). The Red Sox rotation of Schilling, Beckett, Matt Clement (assuming he isn't dealt),Bronson Arroyo (or possibly Jon Papelbon) and Tim Wakefield looks a lot better than the one that finished the 2005 season. The Sox are also adding another pitcher in Beckett that has beaten the Yankees in the postseason, and you can never underestimate that.

However, there is one downside. Beckett has been on the DL nine times in the past four seasons, six times it was for recurring blister problems. I remember Nolan Ryan had some serious blister troubles early in his career and was able to overcome them. However, most of Beckett's blister problems occurred earlier in his career. He was also evaluated late last season for shoulder problems, but it didn't appear to be anything serious. The Red Sox medical people will evaluate his medical records before the 72-hour window for completing the trade ends on Friday.

In making the Beckett trade, the Sox had to take the contract of 3B Mike Lowell. He had a terrible year at the plate last season, hitting only 8 HRs, 58 RBI and .236 AVG in 150 games. Despite that, he is still one of the better fielding third basemen in the game, and won the NL Gold Glove last season. The Sox take on a contract that will pay Lowell $18 million over the next two years. I believe it is a gamble worth taking. A change of scenery could do Lowell some good, as he hit 135 HRs for Florida from 1999-2004. His best year was 2003, when he hit 32 HRs and 105 RBI for the World Champions. He could be a great number 6 hitter in the Red Sox lineup. (I'll never forget that game-winning home run he hit at Fenway Park in June 2003 to cap a big comeback win over the Red Sox.)

The Sox give up two talented prospects in Ramirez and Sanchez. The Marlins, who are in a salary dump mode, weren't going to give up Beckett and Lowell and get very little in return. But you have to wonder if Ramirez had any future with the Red Sox, especially when they sigd Edgar Renteria last winter. The Red Sox may have looked at him as a trading chip for a big trade. He figures to be the Marlins' starting shortstop in 2006. Sanchez had a very good season at AA in 2005, but figures to be in the majors either late next season or in 2007. The Sox had balked at trading Jon Lester in this deal, as the lefty is considered to be the best pitching prospect in the entire organization (he maybe up at some point in 2006). The fact they were able to get Beckett without sacrificing Lester is a very positive thing.

, the Red Sox were busy trying to convince Curt Schilling to come to Boston in a trade from Arizona. Later that weekend, the deal was announced, and the Sox were on the road to making baseball history. Back in 1997, shortly before Thanksgiving, the Red Sox acquired Pedro Martinez from the Montreal Expos for pitchers Carl Pavano and Tony Armas, Jr.

It appears another Thanksgiving present for Red Sox Nation is on the way in the form of another big time hurler in Josh Beckett. It was definitely a deal the Red Sox had to make, and hopefully it's the start of more good things to come. Despite all the turmoil of the past month, and with all the major personnel decisions that are coming very shortly, the Beckett trade seems like a big coup for the Red Sox and their fans.

Update: The Red Sox and Marlins signed off on the trade on Thursday night, and it was expanded to include hard-throwing reliever Guillermo Mota to the Red Sox while the Red Sox have included minor league right handed pitcher Harvey Garcia to the Marlins in the deal.

Heck, who needs a general manager?

I want to wish everyone out there a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Thank you all for all of your emails and nice feedback, as it is always appreciated.

Brooklyn Sox Fan

red sox writer brooklyn sox fan

by John Brian Quinn

Mail Brooklyn Sox Fan!

"Theo Has Left The Building"

This is an article I never thought I would ever have to write.

In my last article that I wrote last Saturday, I said that one of the important free agents the Red Sox had to take care of was GM Theo Epstein. As I wrote it, all signs pointed to deal about to be reached that would keep Theo as GM for another three years. The big thing about it seemed to be how much money Theo would get per year. Having been the guiding force behind the championship season in 2004, he deserved to get paid among the highest of all of baseball's GMs. On Sunday a deal still seemed imminent.

I went to the Boston Globe's web site on Monday morning, and the lead story in the baseball section was that Epstein and the Sox had reached a tentative agreement on the deal. "Good, that's done, let's move on" I thought as I went out in the afternoon to take care of some business. When I got back in the late afternoon, I was absolutely stunned when I came on to Bornintoit and found out that the rumors were flying that Theo was actually resigning as GM, having rejected the new deal. This had to be some kind of false rumor, I thought to myself.

I hopped around the Internet, and from the message boards I could read Red Sox fans in Boston saying that it was now all over the news there that Theo was cleaning out his office at Fenway Park and the resignation rumors were true.

The news struck Red Sox Nation like a 9.0 on the Richter Scale earthquake. Red Sox fans went into full panic mode. I called one friend and he told me the Red Sox were already finished for 2006. On the message boards, fans were threatening boycotts, demanding Larry Lucchino's head on a stick, that sort of thing (I hope most of those fans were staying away from knives and other sharp objects).

I was beyond shocked. Theo Epstein was in my mind a terrific GM with a fine personality and a great work ethic. He was one of the best things to happen to the Red Sox franchise in decades. So why in the world would he ever want to leave? And just as importantly, why did it have to come down to this?

The bad guy in this whole affair seems to be President/CEO and minority owner Larry Lucchino. It was well-known that Lucchino brought Epstein to Boston with him when the club was sold to him, John Henry and Tom Werner in 2002. Lucchino has long had a reputation as a tough man to work for, very demanding, and he's made enemies wherever he's gone, from Baltimore to San Diego and then to Boston. (He's the one who coined the term "Evil Empire" for the Yankees, and he and George Steinbrenner have never been best of friends.) Lucchino has long been the pointman for the Red Sox hierarchy, as both Henry and Werner are both much more private individuals (and the BIG moneymen of the outfit). Lucchino seems to enjoy the spotlight, and is never shy about offering his opinions.

Epstein started out as an intern for Lucchino in Baltimore, then went to the Padres with him in the mid-1990s. Lucchino encouraged Theo to go to law school, as he saw great potential in him. He then brought him to Boston in 2002, and the Red Sox stunned the baseball world when Theo was named general manager that November, after Oakland GM Billy Beane at first agreed to join the Sox as GM, but one day later had a change of heart and stayed out west.

Lucchino always thought of himself as a "mentor" figure to Epstein, and Theo himself has always recognized the debt he owes to Lucchino. He wouldn't have gotten his "dream job" if it weren't for Lucchino. At Wednesday's press conference Theo said so in so many words, and wouldn't put any blame on Lucchino for his departure.

But over the last few days it had come to light that the relationship between Epstein and Lucchino was not all that rosy, and that there was a breach in trust between them. An article written in the Boston Globe last Sunday by Dan Shaughnessy (what a shock, he's in the middle of another controversy) seemed to paint a picture of an "ungrateful" Theo, that he's seems to have gotten too big, and Lucchino was not happy to see him get that rock star-like status, especially from someone he brought in as intern many years ago. It appears that either Lucchino, or someone sympathetic to him, leaked this info about Theo to the Globe (which just happens to be a part-owner of the Red Sox too). Theo denied that Shaughnessy's column had any bearing on his decision to leave the Red Sox.

There were also whispers around baseball that Theo Epstein was really just a "puppet" under auspices of Larry Lucchino. This maybe a driving reason Theo departed, as he'd rather go to a club where he had more control over the baseball decisions. Also, the fact that Theo had brought to the Red Sox to the top of the mountian in just 23 short months may have weighed on him also, as once you have achieved so high a goal as a Red Sox world championship, what else is there left to accomplish here?

There has also been much talk about Theo and the types of person he is. Generally he is a rather shy and reserved guy, someone who doesn't seek out the media to voice his opinions (think of him as the "anti-Lucchino" in this regard). He knew becoming the Red Sox GM would put him in the spotlight, and when they won the World Series, it made him a mythical figure in the city of Boston forever. I'm sure if he moved to a club like the San Diego Padres it would bring a little more "sanity" into his life, as being the GM of the Boston Red Sox is absolutely one of the toughest office positions in baseball.

The press conference at Fenway Park didn't really answer a lot of questions in my mind. One big one that remains unanswered is: why did the Red Sox wait so long to get Theo signed to a new extension? I know that the Red Sox rarely sign anyone to extensions during the season, so why didn't the Sox brass do it right after last season's World Series? It seemed absolutely foolish to me to wait until the final week of the contract to start talking seriously about a new contract for Theo. John Henry took the blame for it during the press conference, but it seems to me there's more at work here. I wouldn't have let him go anywhere near the possibility of just walking away. I also sincerely believe that Henry is devastated by Theo's departure, and ultimately he could not talk him into returning, even after meeting all his contract demands.

I believe in the final end that Theo left the Red Sox, his "ultimate dream job" because he was tired of all the politics that goes on with being the GM of the Red Sox.Theo said he could no longer put his whole "heart and soul" into the job, as he had previously done. He also said he wasn't tired or "burnt out". But he did impress me as being rather disillusioned. He's walking away from the GM of the Red Sox and that takes a world of guts to do. (I'm not sure which is more gutsier, trading Nomar Garciaparra or walking away from the Red Sox GM job. Time will tell.)

The entire story is so complicated and it will take years to fully understand why it happened. History will judge whether Theo has made the right choice.

Theo knows he has an impressive resume, and that other teams would jump at the chance to bring him in to run their club. (Rumors are now circulating that the Dodgers contacted him about their vacant GM post right after he resigned.) Theo is still a young man, just 31, unmarried and has the world at his feet. He knows he can take some time off, maybe do some consulting work (prehaps with his former disciple and new Arizona GM Josh Byrnes), then he can get back into baseball after next season. He's looking for that "perfect situation" where he can make the decisions without any interference, and also prove he's one of the best GMs in baseball. He probably realized that he needed to get out of Larry Lucchino's shadow.

The events of the past 72 hours are going to be talked about and rehashed over and over again for the next few years to come. Theo Epstein leaves the Red Sox at a very crucial and inopportune time. Johnny Damon is a free agent, Manny Ramirez wants to be traded for 876th time, and other critical decisions have to be made about who plays third base and first base, about rebuilding the bullpen and additions to the starting rotation. The Sox need a new GM and FAST. Right now to the outside world, it looks like the Red Sox are just in disarray, and many players may not opt to play in Boston. The club needs to act quickly to reverse that perception.

So, who succeeds Theo?

Lots of names have been thrown around the last few days, some from inside the Red Sox, and some outside. Three of Theo's lieutenants have been mentioned, namely Jed Hoyer, Ben Cherington and Peter Woodfork. They are all young and talented but none have, of course, run a franchise. Experienced names such as Padres GM Kevin Towers and former Dodgers GM Paul DePodesta have been mentioned. Towers may have the inside track on the position, assuming the Padres give the Sox permission to talk to him. He was brought into the Padres by Lucchino many years ago and promoted to GM there.

Theo's departure is a big blow to the Red Sox, and players like Curt Schilling, Jason Varitek, and David Ortiz have let their dissatisfaction be known. The Sox now have to act fast and get a replacement in. I'm sure whoever is chosen will probably please some, while annoy others. It wouldn't be the Boston Red Sox if it didn't.

All of us wish Theo Epstein all the best in whatever he does next, whether it be in baseball or in the private sector. He will forever be known as the man who ended the 86 year drought in Boston. We're all sorry it had to end this way, as we all would liked to have seen Theo at the helm for as long as he wanted, hopefully guiding the Sox to more glory.

Theo:

Thanks for bringing in Curt Schilling and Keith Foulke.

Thanks for trading for Orlando Cabrera, Doug Mientkiewicz and Dave Roberts on July 31, 2004, the missing pieces to championship puzzle.

Thanks for rebuilding the farm system. It was a total mess before 2003.

Thanks for bringing in Big Papi, Bill Mueller, Kevin Millar, Mark Bellhorn, and Mike Timlin, other critical members of the 2004 team.

Thanks for giving Red Sox Nation what it so longed for: a championship in 2004, and just as important, something to stick in the faces of Yankee fans FOREVER.

Thanks for everything Theo.

Good luck, and we'll miss you.

Much more than you'll ever know.

Brooklyn Sox Fan

red sox writer brooklyn sox fan

by John Brian Quinn

Mail Brooklyn Sox Fan!

"The Red Sox of 2006"

At the precise moment Edgar Renteria grounded to out to Tadahito Iguchi of the White Sox on October 7th to end the American League Division Series and the Red Sox 2005 season, the New England Hot Stove League had just begun. The same way the 2004 World Champions were made over this past winter, the 2005 club will also undergo a facelift as well.

How different will the 2006 Red Sox look? None of us can know for sure right now. But knowing the Red Sox like I do, I'm sure many familiar faces may have other addresses next spring.

So where do we start? I guess we can begin with those current players who will test the free agent waters this winter. Mike Timlin is about to sign a new one-year contract, so it looks like he'll be around next season. The others who have or will file are: Johnny Damon, Kevin Millar, Bill Mueller, Tony Graffanino, John Olerud, Mike Myers, Roberto Petagine, Mike Stanton, and Gabe Kapler. Many of them will be attractive options and will garner much interest from other clubs. Petagine and Stanton are gone for sure. Olerud may retire, but if he comes back, it will probably be in a limited role like the one he had this season. Graffanino figures not to be back, as he wants to play more second base, and the Sox want to give young Dustin Pedroia a shot in spring training, as he would split time with Alex Cora. Kapler's serious Achilles tendon injury may keep him out for most of 2006, so if the Sox do sign him it won't be for much. Myers had a terrific season as the main lefty out of the pen after Alan Embree was released, so it figures he may return next year. There aren't a lot of quality lefty relievers on the market so Myers coming back makes sense.

That leaves the Big Three free agents. Johnny Damon's asking for a five-year deal worth $55 million. I don't see the Sox, or anyone else, giving him that kind of deal, as he will be 33 next year. With Scott Boras as his agent it figures he would shoot for the moon. I really think that Damon will return to Boston next season. He had another terrific season in 2005, and he's the guy who sets the table for the powerful Red Sox attack. He definitely wants to return, as his legacy is in Boston. He and Boras may be doing the same thing Boras did with Jason Varitek last winter: test the free agent waters, wait until Christmas, then meet in the middle on a deal to stay. The Sox need Damon to stay, as this will be a weak free agent market, and not many quality centerfielders are out there.

It seems more than likely that Kevin Millar will not be back. His offensive production dropped considerably in 2005, as he hit just 9 HRs. I would keep him if he agreed to a more part-time role on the club, but he still feels he's an everyday player. He's known for keeping his teammates loose with his "out there" personality and is very respected by them. But I bet the Sox management fear that if he's not playing every day, he'll start complaining and will cause trouble. I'm sure there's a team out there who would give him a deal to play first base every day. I doubt it's the Red Sox however. Paul Konerko is probably the best first baseman out in the free agent market, but has said that he has little interest in playing in Boston, and would rather stay in Chicago or move out west. This is one position where the Sox might have to swing a deal to fill.

The Red Sox have a difficult decision about what to do with Bill Mueller. He had a Gold Glove-caliber season at third in 2005, and hit .295, but his offensive numbers overall were some of the lowest by any regular 3B in the American League. He will be 35 next season, and is coming off yet another knee operation in early 2005. The Sox have Kevin Youkilis waiting in the wings, and he is ready to play every day. He put up some excellent numbers at Pawtucket, and he will turn 27 in the spring. So, does Mueller come back with Youk at 1B (where he played a bit before Olerud joined the team) or does Mueller leave and Youk takes over at third? Tough choice no matter what the front office decides.

Then there's one other free agent I didn't mention: Theo Epstein. If he doesn't sign a new contract by midnight on October 31st, he can talk with other clubs about a GM position (places like Philadelphia and Tampa Bay are still open). I believe Theo will sign a new three-year deal, as has been rumored. Part of the problem has been his relationship with his "mentor" Larry Lucchino. Theo also wants to get paid in top echelon as other GMs like Brian Cashman and John Schuerholz. And since Epstein has such a great relationship with principal owner John Henry, I can't possibly see him letting Theo walk. I'm amazed it has come down to the last minute for Theo to get a new deal. But it should get done.

The rumors about Manny Ramirez being traded this winter have resurfaced. The Red Sox are insane if they even try to deal him. He's owed $60 million for the final three years of his deal, and many in the Sox front office would like to get out from under that contract. But the numbers Manny has put up in his entire Red Sox career have been staggering, and he continues to be the most dangerous right handed hitter in the AL. His batting behind David Ortiz has made him the most feared left handed hitter in the AL, so why would you want to break that up? Big Papi, without Manny behind him, would start walking like Barry Bonds. And if Manny departs, you know Papi will be upset. He continues to be the best bargain in baseball, and the Red Sox should make sure that Ortiz never, ever goes anywhere near free agency. Having a happy David Ortiz is definitely in the Red Sox' best interest.

Besides, who could the Red Sox get of fair value for Manny? Since Ramirez is a "10-5" player (ten years in baseball and five with his current club), he can veto any deal. Manny's already said he would like to play in Anaheim, Cleveland or Arizona. The Angels are already a very dangerous team and you don't want to make them much better, and the Indians can't take his salary. I doubt the D-Backs can take Manny's contract either, with all the financial problems they've had in recent years.

Prediction: Manny will be in a Red Sox uniform on March 1. Forget the nonsense about him not reporting for spring training next year. He'll change his mind about a dozen times before then.

The Sox need to strengthen their bench for 2006. A good fourth outfielder should be a priority, especially with injury problems Trot Nixon has had in recent years. If Millar or Olerud departs, the Sox will need a good fielding first baseman will some power (Travis Lee comes to mind; he's a free agent). Young catcher Kelly Shoppach is currently stuck behind the tandem of Jason Varitek and Doug Mirabelli behind the plate, and figures to be moved in some trade that could fortify the bench.

The Red Sox also need a healthy Curt Schilling to once again anchor the rotation. 2005 was a lost season for him, and you know he will be motivated to make a big comeback in 2006. David Wells has asked for a trade to a West Coast team to finish off his career, and he'll probably be moved. Matt Clement needs to rebound from that terrible second half he had, and prove the naysayers wrong. Tim Wakefield is Tim Wakefield, and he figures to eat up innings and give the Sox a good fourth starter. Bronson Arroyo, in my opinion, should be a 7th-8th inning setup man, but the Red Sox figure him for the rotation again. Jonathan Papelbon was sensational in the pen in September as a setup man, but he will get a shot to pitch in the rotation next year. He is the Red Sox ace of the future, even getting comparisons with Roger Clemens. Wade Miller probably won't return, as he had another shoulder operation in September, and won't be ready for spring training. Another low-cost starter, added by either free agency or trade, is a definite possibility.

The bullpen had the worst ERA in the AL last season, and that's another area that will be closely scrutinized this winter. Mike Timlin did an heroic job in any role he did, but figures to go back to his setup role in 2006. Keith Foulke had another knee operation in September, and if healthy will go back to the closer role. He has a huge contract and coming off the knee problems, doesn't figure to be dealt. Lenny DiNardo did a tremendous job as a long man/spot starter in September, and should get a chance to win that role in the spring. Chad Bradford will return as set up man for Foulke, but has to improve on his 2005. There were times that Terry Francona was reluctant to go to him in clutch situations. Youngsters Manny Delcarmen and Craig Hansen will also vie for jobs in the pen in the spring, but one or both could start the season in AAA. Theo Epstein will surely add one or two new arms to the pen over the winter via trade or free agency.

Terry Francona will return for his third year as Red Sox manager in 2006. He did basically a good job in 2005, and will return with a new third base coach in DeMarlo Hale, who was the first base coach in Texas in 2005, and a new first base coach, Bill Haselman (who moves from the bullpen position). Dale Sveum moved over to Milwaukee as their third base coach, to the relief of many in Red Sox Nation, and first base coach Lynn Jones is being reassigned to the minor leagues.

Well, the soap opera we love, called the Boston Red Sox, continues on. The 2004 championship and its immediate aftermath is now part of history. It will be a fascinating winter, as the Sox will undoubtably be one of the more active clubs in the Hot Stove League. Some of my predictions may be right, and some may be dead wrong.

No matter what happens, it should be a long, "hot" winter.

Brooklyn Sox Fan

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by John Brian Quinn

Mail Brooklyn Sox Fan!

"One Year Ago: Champions!"

On the night of September 17, 2004, I was with my many Red Sox compadres at my then-favorite hangout in the West Village, The Riviera Cafe. It was a rainy night, as the Red Sox were playing the Yankees in the Bronx. The Red Sox were making a late season charge at the Yankees and first place. The Sox took an early lead, but the Yankees came back and took a 2-1 lead that they held until the ninth inning. As Yankee closer Mariano Rivera was entering the game, I'll never forget my buddy Eric, a fellow Red Sox fanatic, talking about how the game was basically over. I reminded him about recent history.

"We beat him on July 24th, so Rivera's not infallible. We can do it again."

The Red Sox scored two runs off Rivera, and went on to win, 3-2. I especially remember that night for the wild celebrations in the Riviera as the Sox tied and went ahead, and after the Yankees made the last out. It was really wild, with chairs being knocked down and all of us hugging and shouting. I was totally wiped out from cheering and screaming just from that ninth inning. After it finally calmed down, my first thought was, "What would this place be like if the Red Sox win the World Series in October?"

I watched 12 of the 14 postseason games the Red Sox played at the Riviera. The Division Series clinching game was fun, and after David Ortiz' home run the place really went mad, but it seemed more out of relief as opposed to anything else. The Sox had blown a six run lead, and everyone was glad that the worst hadn't happened.

I wasn't there for Game 4 of the ALCS, as I was at home and did some serious praying that the Red Sox wouldn't get swept. I returned for Game 5 and it ended with yet more heroics by Big Papi, and the Riviera was again a madhouse. (I even jumped on a chair and led the cheers after the game was over, but that's a story for another time.) The Game 6 victory was another win that was followed by more relief, as the last two innings the Red Sox teetered on the edge of disaster, but held on.

In Game 7 the Sox jumped out early and scored often. But the air was a mixture of anticipation and hopefulness, but in the back of my mind (and everyone else's) was the spectre of the previous October's ALCS Game 7, so nobody would dare utter the words "it's over" (at least until it was truly over). After a curious bump in the road provided by Pedro Martinez in the seventh inning, the mood changed to worry. But once Mark Bellhorn homered to open the eighth, it instantly changed over to party time. And when that last out was finally made, the bar absolutely exploded in total happiness and joy. It was like all the previous celebrations all rolled into one. Champagne flowed, and there were hugs and joy everywhere. And I thought only one thing could possibly top this.

Exactly one week later, the Red Sox were in position to finally DO IT. They had a 3-0 lead in the 100th World Series. I was back in the Riviera once again, and I was a nervous wreck.

Since the last out of Game 3, I was a mess. The Sox had an insurmountable lead in the Series. There was no possible way they could lose this. But weren't the Yankees and their fans saying the same thing about 10 days earlier?

I got to the Riviera about three hours early that day. I had to, as Red Sox fans were flocking there (many of whom I'd never seen before, and some probably of the "fair weather" variety to be sure). Shortly after I got there, the line to get in was stretching around the block. Most of my friends were convinced of a sweep happening that night. The Fox Network, which was covering the World Series, sent in Kenny Albert and a camera crew into the bar, and they did part of the pregame show from the Riviera. (One of my relatives later said she saw me on camera during the warmup, as I was sitting at a table right behind Mr. Albert.)

The game began, and the bar was roaring on every pitch. Johnny Damon led off the game with a home run off Cardinals starter Jason Marquis. (A side note: I have a very distant connection to Marquis: he's a Staten Island native who's married to my aunt's husband's cousin. VERY distant indeed.) You could feel the electricity in the bar right after the ball left the park.

By the third, the Sox added to their lead when Trot Nixon doubled with the bases loaded to extend the lead to 3-0. After the game ended, more than one person came up to me to tell me they saw me on TV after Nixon's double. (Fox showed a live shot of the Riv right after the double and showed me and my friends high-fiving. My fame continues to spread.)

Derek Lowe was in total command, and the Cardinals' hitters looked like a beaten bunch. By the eighth inning, I was in the "pit"of the bar with a bunch of my friends, glued to the TV. I looked out the window at the start of the ninth and I saw NYPD cars driving up to the bar, and I also saw dozens of people outside gathering on 7th Avenue South. They were Red Sox fans who didn't get in waiting for the celebrations to begin. After the Sox failed to score in the ninth, the anticipation in the bar was reaching an unbelievable new high. It was at this moment that my emotions got the best of me briefly, and I felt a few tears in my eyes. Just three outs to go.........

When Albert Pujols singled to start the ninth, groans filled the bar. I walked over towards the bathroom and I thought to myself, "Absolutely nothing comes easy with this team!" But once Scott Rolen flied out and Jim Edmonds struck out, the Riviera crowd was now at a fever pitch (please excuse the use of that term). Edgar Renteria stepped in and took the first pitch from Keith Foulke for a ball.

I will take to my grave what happened next.

Renteria swung and hit the next pitch. For a split second I thought the ball was going up the middle for single. But Foulke stuck up his glove and caught it on one hop. Two words entered my mind at that moment.

"That's it!"

Foulke took a couple of steps and flipped the ball to Doug Mientkiewicz. Final out.

It was like the entire bar had a long fuse attached to it. That last out set off a blast. It seemed like all at once the Riviera exploded in a show of happiness that I've never seen in my life. I threw my arms in the air and grabbed my Red Sox hat in my right hand and yelled out "Champions!". I could barely hear myself think from all the noise, and once again chairs were knocked over. I lost my hat, but I hugged friends and strangers alike. Then some of my friends started jumping up and down in a circle behind the bar chairs (very much like the home plate celebrations after a game-winning home run) and I joined them. Another friend of mine popped open a bottle of champagne and sprayed a little of it on me.

"If this is a dream, please don't wake me up!" I said to one of my friends. And to another I said, "Whenever God wants to take me, I'm ready to go!" The celebration went on for a good solid ten minutes, and looked in vain for my beloved Red Sox hat on the floor. (Someone had picked it up and put it on the bar where I eventually found it.) We watched the celebrations on TV at Busch Stadium and in Boston, and then we moved out onto 7th Avenue South, where about 120 or so Red Sox fans had gathered on the corner of W. 4th Street. The police were out in force to keep everyone in line, but no one was out there to cause trouble. (The cops we met were rather cool about it, and one told me he was a Mets fan and congratulated me.) For about 45 minutes, we Red Sox fans owned New York City! We chanted for Johnny Damon, Manny, Papi, Curt, Pedro, Johnny Pesky, Dr. Morgan, and even some anti-Jeter and anti-A-Rod stuff (you can just guess what it was). And in the middle of it all, a guy wearing a Yankees jacket came by. He surprised us all by saying, "The hell with the Yankees! I'm with you guys now! Go Red Sox!!" I don't know if he meant that or was just trying to save his own skin.

Our celebrations moved over to my friend Horton's bar on Jane Street, called appropriately enough, "Tavern On Jane". From there we partied into the wee hours of the morning. The TVs had on the recap of the World Series and the celebrations currently going on. We all did champagne toasts. The feeling in the bar mostly was one of sheer disbelief. Did all of this really happen? Did the Red Sox really sweep the mighty St. Louis Cardinals to win the Series for the first time since 1918? Were they really in an 0-3 hole against the Yankees just 10 days earlier and come back to win it all?

One calendar year has now passed since that incredibly special time in our lives happened. This year's World Series seems so empty now that the Red Sox aren't involved. I just wish I could have put into a bottle those final eight games the Red Sox won in 2004, and relive them again with all my friends.

Championships are forever, and this one will last a lifetime.

It was absolutely the most special time of my whole life.

Thank you, Red Sox.

Brooklyn Sox Fan

red sox writer brooklyn sox fan

by John Brian Quinn

Mail Brooklyn Sox Fan!

"What in the Wide World Of Sports"

"Blazing Saddles" has always been one of my favorite all-time films. One of the films bad guys, Taggart, says a line that always hands me a laugh. "What in the wide world of sports is going on here?" The line doesn't have anything to do with sports actually, as it's just Mel Brooks' wacky sense of humor. But there are times I really feel like saying that line for real

There are just times that things happen that simply amaze me, or just simply leave me shaking my head. This past month a few things have happened that I thought I'd comment on. (I was originally going to write my column on what the Red Sox may do this winter, but that will be coming up next week.)

DAVE HENDERSON REVISITED: This past Monday night, the Astros were just one out away from clinching their first National League pennant in their history against St. Louis. They had a two run lead, and their ace closer, Brad Lidge, on the mound. He struck out the first two St. Louis Cardinals hitters before the scrappy David Eckstein singled to left with two strikes on him. Lidge then walks Jim Edmonds on 3 and 1, and that brought up the always dangerous Albert Pujols. He had been shut down the entire night, but Lidge made the fatal mistake of throwing him a hanging slider. Pujols killed it, nearly hitting it onto the "railroad tracks" over 400 feet from home plate. The crowd stood in stunned silence, so quiet that Pujols later said he could hear his footsteps as he rounded the bases. The Cardinals went on to a 5-4 win and forced the NLCS to a sixth game back in St. Louis.

As soon as Pujols stepped into the batter's box, just one name entered my mind: Dave Henderson. The situation immediately reminded me of the 1986 ALCS, which is very conveniently burned into my brain forever. I'll never forget Hendu stepping up to the plate with Rich Gedman on first base with the Sox trailing the California (pre-Anaheim, and pre-LA of Anaheim) Angels, 5-4. The Sox were one out from a gloomy winter, and Hendu wasn't having a good game, having helped a Bobby Grich flyball over the wall for a homer a few innings earlier. Hendu battled Angels closer Donnie Moore, but finally Moore threw him a 1-2 slider, and he powered it over the leftfield wall to give the Red Sox a 6-5 lead. The game of course eventually went to extra innings before the Red Sox won it on a sacrifice fly in the 11th inning by Henderson.

The Angels were finished by then and they knew it, even though they still led 3-2 in the series. The Sox seized the series by throat at Fenway Park, and won Game 6, 10-4, and then the AL pennant the next day, 8-1. It would take another 16 years before the Angels got that elusive first AL pennant, and then a world championship.

I just knew that Pujols would do something, and boy did he ever. The Houston crowd was ready to explode, but one swing of the bat took all the wind out of their sails. It was an amazing thing to see the park go from one extreme to the other. I actually felt badly for them, as it brought back October 12, 1986 back to me in vivid detail.

And it was really spooky too. The Astros, like the Angels, were leading the LCS 3 games to 1, and they had also never won a league championship in their history too. The moment Albert Pujols crossed home plate, I thought the Astros were finished. After the spirit-crushing loss on Monday night, the Astros would have to, just like the Angels in 1986, go on the road to win the pennant. It didn't look good at all, as I was sure the momentum of the series had shifted the Cardinals way, just like it did to the Red Sox in 1986.

But the Astros had something the Angels didn't those many years ago.

Roy Oswalt.

He dominated the Cardinals in Game 6, like he did in Game 2. The Astros jumped out early, and took a lead they would never relinquish. It speaks volumes about the Houston club that after such a crushing defeat they regrouped themselves in enemy territory and went out and got the job done. The White Sox will have their hands full with the Astros, as it should be a low-scoring, well-pitched World Series. My congratulations to the Houston Astros on their well-earned first National League championship.

But I still like the White Sox in seven games.

VIKINGS GONE WILD: As a matter of full disclosure, my favorite NFL team has for many years been the Minnesota Vikings. I've actually been a fan of theirs for 33 years, 5 years longer than I've been a Red Sox fan. Many people have told me I must have a death wish rooting for the Vikings and Red Sox all these years. But I never paid any attention to those people. I always believed that I'd live to see both teams win championships. My faith was of course finally rewarded last year by the Red Sox amazing postseason.

But things in Minnesota these days are very different.

I never thought I would ever write this, but today I am actually ashamed to call myself a Vikings fan. This was the team that was picked by many so-called experts to take the next step and challenge for the Super Bowl. Since the start of the season, they haven't gotten on track, limping into this week's game against Green Bay with a 1-4 record.

But it's not the on-field play that upsets me most. Over a week ago, it was revealed that during the Vikings off week, as many as 17 players took a yacht trip on Lake Minnetonka that authorities say had some lewd and even criminal behavior on it involving strippers invited to be there by some of the players. Crew members on the two yachts later complained about it, as some of them were as young as 18. Viking players have denied that anything wrong or illegal occurred that day, but apparently the FBI is now getting into it and reviewing the findings of the sheriff's department to see what course of action will happen next.

It makes me sick to my stomach. It's bad enough that the Vikings have a head coach in Mike Tice who often comes across as a clueless airhead and is in so far over his head, and has been at the helm of two straight late-season collapses. (The playoff win over Green Bay probably saved his job last season.) He was also fined by the NFL this past spring for scalping his personal Super Bowl tickets a few years ago. I'm amazed that as I write this, he is still a head coach.

The embarrassment just continues with all this nonsense. Granted that the final word on just what happened hasn't come down yet, so judgment still has to be reserved. But when I see a team that I have supported for most of my life becoming the butt of jokes on late night TV, it really angers me. The Vikings have hit rock bottom, and a "back up the truck" mentality is in order here. New owner Ziggy Wilf has to clean house and restore a little dignity to a once-proud franchise. It certainly didn't help last Sunday when the mediocre Chicago Bears whacked them, 29-3. The Vikes need a head coach who will lay down the law, and flush out the deadwood.

Seeing all of this go down certainly makes me appreciate all the more what the New England Patriots have done the last four years. Despite the slow start this season, they are the model for all NFL franchises on how to run a championship club, maintain it and move forward with the right type of players.

I've witnessed the Vikings lose four Super Bowls, but all the losses combined don't add up to the embarrassment of the 2005 season. It's your move, Mr. Wilf.

SVEUM GOES TO MILWAUKEE: I called my buddy Joe today, who is a dedicated Red Sox fan and one of those who would like to take Dale Sveum out to the nearest tree and hang him. I broke the news to him about Sveum's departure to the Brewers as their third base coach, and I got just a two word response from him. And it was one I was expecting.

"Thank God!"

Without question, being Red Sox third base coach is one of the toughest coaching jobs in baseball. It seems like every Red Sox runner who got cut down at the plate the last two years was the fault of Dale Sveum. Of course, the best third base coaches are like the best umpires: you never notice them. Sveum seemed to be the whipping boy of Red Sox Nation ever since he took over the job in 2004. Every time a Red Sox runner got cut down at home, the internet message boards would go crazy calling for Sveum's beheading. It got so bad for him that he was booed unmercifully as he was introduced before Game 1 of the 2004 World Series.

Sveum was genuinely liked and well-respected by the Sox players, coaches and management. He was offered a new contract for 2006, but turned it down when the Milwaukee position opened up. It was for "family reasons" he said, as he can spend more time with them in Arizona, especially during spring training, where the Brewers are. But you have to believe that the criticism and his treatment from the fans may have weighed into his decision to leave Boston.

While some of his decisions at third were in some cases were rightly questioned, Sveum always handled himself with class and dignity. I wish him well with the Brewers, the team he played for back in the 1980s.

And I wish the new Red Sox third base coach luck as well, whoever it may be. Let's also hope he's got a thick skin as well.

GIVE ME 33 INSTEAD OF 30: I close with this, one of the most bizarre justice stories I've ever read about. A man in Oklahoma was given a 30 year prison sentence for shooting a man with intent to kill and robbery. It was a plea deal, but the man, Eric Torpy, insisted on 33 years, not 30. Torpy wanted his sentence to match the number of his favorite basketball player, Larry Bird. Prosecutors agreed to it, as said that Torpy was "as happy as could be" that he got the additional 3 years tacked on.

This strange story makes me wonder. What would he have done if Wayne Gretzky (number 99) was his idol?

Brooklyn Sox Fan

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by John Brian Quinn

Mail Brooklyn Sox Fan!

"The Defending World Champions"

It was a wonderful season.

Even if it didn't work out quite the way we all hoped it would in the end.

I never got tired of writing or saying "defending world champion Boston Red Sox". For the vast majority of us, we've never heard that phrase uttered in reality before. But for the entire 2005 baseball season, we all got to say that, and no one would be able to look at us like we had just lost our minds (especially here in New York). And boy, did it feel good.

This baseball season seemed to go by in the blink of an eye. It seems like yesterday that 86 years of heartbreak ended with Keith Foulke's underhanded flip to Doug Mientkiewicz at Busch Stadium, and the wild celebrations started. It began a "winter of content", beginning with a parade so large in scope that Boston had never seen one like it before. The Red Sox were all over the media, especially Johnny Damon, who appeared on talk shows, and even co-authored his own book. The 2004 World Series Film was a huge success on DVD, and I was proud to make a cameo appearance in it.

It seems like everywhere you looked, the Red Sox were the new media darlings. They were no longer "the team that couldn't win The Big One", but "the team that would never give up". The so-called Curse was officially dead, and the Red Sox were now the new role model for never giving up and going down to the last out. It seemed like every sportswriter and his uncle was putting out a book about the Red Sox glorious season.

It was predicted by many that if the Red Sox ever won a championship, everything about and around the team would change. For the most part, that is a correct statement. The culture of "how will they blow it now" was gone for good, and a new era seemed to dawning.

After all the celebrations were finished, general manager Theo Epstein got down to the serious business of putting together a contending team for 2005. The Red Sox had a number of free agents to deal with, and everyone knew that most of them would leave for greener pastures (pun definitely intended). The Red Sox simply couldn't sign all of them. When the last out of the 2004 World Series was made, we all knew that the team that finally delivered a title to Boston would look much different the following April.

Two of the big pitching heroes of the 2004 postseason, Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe, were the biggest names. At the trading deadline in December, it appeared that the Sox were going to sign Pedro to a three year deal to remain. But the New York Mets offered him a four year deal for $52 million, and Pedro took it. It would bring him down to the media capital of America, he would become an ace again, and he would go back to the National League, which would be a smart move on his part. Only a few Red Sox fans were upset about the move, and most thanked him for the memories and moved on. The Sox seemed to have little interest in retaining Lowe, and he signed a four year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Martinez and Lowe were replaced by free agent signings Matt Clement and David Wells. After the Yankees grabbed righty Carl Pavano from Florida, Clement seemed to be the best free agent starter available. And Wells was a big surprise, as he first offered his services to the Yankees, who politely passed. Clement signed for four years, Wells two. Epstein also added Wade Miller from Houston and reliever Matt Mantei from Arizona. Both were coming off injury-riddled 2004 seasons, and were signed relatively cheaply to one year deals.

Jason Varitek was the most important free agent signing the Sox had to make over the winter, and two days before Christmas they signed him to a four year contract and made him the first Red Sox captain since Jim Rice. Orlando Cabrera wanted a four year deal to stay, but the Red Sox didn't want to commit to him for that long, and he decided to leave for the Angels. After Martinez signed with the Mets, the Sox signed Cardinals shortstop Edgar Renteria to a four year deal. It was somewhat of a surprise, as it seemed like the Red Sox had super prospect Hanley Ramirez waiting in the wings to take over SS in 2006. The Red Sox also traded outfielder and Boston cult hero Dave Roberts to his hometown San Diego Padres for outfielder Jay Payton and infielder Ramon Vazquez.

The pieces seemed to be in place for another run at the title in 2005. But one dark cloud seemed to hang over the club: the status of Curt Schilling. He had surgery in November to repair his right ankle and wasn't sure he'd be able to start the 2005 season on time. He worked hard over the winter to be ready, but the doctors had told him it might be as much as 18 months before he'd be back to 100%.

The season opened on the night of April 3 at Yankee Stadium, and ex-Yankee David Wells got the start, as Schilling wasn't set to go (he would debut 10 days later in Boston). Randy Johnson made his Yankees debut, and Wells gave up five runs in 4+ innings, and the Yankees won an easy 9-2 victory. Two days later the Sox got their first victory, as Mariano Rivera blew his second straight save in as many days as the Sox scored five in the ninth for a 7-4 victory.

On April 11, the day every Red Sox fan had ever dreamed of finally happened. The home opener against the Yankees would be the day they raised their World Championship flag and gave out their championship rings. It was an incredibly emotional day, as one by one each player got their rings, and old friends Derek Lowe and Dave Roberts returned and got theirs too. More than one person in the house was in tears when 86-year-old Johnny Pesky was the last one to receive one. Together he and Carl Yastrzemski lead a group of oldtime Red Sox heroes out to centerfield and raised the championship flag up the pole.

It was a moment that will live with every Red Sox fan forever.

The day was capped off with an 8-1 rout of the Yankees. It was one of the better days of my life, for sure.

The Red Sox played well in April, but the Baltimore Orioles jumped out to an early lead in the AL East, and the Yankees skidded to an 11-19 start by May. But Curt Schilling's ankle would prove to be a really sore spot, and by late April he was back on the DL again, and would not return until mid-July. It was a lost season for Schill, who ended up 8-8 with an ERA of 5.69. He returned as closer, as it was an equally lost season for World Series hero Keith Foulke. Foulke saved 15 games, but he gave up home runs by the truckload, and every save opportunity seemed to be an adventure. He had right knee problems, and after a blown save in Texas on July 4, he was shut down to have surgery. He returned in September, but was clearly not the same pitcher he was, and was shut down again to have surgery on his other knee. Mike Timlin was cast into the closer role in July and did a fine job, saving 13, after having a superb year as a set up man.

Other players the Sox needed to count on also had their problems. Kevin Millar never got on track and hit just nine homers all season. Trot Nixon was hurt in July and hit just 13 home runs. Mark Bellhorn's offensive numbers dropped considerably, as his strikeouts went up. He was released in August. Setup man Alan Embree had an ERA over 7 and led all AL relievers in home runs allowed and was also let go. Bellhorn and Embree would both turn up with the Yankees, but would contribute little to their playoff run.

David Ortiz became simply the most feared hitter in the AL, hitting 47 home runs and 148 RBI, and countless clutch hits from the seventh inning on. Big Papi is without doubt the AL MVP, no matter what the voters eventually say. He and Manny Ramirez became the best 1-2, middle of the order sluggers since Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Manny hit 45 home runs and 144 RBI, after getting off to slow start and many questions about him early on. At the trading deadline in late July, the rumors became hot and heavy that Manny would be dealt to the Mets in a complicated three team deal also involving Tampa Bay. The D-Rays eventually pulled out and any possible deal fell apart. Red Sox Nation breathed a sigh of relief when it did, and Manny celebrated his staying in Boston by driving in the winning run as a pinch-hitter against Minnesota on July 31.

It was also a big year for Johnny Damon, as he lead the AL in batting for most of 2005. He scored 117 runs and hit .316. Damon played with many injuries, including one to his shoulder after he hit the bullpen wall at Fenway early in the season. Bill Mueller got off to a slow start, but added 10 home runs, hit .295 and gave the Sox a Gold Glove-caliber season at 3B. Jason Varitek hit 22 home runs and a .281 batting average before slumping badly in September. It was a bizarre year for Edgar Renteria. His first year in Boston consisted of hot streaks, cold streaks, and 30 errors at SS, the most of his career. Boston was clearly a tough adjustment for the quiet infielder, and look for him to bounce back in 2006.

Theo Epstein added Tony Graffanino, John Olerud and Alex Cora to the infield, and Chad Bradford to the bullpen by mid-season. Graffanino did an excellent job at 2B, making just three errrors in 51 games. Olerud provided great defense and some clutch hits, and Cora provided capable utility defense at second and shortstop. Bradford was very hot and cold, as he had not pitched in 2005 before his trade from Oakland in July due to a back injury.

Ultimately, it was the bullpen that was the Red Sox' downfall this season. They were last in the AL in team bullpen ERA. They allowed too many inherited runners to score and gave up way too many home runs. Jonathan Papelbon was a godsend in September and did an amazing job as an 8th inning set up man, but his future is clearly in the rotation. The bullpen will be a part of the club that will need to be rebuilt if the Sox will ultimately be successful in 2006. The starters were far better. Tim Wakefield anchored the staff all season, through Schilling and Wells' injuries. He won 16 games to lead the staff. Bronson Arroyo won 14, and Wells won 15. Matt Clement got off to a great start and made the All-Star team, but got hit in the head by a liner at Tampa Bay in July, and struggled the remainder of the season.

Terry Francona did a good job in 2005. He continued to be a calming influence in a storm that can be the Red Sox clubhouse. He handled many "brushfires" adeptly, like the Manny situation in late July, the Jay Payton mess in early July, and the yearlong closer and bullpen problems. He won't win the Manager of the Year Award for 2005, but he clearly shows he can manage well in the fishbowl that is Boston baseball. Management should reward him and give him a new extended contract.

The Red Sox led the AL East for most of the season, but the Yankees caught the Red Sox in mid-September, erasing a four game lead, and eventually won the division (even if by tie-breaker). The Sox stumbled as they finished the season, and as we all know got swept by a better Chicago White Sox team in the ALDS. It was a disappointing end to the season. But not I, nor any of my circle of friends were devastated by it.

We all had a taste of what its like to root for a team calling itself "World Champions". The taste was delicious. We'd all like sit down and enjoy that yearlong meal once again.

Coming next week: The 2006 Red Sox.

Brooklyn Sox Fan

red sox writer brooklyn sox fan

by John Brian Quinn

Mail Brooklyn Sox Fan!

"Three and Out"

It was painful to watch.

At just after 7:35 PM on Friday night, October 7, 2005, it became official that the Boston Red Sox would not repeat as baseball's World Champions. Edgar Renteria grounded out to Tadahito Iguchi and the White Sox advanced to the American League Championship Series with a 5-3 win. I'm just glad that Renteria didn't ground back to pitcher Bobby Jenks. It would have been too spooky to have seen him then run over and flip the ball over to first.

The White Sox deserved to win this series, and I congratulate them on their victory. They outplayed the Red Sox in every facet of the game. They pitched better, hit better (especially in the clutch), played better defense and did all the little things better. They move on to the ALCS, and it wouldn't surprise me to see them in the World Series in a couple of weeks. They are a very good team, and showed the world they mean business.

It was simply three games to forget for the Red Sox. Simply nothing went right. Tim Wakefield pitched gamely in Game 3, but it simply wasn't enough to overcome the White Sox. The Red Sox had the lead for all of five innings in the series. People may remember Tony Graffanino's error as the key play in this series, but let's face some hard facts. The Red Sox simply didn't hit.

And especially when it counted most.

The bats carried this club all year. This week most of them fell silent in the clutch. The Red Sox went 4 for 24 with runners in scoring position in the three games, and the bottom of the batting order was simply anemic. Bill Mueller went 0 for 11, and the number 6 through 9 hitters went 3 for 28 in the final two games. The fateful bottom of the sixth told the story of the series. Down by a run with the bases loaded and no outs, Jason Varitek fouled out, Tony Graffanino popped up to short and Johnny Damon struck out trying to check his swing. The Red Sox hit only three home runs in the series, and they were all solo shots in Game 3 by David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez.

Of course you have to give credit to the man who bailed the White Sox out in Game 3. Orlando Hernandez pitched masterfully in getting the White Sox out of the jam. He pitched three solid innings in getting the game to closer Bobby Jenks. Jenks closed the door with a solid 1-2-3 in the ninth, and the White Sox won their first postseason series since they won their last World Series in 1917.

I watched this game with a number of my dedicated Red Sox fan friends in the West Village. The spirits were high throughout the game, but once the White Sox escaped the sixth inning, you could feel the electricity drop considerably, and I had the feeling that any repeat of the miracle comeback of 2004 just wasn't going to happen. When it finally did end, there were a couple of legitimate White Sox fans in the bar who were as happy as we were last year. (I use the word "legitimate", as we found out they were from Chicago, and not some Yankee fans there in disguise.) And NO ONE bothered them after the game. I actually felt good for them, as they witnessed their team win a postseason series for the first time in their lives.

Most of my friends felt the same way I did. Disappointed, but hopeful for the future. (I'll have more about the future of the Red Sox in a column next week.) The best thing about this series was the performance of young Jonathan Papelbon. He pitched four solid innings in the series, especially in Game 3, when he singlehandly kept them in the contest. We all wanted to see the Red Sox repeat, but we are all still grateful for 2004's title. That is something we all have, that will never be taken away from us.

I was also so pleased and proud when I saw the Red Sox fans give Tony Graffanino a very nice ovation during his pregame introduction. It was a very classy way of the fans saying they were still behind him and were pulling for him. After the game he said how much he appreciated it. It's things like that that make me proud to be a Red Sox fan.

When I got home late on Friday night, I made the mistake of putting on the late local sports news, and watched the gleeful NY sports media report the Red Sox loss that day. ( I guess they had to find something to smile about as the Yankees were losing and would lose that night to the Angels.) One outlet interviewed some knucklehead fan (had to be a Yankee fan but I'm not sure) and he actually said this about the Sox' loss: "I guess last year has been proven to be a fluke." I nearly screamed unprintable words at my TV screen. All that was proven yesterday was that the White Sox have a better team than the Red Sox this season.

And the New York Daily News proved again just how classless they are as a newspaper. Last October 28 they reported the Red Sox world championship with this headline on their back cover: "Curse Takes a Year Off: See You in 2090". Today the headline to their Red Sox story was: "New Curse as Boston Flops". (Boy, they are STILL obsessed with curses!!) Well, what would you expect from a tabloid that employs such no-talents as Bill Madden and Filip Bondy as sportswriters?

I was disappointed by the Red Sox getting swept by the White Sox in this series, but I was not distraught. I knew that the Boys from the South Side were going to bring all they had at the Red Sox, and they did. The White Sox did stagger through most of September, but they regained their balance in the final week of the season and put the charging Cleveland Indians away, and then clicked on all cylinders this past week. They pitched so well, not just from their starters but especially from the bullpen, most notably Bobby Jenks. He slammed the door on the Sox to win the last two games, and he looks like their closer for many years to come. They hit really well when it counted, and proved they are no "small-ball" team, hitting seven home runs. What they showed was they can beat you any number of ways. They even got their final insurance run on Friday by suicide squeeze.

Whoever comes out of the Angels-Yankees series has their hands full.

Well, the storybook finish didn't happen for the 2005 Red Sox. However, they are still a team we can all be proud of. They fought hard and won 95 games despite injuries and other distractions. I guess it just wasn't in the cards this year. Let's hope the Red Sox retool this winter, and are ready to reclaim the championship trophy in 2006.

As bad as a first round exit is, take comfort in this one thought.

It least it wasn't at the hands of the Yankees.

Brooklyn Sox Fan

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by John Brian Quinn

Mail Brooklyn Sox Fan!

"Got 'Em Right Where We Want 'Em"

Nothing ever comes easy with this team.

We've been down this road before. Backs are to the wall, and there's no tomorrow if we lose. There are times I wonder if the Red Sox just love to put their devoted fans through such torture as this.

The Red Sox lost the first two games of the 2005 ALDS, by scores of 14-2 and 5-4. It was an ugly two games, for varying reasons. Game 1 was a horror show from the get-go. Matt Clement had nothing and got torched for five runs in the first inning, and he eventually gave up eight earned runs and three home runs in 3 1/3 innings. Clement may very well have started his last game in the 2005 postseason, no matter how far the Red Sox go. He has now been banished to the bullpen, and Terry Francona will certainly not start him if the ALDS goes to a fifth and deciding game.

Jose Contreras pitched a very good game for the White Sox. It wasn't too big of a surprise, as he was the second best starting pitcher in the AL since the All-Star Game (Johan Santana was number one). The Red Sox mounted only one serious threat against him, when they scored two runs in the third. But by the fourth, the game was basically over. Contreras was in command, the White Sox went up by six runs, and the Red Sox had packed it in. The White Sox added a couple more home runs, and cruised to an easy 14-2 win. It was an embarrassing loss for the Red Sox, and their worst loss in their postseason history.

This was an easy game to forget. It's what I like to refer to as a "garbage can game". The Red Sox were never in the game, nobody pitched well or hit well for them, so you take this game, throw it in the garbage and come out slugging the next day. No Red Sox player or fan should have lost any sleep over it (except maybe Matt Clement), as the Red Sox got their butts whipped, plain and simple.

Game 2? Well, that's an entirely different story.

I felt a sense of confidence that David Wells was going for the Red Sox, and just about all of my friends felt the same way. He's always been a "big money" pitcher, and always seems to pitch his best when it really counts. (Remember Game 5 of the 2003 ALCS he pitched for the Yankees against the Sox at Fenway?) I thought the Red Sox would come out firing over the embarrassment of Game 1. Mark Buehrle was going for the White Sox, and the Red Sox hit him hard in the two starts he made against them in 2005.

And sure enough, the Red Sox scored twice in the first inning on Manny Ramirez' single, and then added two more in the third to increase the lead to 4-0. Wells started out strong, allowing only one hit over the first four innings. But the White Sox got three hits off him to start the fifth and scored twice. With a man on first and one out, Juan Uribe hit a slow grounder to Tony Graffanino. Whether it was runner Joe Crede running by him or some other reason, Graffanino rushed himself, took his eye off the ball and it scooted under his glove for an error. It is doubtful he could have turned a double play, but we'll never know. After a foul out, Tadahito Iguchi hit a 1-1 pitch over the left field wall for a 5-4 White Sox lead.

Three unearned runs. It was crushing. But the Red Sox still had four innings to get the game at least tied. Mark Buehrle had settled down since giving up the four runs and was shutting the Red Sox down. He left after seven innings, and allowed only a single hit since the third. Bobby Jenks, the new White Sox closer, brought in his 97 MPH fastball in the eighth, and the Red Sox did little against him. Graffanino doubled with one out in the ninth, but Johnny Damon fouled out and Edgar Renteria grounded out to end the game, with David Ortiz waiting in the on-deck circle.

As embarrassing a loss as Tuesday was, Wednesday was a spirit-crusher. This was a game they seemed to give away. Before the series, the Red Sox needed only to split in Chicago to be in good shape for the return home. Now they find themselves in the same predicament they were in the ALDS' of 1999 and 2003. In both they lost the first two games on the road (in Cleveland and Oakland), came home and won two and then won both deciding games on the road. The Sox now have to follow the same route if the dream of repeating as World Champions will become a reality.

The Red Sox lost the two games by a combined score of 19-6. The offense seemed almost non-existent. They didn't hit one home run in Chicago. They were outhomered by Chicago, 6-0. In Game 2 they seemed to go to sleep after scoring the four runs in the first three innings, as they got just two hits in the remaining six. The bottom of the order went 1 for 14 in Game 2. The offense has to come alive and carry the team at this point. Tim Wakefield will start in Game 3, and he's such a gamer and warrior that he should give the Red Sox a quality start. Then in Game 4 it will be Curt Schilling. Which Schilling shows up will be anyone's guess. Will it be the one who beat the Yankees twice the last month, or the one who struggled in his starts after he had the ankle problems?

Game 5? At this point, it's too early to even guess who would pitch that game. I'm sure right now that Terry Francona doesn't even know for sure, and won't until the Red Sox win Game 4.

The pitching was a total disaster in Game 1, but David Wells pitched well until the fateful fifth inning. The White Sox started hitting him then, but one bad pitch to Iguchi changed everything. I know right now it is easy to point fingers at Tony Graffanino as the goat of Game 2. His error extended the fifth inning, and opened a window for the White Sox to grab the lead. But let's also remember that it was David Wells who gave up Iguchi's home run, and the Red Sox offense had four more innings to get the game tied or get the lead and didn't do it. I also hope the Red Sox fans at Fenway Park on Friday afternoon will remember what a terrific pickup Graffanino was this summer and that he played a stellar second base, making just 3 errors at 2B in 51 games there. Everyone seems to agree it was Theo Epstein's best move this past summer. Tony certainly deserves the fans support, as Francona will surely put him right back out at second tomorrow.

Make no mistake about it, this is also a good Chicago White Sox club. They didn't win the AL Central by accident. They may not be a great team, but they have very good starting pitching and a decent bullpen. They actually outhomered the Red Sox in the regular season, 200-199. They have very good speed and can make things happen throughout their lineup. Many people associated with the White Sox claimed the team was not getting the respect they deserved as Chicago had the best record in the AL and the second best in baseball.

But if the White Sox are going to win this series they'd better do it on Friday. If they let the Red Sox off the mat tomorrow, they may suffer a similar fate the Yankees suffered last October. A friend of mine may have put it best when he said this after the Game 2 loss, and it could very well apply to the Red Sox right now:

"Your one punch better knock me out, because if it doesn't, I'm going to send you to the hospital."

And I also remember that prophetic statement by Kevin Millar just before Game 4 of last year's ALCS:

"Don't let us win today! Just don't let us win today!!"

I have to admit that during the closing days of this past September, I was having my doubts about whether the Red Sox would make it to the postseason. And during the regular season, there were times it looked like the injuries would take its toll on the team to the point that they just wouldn't make it to October. It seems like every time I doubt this team, they prove me wrong.

OK guys, we're Keeping the Faith.

You've done it before, so now it's time to go out there and prove the naysayers wrong.

You've got the White Sox right where you want them.

Three straight wins to reach the ALCS.

Just do it. Do it again.

Brooklyn Sox Fan

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by John Brian Quinn

Mail Brooklyn Sox Fan!

"The Road Begins in Chicago"

It's funny what a difference 24 hours makes. Late Saturday afternoon, the Red Sox were defeated by the Yankees, 8-4, and that win gave them the AL Eastern Division title for 2005. From the coverage in the New York papers here, you would have thought the Yankees had just won the World Series. They all seemed to rejoice in the fact that the Yankees had just clinched a berth in the postseason at Fenway Park. Some of the outright nonsense I read was incredible. One Yankee fan told a New York tabloid it was proper payback for what happened last October, and put the world back in its "proper order".

Unbelievable.

On Sunday, the Red Sox needed either a win to get into the playoffs as the AL Wild Card, or a Cleveland Indians loss against Chicago, as they trailed the Red Sox by one game. The best the Indians could do would be to force a one-game playoff on Monday.

Curt Schilling and the Red Sox wanted no part of playing on Monday. Schilling pitched six good innings, and the Sox bats came alive and they stomped on the Yankees, 10-1, to secure a third straight year in the playoffs, a first in team history. Schilling struggled a bit early, as the Yankees had their chances to score runs but could not cash in. The Red Sox did, scoring five runs in the fourth inning on homers by Bill Mueller and Manny Ramirez to basically put the final game of the regular season away.

It was in the bottom of the fifth that the Wild Card berth was clinched, when word reached Fenway that the White Sox beat the Indians, 3-1. The Red Sox fans stood and applauded when the "9" was removed from that game on the Fenway scoreboard and it was officially over. The Red Sox enjoyed their victory with a muted celebration on the field, one day after the Yankees did the same thing. That was a little more than bizarre.

Despite having clinched the division the day before, Sunday was not a "nothing" game for the Yankees. (The YES announcers made that quite clear in their pregame opening.) The Yankees put out their "A" team for this game (all regulars except Jason Giambi started), and if they won or the L.A. Angels lost, the Yankees would have the home field advantage in their first round series. As it turned out, the Angels defeated the Texas Rangers, 7-4, and won the ALDS advantage. But the Yankees, especially Joe Torre and Alex Rodriguez, were dismayed to find out that Rangers' skipper Buck Showalter pulled out three of his stars, Michael Young, Hank Blalock and Mark Teixeira, for pinch runners in the third inning with Texas ahead, 4-1. The Yankees basically bashed Showalter after the game and stopped short of accusing him of laying down to let the Angels win so they could have the advantage over his old team.

If this was really Showalter's motivation for taking his stars out, he should be fired immediately. But this sounds like sour grapes on the part of the Yankees. They didn't take care of business at Fenway on Sunday, so they really have no business complaining about what the Rangers did.

So the Yankees and Red Sox wound up with the same record, 95-67. The Yankees won the division because of their head-to-head record, 10-9, against the Sox. That is one of the new "rules of the road" when MLB went to the six division format in 1994. I've heard a lot of complaining about the fact that the two teams did not meet in a one-game playoff game to decide the "true" division champion. But MLB feels, and I agree, that the only postseason tie-breakers should be the ones where the loser goes home and is out of the playoffs. It really makes no sense for the Yankees and Red Sox to meet one more time when both teams have wrapped up their postseason berths.

But who really came out better this weekend? The Yankees are now facing two possible west coast road trips in the first round, against an Angels team they went 4-6 in 2005, while the Red Sox went 4-3 against the White Sox this season. The Angels are a hot club right now (they finished the season 14-2 in their final 16 games), while the White Sox staggered home in September and beat back the Indians to take the AL Central.

(By the way, I've heard a lot in the last day about how the Indians "choked" this past week. Make no mistake about it, this is a very talented and young Cleveland club. They put on a great charge in September, but ran out of gas the final week. With a little more pitching next season, they will be a force in the American League. This Indians team reminds me of the 1993 team, the one with all the young players on the verge of stardom, like Manny Ramirez and Jim Thome. They have all the signs of having a terrific team for a long time.)

To me it seems that the only thing the Yankees won this past weekend was a possible advantage if they meet the Red Sox in the ALCS (served them well last season, right?).

The Red Sox will open the postseason with Matt Clement pitching Game 1 of the ALDS against the White Sox' Jose Contreras. Clement has struggled this September, and did not pitch well at all in his last start this past week against Toronto. Contreras has been one of the hottest pitchers in baseball since the beginning of August, winning 10 of his last 11 decisions. (Do you think the Yankees would like to have him back?) But the Red Sox have given him problems when he faced them, but that was mostly back in his days in New York.

David Wells is scheduled to start Game 2 against Mark Buehrle. Terry Francona has penciled in Tim Wakefield to pitch Game 3 back at Fenway, while Curt Schilling will pitch Game 4 (if necessary). So, the road to defending their world championship will begin for the Red Sox at U.S. Cellular Field (I still prefer Comiskey Park) at 4 PM ET on Tuesday afternoon.

The Red Sox need 11 wins to get back to the Promised Land again. So fasten your seat belts, it should be a bumpy ride. But with the Red Sox, it will also be a memorable ride.

It always is

Brooklyn Sox Fan

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by John Brian Quinn

Mail Brooklyn Sox Fan!

"Your 2005 American League MVP"

The Red Sox needed this game. Badly.

The offense was sputtering, and the starting pitching was getting rapped around.

It was time for The Man, The Myth, and The Legend to ride to the rescue.

And boy, did he ever.

This week had gotten off to a good start. The Red Sox hottest starter coming down the stretch, Tim Wakefield, tossed seven solid, three-hit innings, and Jon Papelbon and Mike Timlin closed the door for a 3-1 Sox victory over Toronto. It was a makeup game for the rainout on Monday night, and the regularly scheduled game featured Curt Schilling that evening. The Sox jumped out to a 5-2 lead, but Schilling couldn't hold it, as he was having trouble locating his fastball, and the Blue Jays came back to tie it against him. They scored two runs against the Red Sox bullpen, and went on to a 7-5 win.

It was a disappointing loss, but not a devastating one. Both the Yankees and Indians lost, so the Sox were still tied with the Yankees for the AL East lead, and one game ahead of the Indians in the Wild Card race. The next night however, was a different story.

Bronson Arroyo clearly had nothing, and gave up an early two-run homer to Vernon Wells in the first inning. He would give up two more, one of which was to Frank Cattalanotto, who would fall just a single short of the cycle.(Note to Red Sox management: if Cattalanotto ever becomes a free agent, grab him. He terrorizes the Sox in Fenway, and might be a great fit for the park full-time. At least then the Red Sox would never have to face him again.) By the end of the fourth, the Sox were down 7-1, and would never get much closer and lose 7-2. It was a much worse loss than the night before, as the vaunted Red Sox offense looked lethargic against Ted Lilly and the Toronto bullpen.

Thursday night was absolute must win. The Yankees and Indians each scored four runs in their respective games, and coasted into easy victories. So a Sox win was needed just to keep pace. The Jays once again jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead, and Cattalanotto again hit another homer to extend the lead, 4-1. (I think he hit something ridiculous like .700 against the Red Sox in this series. Well, something like that.) Matt Clement again looked shaky, and left after five innings. The combo of Mike Myers and Jon Papelbon shut the Jays down the rest of the way. Papelbon continues to amaze as a late inning setup man. He pitched 2 2/3 innings and scattered three hits.

Finally in the sixth inning, the bats finally came to life. David Ortiz beat the shift with an infield single and then Manny Ramirez hit his 42nd home run to cut the lead to 4-3. Big Papi then hit his 47th home run to lead off the eighth to tie the score. The Sox threatened to take the lead that inning but left two runners on. After Papelbon's strong ninth inning, Johnny Damon singled and stole second. Edgar Renteria walked, and that brought Ortiz to the plate. You could just sense that something big was about to happen. Papi hit a smash past shortstop and into left, scoring Damon to give the Red Sox arguably their biggest win of the season (so far anyway). They kept pace with the Yankees and Indians, setting up for the latest War To End All Wars with the New Yorkers this weekend at Fenway.

Big Papi is without doubt the greatest clutch hitter in the history of the Red Sox. (The Sox even presented him with a plaque saying so earlier this season.) But he is also something else. He is WITHOUT QUESTION the 2005 American League Most Valuable Player.

And it isn't even close.

In the last few weeks I've been hearing about how it is a two-man race with Alex Rodriguez for the award. You can make a case for A-Rod, as he's had a terrific season for the Yankees. But too many times I've been hearing this argument that since Papi rarely plays the field (he's played only 10 games at first base this season) and is basically a full-time DH, he shouldn't get the award. And because Rodriguez has played a very good 3B (he's made one error in his last 90 games), he should get the award.

Excuse me, but I have NEVER heard about defense being the deciding factor in an MVP award. Ever.

Only one DH, Don Baylor in 1979, has ever one an MVP award. (He did play about half of his games in the field too.) Designated hitter has been part of the AL landscape since 1973, and I don't understand why there is a prejudice against those who've made a career playing that position. Plus, there have been plenty of lousy fielders who've won MVP awards, such as Reggie Jackson, Jose Canseco and Juan Gonzalez. I've never ever heard anything about their defense costing them votes for the award.

Besides, how many MVP awards did the great Ozzie Smith win? So let's face it, it's an offensive award. (Except when pitchers are considered. But that's a subject for another time.)

David Ortiz has simply carried the Sox on his back this season. He's had so many walkoff homers (How many has A-Rod hit? Can you think of one?) this season, and tonight I saw an unbelievable statistic. From the seventh inning on in all games, Papi has 19 home runs and 50 RBI, while A-Rod has 9 HRs and 23 RBI. So who scares pitchers more in late inning situations?

Right now they are even in HRs with 47, Papi has more RBI and A-Rod is hitting about 20 points higher. But there is no question in my mind, that the AL MVP is David Ortiz, and head and shoulders above everyone else. I shutter to think where the Red Sox would be without him. If what he did on Thursday night, tying a game in the eighth, and then winning it in the ninth almost singlehandedly, in the Sox most important game of the season, won't win him the AL MVP, then I don't know what will.

Big Papi is The Man. Period. End of discussion.

I want to wrap up this column with something I saw in the New York Daily News this past Wednesday. They have a Letters to the Editor column, called "Voice of the People". They print some really bizarre letters there from time to time, but this week I saw a really strange one that I had to answer back to.

A guy from Ozone Park, Queens, NY wrote this:
"The world is out of order, from Katrina, Rita, and the tsunami to the war in Iraq. It's all because the Red Sox won the World Series."

At first I smirked at this letter. But then I thought about it, and I became rather disturbed by it. I'll bet anything this guy is a Yankee fan (and a frustrated one at that), and that he's trying to be a bit of a comedian by writing it. But think about it. Does he mean to say that if the Red Sox hadn't won last year's Series, the two killer hurricanes that devastated the South, along with tsunami in Southeast Asia never would have happened? (I don't get logic about the war in Iraq, as it started 19 months BEFORE the Red Sox title occurred.) But I decided my response would be a short, but sweet one.

"To the Voicer who thinks the natural disasters of the past year are somehow connected to the stunning Red Sox world championship of 2004: you pathetic Yankee fans still haven't come to terms with what happened last October, have you?"

It will be interesting to see if the NY Daily News will print my letter.

I'll let you all know.

Brooklyn Sox Fan

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by John Brian Quinn

Mail Brooklyn Sox Fan!

"And Down The Stretch They Come"

It was going to be a nervous weekend for me.

At the start of play Friday night, the Red Sox were in second place, one full game behind the Yankees. I settled in to watch the game at a local watering hole in Manhattan, and the game in the Bronx had just started 30 minutes ahead of the Sox game in Baltimore. There was a guy sitting just off to my right in a Yankees jersey, and before I knew it, I heard him cheer not once, but twice. The first two Yankee batters hit home runs to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead over the Blue Jays.

Oh brother. It's going to be another one of those nights.

Before that first inning ended, the Boys from the Bronx were up 4-0. The Jays were doing their Orioles impersonation, in other words, rolling over like dogs for the Yankees.

The Red Sox game began, and promising, with the Sox scoring a run in the first. But Baltimore scored 2 in the bottom of the inning, and left the bases loaded, or it could have been much worse. My friends started rolling into the bar, and before we knew it, we outnumbered the few vocal Yankee fans in the place.

Bronson Arroyo settled down, allowed one more run in the seven innings he pitched. On this night, the faulty Orioles defense helped the Red Sox out. A Miguel Tejada error lead to three unearned runs. Manny Ramirez, who's getting hot again at just the right time, belted a long home run in the seventh, and Mike Timlin pitched an effective ninth for the save and the Red Sox got the weekend off to a good start, 6-3. The Yankees coasted into an easy 5-0 win so they were still ahead by one entering Saturday's play.

The Yankees played first on Saturday, and starter Jaret Wright never got on track, allowing four runs in the first and three more in the second (two critical errors although didn't help), putting his team into a hole they could not crawl out of, and the Blue Jays went on to a 7-4 win. The Red Sox took the field about 20 minutes after the New York loss knowing they had a gigantic opportunity to pull even.

The Red Sox jumped on Baltimore starter Erik Bedard for two quick runs in the first, and it looked like that lead might hold up. Matt Clement pitched very well, not allowing a hit until the fifth, but his control was clearly suspect. He walked the bases loaded twice, in the second and fourth innings, but got Luis Matos out both times to end each inning. Bedard settled in and did not allow another earned run in six innings. Clement also left after six, but he threw a season-high 118 pitches and turned the game over to the pen.

Terry Francona brought in young stud reliever Craig Hansen, making just his second major league appearance. He was quite impressive in his debut against Tampa Bay the previous Monday, striking out two in one inning of work. His fastball hit 96 MPH on the radar gun that night. Once again he was off to a great start. He fanned the first batter on three pitches, again reaching 96. But Bernie Castro hit an infield single, and then Melvin Mora lined a fastball into the left field seats to tie the score at 2. It was the first two runs Hansen had allowed in his pro career (he was unscored upon in all of his minor league outings).

The bar I was in went deathly silent, but then we all started to applaud Hansen to get the last two outs. He got one more, but allowed a single and a double, and that was it for him. Mike Myers got the last out to restore order. Still, despite his giving up two runs in that situation, Hansen is still the Red Sox future and he'll have days like this. It was encouraging seeing captain Jason Varitek talking to him in the dugout afterwards. I liked the move of Terry Francona bringing him in to see how he would do. It's still pretty clear who Tito has faith in in the bullpen and who he does not. I wouldn't bet against him using Hansen in a similar situation this week.

The Red Sox scored two big runs in the ninth to grab the lead, on a single by Edgar Renteria. Once again, it was amazing to see Red Sox Nation out in full force at Camden Yards. The park had to be at least two-thirds Sox fans. It honestly looked and sounded like a game at Fenway when the Red Sox took the lead. Mike Timlin was a little shaky in the ninth, allowing a run, but got the final three outs, and the Sox had tied the Yankees for first. This game was some roller coaster ride. Hey, they wouldn't be the Red Sox without making us sweat just a little.

The Yankees came back from a 3-1 deficit on Sunday and won, 8-4, to close out their home schedule in the Bronx. The Red Sox jumped out to a 5-0 first inning lead, but then David Wells allowed two first inning homers to cut the lead to three. But the Sox wouldn't be denied on this day. Manny Ramirez and Johnny Damon home runs paced the Sox to a 9-3 win, and both teams were tied entering the final week of the season.

The Red Sox needed some great performances in Baltimore this past weekend, and they got them. All three starters pitched very well, and they all got the Sox to the seventh inning with the lead. Clement's performance may have been the most critical, as he was having the worst September of any of the five Sox starters. Despite Hansen giving up the home run on Saturday, the bullpen looked sharp. Timlin bounced back from the Wednesday night disaster nicely, and Jon Papelbon pitched lights out Saturday in the eighth to pick up the win.

The Sox scored in the first inning of all three games, and although the lost the lead in the first two games, they came back to win both. And also importantly, the Red Sox didn't need David Ortiz to come to the rescue this past weekend. Papi basically had an off-weekend (seemed like O's pitchers wanted no part of him and kept issuing him walks), but Manny Ramirez' home run bat came back to life. He hit five home runs last week, and he appears set to go on one of those patented Manny rolls. The Red Sox also played good defense in Baltimore, not allowing any unearned runs.

The Toronto Blue Jays come to Fenway Park for four games this week, and the Yankees play at Camden Yards the same four days. Barring one team sweeping four and the other getting swept four, the season will come to a three game death match at the Fens starting on Friday.

I was plenty nervous this past weekend. I'll probably be a basket case by Friday night.

Brooklyn Sox Fan

red sox writer brooklyn sox fan

by John Brian Quinn

Mail Brooklyn Sox Fan!

"Roll Out the Cliches"

It was hard not to see this coming.

The Red Sox have fallen out of first place for the first time since June 24th, with a truly brutal loss against the last place Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The loss also put the Red Sox one game behind the Cleveland Indians in the AL Wild Card race. Both the Indians and Yankees are hot ballclubs at the moment, and just at the right time for them.

For Red Sox Nation, it's time to roll out the cliches. Pick your favorite:

"It's always darkest before the dawn."

"It's not over until it's over."

"Don't give up the ship."

"Remember the 2004 ALCS." (OK that's not a cliche, but I think it fits right now.)

Last night's loss was beyond difficult. This was a game the Red Sox had to put in the "W" column. Tim Wakefield pitched another gutty game, yet came away with another no-decision. He has been the Red Sox best pitcher coming down the stretch in September, giving them a ton of quality innings but the offense hasn't given him much support. As bad as Mike Timlin was last night (and all four hits he gave up were hit hard, and there were no cheapies there), the offense again wasted opportunities to score more runs, leaving the bases loaded twice, and a total of ten men on base.

Terry Francona was forced to go to Timlin early in the eighth, as he clearly had no confidence in any reliever to get the Sox to the ninth. It was a typical game where the bullpen really hurt the Red Sox. Last season, Timlin would have started the eighth, and Keith Foulke would been ready for the ninth. But the injuries and ineffectiveness changed everything.

Now comes word that the Red Sox are shutting down Foulke for the rest of the season, due to his........injury and ineffectiveness. It was clear that Francona wasn't going to use him in any kind of clutch situation (his last appearance was in the 12-3 blowout loss to Oakland last Sunday). He made only 6 appearances in the last 20 days. It may be best to do exactly what the Sox are doing with him. Scrap 2005 and get him ready for next season.

I looked at this week's schedule after the loss last Sunday and thought that the Sox needed to win at least 4 of the 6 games in Tampa Bay and Baltimore. Losing 2 of 3 to the Devil Rays hurts. But you have to give them credit. They didn't roll over, even after the battering they took from the Sox on Tuesday, and are third in the AL in batting this season. It makes you wonder where they would be if they had some decent pitching.

This now makes this weekend series in Baltimore all the more urgent. The Orioles are battered and bruised, and it's been a lost season for them. It started out with such promise, as they were in first place for nearly two months. But then: Rafael Palmeiro tested positive for steroids, Sammy Sosa never got on track, Erik Bedard got hurt and missed two months, Javier Lopez missed a month, Sidney Ponson got in trouble again and was cut, Brian Roberts dislocated his elbow, and manager Lee Mazzilli took the fall for all of this. The Orioles are now in danger of even dropping into last place. So, right now, they are weak and vulnerable, as the Yankees have had their way with them this week.

This is where the Red Sox have to suck it up and take it out on the Orioles. The Red Sox just had their first off-day in one month. The Red Sox went 17-13 over those 30 days, which isn't bad, but the Yankees went 21-8 over the same period. (That's .724 ball the Yankees had to play in order to get into first.) It is hopeful that the off-day will rejuvenate the Sox. If they put out a lackluster performance in Baltimore, it may very well be the beginning of the end.

In the last 24 hours, I've been doing my best to keep my morale up. I've read a few Red Sox message boards that have been reminding the fans about the miracle the Sox pulled off last October, and of course to "Keep the Faith". My faith took a major hit last night, but I'm not ready to throw in any towels just yet. (I'll be watching some of my newly-acquired "2004 World Series Collection Edition" box-set this weekend.) But the scenario now is very different than the one the Red Sox faced last September. In 2004, they were trying to catch the Yankees, but basically had the wild card all sewn up. Now, that is far from a sure thing. The surging Indians changed that, and even thought the White Sox are in a major funk, they still have a good shot at winning the wild card even if the Indians pass them.

Time for some more cliches:

"It's gut check time."

"Time to separate the men from the boys."

"Our backs are to the wall."

"Keep the Faith." (I know we all like that one.)

You know it wouldn't be the Red Sox without making all of us sweat a little. Absolutely nothing ever comes easy with this team, as we all know. The final ten games will be a very difficult test, and Terry Francona may have to rely on untested players like Jon Papelbon, Manny Delcarmen and even Craig Hansen if they are to reach the postseason. I know he wants to be careful about using "the kids" in pressure situations, but last night proved that might just have to. Mike Timlin has done an outstanding job all year in whatever role they've used him in, but he maybe running on fumes right now. And, as much as David Ortiz has been carrying the Sox the last few weeks (like Yaz back in 1967), the supporting players on offense (Mueller, Tek, Nixon, Renteria, Millar) have to get it going big time.

The Red Sox making the playoffs may very well come down to those final three games against the Yankees next weekend. As long as they don't fall more than three games behind by Thursday night, they will still be alive. If they are three back that night, it will mean they would have to beat the Yankees four straight times in order to go to the postseason (if the wild card has already been decided), and that includes winning a tie-breaker on October 3.

Beating the Yankees four straight times. That's happened before, hasn't it?

Brooklyn Sox Fan

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by John Brian Quinn

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"Back to Fenway"

I knew going in that the 2005 season was going to be the toughest year ever to try to land a ticket to Red Sox game at Fenway Park. I really didn't have the patience to try to land tickets over the Red Sox web site, or the time to go to Fenway in person to wait in long lines when they first went on sale. And I really didn't want to pay really exorbitant prices to a ticket broker. I thought this would be the year I would have to settle for just seeing the Red Sox on the road.

Of course I wasn't alone in this thinking. Red Sox Nation has been out in full force on the road, as the Red Sox lead the major leagues in road attendance. Fans in the Northeast have swamped places like Baltimore, Philadelphia and even the Bronx, making their presence loudly heard at games. They've also been at far away places in strong numbers like Kansas City, Minnesota and Anaheim.

Fortunately, I have a circle of friends who are such devoted Red Sox fans that they go see the team any time and anywhere. But as the months went on, it seemed like nobody I knew had an extra ticket to any game at Fenway Park. But in the beginning of September, as we were watching a game at Phebe's in the East Village, two friends of mine gave me a great surprise when they told me they had an extra ducat to the September 8th game against the Angels.

Halleluiah! I'd get a chance to see the 2004 World Champions flag up close after all.

I took the bus up to Boston from New York late that morning. I took the famous Fung Wah Bus from Chinatown up to South Station. It was a nice bus, really cheap (only $15 one way) and took just 4 hours to get there. I met up with my buddy Joe at his friend's house, which is just a 10 minute walk from Fenway. We had a rooftop barbeque on what was a bright, sunny day. I couldn't help being jealous of Joe's friend. We could see the Citgo sign and the lights of Fenway from the roof as we dined.

It was one of those nights that made you glad to be alive.

We walked over to Fenway, and as we strolled over, I saw a familiar face as we walked along Boylston Street. Walking with his wife and wearing dark sunglasses was none other than Red Sox legendary outfielder Fred Lynn, who was taking in the entire series with the Angels. I was so tempted to walk over and shake his hand and tell him he was one of my favorite Red Sox players of the 1970s, but I generally don't walk up to famous people and start conversations, and I never ask for autographs. You never know if they want to be left alone or aren't in a good mood that day.

When I got to the park, it was just a beehive of activity. Thousands of fans strolling around the ballyard, vendors hawking souvenirs and selling sausages and hot dogs. I walked up Lansdowne Street and then wrapped around the park until I reached Yawkey Way. One of the best ideas the new owners ever came up with was turning that street into a pedestrian mall during game days. I walked over to the 2004 championship banner at the end of the street and got a photo of it. I also crossed paths with ESPN's Peter Gammons, as he was talking on a cell phone with someone. He appeared to be really busy, so I just let him go on his way.

Always good to see fellow journalists on the case.

I sat in the right field grandstand, just past first base. It was so good to be back in the best ballpark in America, and to look out and see that beautiful 2004 World Series championship banner blowing in the wind. I had not been at Fenway since June of 2004. Of course, everything had changed since I was last there nearly 15 months earlier. I looked out at the right field bullpen and imagined what the park was like when David Ortiz hit his famous home run to win last October's ALCS Game 4. And I looked out at second base and thought of Dave Roberts' stolen base in the ninth inning of the same game. It just gave me chills thinking of all those magical moments and how I wish I could have been here to see them.

The game itself was a night of frustration. Matt Clement pitched well, but Paul Byrd of the Angels was just a bit better. The Red Sox loaded the bases twice, but couldn't push a run across. The park went crazy when Manny Ramirez came up to pinch hit in the eighth, but he got caught looking at strike three. The Angels ended up with a 3-0 win. The highlight of the night was when my friends and I were scoreboard watching, looking closely at the Yankees-Devil Rays game. The Rays built up a 6-0 lead but the Yankees scored four runs to narrow the lead. A cheer went up when the "9" in the inning slot disappeared and the Devil Rays won, 7-4. I also heard some other cheers in the park when the Patriots, playing their opening game against Oakland, took a 10-7 lead in the second quarter.

It wasn't a happy night, but we all agreed that the Red Sox were still in good shape, having taken two of the three from the Angels and were still in first place. I was really glad that I was able to be at Fenway Park at least once in 2005 to see the defending World Champions in action on their own home turf.

I'd like to conclude this column with another thing away from baseball that happened to me that night. Before I left for Fenway Park I received a call on my cell phone from a lady who worked for a radio station in San Francisco. She found my poem and memorial I had written for my late friend Joyce who died in the World Trade Center, and was so moved that she asked me if I'd like to be on the station's 9/11 tribute show that night to talk about what I had written. I was really touched that she asked me. But unfortunately it was occurring at the same time that the Red Sox game was going on, so I had to pass on it. "I don't think I could find a quiet place in Fenway Park that I could talk to you about it", I said to her.

It was just another incredible thing that happened to me with the poem I wrote. I want to personally thank all of you who sent me good wishes about the previous column I wrote about 9/11 and the poem. I was at Ground Zero again this past September 11 and it was another somber and emotional day. But I was glad I was there, to remember Joyce and all the victims of that terrible day.

Thanks for all of your support. The Red Sox have the best fans in America, bar none.

Brooklyn Sox Fan

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by John Brian Quinn

Mail Brooklyn Sox Fan!

"Just Another Team"

After the Red Sox won their first World Series championship in 86 years last October, I knew there would be some negative fallout from it. For years I had read in different places that a full-blown title would change the Red Sox forever. That I knew would be true, and the succeeding months have proven that to be correct.

But some of the stuff I have read has left me shaking my head. The Scott Stossel article in the Boston Globe a few weeks ago that longed for the "good old days" when the Sox lost so "flamboyantly, spectacularly and transcendentally" was just laughable. This past week I read an article by Jim Caple of ESPN.com that I thought deserved an answer and response back from me.

"Red Sox-Yankees? Yawn." was another one of those articles that bashes the Sox (as well as the Yankees) and once again calls the Red Sox "just another team". Caple is again just another writer who just doesn't get it.

The Red Sox 2004 title changed EVERYTHING, and for us Sox fans, for the better. The tone of Caple's article seems to be it was much more compelling and exciting if the Red Sox were the perennial "beloved underdog", "rolling an enormous boulder up to the top of mountain, only to have New York cruelly kick it back down."

Maybe because we are all long-time, devoted fans of the Olde Towne Team, but aren't you sick of reading such drivel from smug know-it-alls like Caple, who would rather see us suffering?

I thank The Big Man Upstairs every day that I finally was able to witness a Red Sox championship. It changed the nature of the rivalry with the Yankees forever. Sure the Sox aren't the "lovable underdog" anymore, but how many of us really wanted to be that? We wanted to WIN, like the devoted fans of EVERY Major League team are. I didn't know one Red Sox fan who was content to see the Red Sox season end badly every year.

And I'm REALLY getting tired of reading these articles from these pompous windbags who think they know everything about baseball. Maybe baseball does need a more "exciting" storyline now that the Red Sox are champions. One maybe coming in the Chicago White Sox, who are seeking their first World Series championship in 88 years and seem to be lock to win the AL Central. If this doesn't turn out to be the Red Sox year (and we all pray that it is), how far the White Sox go will be very interesting to see.

But back to Caple. He's another writer who seems to think that calling the Red Sox "just another team" is a put-down. He doesn't seem to realize that as Red Sox fans, that is exactly what we've always wanted to be. We all wanted to see those endless clips of Red Sox post-season frustration disappear into a dark corner of history. Well, that has happened, and it was like a permanent black cloud that all of a sudden lifted and disappeared.

The Red Sox and Yankees have played some of the most memorable and exciting baseball games since the beginning of 2003. As I write this they have played 68 games against each other the last three seasons, and each team has won 34 times. Each team has one AL pennant, with the Sox taking one World Series title.

That still sounds pretty compelling to me.

To outsiders like Caple (he's not a fan of either team), they maybe tired of all of this, as there maybe "nobody to root for anymore".(Of course, Fox and ESPN have shown dozens of Red Sox-Yankees games in primetime the last three years, and that might be waring on many fans outside the rivalry.) Well, then all I can say is, "go root for someone else!" I frankly don't care if he has no rooting interest in the Best Rivalry in Sports. Let him root for the team he REALLY supports, if he has one.

Granted the Red Sox have the second highest payroll after the Yankees, so they are no longer an underdog. But Caple is WAY off base when he calls the Red Sox "The New Yankees". When the Sox win title after title (and spends $80 million more than anyone else trying), and Red Sox Nation feels that winning the World Series becomes their "birthright", then I'll worry we've turned into "The New Yankees".

(I saw an ESPN show the other day and the author Peter Golenbock, a lifelong Yankee fan, used the following words: "It was my birthright as a Yankee fan to see them win the pennant every year and then the World Series." That is the precise attitude that makes the Yankees, and especially their fans, as despised as they are.)

For those of you wanting to read the entire Caple article, please go to this address here: //sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=caple/offbase/050908

For all of us here in the Northeast, and wherever Red Sox Nation stretches out to, the rivalry with the Yankees has taken on a completely new meaning. A comparison was made a while back with the two great English soccer teams, Arsenal and Manchester United. One team wins it one year, the other wins it the next. That could very well be the way it will go with these two great ancient baseball rivals.

So what's so wrong about that?

If Caple has a problem with that, I hope he'll be happy rooting for the Orioles or the Blue Jays.

Brooklyn Sox Fan

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by John Brian Quinn

Mail Brooklyn Sox Fan!

"Four Years Later: A Life Forever Changed"

They say that everything happens for a reason. I'll never know the exact reason why all of this happened. I don't think any of us will ever know for sure. But I do know that it completely changed my life.

September 11. Until 2001 it was never a date that had any special meaning, unless you had a birthday, anniversary or something personally special happen on that date. Now every American knows that date, like they know July 4 or December 7.

For me, September 11, 2001 is like a great dividing line. I feel like I've led two lives: everything that happened before, and then everything that happened after that date. September 11 will forever be the most somber day of the year for me.

I am the son of a retired FDNY officer, and after hearing the first news that over 300 members of the FDNY were among the missing at the World Trade Center, I went into denial. That just couldn't be true, I thought to myself. I don't know how my father got through it all. He went to a number of funerals and memorials for those firefighters he knew. The loss that the FDNY suffered hit me very hard. But that was just the beginning.

I also suffered a very personal loss that day. My friend Joyce Carpeneto was among the 2749 people lost at the World Trade Center. Joyce and I worked together for many years at Tower Records in Greenwich Village in the '80s and '90s. When I found out that she was among the missing on September 13, the news went through me like a knife. I really went into denial, but after a number of days the lack of any news of her fate meant my worst fears were confirmed.

People react in many ways when tragedy hits their lives. Shortly after Joyce's death, I realized I had to find a way to honor her life and her memory. I didn't want her to be just a name on a memorial somewhere. I wanted people to realize that she was a lovely human being, a terrific friend, and someone who was loved by everyone who knew her. I wasn't an artist or a musician, so I knew the best way to do it was to write something.

In mid-October of 2001 I sat down and wrote a memorial to her, about the girl and friend that I knew and that I loved. I sent it out to a number of friends I had by email, and they forwarded it to some other friends, and it started to really spread. I eventually heard from people I hadn't seen or heard from in over a decade.

On New Year's Night, 2002, I sat down and wrote a poem for Joyce, called "There's an Angel Watching Over Us". It was based on a trip I made down to Ground Zero with a friend the previous November. It was based on not just the sadness and despair being down there, but also on the hope and love I did feel on that day.

Later that month I put both the memorial and the poem at an Internet site called "September 11, 2001 Victims", which is one of the best of all the World Trade Center memorial sites on the web. Then something nearly miraculous began happening.

I started getting emails from people. They were finding my words about Joyce at September 11, 2001 Victims, and at a few other WTC sites I put them on. The emails were truly amazing. The caring, the love and support I was getting was really heartwarming. The emails were coming from nearly everywhere. They were from all over the USA (and especially from the South), Canada, England, Denmark, and even from as far away as India, Zimbabwe, Indonesia and Australia. I have even formed new friendships with a few people I never would have met before, simply through the poem I wrote.

My words really seemed to strike a chord with some people. Over and over people told me, "Your friend sounded so nice", "I wish I could have known her", "Thank you for sharing" and one really nice person said, "You've immortalized your friend in my eyes". I've received emails from young kids, and all the way up to elderly people. And the overwhelming majority of people I heard from had no connection to the World Trade Center whatsoever. But they felt they had to write to me and tell me what an effect the words I had written had on them.

A young girl in Missouri wrote to me and asked me if she could read my poem in her school speech contest (she did and won a trophy for it), a young boy in Houston read my poem in his class, a high school girl in Philadelphia put the words of my poem on her 9/11 class project, and a young girl in Alabama put the words of my poem on a shirt she wore at school on September 11 a few years ago. I could never have dreamed my words could ever have this type of effect on people, especially young people.

I've even had people write to me who found the poem and wanted to put it on their own WTC remembrance web sites, and even into their own WTC memorial books they put together. The poem is now in four books, and it will be in a 9/11 poems book that will be coming out later this year. People continue to find the memorial and poem, and for the last four years in late August/early September I get nice letters from people who care enough just to write to me and let me know that they found the poem or are praying for all of us who lost someone we loved on September 11, 2001.

I will once again, for the fourth straight year on September 11, be at Ground Zero for the ceremonies honoring the heroes of that day. I feel it is important that we don't lose sight of what that day means to all of us as a nation. I have met many brave and courageous people who are working hard that the best possible memorial be built at Ground Zero. They are people who have suffered tragic and unspeakable loss, but they have turned their sorrow and loss into something positive and good. I am proud to know these people, as I feel a bond with every single one of them.

Unfortunately I have heard too many people who think that the events of 9/11/01 should now be relegated to the dustbin of history, and that it's time to move on and basically put what happened four years ago in the rearview mirror and forget about it. I guess for me the loss was so personal that it will stay with me forever. Of course we all have to move on with our lives. But we will also be judged by future generations by what we build as a memorial at the World Trade Center. And it is IMPORTANT that we keep politics OUT of whatever gets built there.

My life was changed forever due to the events of September 11, 2001. But a new door was opened to me through the gift of writing. I've heard from so many wonderful people who cared so much. For those of you who are interested in reading my memorial and poem, you can go to it via this link: www.september11victims.com/september11victims/VictimInfo.asp?ID=3465

I hope you will all remember and pray for those heroes/victims of September 11, along with all the victims of Hurricane Katrina down south. I also hope you will remember all of our brave military who are defending our freedom around the world, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan.

As many of you know, I am just a regular guy from Brooklyn who loves the Red Sox, music and being with my friends. But the written word has sent my life in a new direction. I've met so many wonderful people along the way, and especially through Born Into It as well.

And I love all of you for being a part of my life.

A special thank you to John Brian Quinn today for his great work on this website and his annual tribute to 9/11. Drop John a line to say hello from time to time and let him know how much you appreciate his columns.

Thanks John!

Ryan G.

Brooklyn Sox Fan

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by John Brian Quinn

Mail Brooklyn Sox Fan!

"Pitching Will Tell the Tale"

There's an old saying in baseball about how pitching wins championships. It was never so evident as when the Red Sox pitchers got on a superhuman roll last October, as Curt Schilling, Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe did not allow an earned run in the World Series en route to the first Red Sox title in 86 years. They totally shut down the St. Louis Cardinals, the team with the NL's best balanced lineup. As the 2005 season enters its last four weeks, it will be the Red Sox pitching that will determine how far they will get into October.

And two pitchers will have a big say in that: Curt Schilling and Keith Foulke.

For two of the biggest heroes of 2004, it has been nothing short of a lost season. Schilling's season didn't start until mid-April, as it took longer for his surgically-repaired ankle to be ready for game action, and then he certainly wasn't the same pitcher who won 21 games in 2004. Doctors originally said his ankle wouldn't be back to normal for at least 18 months after the surgery. Then in late April, he was back on the DL again, with another injury to his ankle that he said was unrelated to the surgery he just had. Schilling tried gamely to return and help the team when Keith Foulke had knee surgery. He volunteered to close in his place. Schilling won one and saved nine, but his ERA was over 5.00 as a closer. By late August the experiment was over and Mike Timlin was put in as temporary closer.

Schilling has now made three starts since his return to the starting staff. He has gotten hit in every start, but the last one may have been the most encouraging so far. On Labor Day against the White Sox he had better velocity on his fastball and his splitter looked better than his other two starts. But by the sixth inning he tired and he had given up four earned runs, and eventually took the loss.

Keith Foulke never seemed to get on track this season. He gave up a game winning home run to Derek Jeter in the second game of the season (his first appearance), and that seemed to be a portend of things to come. Foulke blew four saves, while allowing eight home runs at the mid-point of the season. Every save opportunity seemed to be an adventure, as the lights out closer from 2004 looked like a thing of the past. He clearly was having problems with his command, as he was leaving balls up and hitters were teeing off on him. He was also hiding an injury, and after a brutal loss in Texas on July 4th, it was decided to shut Foulke down so he could have surgery on an ailing knee.

Foulke returned this past weekend against the Orioles and pitched well to the two hitters he faced. He also pitched on Labor Day and faced six hitters, with only one reaching on a hit batsmen. (He entered the game with two men on and one out and retired both hitters that inning.) Foulke again looked good in what was a non-save situation. Terry Francona will not return him to the closer role until he appears ready to take it over.

To my mind, these are the two players who hold the fate of the 2005 Red Sox in their hands. If one or both does not come through, the Sox have some real problems, and may not have the capability of reaching the postseason. Once again, the Red Sox are leading the AL in the offensive categories you expect them to: batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage and runs scored. Offensively they have been clicking on all cyclinders, and even set an AL record last week by scoring seven or more runs in 12 straight games at home. All the key offensive players seem ready for the stretch run.

As far as the rest of the starters go, David Wells is currently pitching like an ace. He is 6-1 with a 3.38 ERA since the All-Star break, and pitched a complete game gem against Baltimore last Sunday. Matt Clement had a very good August, going 3-0 with an ERA just over 3.00 in his last six starts. He's bounced back nicely from that scary line drive drive that hit him last July in Tampa. But both Tim Wakefield and Bronson Arroyo have struggled as of late. Wakefield gave up nine earned runs in his last two starts, but got wins in both games (as the offense bailed him out). Arroyo has been very inconsistent, going 4-4 since the All-Star break. I really feel his future should be as a late inning setup man, as he seems like he can be a good one or two inning pitcher. I'd love to see Jon Papelbon go back into the rotation, but I bet Sox brass are worried about the workload his arm has carried so far this year in the minors, so he probably won't become a full-time starter until next season. Wade Miller? Your guess is as good as mine, as whether he starts again or not no one is really sure.

The bullpen is a mixed bag. Mike Timlin has done a valiant job as a closer, but he is still best suited for the eighth inning. Chad Bradford has done a decent job since coming over from Oakland, but both he and Timlin have allowed too many inherited runners to score. Mike Myers has been a godsend, as lefties are hitting just .152 against him. But righties are hitting nearly .400 against Myers, as Francona has been using him against more righties this season. Papelbon, with good numbers as a starter, has gotten hit hard as a late inning reliever. Jeremi Gonzalez has pitched well for the Red Sox as a long man, and has kept the Sox in games while pitching three and four innings in relief. (His overall numbers are a bit deceiving as he had some bad outings in a couple of mopup games.)

The starting pitchers have to give the Red Sox some better starts coming down the stretch in order to take some of the pressure off the bullpen. In the last few weeks the starters were putting the Sox into early holes, but their potent offense was pulling them out and getting late wins. That can only go on so long before it will catch up to them.

Of course if you look at the Sox archrivals and their problems, the Red Sox can still win despite their woes. The Yankees are keeping their playoff hopes alive with a very good offense but a patchwork pitching staff. Randy Johnson isn't the pitcher he was in 2004, and leads the AL in home runs allowed. Carl Pavano and Kevin Brown (remember him?) are lost for the year, Jaret Wright took a line drive in the shoulder in Seattle last week, Mike Mussina could be done for the year with elbow tendinitis, and Tanyon Sturtze has complained of a tired arm. Mariano Rivera has had another terrific season, but will he tire from overuse and run out of gas in October again? They have gotten good starts from guys they picked up during the year like Shawn Chacon, Aaron Small and Al Leiter, but can they really carry the team into October?

This will be a fascinating last four weeks, with the Red Sox facing the Yankees six times, with the last three being the final games of the season, at Fenway Park. As Labor Day ended, the Red Sox are 30-18 since the All-Star break, with a three game lead over the Yankees.

You know the Red Sox will score runs. They are in a very good position for a postseason berth. But Curt Schilling and Keith Foulke will be the key players for the Sox in September. How they pitch will determine the Red Sox fate. They've both come up big in huge situations before. It's time for them to step up and carry the Red Sox into October.

That's not asking too much, is it?

Coming this Sunday: "Four Years Later"

Brooklyn Sox Fan

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by John Brian Quinn

Mail Brooklyn Sox Fan!

"The Triumph of 2004"

This past Sunday, I was reading the Boston Globe online, which I do every morning to catch up on all the Red Sox news and happenings around the team. I came across an article that I found so strange that I thought it deserved a full article and rebuttal from me.

The article was called "The Tragedy of '04" by a writer named Scott Stossel, who is an editor with the magazine The Atlantic Monthly. It was subtitled, "Do you ever find yourself secretly wishing the Red Sox had lost last October?" Just reading that line brought one thought to my mind.

Is this guy kidding?

Stossel's article begins with the logic that any team can win the World Series, like the Arizona Diamondbacks or the Florida Marlins, but it takes a really special team to lose the World Series so "flamboyantly, spectacularly and transcendentally" as the Red Sox have in their history. He goes on to talk about this "Calvinist sense" of "predetermined failure". You know, that sort of stuff that comes out of those windbag intellectuals who've probably never stepped foot in Fenway Park in their lives.

Now I've read a LOT of hogwash in newspapers in my life, but this article maybe in a league all of its own.

What happened last October was absolutely a dream come true for every Red Sox fan who has ever walked the face of this earth. Not only was that elusive sixth World Championship won by the Red Sox, it was done in a fashion so spectacular that in one hundred years from now, it was still be remembered as one of the greatest postseason runs in sports history.

No more "1918" from know-nothing, moronic Yankee fans. That so-called "Curse of the Bambino" is now as dead as the Babe himself. The Red Sox are now the standard for all comebacks in sports from now until the end of time. They put the "choker" tag on their archrivals, and they won the World Series over the Cardinals, a team that had previously beaten them twice (1946 and 1967) in the Fall Classic.

"The ghosts" have now been exorcised, and Red Sox Nation can hold their heads up proud, as the "landscape of the land" has now been altered forever.

So why on earth would any Red Sox fan want to wish that last year's Magic Carpet Ride not happened?

I have no idea why Scott Stossel would pine for the days when the Sox struggled to win the Holy Grail. (I assume Stossel IS a Red Sox fan, and not some Yankee fan in disguise who still hasn't come to terms with what happened last October.) As a Red Sox fan for 27 years, I dreamed of what it would be like to see my team finally win it all. I've lived my whole life in New York City, and have been witness to too many New York Yankee victory parades, and all the smugness and arrogance that comes with it. The dream was to see that Red Sox victory parade in Boston, and it finally happened.

Stossel makes an odd comparison in his article to the closing scene of the movie "The Graduate", when Dustin Hoffman and Katharine Ross are on the bus, having escaped from her wedding, with the look on their faces of "What do we do now?" In terms of Red Sox fandom, that question is easy to answer. WIN IT AGAIN!! He feels that "we've lost something greater than we've won." Nonsense!! We've lost that sense of failure is certainly around the corner, and a championship can never be achieved. Now that we've won a title, are we supposed to stop rooting for the Red Sox and go root for someone else? The demand for the Red Sox tickets at Fenway is greater than its ever been. Heck, if Fenway Park had 70,000 seats, the Red Sox would probably still sell the place out every night.

Those ten days of last October, from Game 4 of the ALCS to Game 4 of the World Series, are some of the greatest nights of my entire life. (Stossel even gets the number of games the Sox won in a row at the end wrong. It's eight, not seven, Scott.) I can't watch the 2004 World Series film without tears in my eyes as the Red Sox are winning the World Series. And just about every morning last winter I'd wake up and within five minutes I'd think to myself "Yeah, the Red Sox are the World Champions!" It was such a good feeling to have so early in the morning.

Bill Simmons of ESPN.com wrote an excellent article after the Sox championship last year about all those people who wrote about how the title will turn the Red Sox into "just another team." His response was "that's just what we want to be!" No more Bucky Dent and Aaron Boone references, and no more endless shots of Bill Buckner's error. Those scenes used to make me cringe, and I'd turn away from the TV screen and not watch them. Now that the Sox are champs, I can see them and it doesn't faze me one bit.

Winning has a way of changing things, and for the better.

Stossel then goes on to say something even more head-scratching: "Did Dave Roberts' stolen base in the fourth game of the American League Championship Series ensure that George W. Bush would steal Ohio?"

Huh??

And I didn't even know that Ohio was missing.

Stossel quotes a sportswriter named E. M. Swift who once said, "Epic collapse is unifying." There maybe some truth to that, but I can assure you that "epic triumph is unifying" too. Last year's win brought my circle of friends who are Sox fans even closer together, and this year we are watching the Sox games with even more passion and drive than we did last season. I also walk all over New York City with my "2004 World Champions" hat on and I get all kinds of smiles and compliments from other Red Sox fans who see it. (Not to mention the long faces and dirty looks I get from Yankee fans.)

Anyway, I don't know one Red Sox fan who wishes the championship of 2004 didn't happen. It was like a gift from Heaven for all of us, for a fandom that suffered for decades. Forget the "spectacular failures". We were all given a "spectacular triumph", something we can all treasure from now until the day we all die.

Stossel's article was a collective waste of newsprint, but for those of you who'd like to read it, here it is: www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2005/08/28/the_tragedy_of_04?page=2. I think you may agree with me after you read it.

As I write this, I hope Scott Stossel is home watching his 1986 World Series video, and enjoying the memories.

Brooklyn Sox Fan

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by John Brian Quinn

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"The Professional Hitter"

Everyone knows the Red Sox have the best hitting club, not only in the American League, but in all of Major League Baseball. Their lineup is stacked with a ton of offense, led by such great names as Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz and Johnny Damon. But there is one player who is always overlooked when the great Red Sox hitters are named and their stats are reeled off: Bill Mueller.

Very quietly, Bill Mueller is having one his finest seasons of his career. He got off to a slow start after having knee surgery during spring training. His average was .269 on June 1, but as I write this, he has raised his average above.300 for the first time this year, and now he's at .303, with 8 home runs and 55 RBI. He's caught fire since the beginning of August, and he's safely in all 21 games he's started. He's slowly creeping up the batting leaders in the American League as well.

The 34-year-old third baseman from Missouri has a reputation for being a quiet, unassuming man, but his presence in the clubhouse is looked upon as a tower of strength. He never blows his horn or brings attention to himself. The rumors of a possible trade to Minnesota on the July 31 was looked upon in many circles as a necessity. as the Red Sox were hurting mightily in the bullpen and needed help there, and Mueller was a free agent after the 2005 season. It was a logical assumption he'd be moved. But GM Theo Epstein resisted the move, and it may prove the old adage, "the best trades are sometimes the ones you don't make" to be correct in Mueller's case.

Bill Mueller was originally signed by the San Francisco Giants in 1993 out of Southwest Missouri State University, and he made it to the big club at the end of the 1996 season. He was given the third base job in 1997 and immediately made his presence felt in the Giants' infield. He put up some tremendous numbers for the Giants at 3B, culminating with his best ever in 2000, making just 9 errors in 145 games in helping the Giants to the NL West title. Offensively, his numbers were steady, but nowhere near spectacular. His best batting average with the Giants was .294 in 1998, and that same season was his RBI high (59). His high in homers (10) was in 2000.

In 2001, Mueller was traded to the Cubs, and by mid-season he was having his usual steady season, batting at .292. But chasing a foul popup at Wrigley Field one afternoon, Mueller crashed into the wall behind third base and suffered a devastating knee injury and it ended his 2001 season. The injury was so bad at one point there was a possibility it could be career-ending.

But Mueller made it back shortly into the 2002 season, hitting .266, but playing some sparkling 3B for the Cubs. He made just 6 errors in 103 games. In September he was traded back to the Giants and helped them win another NL West title. (He was ineligible for the postseason, as the Giants went all the way to Game 7 of the World Series before losing to the Angels.)

After the 2002 season, Mueller was free agent, and was signed by the Red Sox. It was one of those signings that flew under most fans' radar. Mueller opened the 2003 season as a part-time player, sharing time at third base with Shea Hillenbrand, and getting the occasional start at second. But Hillenbrand was dealt to Arizona on May 29 and it opened the door for Mueller to play third base full-time. (It also made David Ortiz the regular DH. The Hillenbrand deal is without doubt one of the greatest deals the Sox ever made, even if BK Kim didn't pan out very well.)

And did Mueller ever respond to it. He had a career year, hitting 19 home runs, 85 RBI, 45 doubles, 85 runs scored, and the biggest surprise of all, he won the batting title with a .326 average. He edged out Manny Ramirez for it on the final day of the 2003 season.

The 2004 season was a tough one for Mueller. He missed nearly a month with knee surgery in the middle of the year, but still contributed a solid 12 homers, 57 RBI and a .283 average. But Mueller had what maybe the single biggest hit of the 2004 season. On July 24th, the Sox were down 10-9 to the Yankees in a fight-filled slugfest at Fenway. They were slipping in the standings and needed a win badly. Mueller turned on a Mariano Rivera fastball and hit it into the Red Sox bullpen for an 11-10 Red Sox triumph. Fans would after the season look at this game, and Mueller's home run, as the turning point of the 2004 regular season. His defense at third was tremendous going down the stretch as the Red Sox wrapped up the wild card and headed into the postseason. He went 12 for 42 (.286) in the ALDS and ALCS and had just one RBI. But that RBI may have been one of the biggest in Red Sox history. IN Game 4 of the ALCS, with the Sox down to their last three outs, pinch-runner Dave Roberts stole second base and was the tying run in a 4-3 game. Once again, Mariano Rivera was on the mound once again, and Mueller came through in the clutch. After taking ball one on an attempted bunt, Mueller lined the next pitch right up the middle and Roberts scampered home with the tying run. The greatest miracle in baseball history was on, and Bill Mueller's single got it going. But in the World Series he hit .429 with two big RBI in Game 2 at Fenway Park. That was also the game Mueller made three of the four Red Sox errors. But he atoned for that with a big double to put the game out of reach.

Despite the errors of Game 2, every Sox fan like me wanted him out there at 3B for Game 3. His solid defense was on display during the last two games in which he played flawlessly, and the Red Sox brought home the World Series championship for the first time in 86 years. And for Mueller it was exceptionally sweet that the Sox won it at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, as the Cardinals were the team he grew up rooting for. During the Series, he even recalled going to the World Series as a youngster in 1982 at Busch, seeing the Cardinals win it over the Milwaukee Brewers. (That is also the last world championship the Cardinals have won.)

The Red Sox have a tough decision to make after the 2005 season ends. Do they keep Mueller and sign him to a new contract, or do they turn third base over to the young Kevin Youkilis, who is well-thought of throughout the organization? Youkilis is clearly ready to be an everyday third baseman, and of course, he makes far less right now than Bill Mueller does. (Mueller currently makes $ 2.5 million, and a new deal for him would probably worth much more.) It's a difficult choice, and I'm glad I'm not the one making that decision.

I would be very happy to see Mueller return in 2006. He continues to play an excellent third base, and he put on a clinic against the Tigers this past Sunday afternoon. He is the definition of not only a professional hitter, but a professional player. He is widely respected not only by his teammates, but by opposition players all over baseball.

When the Sox signed him in February, 2003, he told the Boston Herald:

"I want to be unselfish and worry about the name on the front of my uniform instead of the back."

He plays the game the way it's supposed to be played. The sport can use all the Bill Muellers it can find.

Brooklyn Sox Fan

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by John Brian Quinn

Mail Brooklyn Sox Fan!

"I Saw The Boston Red Sox Future"

Back in May of 1974, the noted rock critic Jon Landau attended a rock show at the Harvard Square Theatre in Cambridge, MA, and was duly impressed. He wrote an article about it, and one line he wrote was instantly immortalized and it has been told millions of times throughout the succeeding decades.

"I saw rock and roll future, and its name is Bruce Springsteen."

Watching the Red Sox game against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday, that quote came instantly to my mind. With all due apologies to Mr. Landau, I'd like to amend his famous quote to the proceedings at Angel Stadium yesterday.

"I saw the Boston Red Sox future, and its name is Jon Papelbon."

Jon Papelbon made his third start on Sunday against the Angels, and for the third time he was really impressive. The hard-throwing, 24-year-old righthander from Baton Rouge, Louisiana pitched 5 and 2/3 scoreless innings against the hard-hitting Angels. This was probably his toughest major league test to date, and once again he passed with flying colors.

I am most impressed with Papelbon's poise. He carries himself like a veteran pitcher, and nothing seems to fluster him. The second time he faced Vladimir Guerrero he struck him out on high fastball, after giving him some "chin music" on the previous pitch. (He intentionally walked Guerrero in his first at-bat.) His fastball was in the low-to-mid 90s all afternoon.

His final numbers were very good: no earned runs, 5 hits, 3 walks, 2 strikeouts. He threw 100 pitches, 58 for strikes. He was only in trouble in the sixth, when two runners reached and Terry Francona pulled him for Mike Myers.

Unfortunately it was the third straight no decision for Papelbon. He has pitched well enough to win in all three games, but the Red Sox have only scored four runs in support of him. Papelbon now sports an ERA of 2.25. He seems to have already earned the title of the Red Sox "hard luck" pitcher.

Papelbon is just one of many young players that the Red Sox have that will be gracing Fenway Park very soon. We have already seen Manny Delcarmen and he was impressive in his short stint in Boston. We will soon be seeing Craig Hansen, the hard-throwing reliever who's zooming through the Sox' system, almost any time now. Jon Lester and Anibel Sanchez have also been impressive in the minors in 2005, and it is possible we may see them in September too.

And those are just the pitchers.

I turned to one of my friends as Papelbon was leaving the game and said, "you're looking at the future of the Boston Red Sox." And that's when I thought of Landau's Springsteen quote.

The Red Sox have a promising future ahead of them. And on Sunday, we got yet another glimpse of it.

A few weeks ago, I was watching a Red Sox-Twins game from Minnesota. I was in a bar watching the game, and they had the MLB package. On this night we were watching the game on the Twins network, Fox Sports Net North. It's always interesting watching Red Sox games from the other team's perspective.(That is except for the Yankees, and the White Sox, as I can't bear listening to Ken Harrelson and his unabashed homerism.)

But I saw a commercial in-between innings that actually made me wince. It was an ad for an upcoming Red Sox-Twins game that weekend. It showed a woman cleaning a bathroom floor, but instead of using a rag, she was wiping the floor with a Red Sox jersey! The whole bar seemed to be shocked by this, and a number of boos rang out throughout the place.

I thought it was real bush league stuff. Of all the TV networks I've ever seen broadcast baseball games, I have never seen any kind of commercial like that. Even the Yankees' YES Network has never done anything like that. I don't know if the Twins regularly put out TV ads putting down the opposition like that, but its really low class.

Of course it's nothing to get all upset about, but I always heard that the Twins ran a very good organization and was well-respected around baseball. But those ads were nothing to be proud of.

A couple of weeks ago I received an email from a man named Michael Hovenesian. Michael is a long time Red Sox supporter, and he has a web site he brought to my attention called "The Curse of the Mick". That "curse" is based on the fact that the Yankees blew the 2004 ALCS on October 20, which is the immortal Mickey Mantle's birthday. So now the Yankees are under the Mick's curse!

Michael has put together a two-minute movie on his site, all about the 2004 Yankee loss and the birth of a new curse. It's very good and it's definitely worth checking out. You can see it at: www.curseofthemick.com.

So if the Red Sox go out and repeat in 2005, can we expect a sequel to the movie, Michael?

As the Red Sox head into Kansas City, I am REALLY glad about one thing. I am happy that the Royals 19-game losing streak is over. Last week I realized that if the Royals lost all three games in Oakland over the weekend, they would be sitting on a 21-game losing streak, which would tie the Baltimore Orioles AL record set in 1988. People may think of weak teams like the Royals as pushovers, but I've always thought of those clubs as dangerous. (Look what they did to the Yankees earlier this year: swept them in June.) At this point they have nothing to lose, so they can just go out and play ball.

And I certainly didn't want the Red Sox to be the team they finally beat to end the losing streak. And to my great relief, they beat the Oakland A's on Saturday. They even went out and beat them again in extra innings on Sunday.

So naturally some bonehead announcers have to use that stupid and worn-out phrase "Break up the Royals! They've won two in a row!" And sure enough I heard it on Sunday night. Ugh!!

I've always had a soft spot for the Kansas City Royals. They lost three straight years to the Yankees in the ALCS from 1976-78, but finally beat them and got to the World Series in 1980. Then they came back from 3-1 down twice in the postseason to win the 1985 World Series. So in many ways I hated to see those losses mount against them.

The Royals have a very good and well-respected baseball man in manager Buddy Bell. He's been through a lot this year, and beyond baseball. His nephew was a soldier in Iraq and was killed last month. I wish him and his team all the best for the rest of this lost season.

That is, of course, after the Red Sox leave town on Thursday.

Brooklyn Sox Fan

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by John Brian Quinn

Mail Brooklyn Sox Fan!

"Say Goodbye to Cooperstown"

It was St. Patrick's Day. I was watching TV, alternating between coverage of the parade on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan and C-SPAN, which is the channel that covers politics and Washington. An almost surreal scene was unfolding in the nation's capital. A number of Major League Baseball players were on Capitol Hill to testify before a committee looking into steroids in baseball. Stars of the sport like Curt Schilling, Sammy Sosa, and the retired Mark McGwire were there to give sworn testimony. But one of them made more of an impression on me than the others.

Rafael Palmeiro.

He began his testimony with a written statement. And he had an angry look in his eyes. He pointed a finger at the committee members and stated in very sharp and unmistakably direct words. "I have never used steroids. Never. Period."

Of all the players and ex-players who testified that day, he seemed the most believable. Palmeiro was one of a number of players who was named as a steroid user in Jose Canseco's explosive book, "Juiced", which had been released earlier in 2005. Palmeiro and Curt Schilling were the most adamant that Canseco's steroid allegations were nothing more than a crock, and that he wrote the book for nothing more than just publicity and a quick buck.

When I first heard that Palmeiro was named by Canseco, I really didn't believe it. When he first came up with the Chicago Cubs in 1987, Palmeiro was a line-drive, doubles hitter. He reminded me in many ways of a Keith Hernandez-type player: very good fielder, high average, and a medium number of home runs.

Palmeiro was traded to Texas in 1989, and his home run total for the next four seasons was a combined number of 68. In 1993, he hit 37 home runs, which was the first time in his career he hit more than 30 home runs. It was also the first full year that Jose Canseco was his teammate with the Rangers. Coincidence?

By 1995, Palmeiro had moved on to Baltimore as a free agent, and hit a career high 39 home runs. It was the start of nine consecutive years of at least 38 or more home runs for him, which is a major league record. He also drove in at least 100 runs each of those seasons. Four times Palmeiro hit over 40 home runs, with highs of 47 in both 1999 and 2001.The days of him as just a line-drive hitter were a distant memory. He had become one of the most consistent home run hitters in the game. He was never on the disabled list, so his numbers continued to mount.

Palmeiro played during the great home run boom of the late 1990s. In the home run races of those years he was basically overlooked because while his numbers were impressive, they were nowhere near the home run totals that Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds were putting up. And on the surface, Palmeiro didn't give "the look" of either a McGwire or a Bonds. He didn't have the powerfully built arms and bodies that other home run hitters had. I can never once remember the words "Rafael Palmeiro" and "steroids" used in the same sentence anywhere.

During the first half of the 2005 baseball season, six players had failed steroid testing, and were publicily outed and suspended 10 days accordingly to MLB's new drug testing system. None of the players were part of baseball's elite, with Minnesota Twins pitcher Juan Rincon the best-known of the group. But the baseball world shook with the force of an earthquake when on August 1st it was announced that Rafael Palmeiro had failed a steroid test given earlier this season and would sit for 10 days.

It was an unbelievable shock. The man who went before Congress and told them he never used steroids was indeed dirty. All of this came to light just days after Palmeiro joined the exclusive 3000 hit club, and the even more exclusive 500 home run and 3000 hit club. My first reactions to the positive test was: Why?? Why would Palmeiro jeopardize what was surely a trip to the Hall of Fame and take steroids this late in his career? And it leads to other questions, like how long was Palmeiro taking steroids, and are all of his career home runs from now on tainted? (By the way, what a coincidence that the positive test was announced the day after the 2005 Hall of Fame ceremonies.)

Right after the news broke, Palmeiro said he did not "knowingly or intentionally" take any kind of steroid. He claims it was an "accident". But word soon leaked out that the steroid he tested positive for was called stanozolol, which is a steroid so powerful and also the one that sprinter Ben Johnson tested positive for during the 1988 Olympics. Experts were amazed he be taking the muscle-building steroid, because it is a steroid that is very easily detectable, and that any athlete that is regularly being drug tested would not dare use it.

The whole scandal will forever tarnish the career of man who was well-respected by players, coaches and fans alike. At the moment, he may also be facing a contempt of Congress charge for lying under oath. Most experts don't think he will face criminal charges, as the steroid test he failed was given AFTER he testified in March. But the question most asked by many people is: What about Palmeiro and the Hall of Fame?

I think his chances of a plaque at Cooperstown disappeared the moment the positive steroid test was announced. I've had debates with different people over Palmeiro's election to the Hall of Fame long before he failed the test. I always believed he was a first-ballot election, because you wouldn't deny any man with over 570 home runs, 1800 RBI and over 3000 hits his place there. While his critics argue that he was not an "elite" player, in that he never won an MVP, home run or batting title, Palmeiro would have made it because of his incredible consistency over time. His total numbers, even as he approached 40, were not diminishing in any way. While some might not vote for him on the first ballot, it surely would not have taken another year or two for his ultimate entrance to Cooperstown.

Now, that is long gone. In a recent polling by ESPN of 147 writers who have Hall of Fame ballots, 117 said they could not vote Palmeiro into the Hall. Some people have even suggested that Palmeiro be banned from Hall of Fame consideration, like Pete Rose is. I don't agree with that, as it should ultimately be up to the writers to decide Palmeiro's fate.

This whole mess with Palmeiro may ultimately work to the favor of one former Red Sox great. Jim Rice has been denied entry into the Hall for over 10 years now. Perhaps this whole affair will cause more writers to appreciate the career he's had (in the "pre-steroid" era) and elect him in 2006. This could be Rice's last best shot, as in 2007, Cal Ripken, Tony Gwynn and Mark McGwire all become eligible for election. (And McGwire's candidacy should cause lots of controversy at the end of next year.)

As I write this, Rafael Palmeiro says that he is looking forward to telling the world exactly what happened with the positive steroid test. Exactly when will that be? But no matter what explanation he ultimately comes up with, that drug test will forever be a black cloud on the career of man who seemed certain to join the baseball immortals in upstate New York.

And he only has himself to blame.

Brooklyn Sox Fan

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by John Brian Quinn

Mail Brooklyn Sox Fan!

"The Wide World of Knuckleheads"

It's been a rather bizarre week in sports these past seven days. The Florida Marlins pulled off the "hidden ball trick" on an unsuspecting Arizona Diamondbacks runner; the Oakland A's defeated the L.A. Angels on a dropped ball thrown back to the mound by the catcher and the runner from third scored; and in San Diego there was a frightening outfield collision between the Mets' Mike Cameron and Carlos Beltran, with Cameron suffering a broken nose and cheekbone fractures. It was one of the scariest scenes on a baseball field in quite some time.

But there were three other stories that dominated the sports landscape this week. First was the return of Kenny Rogers from his 20-game suspension. He was activated just in time to pitch the finale of the three game series at Fenway against the Red Sox. An independent arbitrator lowered Rogers' suspension from 20 games to 13 games for attacking two cameramen prior to a Rangers game back in June.

The Fenway faithful gave Rogers the reaction he deserved, and that was prolonged booing every time he came to the mound. In a bit of poetic justice, David Ortiz hit a line drive right back at him that struck him on his non-throwing arm. He wasn't seriously injured, but it definitely hampered him, and the Red Sox eventually scored five earned runs against him in five innings and Rogers took the loss in a 16-5 Red Sox rout.

Commissioner Bud Selig was dismayed that the arbitrator reduced Rogers' suspension, and for good reason. He attacked two cameramen (one who has not been able to work since the incident) who were only doing their jobs in a place they had a right to be (on the field in Arlington before a game). If anything, Rogers' original penalty should have been more severe, perhaps at least one month. Selig was right that serving such a short penalty sends a bad message to the fans. Many people defended Rogers, such as his friend David Wells, saying that he's generally a pretty mellow, easy-going guy who just snapped in a fit of rage.

That's still no excuse for such behavior. Both men who Rogers attacked are planning civil action, and rightly so.

Another big story was actually outside of baseball, namely the "trials and tribulations" of Terrell Owens, the Eagles' wide receiver. (I don't usually write here about football, but I thought this whole mess deserved special consideration.) Owens, never known as the shy and retiring type, has been making headlines the last few weeks complaining about everything associated with his life with the Eagles: his contract, his head coach Andy Reid, and quarterback Donovan McNabb. It's been a little feeding frenzy for the press, as every word Owens says seems to make news.

In my view, Terrell Owens signifies everything that's wrong with sports. His contract is $49 million for seven years, and now he wants a renegotiated contract for more moolah. Now I'm not against the best players getting the most money they can, especially in football, where players have a shorter life span than in baseball. But Owens signed a seven-year deal, and nobody held a gun to his head and forced him to sign that contract. There are now wide receivers making more money who may not be as talented as Owens. But having to listen to Owens spout on about "disrespect" and his rantings about the team has turned even some of his most ardent supporters against him. He wore out his welcome in San Francisco, and now it's gone in Philadelphia. The players in the Eagles locker room are tired of him and all the distractions that comes with Owens.

In my opinion, the Eagles have no choice but to try to trade him. He's a clubhouse cancer who needs to be removed if the Eagles have any chance of going back to the Super Bowl. But trading him will be very difficult for them. With Owens everything is "me,me,me". He may well be one of the best wide receivers in football, but his rep and baggage will scare off most teams. Could any of you honestly see Owens playing in New England for Bill Belichick? I think we'd see Gary Sheffield in a Red Sox uniform before that happens.

The other event of note this week happened in New York, at Yankee Stadium this past Tuesday night. Many of you in Red Sox Nation may or may not have heard about this, but in the eighth inning of the game between the Yankees and the White Sox, an 18-year-old Yankee "fan", being egged on by some of his other buddies in the upper deck, jumped off and landed in the protective screen that covers the box seats. I was watching the Red Sox game with some other friends in a bar when we noticed a fan on the screen at Yankee Stadium, and the game was held up until he got off. At first I thought he had fallen going after a foul ball.

But as it turns out, this jerk (who I won't identify as I don't want to glorify this moron) jumped out of the upper deck after his buddies dared him to do it. He had been drinking (and he's underage; the Yankees will have to answer to that) and had the reputation among his friends as being a class clown who'd do anything for attention. He even mentioned about "getting on ESPN" for doing his daring exploit. (After they found about what his real intentions were, ESPN and SportsCenter ignored the story.)

Thank goodness that the screen was strong enough to hold him, or we might have had a real tragedy at Yankee Stadium that night. The fans below him could have been seriously hurt or even killed. George Steinbrenner, in his infinite wisdom, commented after the game that the screen incident was "the most exciting thing that happened all night."

The jerk was taken to a local hospital, and then was arrested by New York City police on charges of reckless endangerment and trespassing. He faces up to a year in prison. The next day's papers here in New York showed the jerk being led away by police with a smirk on his face. I really hope the Yankees press those charges to the fullest extent of the law to prevent morons like him from trying to do idiotic stunts like that again.

And maybe a few months in the slammer will wipe the smirk off that jerk's face.

It's been a strange week in the world of sports, with lots of knucklehead behavior in the middle of this hot, sweltering summer. I didn't mention perhaps the biggest story of the week, namely the return of Rafael Palmeiro from his 10-game steroid suspension.

Not to worry, folks. That will be my next article, coming next week.

Get well soon, Mike Cameron.

Brooklyn Sox Fan

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by John Brian Quinn

Mail Brooklyn Sox Fan!

"For the Love of Mark Bellhorn"

October 19, 2004: Top of the fourth inning, 1-0 lead, two runners on base, two outs.

October 20, 2004: Top of the eighth inning, 8-3 lead, no outs, no one on base.

October 23, 2004: Bottom of the eighth inning, 9-9 tie, runner on first, no outs.

Every Red Sox fan can tell you all about the previous situations. All three were big-time, clutch situations. And in each one, Mark Bellhorn came up to bat.

And in each one, he delivered. He hit home runs. Three of the biggest home runs in team history.

Now, just over nine months since those glorious home runs were hit, it appears that Mark Bellhorn's days in Red Sox uniform are clearly numbered. He's a free agent after this season, and the Sox have Dustin Pedroia waiting in the wings in Pawtucket.

Before he makes his final exit from Boston, let's remember what Mark Bellhorn meant to Red Sox and the legions of fans in 2004.

Theo Epstein signed Bellhorn as a free agent from Colorado in late 2003. It was a move that garnered very little attention, as the 2003 season was a disaster for Bellhorn. He hit only two home runs in splitting time with both the Cubs and Rockies. He had come out of nowhere the previous season and hit 27 home runs in Chicago. Epstein had signed Bellhorn, as well as Pokey Reese, after he let Todd Walker go as a free agent following the 2003 season. At first Bellhorn looked to be strictly a utility player, as Reese figured to get most of the playing time because of his stellar defense.

But once superstar shortstop Nomar Garciaparra went down with an Achilles injury in Spring Training (and was kept out for the first two months), Pokey Reese was moved to shortstop, and Bellhorn took over at second. He responded with a very solid season for the Sox, hitting .264 with 17 home runs, 82 RBI, 37 doubles, and drew 88 walks. He did most of this production out of the two-hole behind Johnny Damon. It was a controversial move because Bellhorn also struck out 177 times, which led the American League and set a new Red Sox record (and he also missed nearly three weeks in August due to a wrist injury).

Bellhorn also gave the Red Sox a good (but not spectacular) glove at second, and he turned the double play exceptionally well too. He was clearly a defensive upgrade over Todd Walker. He got off to a terrible start in the 2004 postseason, going just 4-for-31 in the first eight games, and that led to cries on Boston sports talk radio and from the Sox faithful at Fenway to replace him with the slick-fielding but weak-hitting Reese.

Terry Francona, to his everlasting credit, never waivered in his faith in Bellhorn. He kept him in the lineup, but moved him down in the order. Bellhorn's place in baseball history began with the long fly ball to left he hit off of Jon Lieber in Game 6 of the ALCS that umpire Jim Joyce at first ruled had hit the Yankee Stadium left field wall, and was a two-run double. Replays clearly showed he was wrong, and after the umps huddled together, they reversed Joyce's call and awarded Bellhorn the home run he deserved. It would be the difference in the Red Sox history-making win that sent the ALCS to a decisive Game 7.

Looking back on Game 7, it was a laugher from the start. The Sox piled up the runs early and had a comfortable 8-1 lead going into the seventh inning. But then Francona had what would later be called his "Grady Little moment", and put Pedro Martinez into the game after Derek Lowe had pitched so brilliantly (one day I would like a decent explanation as to why he did that). Martinez gave up two fast runs to the Yankees before he settled down and retired the side. (Oh the flashbacks I was having in that inning!)

I was in a jammed packed Riviera Cafe in Manhattan watching the game, and the whole bar was tense and nervous, even after the seventh ended. Then Mark Bellhorn led off the eighth inning. On the second pitch, he sent the bar into a frenzy when connected and sent a long high drive clanking off the foul pole (Note to those wiseguys in the media out there: It's not a FAIR pole! Will you PLEASE get over calling it that?), giving the Sox a 9-3 lead. It was the perfect response to the Yankees and their fans thinking that a miracle finish for the Evil Empire was in the offing. The bar went bananas, and at that moment, the thought of the Red Sox as 2004 AL Champions was finally beginning to look like a reality. It was a blow that clearly demoralized the Yankees, and the Sox added another run for a spectacular 10-3 triumph.

And we all have Mr. Bellhorn to thank for that.

But his heroics were not yet done for the 2004 postseason. In Game 1 of the World Series, the Sox blew a five run lead, and the game was tied twice by the St. Louis Cardinals as Our Boy Mark came to bat. After Jason Varitek reached on an error (by Edgar Renteria!), Bellhorn hit a high drive off Julian Tavarez that hit the Pesky Pole in right to give the Sox an 11-9 lead, and a win by that score. Once again, Bellhorn hit the foul pole, and a third home run in as many games to put the Sox up in the World Series, and they would never look back. The Sox never trailed the rest of the way, and would cap one of the greatest postseason runs in baseball history.

Please let's not forget the HUGE role Mark Bellhorn played in it.

This has been a lost season for Bellhorn. He's never gotten on track, with an incredible 109 strikeouts in 283 at-bats. He seems to have become the Number One Fenway whipping boy, and when he DOESN'T strike out, it seems like a moral victory to some. Then during the Yankee series at Fenway in July, he suffered a thumb injury that put him on the DL. The Sox quickly replaced him at second with the combo of Alex Cora and Tony Graffanino, who were both acquired in trades during July. They've both done a steady job handling the position. Bellhorn was scheduled to return in early August, but his rehab at Pawtucket so far has not gone well. In his first 16 at-bats, he has no hits and struck out seven times.

The Sox have to make a critical decision about Bellhorn soon. He can only spend 20 days in the minors in rehab, so they will either have to put him back on the roster or DFA him ("designated for assignment", the new baseball term for limbo).

I know Theo will do what is best for the Red Sox in the long term. And if this is it for Bellhorn, I want to wish him all the best on whatever his next stop in baseball will be. He will always have me as a fan. He was a very well-liked player among his teammates and coaches, and was always soft spoken and genial with the fans. If he does bat again for the Red Sox this season, I hope the fans will remember what he's done to give us all some memories that will last forever.

And I hope Mark realizes, especially after he leaves the game for good, that he'll always be fondly and warmly remembered by the best of Red Sox Nation.

He'll always be "one of the 25".

Thanks Mark.

Brooklyn Sox Fan

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by John Brian Quinn

Mail Brooklyn Sox Fan!

Manny Ramirez' Flying Circus"

OK everyone, you can all breathe a collective sigh of relief.

Manny Ramirez is staying in Boston.

Honestly, was there ever a doubt that Manny wasn't going to New York to play for the Mets, or anywhere else for that matter? The trading deadline has come and gone, as well as the threat to the Red Sox' chances of repeating as World Series champions.

There was simply no chance that the Mets could satisfy the Red Sox in terms of players to match that what Manny Ramirez produces for the Sox. Breaking up the middle of the Red Sox order would have been the biggest favor Theo Epstein could have done for the Yankees, Orioles, and every other team competing for an AL playoff spot.

The reaction in Boston to the news of a possible Manny trade was one of total disbelief. It seems like at least once a year Manny will go to management and complain about this, that or the other thing and demand a trade. Now it was that he felt that he and his family had no privacy in Boston. Then please explain to me why Manny let a Boston Globe photographer into his home in July so he could take pictures of his young son's room?

I guess it's just "Manny being Manny" as the now famous phrase goes.

Without question Manny Ramirez is the right handed hitter of this generation. Offensively he is a force in the middle of the Red Sox lineup. No one can complain about what he has done with the bat in his 4+ years in Boston. And his defense is not nearly as bad as it has been made of in some circles. Yes there is the odd "malaprop" in left field that will be repeated on SportsCenter a thousand times, but in 2005 Manny is leading all AL outfielders in assists with 12. He's not a Gold Glover out there, but he is no butcher either. Who was it who threw out Larry Walker at the plate in the first inning of Game 3 of the 2004 World Series?

Manny is without doubt heading to the Hall of Fame after he retires. So why in the world would Red Sox management even entertain the idea of trading him?

It really comes down to money. The Red Sox are still on the hook for three more years of Manny's contract for $62 million. Ramirez signed an eight-year contract for $160 million in 2000. In many ways it has been albatross around the necks of management, and they have looked for ways of relief from it. They even put Manny on waivers after 2003 in the hope that someone would take the contract off their hands. And of course, no one bit.

Bringing Manny to Boston brought a great bat there, but it also brought many of the foibles that have made Manny a legend. Carrying a water bottle in his back pocket, disappearing through the door of the Green Monster during a pitching change and nearly missing the next pitch, that sort of thing. But a troubling part of his game to me is the apparent lack of hustle he will show from time to time. Too often he stands and watches his home runs, and I will bet that will cost the Sox a game one day. In a game against the Yankees two weeks ago, he hit a line drive to center field (that was caught) and he hardly moved out of the batter's box. Francona then removed him from the game right after that (although the Sox had a big lead in the sixth inning at the time). He also didn't give his best effort running out a groundball during the Tampa Bay game last Tuesday in the 10th inning, and he and the Sox were fortunate the Devil Rays couldn't turn the DP anyway. A run scored, and the Sox ended up winning by one run.

But what was most troubling was some of the events that took place after Tuesday's game. Trot Nixon suffered an injury to his side on Tuesday swinging at a pitch, and wound up on the DL. Manny had been promised a day off by Terry Francona the next day, the finale of the Tampa Bay series. Francona asked him to play for the good of the club, as they were short-handed in the outfield with Nixon out. Manny declined, as he felt he needed the rest more. Curt Schilling even angrily confronted him in the clubhouse about it. Manny still wanted his day off, despite the fact that the day after that was an off day for the entire club.

Even before all of this lunacy began, a Sports Illustrated article emerged saying that Manny wanted to be traded, that he felt he had lost all of his privacy playing in Boston. He had to know (or maybe he didn't?) that playing in baseball-crazy Boston is like being under the microscope, that every little thing around the Red Sox is scrutinized to the nth degree. And now that he had just led the Red Sox to their first World Championship since 1918, his popularity would soar to heights as never before seen.

I really wonder if this whole scenario was just the Red Sox management calling Manny's bluff. They may have had no intention at all of dealing him anywhere, especially to New York (does Manny think he'd get any "privacy" there?). All of this trade talk may have been Theo Epstein just putting Manny out there on the market to see what he could possibly get for him. Theo had to know that trading him in the middle of a pennant race (one that the Red Sox were leading in) was a pure act of madness. As it turns out, the Mets simply couldn't give the Sox enough to satisfy them, especially for this year's pennant race. Mets outfielder Mike Cameron and Devil Rays INF-OF Aubrey Huff (acquired in a possible three way scenario with Tampa Bay) would have made the Sox a far weaker team offensively, and practically given the division to the Yankees.

Many of the fans at Friday night's game let Manny know what they thought of all this, with a smattering of boos with each at-bat that night. By mutual agreement with Francona, Ramirez sat out Saturday's game in order to "clear his head". This of course set off all the conspiracy theorists that Manny was about to be traded. And on Sunday, he sat out again, and pinch hit in the eighth inning of a tie game. He received a thunderous ovation from the Fenway faithful, and then promptly singled in the winning run.

Sounds like something from a Hollywood script. The fans seemed to welcome back Manny with open arms (even though he never left), and all was forgiven.

That is until the next firestorm happens.

We're now in the month of August, with just two full months to go until the pennant races are decided. Red Sox management wisely decided to keep Manny Ramirez in the fold, along with Bill Mueller and Kevin Millar, who were rumored to be traded as well. That old baseball adage, "the best trades are sometimes the ones you don't make" seems to apply here. Will Manny Ramirez stay with the Red Sox through 2008, when his contract ends? Who knows, as Theo Epstein may revisit a Manny deal this winter. This past week may have been nothing more than a fishing expedition, to see what Manny would bring in return in a trade.

Just about all of Red Sox Nation is happy today. The Sox are still in first place; Curt Schilling has pitched very well as a closer; the two young prized rookie pitchers, Jon Papelbon and Manny Delcarmen, have been impressive so far; Alex Cora and Tony Graffanino have filled in well at second base; the injury to Matt Clement was very minor and will cost him only a few days; the bench is stronger with the additions of John Olerud, Gabe Kapler and Jose Cruz Jr.; and Manny Ramirez will be calling Boston home for the near future.

So with Manny Ramirez, you take the good with the bad (or strange, which might be a better word). They always say when the weird stuff happens around him, it's "Manny being Manny". I prefer to look at it a different way.

It's Manny's World. We just live in it.

Brooklyn Sox Fan

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by John Brian Quinn

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"Baseball in Brooklyn"

As you all know I was born and raised in New York City, and specifically in the borough of Brooklyn. Everyone knows it as the one time home of the Dodgers, before they left for the West Coast in 1958. For many people here, baseball ended with the Dodgers departure.

Many great players have firm roots here in Brooklyn, such as Rico Petrocelli, Shawon Dunston, Joe Torre, Rich Aurilia, John Franco and Willie Randolph. Baseball's tradition here goes back to the mid-19th century, all the way back to the original formation of the National League. But now, a new tradition was born not too long ago. And they are called The Brooklyn Cyclones

In June 2001, the Cyclones played their first game at beautiful KeySpan Park in Coney Island, before an enthusiastic and sellout crowd of over 8,000. The Cyclones are the short season, Single A club of the New York Mets in the New York-Penn League.(The Red Sox affiliate, The Lowell Spinners, play in the same league.) It was the first professional game in the borough in 44 years. KeySpan Park is in the shadow of the world famous Parachute Jump, and just down Surf Avenue from Nathan's and the immortal Cyclone rollercoaster. There are usually large crowds along the avenue during the summer taking in the rides and other events.

The Cyclones play 76 games a season, which starts in mid-June and ends in early September. Most of the players on the team are playing their first or second season in professional baseball. The first season was a rousing success, as the Cyclones set league attendance records, and might have won the league championship in 2001, but the playoffs were cancelled when the terror attacks of September 11 occurred. (They were declared co-champions of the league along with the Williamsport Crosscutters, who they were playing in the title series.)

The Cyclones are now in their fifth season, and the enthusiastic support of their fans just continues to grow. A game at KeySpan Park is a nice experience overall. It maybe the lower minor leagues, but the Brooklyn fans are definitely into each game and support their team wholeheartedly. There are numerous people there with their kids, and the ticket prices are within reason. The main rival for the Cyclones are the Staten Island Yankees, and each year they play "the Bridge Series" (as they are separated by the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge between the boroughs). Of course most of the fans at KeySpan are Mets fans, but when the Cyclones play the Yankees, many New York Yankees fans will turn out as well.

KeySpan Park maybe in the heart of a borough that contains over 2.5 million people, but there is definitely a "minor league" feel to the games. The Cyclones do a nice job entertaining their fans in-between innings, with such things as trivia contests, water balloon tossing, and "The Great Hot Dog Race", between guys dressed up in hot dog costumes as "ketchup", "mustard" and "relish".(Reminds me a bit of the "sausage races" in Milwaukee, and it can be almost as violent!) The seventh inning stretch has "Sweet Caroline" sung on the video boards by Neil Diamond and by some of the Cyclones players. (Could there be Red Sox fans working for the Cyclones?) But they also play "Cotton Eye Joe", that song the Yankees play at their home games. I'm still trying to find out why either team plays it. (The song sounds like it would be more appropriately played at a rodeo.)

My father and I have had a partial season ticket plan at KeySpan since the Cyclones started, and we've really enjoyed being there every season. Most games have some sort of fan promotion, such as bag giveaways and bobblehead nights. This past weekend, the Cyclones had a remembrance of the 50th anniversary of the Brooklyn Dodgers and their only World Championship, in 1955. It was a very nice evening, as before the game, four former 1955 Dodgers came out onto the field driven in custom 1955 cars, like a pink Cadillac and Thunderbird convertible. The Cyclones unveiled a "1955 Brooklyn World Champions" sign behind home plate, next to the broadcast area. The Cyclones have done a wonderful job remembering the heroes of Brooklyn's past, such as having the retired numbers of Gil Hodges and Jackie Robinson next to the 1955 World Champions sign. In past years, they had separate nights to honor both Brooklyn baseball legends.

At KeySpan Park, I saw lefty starter Scott Kazmir's professional debut back in 2003. He was devastating for the Cyclones that night, and looked like his trip to majors would be a fast one. (I didn't think it would lead to Tampa Bay, and now he seems to have the Red Sox' number.) In 2001, I saw the first Cyclones player play who reached the majors, and he later went on to win a World Series ring. Can you guess who that was? Yes, it was none other than the Red Sox pitcher Lenny DiNardo, who was picked by the Sox in the Rule 5 draft in 2004 from the Mets. Many of the original Cyclones who are still in the Mets system are at AA and AAA, and are hoping one day to get the call up to the majors. I'm pulling for all of them, as I'd love to one day say I saw a future baseball superstar play in Brooklyn. (Ian Bladergroen, a first baseman who the Red Sox got from the Mets in the Doug Mientkiewicz trade, started out with the Cyclones a few years ago, and he looked like a definite Major League prospect.)

Minor league baseball is a great thing to watch, no matter what level it is. It's great to see players who have dreams of making it to the Big Leagues give it all they have. For many, seeing a Major League game up close is either too expensive or impossible to get tickets to. But if you get the chance, I would encourage all of you to check out and support these guys. And if you find yourself in Brooklyn during the summer months, I would suggest a trip to Coney Island and KeySpan Park. I guarantee you'll have a great time.

Brooklyn Sox Fan

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by John Brian Quinn

Mail Brooklyn Sox Fan!

"The Trade Winds Are Blowing"

The All-Star Game has come and gone. When that happens, the attention around baseball all at once turns to that time of year that makes both fans and players alike nervous: the July 31st trade deadline.

Teams are usually divided into what are called "buyers" and "sellers". The buyers are usually teams like the Yankees or Red Sox who are out there looking for a pitcher or outfielder to help them get over the top. Usually they build up a minor league prospect and try to send them off to a club that's looking to trade off a high priced player, so that they can get the club's payroll down. In past years the Yankees always seemed to do something like this, especially in years that they won pennants. The trade in 2000 for David Justice from Cleveland jumps out at me. I can't really remember who they sent to the Indians in that trade.

The sellers are usually teams that are long since out of any possible playoff berth, and are looking to move a high salaried player or a free agent-to-be and trying to get something to build with for the future. The Pirates and Devil Rays always seem to be in this category every year.

This year the "usual suspects" like the Yankees and the Red Sox are out there looking for help. The AL East this season looks to be a race that may go down to the final weekend (and both teams are playing each other at Fenway then), so the next ten days look to be VERY interesting indeed. And this season, the Baltimore Orioles are major players in this race, and don't appear to be fading away any time soon.

Since the All-Star Game, the Red Sox have been very active in upgrading their roster. The bullpen was the most obvious place to be improved. Curt Schilling was named closer while the injured Keith Foulke recovers from knee surgery. GM Theo Epstein sent disgruntled outfielder Jay Payton to Oakland for reliever Chad Bradford, and infielder Ramon Vazquez went to the Indians for infielder Alex Cora. The Sox also signed Gabe Kapler from Japan, as he was released recently by the Yomiuri Giants. Kapler is currently on rehab assignment for a back injury and figures to be back at Fenway by early August. Then in a move that surprised many people, Alan Embree was designated for assignment and outfielder Adam Hyzdu was brought back in a trade from San Diego. Last weekend, Mark Bellhorn suffered a thumb injury and was placed on the 15-day DL and two minor leaguers were traded to Kansas City for utility infielder Tony Graffanino. Bellhorn may have started his last game as a regular 2B, as his rapidly declining production, along with his 106 strikeouts, means when he comes back he may occupy a seat on the bench. He is also a free agent after this season. The platoon of Cora and Graffanino should give the Sox some better production out of the nine spot than they were getting out of Bellhorn.

So it's been a busy last week for Theo Epstein. The roster needed an upgrade and changes were made. But it appears the wheeling and dealing may not be finished. The biggest name in the trade rumors, starting pitcher A.J. Burnett, appears to be heading to an AL team, possibly the Red Sox or Orioles. However, the Florida Marlins have made it mandatory that who ever takes Burnett also has to take high-priced veteran 3B Mike Lowell of their hands as well. The Red Sox really don't want him, as he will add millions more to their payroll than they would like, especially with Johnny Damon testing the free agent waters this winter. The Marlins are interested in Bronson Arroyo, and a couple of minor leaguers in the possible deal. Lowell is also having a terrible year, and the Red Sox don't want to move Bill Mueller to 2B as well. It sounds like Burnett and Lowell will probably end up in Baltimore anyway.

More trade rumors have surrounded the Sox in recent days, especially after Embree went DFA. The Red Sox have been looking very closely at Twins lefty reliever J.C. Romero, who would logically take over Embree's role. The Twins are desperate for some quality bats, and rumors have swirled about Kevin Millar or Bill Mueller (or even both) heading to Minnesota. (The Twins would also add another pitcher, possibly starter Joe Mays.) Both players are free agents after the season, and the Red Sox want to put Kevin Youkilis into the lineup, preferably at 3B. Moving Mueller makes the most sense, but he is having an All-Star caliber year in the field, while his production at the plate has dropped slightly. I would rather move Millar than Mueller. Mueller is a quality professional that is valued in any clubhouse, and Millar brings that intangible of keeping a clubhouse loose, even during the most trying of times. This is a tough decision that Theo will have to make, and I don't envy him. He will be criticized if he moves one or even both. But remember, this is the man who traded Nomar Garciaparra last July 31st, so he can take the heat.

There have been other rumors, such as Hanley Ramirez, the Sox "super prospect" going to Tampa Bay for closer Danys Baez, but the Red Sox won't move any of their blue chip prospects, like Ramirez, infielder Dustin Pedroia, or pitcher Jon Papelbon. The Sox have a lot of talent in their system, and they're not going to sacrifice it to overpay for any marginal major league players.

So, the team that shocked the world and won the 2004 World Series continues to change and upgrade. The sentimental part of me wishes they could have kept that wonderful club together, but Theo Epstein realizes that kind of attitude is not good for the club and has to move forward. (You may have noticed the subpar years that Derek Lowe and Orlando Cabrera are having for their new teams. But then of course, Pedro Martinez isn't having a bad year for the Mets.)

But whatever happens, pay close attention to the transactions column in your local newspaper. You will undoubtedly see "Boston Red Sox" in that column over the course of the next 10 days. And maybe more than just once.

By John Brian Quinn

Brooklyn Sox Fan

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by John Brian Quinn

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"A Red Sox Documentary"

This past June 21, I had the pleasure to take part in a documentary that is currently being filmed about Red Sox fans and what they went through this past October during the Red Sox' amazing run to the World Series championship. I met the documentary's director and producer, Lenny Manzo, in the East Village in Manhattan, and that night we recorded my remembrances from that historic time.

The documentary, as still currently untitled, will feature fans mostly in New England. But of course, Lenny had to come down to New York to get the perspectives of us Nation members who are living behind enemy lines. Lenny has worked on over one hundred films in his career that began as a sound mixer. Among his best known films are "The Perfect Storm", "The Crucible" and "Next Stop Wonderland". He has also worked on commercials, music videos and short films. He's also produced two feature films that are both currently in post-production and will be released later this year.

A major focus of the film will be the bonding element that the Red Sox foster throughout New England. The Sox are a tradition that is interwoven throughout the region and can never be separated. Another focus of the film will be what the fans did to break the so-called "curse", especially during the 2004 ALCS. The film will include all the rituals and supersitions the fans went through. (And yes, I had my own, and I talked about them too.)

You can also check out the documentary's web site: www.rsfans.com.

Throughout the year, Lenny's been hard at work at this project, and hopes to have it completed by August. This coming July 28, Lenny and his production company (Cine King Studios) will be having an event to show the trailer of the film, as well as conducting more interviews with Red Sox fans and getting their stories. If you would like to participate in the project, the event will be held at the Stoneridge Children's Montessori School, which is at 290 Hale Street in Beverly, MA 01915. It will be going on from 6:00-10:00 PM on Thursday, July 28. There is no cover charge, and anyone is welcome to come as long as they are fans. Refreshments will be served and there will be music playing.

Lenny is also requesting that people bring photos of themselves at Fenway Park or just come dressed in their favorite Red Sox garb. I encourage all members of Red Sox Nation who can be there to participate in this really wonderful project. I was really proud and honored to be a part of Lenny's film, and I look forward to the day when I can sit down with my kids and grandchildren and show them me on film describing one of the happiest times of my entire life.

To all of Red Sox Nation currently living in New York City:

The Boston 212 Cafe has moved. It now has a better location on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, at 1009 Second Avenue, between 53rd and 54th Streets. The new bar will be a ground-floor, open-to-the sidewalk establishment, located right next door to "Sutton Place". The bar will have many of the same signs and decorations as the old place.

The new bar will be co-existing with a full-service restaurant called "Caffe Buon Gusto", so they will be offering a combination bar menu and a more traditional full menu. Boston 212 Cafe will now be open not just for games, but for lunch, dinner and late night partying every day of the week.

Boston 212 Cafe will open on Thursday, July 14th, just in time for the second-half opener against the Yankees. I hope to see many of the same regulars I saw at the old place. Please come out and support my friends Charlie and Dave. They run a very friendly place, and I'm sure the new Boston 212 Cafe will be an even better place to watch the Red Sox games at!

Brooklyn Sox Fan

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by John Brian Quinn

Mail Brooklyn Sox Fan!

"That Was The Week That Was"

When the Red Sox won their first World Championship in 86 years last October, many people thought just about everything would change about the team. Some things they were correct about. The "underdog" label is clearly gone. The stigma of always folding in the clutch is also history. But there is one thing that is still the same and always will remain: every little thing about the team will be analyzed and scrutinized by a fandom that will follow this team to the ends of the earth. And this week was one of those weeks that kept every member of Red Sox Nation glued to their TVs and computers, just to see what would happen next.

This past week was like an avalanche. Something new just kept coming and coming. Where to begin? Let's start with the most important situation facing the team right now: the closer position.

Keith Foulke blew yet another save on the Fourth of July, giving up two runs and giving a game to the Texas Rangers, 6-5. The Sox came back from a 3-0 deficit and got the lead on a Manny Ramirez two-run shot. After this heartbreaking loss, the Sox and Terry Francona had to take action. Tito sent Foulke back to Boston for an MRI on both knees, and after that it was decided that he would have arthroscopic surgery on his injured left knee. In the spring, Foulke had passed on surgery, thinking he could get through the year without it. But it was clearly affecting his pitching, and he will be sidelined 4-6 weeks. (I was in Phebe's in the Village on Tuesday night when the announcement was made on NESN that Foulke was heading for the DL. The Sox fans there burst into spontaneous applause.) The Sox desperately need Foulke to be healthy, so this was the time to have the procedure done.

So, that left the closer position open. Mike Timlin seemed the obvious choice to replace Foulke, but right after he was placed on the DL, the Red Sox announced that Curt Schilling would be put in the bullpen for the time being when he's activated next week. The team and Schilling feel he's not ready to start and give the club effective innings as a starter. Schilling liked the idea of closing, and he's been sent back to Pawtucket to close a number of games for the PawSox before rejoing the team after the All-Star Game.

I really liked this idea. While Schilling hasn't relieved on a regular basis in over 13 years, I think this is a good way to get him reacclimated to pitching in the majors again, and it will give a boost to a very beleaguered and overworked bullpen. I don't care what those knuckleheads Joe Buck and Tim McCarver on Fox say. (During the Orioles game on Saturday, they basically bashed Francona and Theo Epstein, and gave every reason why this move would blow up in their faces. I guess those two nitwits have ever heard of John Smoltz.)

This move apparently didn't sit well with Johnny Damon, who told a reporter from ESPN that he thought Timlin or Bronson Arroyo (who's never closed before) would be a better fit as a closer. Eventually, Damon did a mea culpa after talking to Francona and now gives it his blessing. I wonder if his problem with Schilling as a closer has anything do with the "blow-up" their wives had during Game 3 of the 2004 ALCS last year over something as silly as wearing a "lucky scarf". (Heck, friendships have been broken up forever over things even sillier than that.)

If that wasn't enough, Jay Payton had a problem with Tito over his position as a defensive replacement in the game on Wednesday night. Payton, who's been making noise about wanting to be traded to a club so he can play fulltime, has been complaining a lot lately. This little episode (in the dugout in front of his teammates) was the last straw for management and the next day he was put on the "Designated For Assignment" list, baseball's version of limbo. Word soon spread that Payton will be sent to Oakland for reliever Chad Bradford, who is currently on a rehab assignment, and the deal will officially be announced after the All-Star Game. Payton knew he would get diminished playing time in Boston when he was dealt here, and he wouldn't accept it. Better he goes to a team where he can get more at-bats.(I wonder if he will get more in Oakland.) He added nothing to team chemistry, and his departure means the Sox have one less clubhouse lawyer to worry about. Rumors are now also abound that Gabe Kapler is returning from his short stint in Japan in the next week or so to resume his fourth outfielder role at Fenway. His return is now looked upon as welcome by most Sox fans in light of the Payton situation.

At least Kapler has always handled himself as a true professional.

On the same day Payton went on DFA, the other part of the Dave Roberts deal was sent packing. Ramon Vazquez, who did very little but hit under .200 and was unreliable in the field, was traded to Cleveland for Alex Cora. Cora is a good solid infielder who can play 2B and SS and has a decent stick. If he can spell Mark Bellhorn and Edgar Renteria and give the team good defense and an occasional clutch hit, the deal will be worth it. I heard that Cora wants to play more often than he did in Cleveland, where he was relegated to a backup role. Let's hope we don't have another Jay Payton on our hands.

Later this week, David Wells told a reporter that he thought his friend Kenny Rogers, who attacked two reporters on the field in Texas a week earlier, was a victim, "not unlike a victim of sexual assault". Wells said he would do just what Rogers did if he were in his position. Now, we all know that Wells can say some outrageous things, but this is just plain stupid. Those reporters had every right to be on the field and do the filming they were doing. They were assaulted by Rogers and are planning legal action against him. It's okay for Wells to defend his friend, but he should watch his mouth, especially in making such an idiotic comparison. This comment does nothing but embarrass the Red Sox, Wells and his teammates.

And those are just some of the highlights (or lowlights?) in what has been a truly bizarre week this past week. There were a few others, like Kevin Millar asking to be traded (or was he just misquoted?), and Matt Clement and Mike Timlin being snubbed for the All-Star Game, which angered a few Sox teammates. (It looks like Clement will be replacing the injured Roy Halladay anyway.) To me, one of the successes of last year's World Championship team was their ability to keep all their problems "in house" and not make everything known to the public at-large. Right now there seems to be too much whining and complaining to the press right now. This is perceived as panicking, and at last look, the Red Sox are still in first place, three full games ahead of the second-place Baltimore Orioles.

I'd hate the thought of what would be happening if the Sox WEREN'T in first place.

We can all do without all the mouthing off in the press. All of this tomfoolery makes you appreciate classy professionals like Jason Varitek and Bill Mueller, who are focused and know how to carry themselves and do their jobs. The All-Star Game is coming at just the right time for the Sox. Let's hope they settle down and get back to the business of winning games. Let's leave the term "Team Turmoil" to that club that plays 200 miles to the south of Fenway.

Brooklyn Sox Fan

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by John Brian Quinn

Mail Brooklyn Sox Fan!

"An Invasion By The Nation"

The phenomenal success the Red Sox had in 2004, both on the field and off it, has had far-reaching effects for its many fans all over New England and the United States. The 2005 season in Boston is long since sold out, so unless fans want to go to Fenway Park and pay incredibly high prices to see a game there, they'll have to see them on the road.

And thousands upon thousands of Red Sox fans are doing just that.

I saw the Sox play the Yankees in the Bronx in April and the stadium was easily one-third Red Sox fans. I've been going to see the Red Sox there for a quarter-century and I've never seen anything like that. On April 21st I saw the Red Sox play the Orioles in Baltimore and the park may have been at least 40% Red Sox Nation. On TV, it seems like in every road city, Red Sox fans are out in large numbers, supporting the Sox. Even in places like Texas and Seattle there are plenty of Nation members on hand.

So, on June 24, I saw the Red Sox play in a third separate venue away from Fenway Park, namely at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia in an interleague matchup with the Phillies.

The games had been sold out since April. Once again Red Sox fans in the Northeastern United States found another place to see their heroes in action. It's not a surprise to know that as I write this, the Red Sox lead the majors in road attendance. I knew heading into the game that Red Sox Nation would be out in full force. But I had no idea what I would actually find.

I drove down from New York with my friends Joe, Curran and Leah. We were clad in our Sox gear, but I brought a jacket just in case, as I heard about the reputation that Phillies fans have for being unforgiving, tough and even crazy.

Citizens Bank Park is just gorgeous. I had been to Veterans Stadium for a Phillies game in 1987 and I can remember just what a toilet it was. It was "blown up" (literally), and for good reason. I don't think any Phillies fan miss it. But the new park is something special. As we were walking up to the park, we saw people wearing all kinds of Red Sox paraphernalia. We saw just as many Red Sox fans as Phillies fans. As soon as we walked in, I had the same feeling I did when I first walked into Camden Yards in Baltimore. This is going to be a special night.

As soon as got in, Joe wanted something to get the game off to a good start: a genuine Philly cheesesteak. We waited on line at Geno's, which isa cheesestaek place just beyond the center field bleachers, for nearly 20 minutes for one but it was definitely worth the wait. I found it a little expensive ($7.25), but it was terrific. Nearby Geno's is Ashburn Alley, and that leads to a section that has the history of the Phillies in pictures. It remembers all the special players in Phillies history, and especially the 1980 team, the only World Champions the Phillies have ever had. It's really well-done and worth the time to see.

For the game, we sat out in the right field stands, about midway up section 104. We had a great view of the ballpark, but couldn't see the right field scoreboard, which is one of the best boards in all of baseball. (I love the fact the Phillies keep track of every game not only by score and inning, but by the number of outs and how many men are on base.) We sat with some other Red Sox fans from New Jersey, and around some Phillies fans as well. I talked with a few of them and they were rather pleasant people. They were as amazed as we were by the incredible number of Red Sox fans at the game. I explained to them that Red Sox fans will now go anywhere to see their team in action, especially since tickets to Fenway are nearly impossible. (Philly sports radio roundly criticized Phillie fans for not being a "stronger" presence at the weekend series. Hey guys, it's not their fault. You can try to slow down Red Sox Nation, but you can't stop us.)

Doug Mirabelli hit a three run homer in the second inning, and the Sox were on their way. Tim Wakefield dominated throughout 8 innings, allowing only two hits. Manny Ramirez also hit a three run homer, about two sections to the left of us, and then David Ortiz hit a bomb in the level above us in the ninth to cap off an 8-0 victory. As soon as the game ended, we headed for the parking lot, along with many other happy Sox fans. We got into our car just in time to hear the Mets were in the process of beating the Yankees in the Bronx. It was truly a happy night, and the beginning of a great weekend.

We drove back to New York that night, and I watched the Saturday game on TV at my house. On Sunday I took Amtrak back to the park for the finale of the series. I met another group of friends from New York for the game. They all had tickets for the Saturday contest, but I didn't. This time we sat out in the left field bleachers, just below the enormous scoreboard. Fortunately this time I could see the right field scoreboard!

And boy was it hot. Friday night wasn't too bad, especially after the sun went down. We just baked in the 96 degree heat, and I was fortunate that one of my friends had sun block. Before the game I settled in with my Philly cheesesteak (tasted just as good as Friday night's). And just like Friday, the Red Sox fans made the presence heard and felt. It was yet another "Invasion By The Nation". (One of my friends told me that Jerry Trupiano on WEEI radio said it sounded like this whole series felt like it was being played in Fenway Park.)

This time the Red Sox jumped out to an 8-1 lead, but David Wells tired, and the Phillies mounted a comeback, eventually tying the game in the seventh. The Phillies fans were generally pretty well-behaved on Friday night, but once the game got exciting, they got a bit rowdier. It's been a long year so far for their club, so I guess they are entitled. But the Sox scored four runs to put the game away, 12-8. The Red Sox went into Philadelphia and just exploded offensively, scoring 27 runs in the three games. That's not a surprise, as Citizens Bank Park is now regarded as one of the best hitters' parks in baseball.

After the game, we went to McFadden's, a bar right next to the park. Lots of Sox fans there, but I ran into two Phillies fans who noticed my Sox jersey. Obviously the alcohol was in full swing with these guys, as they said a few unprintable things about the Red Sox and their weekend sweep. I just shrugged my shoulders at these guys, smiled and walked away. I guess the 25 years without a title is beginning to wear on those guys.

Overall, it was a wonderful weekend in one of the nicer ballparks in America. The Phillies and their fans can be proud of Citizens Bank Park. But the Red Sox can be proud of their fans, who follow them anywhere and everywhere to see them play. To me, it seems like the Red Sox have become baseball version of "America's Team".

Brooklyn Sox Fan

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by John Brian Quinn

Mail Brooklyn Sox Fan!

"Happy Father's Day"

I want to wish all the fathers out there a wonderful day this Sunday. Since the day always falls in the middle of June, the connection to baseball is always strong. On Father's Day in 1964, Jim Bunning (now a senator from Kentucky) pitched a perfect game against the Mets at Shea Stadium, with his wife and kids all in attendance. It is one of only two no-hitters ever pitched at Shea. (Bob Moose of the Pirates pitched the other in 1969. I remember it well, as I was there.) My dad has vivid memories of Bunning's perfecto, and he's told me many times about it.

So I want to wish my dad, a Mets fan/Yankee hater/Red Sox sympathizer, a terrific day on Sunday, and I hope he likes the gift I got him. (Of course it has something to do with baseball, and the Mets/Yankees/Red Sox in particular.)

I had a very interesting experience at Shea Stadium last week. A friend called me up and had an extra ticket to the game, a Thursday night game against Houston, so I went. The seats were fabulous, 10 rows off the field in short right field. For most of the game, it was close and tight. In the fifth inning, I turned to my friend and told her about how I had never caught a foul ball in 37 years of going to baseball games, and before I die, I wanted to catch one.

Then, in the bottom of the seventh, David Wright of the Mets hit an arching foul pop to the right side. As the ball was coming down, it was heading right for me. For a few fleeting seconds, I thought my dream was going to come true. Then at the last second, the ball drifted off to the left, and it missed my outstretched left hand by about six inches. I was miffed that I missed it, but then I turned around and my friend, who was sitting directly behind me, was in her seat holding her head, and was in obvious pain. The ball struck her in the side of her head. I was absolutely horrified. My friend is a few years older than I am, and I was scared she might be badly hurt.

Fortunately she never lost consciousness. The Shea Stadium EMTs were there in a matter of seconds, and we were escorted to a first aid station on the loge level. She was examined by a doctor in attendance, and fortunately, everything was OK. She just had a nasty knock on the head and a bit of a headache the next day. (I knew she was fine when she turned to me and said, "Next time I'm bringing my glove.")

I can't say enough good things about the medical people at Shea. They were very professional and handled the situation perfectly. I even ran into two of them at the end of the game (after my friend left with another friend of mine), and they were concerned for my friend's health. One of them even asked me, "She will come back here again, won't she?" I assured them that she's a big Mets fan, and will be back again soon.

So everyone out there, if you're at a baseball game and especially if you are close to the field, please do pay attention. (And especially at Fenway, which is so much closer to the field than most ballparks.) Those little white flying projectiles do hurt.

I've seen in many places about the state of Red Sox fans these days. Many people seem to think that the fans now are so content with their 2004 World Championship that this season is almost like an afterthought, and that the intensity that was always such a staple of Sox fans is now gone.

I can assure you that in my circle of friends, that simply isn't true. Among my buddies here in New York, the Sox are still a passion, more than just "our baseball team". Our gatherings are still filled with discussions like the current state of the club, worrying about the Yankees, what will Theo do by July 31, that sort of thing.

Granted, every game doesn't seem like a matter of life and death anymore. And everyone knew before last October 27 that a world championship would change the Red Sox and their fans forever. Many critics said that the Red Sox would lose the "aura" that surrounds the club, and that they would become like the Phillies or the Tigers, and just "another baseball team".

To that I say, "Thank God"!! If by "aura" they meant "star-crossed", "jinxed", "cursed" or whatever other stupid adjective they liked to use about the Sox, I'm glad it's gone forever. What those critics don't seem to understand is that's all Red Sox fans wanted to be: Just Another Team.

86 years worth of uncomfortable baggage is gone. Fans are actually looking at life from a whole new perspective now. I told one friend that every morning over the winter, I wouldn't be up more than 10 minutes when the thought that "the Red Sox are champions" would enter my brain, and it instantly would put a smile on my face.

I love "The New Aura" around the Sox: a never-say-die bunch that believed in themselves, stuck together and made baseball history.

Now the critics say, "Now that the Red Sox won it all, what is there left for them to do?" That's easy. Win it all again! Now that the Red Sox have a championship under their belts, the fans are obviously not as insane about every little thing. Boston is still a big time baseball town and the grace period that Red Sox have for winning in 2004 is still in effect.

But you know that if the team goes on a losing streak, or if things go sour for an extended period of time, that will all end, and the fans will demand change. Red Sox Nation has been, and always will be, the most passionate baseball fan base in America. The Red Sox winning a World Series won't change that.

The 2004 World Championship is the most glorious event in the history of the Boston Red Sox. But now it is part of history, and all the fans know that. Baseball has always been a sport of "what-have-you-done-for-me-lately", and no where more so than in Boston.

Theo and The Trio have a lot of "rope", but not an infinite supply.

If the Red Sox are in a dogfight in September for a playoff spot, do you think any Red Sox fan worth their salt will simply be content with what happened in 2004, or will the switchboards at the radio sports talk shows in Boston be lighting up like Christmas trees?

We're Sox fans. It's Our Passion. That will NEVER change.

Brooklyn Sox Fan

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by John Brian Quinn

Mail Brooklyn Sox Fan!

"The Boston Arson Squad"

It's officially a BIG problem.

Terry Francona now has every manager's worst nightmare on his hands. He's got a bullpen he can't rely on.

"The Boston Arson Squad" gave another one away last night. The Red Sox fell behind 4-1, and then 5-3, but a great five-run inning in the sixth put them on top, 8-5. This was a game that happened often in 2004. Fall behind early, catch up and get a lead, and turn it over to a reliable bullpen to nail it down. Well, it didn't turn out quite that way.

Mike Timlin put two runners on, and Keith Foulke let both inherited runners score in the eighth, before he completely melted down in the ninth. He threw a big fat pitch down the middle of the plate to Travis Hafner on 0-2, and the hottest hitter on the Indians crushed it into the right field seats for a grand slam and a 12-8 Cleveland victory. Red Sox Nation let Foulke have it after the inning, with a cascade of boos reigning down all over Fenway Park.

Foulke this season is a complete mystery. Last season he was lights out for the overwhelming majority of the season. He had one slump of note in 2004, in mid-July. But he was excellent for the Sox coming down the stretch, and allowed only one run the entire postseason.

His numbers this year are just flat-out ugly. Don't be deceived by the 5 wins and 14 saves. If you watch the Red Sox as often as I do, it seems like in EVERY save opportunity he has to do his high wire act, and it's always an adventure. He has had few 1-2-3 innings this season. His ERA is now over 6.00, as it has been for much of 2005. Foulke reminds me of the Don Stanhouse "Fullpack" days in Baltimore, when manager Earl Weaver gave his closer that nickname because "I'd smoke a full pack of cigarettes watching him pitch the ninth". In his save opportunities, Foulke's record is REALLY ugly. In 18 innings, his ERA is an astonishing and embarrasingly high 11.00, with 29 hits and 22 earned allowed. In non-save situaions, he has a 1.40 ERA in over 19 innings. So, could it be that Foulke can't handle the pressure of closing anymore?

Now, if that's not bad enough, Foulke's attitude toward the fans has just been downright miserable. He basically disrepected Red Sox Nation by saying that he didn't care "what Johnny from Burger King thinks" about his misadventures. "I'm not inviting them to my World Series celebrations either" was another beauty. To me it seems that Foulke has a thin skin, and the pressure of pitching here is getting to him. Hey, when he accepted the money to pitch here, he knew what he was getting into.

I still believe he is hiding an injury. He went to Alabama last month saying it was for a barbeque, but it is generally believed the real reason he was there was because he went to see noted sports physician, Dr. James Andrews, about a possible injury, to his knee or shoulder. Whatever it is, Foulke is just not the same pitcher he was in 2004, and the Red Sox and their fans are paying the price for not having a reliable closer. They will go nowhere without someone to shut the door in the ninth inning.

But the rest of the pen has been unreliable as well. Alan Embree has been just as horrible as Foulke. His ERA is over 8.00, and he's given up 10 home runs. He seems to have lost a few miles per hour off his fastball, and hitters, including left handed ones he's supposed to dominate against, have been feasting off it. Matt Mantei has been hot and cold all year, but it seems like Terry Francona almost never goes to him in a clutch situation. Mike Timlin's numbers have been very good on the surface, but a stat that causes some concern is that he's allowed 9 of 13 inherited runners to score. Timlin's also 39 years old, and there is the temptation to overuse him. Remember what happened to the Yankees pen in 2004. Mariano Rivera, Paul Quantrill and Tom Gordon were 1-2-3 in appearances last season, and by the playoffs, they were spent. Fortunately, Mike Myers has been a godsend since coming back from St. Louis, and Tito has used him for more than just against left handed hitters.

So, in my view, Theo Epstein has to go out and find reinforcements. By July 31, I'm sure that he will swing a deal for at least one good relief pitcher. The market for closers right now is non-existant, so he'll be looking for a good set-up man. He'll have some tough decisions to make, such as who to deal to get a quality bullpen arm. Does he trade Kevin Youkilis, or Hanley Ramirez, or some other young player? I've heard about the idea of making Bronson Arroyo the closer, if he goes to the pen when Curt Schilling comes back. But he's never closed, and may not be well-suited to that role.

Unless we see a vast improvement but the current cast of characters, the Red Sox won't make the postseason. The Red Sox can't just count on just the offense to get them into the playoffs. These games in June count just as much as the ones in late September. You just can't give them away.

Brooklyn Sox Fan

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by John Brian Quinn

Mail Brooklyn Sox Fan!

"50 Things About Me"

I was recently checking out the blog of a friend of mine named Kim, who is a diehard Red Sox fan originally from Rhode Island. She has a great blog about being a Sox fan in New York City called "Miles From Fenway"(soxfaninnyc.blogspot.com). We know each other through hanging out at Boston 212 Cafe and when we were both at the Riviera Cafe. I noticed she put up a piece on her blog called "100 Things About Me". That got me to thinking that that might be a cool idea for an article here at Bornintoit.com.

And of course I'm sure that many of you fans out there have been wondering to yourself, "I wonder what makes BrooklynSoxFan tick?"

Well, wonder no longer my friends. So without further ado, here it is. "50 Things About Me". ( I thought 100 might be too much, so I decided to go just halfway as far as Kim did.) They will be about all different parts of my life, namely baseball and everything else.

1. My favorite Red Sox player of all time is Carl Yastrzemski.
2. My current favorite Red Sox player is Jason Varitek.
3. I first walked into the hollowed ground that is Fenway Park on May 20, 1986. The Red Sox beat Minnesota that night, 17-7.
4. My favorite movie of all time is "Monty Python and the Holy Grail".
5. There are two movies that I watch that always leave me in tears: "Field of Dreams" and "The Wizard of Oz".
6. My favorite musical act of all time is The Beatles.
7. I really hope that Hank Aaron's home run record of 755 is NEVER broken in my lifetime.
8. The most beautiful city I have ever seen is San Francisco.
9. I'll never understand why fans throw back home runs from opposition players. I have been going to baseball games for 37 years and have never even caught a foul ball.
10. I've worn glasses since I was 11.
11. I've been at the ceremonies at Ground Zero the past 3 years on September 11. I will be at them there every September 11 until the day I die. Inside the pit of the site is the most sacred ground in the United States.
12. I've been in 22 states in my life.
13. I've seen the Red Sox play 29 times live in my life, and they have won 19 of those games.
14. I've met the following famous people: Johnny Damon, Carl Yastrzemski, Mike Andrews, Willie Randolph, Bob Stanley, Michael Palin, Carol Cleveland, Michael Bloomberg, Rudy Giuliani, Eric Burdon, George (The Animal) Steele and Elton John. Quite an eclectic group.
15. Two people offered me tickets to Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS. I turned them both down.
16. The first time I saw the Red Sox play the Yankees was in 1980 at Yankee Stadium, and the Red Sox won.
17. Chocolate chip mint is my favorite kind of ice cream.
18. I'm a big fan of jazz music, with Dave Brubeck and Bill Evans my favorite artists.
19. I've never smoked, and I don't ever intend to.
20. I can't stand it whenever there is some kind of controversy, the word "gate" has to be stuck to the end of it.
21. The Mets are my favorite National League team.
22. My favorite baseball team west of the Mississippi is the San Diego Padres.
23. Great Britain and Canada are the only two foreign countries I've ever been to.
24. I have a terrible fear of deep water and I get nervous crossing bridges.
25. I am a big soccer fan and I have seen four matches live in England.
26. "I Will Always Love You" by Taylor Dayne and "She's Got a Way" by Billy Joel always bring a tear to my eye. They both remind me of a very special person.
27. Unlike most New Yorkers, I've been to most of the major tourist attractions here.
28. The Minnesota Vikings are my favorite football team. I've been a fan of theirs for five years longer than I've been a Red Sox fan.
29. Notre Dame is my favorite college football team. It's been that way for as long as I can remember. I think it's a rule that if your male, Catholic and of Irish descent, you HAVE to root for ND.
30. The first baseball game I ever went to was between the Mets and San Francisco Giants in 1968 at Shea Stadium. The Giants had three future Hall of Famers in the lineup (Willie Mays, Willie McCovey and Juan Marichal) and the Mets still won.
31. I'm a big fan of Brian Giles and Jim Thome, and they can both be on my fantasy baseball team any time.
32. Bruce Springsteen's concert in NJ in 1985 was the best one I have ever seen.
33. The current Yankee I have the most respect for is Hideki Matsui.
34. I hate it when commentators use the term "issues" instead of "problems". And I also dislike the ones who use the term "getting it done" over and over.
35. The only "reality TV" I watch is sports.
36. More than one person has told me I bear a resemblance to the actor Tim Robbins.
37. "Let It Be" by The Beatles was the first album I ever bought. And I still have the poster it came with hanging on my bedroom wall.
38. Among the most inspiring people I have ever known has been the families of the World Trade Center victims. Their courage in the face of unspeakable tragedy has been really incredible.
39. As far as political affiliations go, I am very much an Independent.
40. I have voted in every presidential election since 1980.
41. The three foreign countries I have always wanted to visit, and hope to one day, are Ireland, Japan and Australia.
42. I will put it in my will that on the day I die, I want a photo of me with the Red Sox 2004 World Championship Trophy to be enlarged and displayed at my wake.
43. The New York Islanders are my favorite hockey team. You remember hockey, right?
44. In my opinion, the greatest American in our history was Abraham Lincoln.
45. Listening to my favorite music is the secret key in helping me to write.
46. I'll watch any movie that has Clint Eastwood in it.
47. I am a spiritual person, and a big believer in angels and spirit guides.
48. My father is a retired New York City firefighter, and firefighters are among the greatest people I have ever known.
49. Christopher Reeve was one of the most courageous men I've ever seen in my life. May God rest his soul.
50. I firmly believe Gil Hodges, Luis Tiant, Jim Rice and Tony Oliva all belong in the Hall of Fame. As far as Pete Rose is concerned, put him on the ballot and let the writers (and later on the veterans) decide.

Well fans, now you know a little bit more about me. Thanks so much Kim for the idea for this column. My next column will be about my trips to Philadelphia to see the Red Sox play there........

Brooklyn Sox Fan

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by John Brian Quinn

Mail Brooklyn Sox Fan!

"Retelling the Rivalry"

The Red Sox amazing championship season of 2004 spawned a plethora of books, as just about everyone figured it would. Reading books, especially true life stories, has always been one of my passions in life. I did a review of the Johnny Damon book "Idiot" a few weeks ago. I wasn't crazy about it as you know (and I see a few of Johnny's fans weren't happy about my review...sorry guys), but I moved on to some other books, and there are two of them I can really recommend: "Blood Feud" and "Emperors and Idiots".

Our friend Don Hyslop ("Scotian1" on the Bornintoit.com message board) talked about "Blood Feud" many months ago as a book Red Sox fans would enjoy reading. I picked it up last month, and I can second Don's suggestion. As soon as I got it I knew I would love this book simply because former Sox pitcher and certified screwball Bill Lee does the introduction. The Spaceman will always have a soft spot in my heart, as any man who refers to the Yankees as "Brown Shirts" and named a rat hanging around his house "Billy Martin" is OK in my book.

"Blood Feud" is a thorough retelling of the long history of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry. Authors Bill Nowlin and Jim Prine go into vivid detail, even listing EVERY transaction between the two clubs in their history(and rates who got the better end of each deal). Both authors are huge Red Sox fans, and make no bones about it, referring to the Red Sox as "good" and the Yankees as "evil". As a Sox fan living in New York, I really appreciated a section in the book that mentioned us, especially my friends Jim McGuire and Tanya LaPlante in the part about the Riviera Cafe (the book was written before the Riviera boycott began).

The detail in the book is extremely thorough, as there's a section in the back that lists every major date and event in the rivalry's history (as well as the records of every player who played for both clubs). There were facts I never knew happened, like back in 1929 when two fans were killed and 62 other people were hurt in a crush in the right field bleachers at Yankee Stadium when a sudden thunderstorm caused fans to run for cover. On a lighter note, I enjoyed the "Yankee to Red Sox Fan Conversion Form". It is a 14-question "conversion form" for those Yankee fans who want to become Red Sox fans. I promise it will make you howl with laughter!

The book also breaks down every game between the teams in the 2004 season, as well as the postseason. Of course all the "close-but-no-cigar" moments from the Red Sox storied past are here, but doesn't dominate the book. Just about every brawl the Yankees and Red Sox have had between them is captured here too. The book ends with a nice afterword from Johnny Pesky, and what the 2004 championship meant to him.

"Blood Feud" is told in good humor, and from the perspective of two dedicated, long time Red Sox fans. It will bring back some painful memories for a lot of us, but of course, always keep in mind there's a happy ending.

"Emperors and Idiots" is told from a much more neutral viewpoint, from New York Post sportswriter Mike Vaccaro. It also goes down a similar road that "Blood Feud" goes. I have always enjoyed Vaccaro's work in the Post, as he's never been like many New York sportswriters, the ones I consider to be "Steinbrenner's Mouthpieces". He comes out in the beginning of the book and says he grew up a Mets fan, but admired both teams from afar.

The book starts at the 2003 ALCS and moves forward from there, but Vaccaro flashes back at times to the previous major points in the storied rivalry, like the final weekend of 1949 and the playoff of 1978. I really enjoyed his retelling of the pennant race between two franchises in 1904 (when the were the Pilgrims and Highlanders) and just how frenzied it was (today it seems like just a footnote in history). I also liked his take on the race in 1948, and how the Sox eliminated the Yankees on the next-to-last day of the season. Too often this is another fact in the rivalry that's been nearly forgotten.

Like Nowlin and Prine, Vaccaro did some major research into his story. I did find a few historical errors in the book (as I did in "Blood Feud" too), but nothing that takes away from the enjoyment of either book. "Emperors and Idiots" ends with the Sox championship of 2004 of course. In a season with so many Red Sox-themed books to choose from, you will definitely enjoy the retelling of the ancient feud in both books.

This Tuesday, June 14, marks one year to the day that I discovered Bornintoit.com. It was the day that I joined the site after meeting our webmaster Ryan at the Riviera Cafe in Manhattan. It has been such a pleasure to be part of this site, and hearing from so many of you Red Sox fans. Thanks for all your great feedback, and I look forward to writing more columns and hearing from more of you in the future.

P.S. Before I go, my dad's older sister passed away on Sunday. Like my dad, she was a Brooklyn Dodger and later a Mets fan. We all love you Aunt Margaret, and we'll always miss you.

Congrats John on the one year anniversary on being a part of this site. You help to make it special for all that read!.. Keep up the great work!

Brooklyn Sox Fan

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by John Brian Quinn

Mail Brooklyn Sox Fan!

"It's More Than Just a Contest"

welcher: noun, someone who swindles you by not repaying a debt or wager.
---Dictionary.com

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A few weeks back, a buddy of mine named Chris Wertz emailed me and told me about a special event that would be occurring at Yankee Stadium before the Red Sox-Yankees game of May 27. Chris had previously been featured on an episode of "YES Ultimate Road Trip", the reality show that features four Yankee fans attending every Yankees game in the 2005 season. When the show was in Boston earlier in April, Chris escorted the four Road Trippers--Dave, Christa, Ray and Vinny--around Boston and to the three games at Fenway Park.

Chris had a great time showing them his hometown, along with one of the greatest moments of all of our lives: the raising of the world championship flag over Fenway Park.

Now the Red Sox were back in New York for the second time, and the YES Network had a great idea for a pregame contest: put one Red Sox fan up against one of the Road Trippers in a hot dog eating contest. Whoever ate the most hot dogs in 12 minutes would be the winner. And the stakes would be rather high: if the Sox fan lost, he's have to wear a Yankees jersey into Yankee Stadium and wear it for the entire game that night. However, if the Road Tripper lost, all four Road Trippers would have to wear a Red Sox shirt in Yankee Stadium that night.

Chris asked me if I wanted to be a part of the contest. I said yes, but I am not very good at eating mass quantities of food. So Chris had to get someone else. He contacted an old friend of his from Vermont named Charles, who immediately jumped at the chance to compete, as well as see a Red Sox-Yankee game in New York for free.

Charles is a big husky guy who looked like he could win the contest with no problem. And he prepared for the event: he didn't eat for twenty-four hours prior to the contest, and only had some alcohol the previous night. Boy, was he rarin' to go for it!

I went with Chris to provide moral support and a cheering section. I met all the Road Trippers prior to the event and they all seemed like good people, especially Dave, who would be carrying the hopes of the Yankee fans. As I was waiting for the show to begin, I noticed the many Yankee fans who were arriving for that night's game. (It was still over two hours before first pitch.) I saw the latest in "anti-Red Sox" shirts, and some of them were really pathetic. "Got Rings?" was the most common one I saw (the one with "26-6" on the back), as well as "Even Idiots Can Get Lucky", and of course, "Boston Still Sucks". No "1918" or "Curse of the Bambino" paraphernalia anywhere. (But I actually saw someone wearing a "Boston, Who's Your Daddy" shirt. Tee-hee.) They're not handling this "choking" business too well.

Just before the extravaganza was about to start, Chris and I found some Sox fans who were going to the game, and we enlisted their help. (There were thousands of Red Sox fans going to this game, just like to the one I went to in April.) So there it was: Charles vs. Dave for the title. I was a little leery of Dave, as I've seen skinny guys like him who can eat incredible amounts of food at one sitting (like the guy from Japan who wins the July 4th hot dog eating contest at Nathan's every year). Both contestants were provided with water to wash down the dogs with. (They had to eat the entire hot dog, and there was no vomiting permitted.)

Hey, this was more than just a contest. The honor of Red Sox Nation was on the line.

Chris and I stood behind Charles with the other Sox fans as the YES cameras rolled. Charles said to Dave, "Do you want a 3-0 lead?" To that, Dave said, "Don't take 86 years to eat all those hot dogs." Both remarks got good laughs as the event got going.

Charles started off slow and steady, but Dave jumped out quick. Charles caught up quickly after eating his first two hot dogs and took the lead. The Sox fans and I were yelling out all kinds of encouragement to Charles: "Do it for the Nation!" "We beat them here last year and we can do it again!", that sort of thing. There were more Yankee fans at the contest than Red Sox fans, but the Sox fans were clearly more vocal and more supportive.

Charles continued his slow and steady domination, and midway through it looked like Dave might lose his lunch. He was clearly struggling, and Charles turned it on. By the end, we counted down the seconds, and Charles walked home to victory, 9-6.

Charles was really impressive in victory, and Dave was very magnanimous in defeat. The Red Sox fans could hold their head up high going into this important series!!

But after the hot dog eating contest was over, we noticed that the Road Trippers were in no big hurry to put on their Manny Ramirez Red Sox shirts. As the YES cameras were filming them, all four staunchly refused to put them on. They were filmed earlier that they would abide by the wager and go into the park wearing the Sox shirts if Dave lost. Chris, Charles and I waited around for them to honor their word and do it, but they wouldn't.

With 30 minutes to go before game time, the YES producers were at an impass. They tried to encourage them to wear the shirts, and then have fun with it afterwards, like have a "Red Sox shirt burning" after the game, something like that. But they wouldn't budge. Finally, they all came to an agreement that since Dave lost the contest, he should be the one to wear the Manny shirt. And he did just that. The minute the game was completed, he took off the shirt. Outside the stadium, he and a number of Yankee fans tore the shirt to pieces, chanting, "Yankee Baseball!"

It was a fun experience to be there at Yankee Stadium and be a part of the contest. Charles is a good guy and loyal Sox fan, and did the Nation proud in his victory. Charles also told me that he would have worn the Yankee shirt into the stadium had he lost. And I give all the credit in the world to Dave too. He handled defeat very well, and reluctantly wore the Sox shirt into Yankee Stadium. He even had fun with destroying the shirt after the game ended.

But the other three wouldn't live up to their word to wear the Manny shirt if Dave lost. I believe that's called "welching on a bet". I don't know why they didn't try to have fun with the whole episode (like Dave eventually did). If I were in their shoes (and filmed promising I'd live up to my end of the bet), I would have gone along with it.

Anyway, the Sox and their fans won another important contest on enemy grounds in New York. I'll never get tired of seeing that.

And thanks Charles, for upholding the honor of The Nation.

Brooklyn Sox Fan

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by John Brian Quinn

Mail Brooklyn Sox Fan!

"At the Quarter Pole"

Throughout baseball history, Memorial Day has traditionally been the time when baseball reaches its "quarter pole", or when the season is one-quarter done. (This year the Red Sox played their 50th game on Memorial Day, which is nearly one-third of the season. Heck, "quarter pole" sounds better than "third pole".) So, it's time to take a look at the Defending World Champions, and how they've done in 2005 so far.

STARTING PITCHING: Curt Schilling started the season late, making his first start in the second week of the season because the ankle surgery he had in November backed him up. It was wise not to rush him, but he didn't pitch effectively at all, posting a 8.15 ERA before being shut down again due to another ankle bruise. When he returns right now is anyone's guess, but around the All-Star Game seems likely. Once again, it's wise not to push him too quickly. David Wells has been a Jekyll and Hyde case. He got off to a slow start, then pitched brilliantly against Tampa Bay and Baltimore. A foot injury knocked him out for nearly a month, but he got hammered in his return in Oakland (did he return too soon?). His terrific start against the Yankees this past Sunday night gives the fans hope that the money pitcher of the late 90s maybe back. We'll see. Tim Wakefield and Bronson Arroyo both got off to great starts, but have both hit rough patches in late May. I expect both to straighten out soon, but when Schilling comes back, Wakefield may end up in the bullpen. Wade Miller has been effective in his return in May, and has shown signs that the quality pitcher of 2001-03 has returned. But without question, the godsend of the staff has been Matt Clement. He's now 6-0, and a sure bet for all the All-Star Game. The questions about his makeup and whether he could stand pitching in the Fenway Park fishbowl seem to be answered. Right now he appears to be the stopper of the staff, as he showed at Yankee Stadium last Saturday.

BULLPEN: Can anyone tell me what's going on with Keith Foulke? Every save situation has now turned into an adventure. He's blown just two saves, but it seems like a lot more, and he's given up 6 home runs, and it seems like a whole lot more. He was absolutely automatic in 2004. Is he hiding an injury? The rumors were running rampant last week he went to Alabama to get his shoulder looked at, but the team denied it. The Sox need him to find his 2004 form in order to repeat as champions. Mike Timlin has been outstanding for most of the season so far, before getting hit hard in Toronto last week. Matt Mantei has been equally effective, and could be an alternative to Foulke as closer if there is a serious physical problem there. Alan Embree has given up way too many homers in clutch situations, and his ERA is up over 5.50. This maybe the area that Theo Epstein must upgrade by July 31 in order to make another serious run.

INFIELD: Edgar Renteria got off to a slow start and that led to grumbles throughout Red Sox Nation. (In early May, Steve Phillips on ESPN called him "the worst free agent signing of last winter". Do you still feel that way Steve?) This past week in Toronto and New York, he exploded, hitting .667 and hitting a big grand slam against the Yankees in the 17-1 massacre. It was only a matter of time before he busted out, as he's too good a ballplayer to be hitting .239 for the year. Bill Mueller has picked it up of late after getting off to a slow start, but the worry is the right side of the infield. Kevin Millar and Mark Bellhorn have combined to hit only four home runs, one of the lowest totals in the majors. John Olerud has gotten his Red Sox career off to a great start, going 5 for 11 in first two games. This will hopefully light a fire under Millar, or Olerud will see more at bats at first, and not just as a defensive replacement. Bellhorn leads the AL in strikeouts (what a shock), and is hitting just .236 with 12 RBI. That must improve, or we'll see more of Ramon Vazquez or even Kevin Youkilis at second.

OUTFIELD: Manny Ramirez got off to a slow start, then went on a tear, then cooled off again. Manny is Manny, and you know he'll go another one of those patented rolls he goes on. But is it me, but has he been caught looking at strike three an awful lot this season? He doesn't worry me, and he should be hitting .300 again soon. Trot Nixon has bounced back from an injury-riddled 2004 with a fine start to 2005, with 32 RBI and a .314 average. He hasn't played much against lefties, with Jay Payton playing right against them. Payton's still a valuable addition to the bench, and Terry Francona still does his best to get him at-bats. Johnny Damon may well be on the All-Star team too. He's batting .353 in the walk year of his contract, and he acts like he's playing for a new one. His power numbers are way down (just one so far), but he's doing what a leadoff man should do: get on base ( .406 OBP). Despite all the off field fame, it certainly doesn't appear to have gone to his head.

DH/CATCHER: David Ortiz appears to be on the brink of a bust-out. He hit two mammoth homers at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, and he's now hit 12 home runs. He seemed to have been a lot quieter than normal the first two months of 2005, but I'm sure his total for the year will be at least 40. Jason Varitek is leading major league catchers in many offensive categories, such as home runs and slugging. Despite the big contract and captain status, he's on the way to his best offensive season ever. He'll always be the man I want back there beind the plate when the game's on the line in the late innings.

MANAGER: I haven't heard too much grumbling about Terry Francona this season. (I guess winning a World Series will do that.) I've heard far more said about Dale Sveum (almost none of it printable here). He's done a good job handling the starting rotation with all its injury problems, as well as the bullpen with all its ups and downs. Despite an early season health scare, he continues to remain a calming influence with all the potential "brush fires" that pop up around the Red Sox.

The Red Sox enter play on May 31st tied for second place with the Yankees, four games behind the surprising Baltimore Orioles. Can the Orioles make a run in the AL East? I think they will fade at some point in this season, as I don't know if they have the pitching to go the distance with the Sox (or even the Yankees).

With two months done, the Red Sox appear to be in fairly good shape. There are plenty of concerns and questions (Schilling, Wells and Foulke come to mind). The Red Sox as a team aren't running much (just 12 stolen bases) and have much less speed than they did in 2004. But overall, so far, so good. You know that Theo Epstein will do whatever's necessary to reinforce the troops come trading deadline. It will be interesting to see what area needs strengthening by July 31, and where he will go to get it. He's earned my faith and trust, and most Red Sox fans I'm sure will agree with me on that.

Brooklyn Sox Fan

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by John Brian Quinn

Mail Brooklyn Sox Fan!

"The 2004 ALCS All Over Again"

There are few events in my mind that could come close to the excitement and thrills of the Red Sox stunning comeback against the Yankees last year. I didn't think I'd ever witness a comeback as amazing as what our boys did last October.

But on May 25, 2005, European soccer's version of the Red Sox miracle happened. Heavily favored AC Milan of Italy played FC Liverpool of England in Istanbul for the European Champions League Cup. I had more than just a passing interest in the match. I've been a Liverpool fan for many years, as I have friends in England who converted me, and I even own a Liverpool jersey.

I watched the match at the ESPN Zone in Manhattan. It was filled with soccer fans, most of whom were pulling for Liverpool. At first the match appeared to be on the way of a Milan romp, as they scored early, and then poured it on with two more goals to lead 3-0 at halftime. A 3-0 lead in soccer at halftime is like a 10-0 lead in baseball by the fifth inning. It's a very rare thing that any team comes back to tie, let all alone win from trailing that far behind. The Liverpool fans were clearly shocked at the hammering their team was taking, and few even left.

I was wearing my 2004 World Champions hat, and I kept thinking, "This match isn't over." I was also thinking it might be the right time for the coach to pull out a 2004 World Series DVD and tell his troops that the fight is not lost. (I wonder if any of them have even seen a baseball game.) I also thought to myself: Liverpool's down 3-0 and their fans are in total disbelief of what's happening. It reminded me so much of last October 16 at Fenway Park.

At the start of the second half, a stat came on the screen that absolutely made me smile: "No team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win the European Champions League Final." Sounds oddly familiar, doesn't it?

About 10 minutes into the second half, Liverpool scored their first goal, and it was 3-1. I immediately thought of David Ortiz' home run in Game 4 of the ALCS and "we're not dead yet." The Liverpool fans began cheering and chanting. I put my hat back on, and sent some good Red Sox "comeback vibes" to the boys from Merseyside.

A few minutes later, Liverpool added another goal (the Ortiz single in the 14th to win Game 5?), and then a few moments later, they were awarded a penalty kick and tied the match, 3-3. The ESPN Zone was going crazy. I said to the guys next to me, "It's the 2004 Red Sox all over again!!" There was a guy from Boston a few seats over and he agreed with me. We were seeing history happen. I was even half-expecting Curt Schilling and his "bloody sock" to come out as a Liverpool substitute. (It really might have been appropriate, as Liverpool's nickname is "the Reds.")

The match remained tied through regulation, and then through overtime. The match was decided on penalty kicks, and Liverpool won, 3-2. The Liverpool players then rushed the field in celebration, and that reminded me so much of Kevin Millar and the rest of the Red Sox storming the field after the Sox' pennant win at Yankee Stadium. It actually gave me the chills.

The match has already been called one of the greatest matches in European soccer history and one of the greatest comebacks of all-time. I was so happy for the Liverpool fans to see their team comeback from a 3-0 hole. Granted, they did in 45 minutes what the Red Sox had to do in four days, but the parallels are just striking to me. That night I was passing a bar in the East Village and saw a bunch of Liverpool fans celebrating, so I went in and joined in the celebration. They bought me a drink and we toasted both FC Liverpool and the Red Sox.

My heartiest of congratulations to all Liverpool fans around the world for such a thrilling come-from-behind victory, from all your comeback cousins here in Red Sox Nation.

P.S. I wonder, will fans of Inter Milan, the hated rivals of AC Milan in Italy, be wearing shirts in Italian next season that say: "AC MILAN CHOKED"???

Brooklyn Sox Fan

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by John Brian Quinn

Mail Brooklyn Sox Fan!

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