In the daylight hours following a long night of celebrating, as I wipe the champagne out of my eyes (man I need a pair of Papi's special goggles), it still hasn't hit me that the Red Sox are World Champs once again.
After all, it was just four short seasons ago that this franchise was considered one of the unluckiest in all of sports, wading through eight decades of disappointment and heartache with the same sorry mantra serving as their psuedo-rallying cry: wait 'til next year....
Now, as RSN basks in the glow of Boston's second title in four years, that "woe is me" lament hasn't been replaced, but merely altered, to sound more like this: wait 'til next year!
That's right, the 2007 Boston Red Sox accomplished something that not even that special 2004 squad could achieve during that curse-busting 2004 Series sweep--they validated the current incarnation of the franchise as a true winner, not merely a high-payroll, flash-in-the-pan team.
The scariest thing about winning the title again is that with the arch rival Stankees in utter disarray thanks to the jettisoning of Joe Torre and the defecation, I mean defection of A-Rod, the Sox have now officially become the standard bearer, the hunted, the Vegas lock as the team to beat when it comes to winning titles for at least the next 5-10 years.
In other words they've become the New England Patriots.
Wait til next year.
10.29.2007
Tell me I'm not dreaming?
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10.28.2007
World Series GM 4: Potential sweep is in Lester's hands
Game 4 @ Colorado 825 EST FOX
Jon Lester (0-0, 4.25) vs. Aaron Cook (NR)
Boston leads series, 3-0
STARTING LINEUPS:
Colorado-
1. Kazuo Matsui 2B
2. Troy Tulowitzki SS
3. Matt Holliday LF
4. Todd Helton 1B
5. Garrett Atkins 3B
6. Ryan Spilborghs CF
7. Brad Hawpe RF
8. Yorvit Torrealba C
9. Aaron Cook P
Boston-
1. Jacoby Ellsbury CF
2. Dustin Pedroia 2B
3. David Ortiz 1B
4. Manny Ramirez LF
5. Mike Lowell 3B
6. J.D. Drew RF
7. Jason Varitek C
8. Julio Lugo SS
9. Jon Lester P
And so it's come to this.
Jon Lester, the 24-year-old lefty who fought the toughest real-life opponent of all, The Big C, and won, has been entrusted with winning one of the biggest games in Boston Red Sox history.
A victory tonight would simultaneously elate Boston's Nation and infuriate its legions of haters, and who better elicit those kinds of emotions than a man who has stared cancer in the eye and said "I will not be defeated by you", who not only overcame the disease but returned as an above-average young major league pitcher?
And now, 13 months after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, that courageous young starter finds himself starting a potential World Series-deciding game. In his first career playoff start.
Funny how life turns out sometimes.
The Red Sox can wrap up their second Series sweep in four years tonight with another win in frosty Colorado, and as long as the offense keeps producing like it has for most of this postseason, Lester won't have to worry about shutting out the Rockies lineup.
Boston has been scalding the ball all over the yard this postseason, averaging nearly 7 1/2 runs per game in 13 games while scoring in double digits in six of those contests, and with the new lineup in place, rookies Ellsbury leading off and Pedroia batting second, setting the table for the heart of the lineup, it looks as if there is no stopping this team of destiny.
The job of trying to slow down the Sox juggernaut falls on the right shoulder of 28-year-old Colorado starter Aaron Cook, a man who also has survived life-threatening illness as well as season-stalling injury to find his way to the mound as a World Series starter.
After overcoming blood clots on his lungs in 2004, Cook went on to become one of the Rockies most reliable starters over the last two years. He was Colorado's opening day starter this year, but a rib injury sidelined him for two months in early August, and he hasn't pitched in a major league game since August 10th.
Now he will be entrusted with extending Colorado's magical season at least for one more night.
Two starters who have overcome enormous obstacles to get to the game's biggest stage as the World Series title hangs in the balance. Two teams that have appeared to be on destined paths, riding surreal highs and improbable wins all the way to the brink of greatness.
But only one club will walk away from this series with a satisfied feeling.
I've already got the bottle of bubbly and Montecristo waiting, fellas.
Let's end it tonight.
World Series GM 3: Boston's 1-2 punch decimates Rockies title hopes
Sox 10, Colorado 5
Boston leads series, 3-0
WP: Matsuzaka (2-1)
LP: Fogg (2-1)
HRs: COL-Holliday (5)
SUMMARY
The revamped Boston lineup produced 15 hits and 10 runs, but it was the top of the order that did the majority of the damage as the Sox took a commanding 3-0 series lead.
Boston's first two hitters, Jacoby Ellsbury (4-5, 2R, 2BI) and Dustin Pedroia (3-5, 1R, 2BI), combined to go 7-10 with four doubles, three runs and four RBIs as the duo became the first pair of rookie teammates to notch at least three hits apiece in a playoff game. Mike Lowell also had a big night with a pair of hits including a huge, 2-RBI single in Boston's six-run third inning, and Daisuke Matsuzaka (5.1IP, 3H, 2ER, 3BB, 5K) threw 5+ quality innings before faltering in the sixth, and then the bullpen nearly blew the game.
Leading 6-0 after that explosive third, Javier Lopez, Hideki Okajima, Mike Timlin and Manny Delcarmen combined to allow seven hits and three earned runs in 2 1/3 innings, lowlighted by a three-run homer by Matt Holiday on Okajima's first pitch of the game that trimmed the Sox lead to 6-5 in the seventh.
But after allowing a single to Todd Helton following the homer, Okajima bounced back to retire the next three batters, two by strikeout, and when Manny D. allowed a pair of baserunners with two outs in the 8th, Papelbon came in and retired Holliday on one pitch to effectively end the game.
Other highlights of this 4 hour, 19 minute affair, which by the way is also aa major league record for a 9-inning playoff game:
- Dice-K's first career hit that drove in a pair of runs in the third
- Julio Lugo made two sensational defensive plays, the second a leaping grab of a liner that would have scored the tying run in the seventh
- Ellsbury was 3-3 after three innings, and the scintillating rookie, who has effectively ended Coco's career with the Sox with his play this past week, became the first rookie to have two two-baggers in an inning in WS history
- when J.D. Drew doubled to lead off the fifth it meant that every member of the lineup had reached base at least one time
- Manny Ramirez was tagged out on a questionable play at home in the third, partially due to his wayward batting helmet/horrible hairdo affecting his baserunning
- Mike Lowell became the first player to steal third base in a playoff game since the immortal Juan Beniquez in the 1975 ALCS.
All that record-breaking offense added up to another sound Red Sox beating of a helpless opponent, and if the last few games are any indication, this series should come to a quck conclusion tomorrow evening in the thin, chilly air of the Rocky Mountains.
Get that bottle of Dom ready and prepare to call in on Monday, RSN, cause it looks like we are about to witness history--again.
Tomorrow night: "Sweep! Sweep! Sweep!"
Right now: sleep sleep, sleep.
Go Sox!
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