We’ve seen this once before, a completely Red Sox-crazed country, with all of New England doing backflips to pay homage to the city and team that brought it joy.
Wait, this guy is our closer!?! God help us, he’s just impossible not to love, isn’t he?
Well, strap yourself in folks, here we go again:
- The highlight of the recent Sox madness, appropriately enough, was the Rolling Rally through the city. The fans and signs were all pretty terrific, complete with the K-Men and mobile Papelbon, and Jonathan Papelbon certainly didn’t disappoint, dancing three separate times along the route, including a kilted jig at City Hall Plaza where he roped in bullpen mates Hideki Okajima and Mike Timlin. Oh, and he got to dance to his entry song, “Shipping off to Boston” live from the Dropkick Murphys. Not a bad way to go, eh?
- In terms of preposterous trends in naming, the Franklin Park Zoo clearly has set the trend. After 2004, there was a rush on the name “Boston” for everything from hamsters to children. Well, a baby giraffe born during Game 1 of the Series at Zoo New England has been named Sox. Yes, Sox. No correct spelling needed folks. Thanks to Red Sox Monster for catching this one early, but it’s a pretty terrific trend. So, if you meet some poor alcoholic named Sox 35 years from now outside of Copley at 2:30 on a Wednesday morning, you’ll know how it happened.
- Among a host of ridiculous videos posted, Eric Wilbur may have found the best one on his NESN and Globe-connected Boston Sports Blog, a Mario Bros. themed and customized clip, fully pixellated, that shows the Rockies’ run through the playoffs, right up until they get squashed by good ol’ King Kooba, who’s a fully decked out Red Sox fan. Terrific stuff.
Everyone, meet Sox. Sox, meet everyone. And yes his name really is Sox.
- Of course, we’re also in for a panoply of Sox appearances on late night shows, too. Jonathan Papelbon, likely to be the biggest hoot of the bunch, is on tonight’s “Late Show with David Letterman”. We’d be shocked if he’s not jigging at some point. Shockingly, not only is Manny Ramirez talking to the media in the playoffs, he’s going to talk to America on a late night show, getting full interview treatment on “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno on Friday. No word on whether he realizes that appearance will require a flight to LA. An, just to round things out, the ever-affable David Ortiz will represent Big Papi style on Conan O’Brien’s “Late Night with Conan O’Brien”. The pure weirdness of Papelbon and Letterman in the same room makes for almost surefire hilarity, but we wouldn’t be surprised if Big Papi and O’Brien actually end up being funnier. The comedic potential of all these appearances, of course, is pretty much uncharted. Lots of good TV watching in the nights to come.
Naturally, we’re sure there’ll be much more attention, craziness and Sox-based debauchery in the coming days, and we’ll keep you updated on it all.
Over the course of the year, Curt Schilling made it perfectly clear that if the Red Sox didn’t extend him, he’d test the free agency waters. So, it seemed a bit - how should we say … pushy - that he’d officially file his papers the morning of Boston’s World Series parade through the city.
Schilling has thrown a lot of good things Boston’s way, but he’ll need to see some good things tossed his if he’s going to stay.
Don’t get us wrong, Schill was definitely soaking it all in Tuesday, videotaping the parade while kicking back in a “We Did it Again” shirt on a duck boat. He was a prominent part of the promenade, and made no bones about the fact that he was thoroughly enjoying himself.
Still, doesn’t such a quick move, when he had plenty of time to file the papers, seem like a bit of a “F-you” to GM Theo Epstein? And why, exactly, if Curt wants to stay in Boston so badly, would that be a good move?
We’re puzzled by it. In his weekly Tuesday morning spot on WEEI, Schilling was gracious and made it clear that a return to the Sox would be by far his top choice. Still, he also made it clear that, “It’s entirely possible that I’ve played my last game for this team.”
On his 38pitches blog, Schill has already enumerated a list of teams he and his family would approve of signing with. Naturally, as he’s committed to throughout the season, there’s no Yankees on the list, but there seem to already be classes of teams forming in his mind. Perhaps subconsciously, Schilling lists the first 5 teams (Cleveland, Detroit, Anaheim, New York Mets, Philadelphia) alphabetically, then does the same with a second flight before tacking Milwaukee on to the end (guess he doesn’t want to pitch for the Brewers, huh?).
Considering the fact that he’s just looking for a one-year deal, it’ll be interesting to see which of those teams bite. Clearly, the Indians and Tigers are only a pitcher away. If that. Schilling could walk into either clubhouse and be slotted as the No. 3 starter right away, with the offensive production behind him to make a huge difference. The same can be said about the Angels, though to a lesser-degree. Anaheim clearly needs more offensive pop, but Schilling has always pitched like dynamite there, so it wouldn’t be shocking if they made a run at him.
The Mets and Phillies are perhaps the most intriguing clubs among the top list. Both would require a move back to the NL, but that would make Schilling that much better. It’s possible that he might get another four, five extra wins out of such a move, assuming he stays healthy. And, naturally, a move to the Mets would fill in the gap left there by Tom Glavine, while also reuniting Schilling with Pedro Martinez, and tension in the process.
That’s where things get truly intriguing. It’s possible that the Mets or Phillies (who could REALLY use a Schilling return) would be willing to throw $12-13 mill at the Big Schill, the number he was searching for in the preseason. There’s no way Epstein is going to match that. But what if Epstein offers Schilling $8 million? Would he be willing to take the $4 million pay cut to stay in Boston and finish his career with a “B” on his hat? It’s hard to tell. Only Schilling truly knows the answer to that question, and he’s not telling anyone.
One thing seems almost certain: The Red Sox will offer Curt something. And at least a couple of other teams will offer him something, too. Probably more than Boston will. That’s where rubber will meet the road, and we’ll find out if Schilling meets the road, too, based on his decision.
Now that all the celebratory champagne has started to dry, the Red Sox have to start to think about some business. And first on the to-do list is the reigning World Series MVP.
Dr. Double has a lot to celebrate: A World Series MVP and, in all likelihood, a rich, multi-year contract coming up.
From a sentimental standpoint, resigning Mike Lowell is a no-brainer. Dr. Double hit .400 in the World Series, was nearly as effective in the two earlier playoff series and was Boston’s best clutch hitter throughout the season. He out RBI’d David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, for God sakes, and he even led the team in home runs at the All-Star break. Clearly, Lowell hit his stride, and he did it at the best possible time: during a contract year.
That being said, for every immense positive Lowell has brought the Sox over the last two years, there’s a potential downside to his re-acquisition. Coming off the best season of his career, the articulate and thoughtful third baseman will almost surely demand a three or four-year deal. He’s only 33 now, but even a three-year deal would push him beyond 35, the age threshold the Sox have set for keeping players under multi-year contracts. Boston was willing to get creative in re-signing catcher Jason Varitek, creating a clever, one-time clause that works as a default no-trade provision, and it’s likely Lowell would demand similar treatment because he’s been so comfortable playing in Boston.
So, let’s look at the overall parameters. To keep Lowell, the Sox will have to chip in a raise from his current salary - $9 million per year - and they’ll have to commit to at least three years, meaning they’ll be paying a 36 year-old somewhere in the $10-12 million range in 2010. Additionally, they might not be able to trade that 36 year-old, so they have to be absolutely certain that his power numbers won’t take a dip, considering his slot at one of the corner infield spots.
Of course, that’s when the other side of Lowell’s track record comes in. Dr. Double got off to a blazing start in his first Fenway season, too, but he tailed off badly after the break, leading some to question his stamina and durability. He quieted those concerns in 2007, but additional age can take it’s toll, particularly when one season goes for another entire month, as this year did with a World Series.
So, if you’re Theo Epstein, what do you do? It’ a truly tough issue, and it’s not made any easier by the fact that the fans have clearly said their piece. A petition circulating online had more than 8,000 signatures for the Sox to keep Lowell, and that was just two days after his MVP trophy was first handed over. Throughout the parade route through Boston streets this afternoon, fans waved signs imploring management to re-sign Lowell. At one point, Varitek got even more people involved, taking one of the signs and waving it himself.
And perhaps that move itself is symbolic of the true turning point in the Lowell debate. When Varitek was brought back aboard, a big part of management’s willingness to accommodate his needs was based on how he thrived in Boston, how he was devoted to the team and fan base and his importance with the pitching staff and in the clubhouse, as a leader. It’s why the team insisted on emblazoning his jersey with a captain’s “C”, the first given out in more than 20 years. Lowell has a similar role with this team. He’s one of the leaders, one of the even-keeled performers who truly thrives in Boston. He performs better when the team desperately needs a hit, and he was so effective that he emerged as one of the best No. 5 hitters in the game, the protection for Big Papi and Manny that the team thought it was getting with J.D. Drew.
In fact, Lowell was so good that it took the pressure off of Drew, finally allowing him to hit the way the team envisioned he would. When a player is so good under particular circumstances that it makes everyone else better, that’s when you know he’s invaluable, perhaps even irreplaceable.
All of that means that Lowell truly is invaluable. Irreplaceable even. And the fans are right. Re-sign Mike Lowell. Do that, and things really may fall into place.
We’re at that point in the season, the one where a single win ends it all, makes the difference between glory and purgatory, ultimate merit or the sudden mediocrity afforded to teams sent back to the pack to wait for 2008.
Let the record show that in each of the last six times such a game has presented itself, from Game 5 of the ALCS on, the Red Sox have come out on top. But perhaps because of their precarious start in the championship series, they may understand better than any other team that they can’t allow a dangerous Colorado team off the mat in Coors Field tonight.
Boston is on the verge of an incredibly special accomplishment, a second title in four years, moving into the elite air of the Yankees as the only organization to earn multiple titles in such close proximity over the past decade plus. Some writers are already saying they are on the verge of supplanting the Yankees as the AL East’s dominant power, likely a bit premature at the moment, yet still an evolving and intriguing possibility.
What’s equally significant is that Boston could win a second title and keep so much of the identity it forged in 2004, when it mounted the most miraculous comeback in sports history to steal the World Series from the Yankees and, shortly thereafter, the Cardinals. Their backs were firmly against the wall, with breaks falling to the Indians left and right, and yet they rallied, won, then won at home to send Cleveland back to Lake Erie.
A new generation of Sox players has found itself tested in the playoff crucible alongside David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, long the team’s most reliable options. Again, this supporting cast has proven dangerous and effective and - in the case of newcomers Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis and Jacoby Ellsbury - lethally efficient.
Into this spotlight dances a young, enigmatic starter with a chance to close what his forebears have started. When Jon Lester, he of wins and no decisions across 17 straight starts, takes the hill tonight with a chance to come full circle, from a cancer diagnosis just more than a year ago to a World Series start and, he hopes, a title. They’re that close. One good performance away. Lester got rid of jitters in Game 2 of the ALCS and rebounded to pitch admirably in Game 4 of that slate. Of course, the fact that he’s pitching at all is admirable, but he won’t hear any of it.
Instead, he wants to focus on his start. In fact, that’s all any of the Red Sox will say at the moment. They want to keep focused. They’ll need to. The last team that lost a bit of that, whether you feel it was the 2004 Yankees or 2007 Indians, never reached the finish line they could see so clearly.
This team can see it ahead, it’s just a long, strong game away. Still.
When Daisuke Matsuzaka takes the mound at Coors Field tonight, he will have answered questions about his guts and guile once in the postseason already. Still, his first response - a resoundingly solid, if not spectacular, five-inning outing against the Indians in Game 7 of the ALCS - was enough to quiet alarms that he had crumbled under the expectations of a monstrous salary and posting fee. But it wasn’t enough to answer all questions about whether he truly is a big game pitcher, at least in the major leagues.
It’s chilly in Colorado, but Daisuke Matsuzaka will have a chance to make a lot of his detractors warm to his performance and potential.
That, after all, was the primary reason the Red Sox splurged on his services over the winter. Matsuzaka filled a pressing need: a No. 2 or No. 3 starter, and he did so with immeasurable flair and panache. For the tidy sum of $103 million, the Sox expected to add a shutdown starter who possessed five, arguably six, pitches and a resume chock full of victories in notable international contests, let alone his historic high school exploits.
Through the first half of the season, it looked like Boston was on the winner’s side of that bargain. Dice-K keep batters mixed up and miffed, mowing down hitters at the second-fastest clip in the American League while working around problematic innings of walks and timely hits to rack up 12 wins. He easily could have had 15, if not for matchups against opposing aces on their best, like Seattle’s Felix Hernandez.
The second half was far different, making Matsuzaka’s former Japanese squad, Seibu, look like thieves of Sox owner John Henry’s money. Dice-K struggled, then fell into pits of awful pitching. He was shellacked by the lowly Baltimore Orioles. He looked like he was done, his fastball losing velocity and location.
Then, after a few extra days of rest, he bounced back. It was Matsuzaka’s night on the mound when the Sox clinched the AL East. A week later, he had a solid, if brief, outing against the Angels that set the tone for a 2-0 series lead in the ALDS. Then, in the aftermath of severe disappointment in ALCS Game 3, he bounced back for five innings and the all important win in Game 7, setting the stage for his start tonight.
It’s almost impossible to predict which Matsuzaka will show up tonight in Colorado. It could be the dominant ace from overseas, the one who commands five or six pitches and isn’t afraid to use any of them in any count. It could be the meek, shell-shocked Dice-K of the second half, waiting to duck to avoid a line drive in between pitches.
Or it could be the pitcher on the mound in Game 7, an amalgamation of the two, occasionally dominant, occasionally struggling, but always mustering enough moxie to get a big out. If that’s the guy who shows up, Boston should be in good shape.
Don’t get us wrong, it doesn’t hurt that Curt Schilling’s dream-weaving through 6+ innings came in the World Series, and that it was enough to get Boston a very significant 2-0 advantage heading to the Rocky Mountains. That makes it even bigger.
But at the end of the line, the game would have been a big one if it happened in late June or early July, too. Hell, it would have been a great win in April. Between Schilling’s deft work around a rocky first inning - he hit leadoff man Wily Taveras and looked as if he might give up a lot more than an RBI-groundout to Todd Helton - and the bullpen fire fighters like Hideki Okajima and Jonathan Papelbon, who combined for one of the most dominant relief appearances in nearly a decade of World Series’, Thursday’s win set a strong tone for the Sox.
Whether that tone will continue is another question, with weather, parameters, and all kinds of motivational factors in the balance - think Matt Holliday wants his eighth inning on the basepaths back? - but they have something they didn’t have in the ALCS: control.
What, you thought the series hadn’t started yet? Au contraire, Pierre. The series really began yesterday, when the Red Sox and Rockies had to finalize rosters by 10 a.m., with both pulling what would have to be considered pretty significant surprises.
Tim Wakefield took to a microphone before the World Series rather than the mound, but that may save the team in the end.
On the Rockies side, Colorado added veteran starter Aaron Cook, a man who started Opening Day but hasn’t pitched since August 10 because of injuries and then had mixed results in a warm up simulated game last week. We’re not sure about that move, though we’ll admit that a part of it seems to look good for the Sox. We’ll see where the Series is at when he goes in Game 4.
But the man most expected he would see toeing the rubber for his opponent - Tim Wakefield - won’t be there. Wake was left off Boston’s series roster for the second time this postseason, opting to take a noble cue, and perhaps a nod from a miserable couple games at Coors Field in his past and passing the Game 4 buck to Jon Lester, in all probability.
While there are certainly die-hard loyalists that may be fuming over Wakefield’s ommission, be sure, it’s not a bad move. Consider all of the changes that the Boston rotation was going to have to force through to get Wake a start in the Series:
1) Wakefield was going to have to pitch Game 2, and then conceivably Game 6, because of his ineffectiveness at Coors Field’s altitude. It’s not his fault, the thin air completely deflates the drop of his knuckleball, which essentially turns Wakefield into your everyday rec softball pitcher. Not a nice scene.
2) Moving Wake to the 2 slot moves, Dice-K to the 4, which means he’s off the hook for Game 7. He had a pretty solid performance in the ALCS Game 7, maybe not a $103 million, but a solid one nonetheless. There’s no guarantees you’d get that from Wakefield in an elimination game. For concerns about starting a knuckleballer in a playoff elimination contest, just see the 2005 playoffs, re: Chicago White Sox.
3) With his previous back condition and emerging shoulder problems, there’s no reasonable assurance that he’d be healthy enough to go in a Game 6. That means the Sox could be dealing with a knuckleballer with two serious hang ups going in an elimination game. Not the best idea.
So, with all of these considerations in place, Terry Francona and Theo Epstein decided to go with the considerable lesser of two evils: starting a fire-balling rookie left hander who has struggled with control to split up righthanded power throwers, as opposed to a gimpy knuckleballer who struggles with control to split up righthanded power throwers. Is starting Lester a gamble? Sure, there’s no question. But it could pay off, too. After getting his jitters out in the late innings of Game 2 against the Indians, Lester had a terrific relief spot in Game 4 at Jacobs Field. While a playoff start for the young cancer survivor might be even more prone to his trademark blend of passable yet always winnable results - 100 pitches, 2-3 runs in 5 innings - that might be enough to get the Sox by, particularly on the road in Colorado.
And the silver lining? By stepping in to take the Game 4 start, Lester allows the rest of the playoff rotation to line up as it has.
If memory serves, that worked out pretty well in the final three games against the Tribe.
Like the ALDS and ALCS, we jumped on board with Red Sox Monster to be part of a Red Sox World Series roundtable, joining Red Sox Monster publisher Dan Lamothe (who kept his picks separate in a private podcast) and Red Sox Stats’ Guy’sMike Colluci.
Without further ado, here’s the the full roundtable piece on the Monster, with my direct answers below as always.
1. One of the appealing things about the World Series is that teams that rarely meet get the chance to go head-to-head. Break things down for me, will you? Where do the Sox have advantages in your eyes, and conversely, where can the Rockies exploit the Sox?
The relative anonymity of players on opposing teams is always part of the novelty that makes the World Series so fascinating. Still, with the advent of interleague play, that’s been mitigated some, never more so than this year, when the Sox and Rockies actually DID play each other back in June. We all know how that turned out (Rockies took 2 of 3 … in Fenway), and that series kind of started both the Red Sox’ and Rockies’ long string of regular season mediocrity.
Still, what we saw in that series is only slightly relevant to the World Series. Consider the fact that Boston has different spots throughout the lineup (Youk was still bouncing around and Pedroia hadn’t moved to leadoff yet, let alone Ellsbury), while Troy Tulowitzki was still struggling with expectations and half the Rockies rotation was still being groomed in the minor leagues.
So, if we look at this World Series with a new slate, it seems to shake down like this: 1) The Red Sox lineup looks more formidable, particularly coming off an overall pasting of Cleveland for three straight games. 2) The Red Sox bullpen is more battle tested. Colorado got by in the NLDS and NLCS with long outings from their starters before the entrance of the wet-shirted Manny Corpas (check YouTube for that terrific splash before his entrance in Game 1 against Philly). But the Sox lineup is likely to be a lot more patient than either Philly’s or Arizona’s. 3) Josh Beckett looks like a significant upgrade over Jeff Francis in Game 1 (or over anyone else, for that matter), but after that the pitching looks almost like a push.
2. Obviously, one of the first things that will come up in any preview of this series is the way the Rockies exploded against Boston in June, taking the last two games in a three game series with a combined score of 19-3. Is there anything we should be alarmed about those losses, especially since Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling lost them? Or should they be considered isolated incidents?
As stated above, they seem more like isolated incidents. Certainly the Beckett start shouldn’t be too concerning. Schilling’s is more frustrating. With his penchant for dropping gopher balls in that loss, there’s no telling if Colorado could do the same thing again. Meanwhile, the lone Boston winner from that series - Tim Wakefield - isn’t even on the roster. Go figure, and call it a scratch.
3. Talk about the Rockies lineup a little bit, if you would. What strategy should Boston be using to deal with it? Who scares you in that lineup, other than the obvious answer (Matt Holliday’s regular season: .340, 36 HR, 137 RBI, SLG .607)?
Todd Helton is still terrifying, and if you have any doubts about it, check out his power numbers, particularly slugging to left field. Meanwhile, there’s good speed at the top of the order (see Taveras and Matsui) and Tulowitzki has been an absolute terror in the second half. That, of course, doesn’t even take Adkins into account, so there’s enough fear to go around. The leadoff tandem of Taveras and Matsui alone is enough reason to be happy Wakefield isn’t starting a game in the series (his ERA at Coors Field is another compelling one, but hey, we’ll stick with the speed).
4. Put yourself in Terry Francona’s shoes for a minute. How do you handle losing the designated hitter position during Game 3-5? Who should sit? Also, who do you think will sit?
This is perhaps the most brutal decision Francona has to make. Clearly, you can’t take Ortiz out of the lineup in the playoffs. Ever (unless you have a lead in the eighth or ninth inning, and you take him out for a defensive replacement). That leaves Youkilis and Lowell to platoon at third. Youkilis is on such a tear that it hurts to take him out of the lineup, but Lowell has better power, more RBI on the year and more experience at Coors Field. Put those two factors together, and it all seems to even out, doesn’t it? So, if we were Francona, we’d play the hot hand. If Youk is still batting .500, you’re not taking the man out of the lineup. If Lowell hits a homer and three doubles in Games 1 and 2, he’s your man. Now, here’s the real X-factor: What about Youk in right field? He played there down the stretch last year, and clearly you’d rather have Youk in the lineup than JD Drew, all recent heroics and solid hitting aside. Now, I don’t think Francona’s drastic enough to actually make that move, but it’s worth pointing out nonetheless.
That being said, it says here that Francona plays Lowell in Game 3, then checks his career numbers against Cook before deciding for Game 4. If they’re good, Mikey goes again. If they’re not, Youk comes in. And Papi stays in throughout, without question.
5. Alright, one last time: prediction time. Who ya got? It should be noted that no one has picked against the Sox in one of these roundtable discussions yet…. which means no one has been wrong yet, either.
Let it be known that it is EXTREMELY hard to pick against the Rockies the way they’ve been playing. They’re so hot it feels like they could melt right through the Colorado snow. And right now, everything manager Clint Hurdle touches seems to turn to gold. That being said, moving Aaron Cook into the starting rotation for Game 4 seems like a true twist and gamble. Why shake up the rotation now, when you’ve been rolling? Meanwhile, Terry Francona’s willingness to leave Wakefield off the roster, likely in favor of second-year rookie Jon Lester, should be applauded. It’s hard to leave a veteran and heart-and-soul guy like Wakefield off, but it’s clearly the right move with his health and track record.
Why am I prattling on this way? Because I think the series is so close that it could swing on two small decisions like that (conversely, who Francona plays at third in Games 3 and 4 could have the same affect). Game 1 is a must-win for the Sox, and - like the ALCS - I really think Game 2 is the key. If Boston wins the first two, they’re going to win this series. If they split, it could be trouble.
So what’s going to happen? Uggghhh, this one is brutal to predict. That being said, I’m going Sox. In six. Schilling closes it out. I think Beckett will win Games 1 and Game 5 in Colorado setting the stage. But like the ALCS, I wouldn’t be even slightly surprised if the Rockies walked off with this one, even though Boston clearly has a more balanced and complete team, with the regular season record as ample evidence.
I’m perfect in the playoffs so far, so here’s hoping that continues for one more round. Otherwise we’re in for some painful postmortem. Here’s hopin’.
Somewhere in the aftermath of Boston’s 7-1 victory in Game 5, a lot of Red Sox fans seem to have lost sight of an important fact: The Sox are still down, three games to two. Like the Bee Jees, they’re still looking to Stay Alive.
Stayin’ Alive: That’s the goal Monsieur Schilling. We’ll talk moolah later if you get the job done.
The backs are still against the wall as Boston rolls back into what is sure to be a raucous, if nervous, Fenway Park tonight. And the man on the mound is the one who made himself a legend in 2004, once on the very same mound. There’ll be no bloody sock, but as much drama as there was before the last time Curt Schilling pitched in a Game 6 with the Sox facing elimination, back in the ever-enchanted year of ‘04.
The difference is that this is a different Curt Schilling than the incarnation that dominated the Yankees and then the Cardinals after experimental cadaver surgery on his ankle. That Schilling was still a power pitcher who relied on his stuff above all else. There was less stuff to draw on in his two playoff victories, but he had enough. This Schilling is a mental chess player, a gambler who’s betting he can confuse you with enough of a change up to keep you honest on his suddenly mediocre heat.
It’s a terrifying difference. He still has immense guts, as he flexed in Game 3 of the ALDS against the Angels, where he went on the road and thoroughly trounced the LA lineup. But those guts couldn’t get him through the fifth inning of Game 2 back at Fenway, and that ultimately cost the Sox dearly. With Schilling out early the snowball started rolling. Pushing Manny Delcarmen for a second inning is what tied the game, and then eventually meant that the Sox had no one to turn to except Eric Gagne. We know what happened after that.
But Schilling is pitching for more than just a big win tonight. He’s also pitching for a future in Boston. Should the Sox fall and face a long, cold offseason of Patriots talk, Schilling will almost certainly not be pursued. Boston has young arms ready to go and take his place, but his postseason acumen might be enough to save him a rotation slot and earn him his $10 million or so should he find a way to win tonight and, perhaps, again if things keep going. By the same token, a loss tonight would mean he essentially was the determining factor in two losses while pitching only one playoff win. That’s not worth $13 million in Boston.
So what’s it going to be, Curt? The man the Indians are sending to the hill, Fausto Carmona, is probably going to put up a better game than he did in his outing No. 2, where Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz got to him a bit. You ready to up the ante a bit? Always were in the past.
Here’s hoping for an evening of reminiscing. Red Sox fans could really use one. Scratch that. They really need one.
In the middle of the current maelstrom over Manny Ramirez’s posing, preening and sudden desire to sit down at fireside chats with the media is an interesting subplot: Is it possible that all the hubbub and distraction could actually help the Red Sox?
Keep striking poses Manny. It can’t hurt as long as you’re hitting.
We know, it seems very out of place, and the sheer possibility that a player saying it’s not a big deal if his team wins or loses actually helps his team seems ludicrous. We get it. But we’re still not willing to say that it’s all a bad thing.
In fact, we’re ready to say that it’s helping, as strange as that may seem.
Think about it this way: At the moment, Manny is the entire focus of Red Sox speculation. There’s no more talk about Kevin Youkilis’ botched foul pop catch or Tim Wakefield’s horribly unfortunate inability to spear a shot targeted for Dustin Pedroia, eventually costing the Sox outs and runs Tuesday night.
Instead of all the negative reaction to those moments and their striking lack of execution, all the attention is on ManRam, all the time. And if we’ve learned one thing over the years, it’s that no measure of attention can dissuade Manny from being Manny. Hell, Yankee legend Reggie Jackson was on the radio this morning saying that Manny called him last night asking about where to refurbish a classic car. Clearly Manny’s not dwelling on all the attention. The guy is going to hit, no matter what kind of typhoon is swirling around him.
Think about it: After talk two and three days about Josh Beckett’s back, how much hype has focused on that heading towards tonight’s game? That’s what we thought. And how much talk is about Pedroia’s snippy quotes to the media after Game 4? During the season those shots would have started a serious Fenway brushfire. Now? Small potatoes compared to Senor Talkative over at the other locker.
So let him keep talking. And maybe he’ll even get to keep talking while playing baseball for a while longer. At the moment, it can’t hurt. That’s for sure.
