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Sox Thawts - 12 October, 2009
Game, Set, Match, Season
Rather than provide a link to an earlier post, I start today's by reposting an excerpt from one... well ok, I'll provide the link too... in CASE you care to read the entire thing... thank you in advance for the indulgence.
"Mid August, 2009... the 18th.... a time of the year all too familiar to the die-hard population of Red Sox Nation ... the time of year when beer and tums sales rise as our hearts slowly sink....
This season is starting to feel a "bit" familiar.... a feeling we have all felt MANY times over the course of our existence... riding high from Spring into Summer..... brought to the end of our rope during the "dog days".... having the rope cut before our very eyes, strand by strand from summer into fall, until WE fall..... a deflated mass of disappointment.... STILL holding on to that rope... AND.... that dream....
We rationalize with a phrase that became the creed of the Nation itself.... "There's always next year !!!"... a phrase that we learn while still in the womb... a phrase that becomes an unspoken assumption after so many years of heart-breaks by the team we bleed Red for... yet we continue to believe... until the out that becomes the final nail in the season's coffin... until the final nail is driven into our very own coffins... from womb to tomb (and probably beyond) residency in this Nation is predetermined by a higher power... Red Sox Nation... The Best Place on Earth....
For those of you not born into this roller coaster world of Red Sox Nation, I STRONGLY urge you to watch the movie "Fever Pitch". The passion that burns is hard to put into words.... but this movie explains it all... very.. VERY.. accurately !!!!...
Summed up quite succinctly by an Oakland A's fan that sat behind me earlier this season.... "You fans are CRAZY.... We've heard that!!!" I quickly corrected her uttering but a single word... "PASSIONATE !!!" I challenge the fans of ANY of the 30-odd teams in MLB to try to break the Nation... it can't be done.
Why do we stay ??? Why do we put ourselves through season after season of heart-ache ??? Personally I like roller coasters... but that's not it... we have no choice... we are born into this wonderful Nation... and I wouldn't have it any other way. Win, lose or draw, I am a proud and active member... until the day the put me 6 feet under....
So much changed in 2004... the year of the first championship in 86 years... the year that made it all makes sense.. the year that made it all worth it..... but was it just a tease ??? 2007 proved that theory to be WRONG !!!!
As I sit here on August 18th, our heroes currently out of a playoff spot, I wonder what "life" in the Nation will be like in 2 months or so.... only time will tell.... but either way, I have my rope held tight..."
This season is starting to feel a "bit" familiar.... a feeling we have all felt MANY times over the course of our existence... riding high from Spring into Summer..... brought to the end of our rope during the "dog days".... having the rope cut before our very eyes, strand by strand from summer into fall, until WE fall..... a deflated mass of disappointment.... STILL holding on to that rope... AND.... that dream....
We rationalize with a phrase that became the creed of the Nation itself.... "There's always next year !!!"... a phrase that we learn while still in the womb... a phrase that becomes an unspoken assumption after so many years of heart-breaks by the team we bleed Red for... yet we continue to believe... until the out that becomes the final nail in the season's coffin... until the final nail is driven into our very own coffins... from womb to tomb (and probably beyond) residency in this Nation is predetermined by a higher power... Red Sox Nation... The Best Place on Earth....
For those of you not born into this roller coaster world of Red Sox Nation, I STRONGLY urge you to watch the movie "Fever Pitch". The passion that burns is hard to put into words.... but this movie explains it all... very.. VERY.. accurately !!!!...
Summed up quite succinctly by an Oakland A's fan that sat behind me earlier this season.... "You fans are CRAZY.... We've heard that!!!" I quickly corrected her uttering but a single word... "PASSIONATE !!!" I challenge the fans of ANY of the 30-odd teams in MLB to try to break the Nation... it can't be done.
Why do we stay ??? Why do we put ourselves through season after season of heart-ache ??? Personally I like roller coasters... but that's not it... we have no choice... we are born into this wonderful Nation... and I wouldn't have it any other way. Win, lose or draw, I am a proud and active member... until the day the put me 6 feet under....
So much changed in 2004... the year of the first championship in 86 years... the year that made it all makes sense.. the year that made it all worth it..... but was it just a tease ??? 2007 proved that theory to be WRONG !!!!
As I sit here on August 18th, our heroes currently out of a playoff spot, I wonder what "life" in the Nation will be like in 2 months or so.... only time will tell.... but either way, I have my rope held tight..."
Fast forward to today, October 12th... our boys have just been swept out of the post-season by an admittedly very good Angels ball club. Ironic as it may be, a Facebook friend and member of the Nation "uttered" those infamous words, "There's always next year"....
I'm not sure why I'm sitting here writing a post today in the "mood" that I am... Shocked but not surprised, simply put, the Angels played better than the Sox - MUCH better. But I never imagined getting swept !!! Yesterday's game epitomized a Nation member's emotional roller coaster...
Historically this most recent heart-break doesn't compare to the '75 series, Bucky Dent's home-run, Bill Buckner's "wickets", or even Pedro being left in against the Yankees... BUT... Paps had NEVER allowed an earned run to score in post-season play... yesterday he allowed 5... 2 runners from Billy Wagner in the 8th and 3 of his own in the 9th.
I can't help but recall how critical I've been about the bullpen AND Paps over the season... maybe sometimes I know more than I know.. DAMN ME !!!!! Yesterday the bullpen gave up 5 runs (+ another inherited runner to score = 6) out of the 7 runs scored by the Halos... the final strand of the rope being cut by Vladi Guerrero...
I'm going to take a different angle today... there are definitely some positives to be had about the season... first it was a very successful season for our boys... 95 wins and a play-off berth... and yesterday in particular, the bats woke up early - Pedey, VMart, Mikey, JD - and carried a 5-2 lead into the 8th.... Clay Buchholz completed his 1/2-season long maturation process and emerged as a true young gun pitching 5+ and allowing (officially) 2 runs.... Daniel Bard entered the contest in the 6th with the bases loaded and no outs... he EXITED the 6th having only allowed one of those base runners to score, and pitched a perfect 7th.
Certainly, these are positives to build on and pointing fingers won't bring back yesterday... we've been here before and I'm sure we'll be here again.... there's always next year... Nuf Ced
1 comments:
John,
I guess it'e kinda like sayin, it could be worse, ceptin it ain't.
BIG HUGS, my friend, theres always next year, cept it will be the best.
Can't keep the nation down, damn I felt like I was adopted too.
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