Whome, Mass, Rox, talk me down. I'm watching the Sawx

[TayTay]

Dear Gawd in heaven. Millahr, what the hell? It's only a game and half lead. I'm getting twitchy ova heyah. Help. Cheeusus, no more games for me without some Sam Adams to fortify.

Damn, why can't we ever win going away? Just one 'We clinched!' on Sept 25th, no problem. Why does it always have to get 'interesting?' I not going to live through this again. Last year nearly killed me. (Course it's somewhat less tense, but still.)

Help Whome. Help. You know whereof I speak woman, help.

[TayTay]

1. I love David Oritz!

I love him utterly and completely. He gives me warm fuzzy feelings.

[rox63]

2. The Sawx will go back to breaking our hearts

It's in their blood. It's embedded in the paint on the Green Monstah. They would be cease to be the Sawx if they started winning every year. As it stands right now, they don't owe us another World Series Championship until almost the end of the century. But we love them anyway. It's just that tragic kind of love, where the guy gets the girl for one happy year, then she's tragically washed overboard during their honeymoon cruise. For the next 60 years, he thinks she's dead. Then they find each other again when they are old and wrinkled in the nursing home, right before dying in each other's arms.

[TayTay]

3. Oh, an optimist.

And I still love David Ortiz. I have faith in the Ortiz. The Ortiz will not let me down. It's just that, damnit, why can't we win going away. Like by 8 games or something. Why does it always have to go down to the wire?

I find myself yelling at my teevee, "Ferchrissakes, Millar, no more double-play balls. Lay off the chicken, you bastard and pick up some weights. Move your ass down the line buddy, this ain't recess. Mary, Motha a Gawd, I'm having a coronary ova heyah."

And I love Jason Veritek. And Wakefield. But Millar is pissing me off. (Geebus Kev, why are you so streaky. Quick. someone tell Millar his job might go to Youk. Maybe that will help."

Arrrrrgggggghhhhhh! Just friggin win this friggin game. I'm starting to get antsy. I got this twitch in my neck.

[whometense]

4. Did they lose?

I'm watching Bill Maher. I have a personal stake in the Sox season, since my youngest has cut his work schedule too close and may lose his seniority if they don't make the playoffs.

I can't watch. I don't need one more stress in my life right now.

I will say, though, that Wally's rain gear was beyond adorable.

On edit: I LOVE David Ortiz too. He is THE MAN.

[TayTay]

5. Sawx Win!

I never doubted them for a minute. (Okay, that's only funny in Boston, but it's also sort of true in Boston as well.)

Whew! Anyone know how the Yanks did?

Some men are born great and other men have greatness thrust upon them: Manny got hit by a pitch and walked in the winning run in the bottom of the tenth.

Wow! I can't believe how much more relaxed I am this year than last.

[whometense]

6. Yankees won.

This one was a must-win. Thanks, TayTay. I can go to sleep happy.

I am SUCH a wuss. Actually, my boys think I'm a sox jinx so they prefer I not watch.

[TayTay]

7. It's Sept. I can't watch, I can't not watch

It's a bit unnerving. You just have to wait the thing out. My Dad always told me that watching the Red Sox will give you character, if it doesn't kill you first.

[whometense]

8. That's very true.

I can't watch, but I do keep checking on them.

I saw an article in last Sunday's NY Times sports section that really steamed me. The jerk said that he couldn't stand seeing the Sox in first place because all Red Sox fans are so smug!!!!

Can you believe that??? SMUG?????

[TayTay]

9. Smug! Smug? What was he smoking?

And, btw, that was nice of you to post. Red Sox fans are smug? Hell just froze over.

[whometense]

10. I know. Stupidest thing he could possibly have said.

Obsessive? Ritualistic? Insane? All of the above. But never-for-an-instant smug. I was discussing this with my NYC-dwelling son. He said, oh, Murray Chass??? He's just a bitter old asshole.

Frankly, it seems to me it would take a very small person to begrudge Sox fans their one little win.

[sandnsea]

11. My trip to the Cardinals game

So my family has a bit of a different way of managing the deaths of our loved ones, so I'm told. The whole clan comes together for the few days around the funeral, youngest to the oldest, and cry, laugh, eat, cry, funeral, eat, laugh, heal, move on. During that time, my niece decided she wanted to go to a Cards game. What the heck, we definitely needed a few hours break. I'd never been to a pro game, ever; Busch Stadium is being torn down this year and that's the stadium of my dad's childhood; yeah, let's go to the game. Oh, and it was fan night, nosebleed tickets were six bucks.

Oh My God!!!! I am now, officially, a baseball fan!!! There really IS something about the ballpark. It got off to a slow start, but by the 5th or 6th inning, woot woot woot, another run! Walking that guy... oh boooo. And there were high school kids behind us screaming little chants for different players. And people standing up and getting the wave going, and trying again, and again, and again, until the whole stadium finally took off. And the drunk lady in front of me talkin' about some player's hot ass. And we really did have peanuts and popcorn and even sang the stupid song!

AND, I got a Sox - Cardinal pennant, yepper I DID!!!

So even though I still don't keep up, I get it now and envy you people who get to go out to the ballpark whenever you want, and get caught up with your teams and your guys who just have to get that strike or hit one out of there...

[WildEyedLiberal]

12. I LOVE going to Busch stadium

I got to go to a Cards-Sox interleague game earlier this year (Cards won, woot!), and it's bittersweet to know that the ballpark of my youth is being demolished, and yet, I look forward to the future and to seeing the new Busch Stadium (which thank God is not changing names to something soulless like Merrill Lynch Field).

GO CARDINALS!!!

[sandnsea]

13. It's cool that they're keeping some of it

shows a little respect for the history and traditions. I was glad I got to go without any hi-tech stuff, just an old-fashioned ball game.

I didn't mention that I am deathly afraid of heights and was thinking I was going to have to kneel backwards in my seat and not even watch the game. In my mind, one false move and I'd go flinging down the front and bump and bounce until I landed on the field. Finally, I got a hold of myself and realized I would just fall on the row in front of me and likely stop, especially after people got in there.

Major fun though. I thought you were in Illinois, or am I mixed up again??? Not uncommon for me, it's hormonal, just you wait.

[WildEyedLiberal]

14. I am in Illinois :P

I'm actually in central Illinois though, and have always lived closer to St. Louis than Chicago. My hometown was about evenly split between Cardinals and Cubs fans. I am a rabidly partisan Cardinals fan, and I HATE Chicago sports teams with a passion (except the Sox, the don't really offend me). Basically Illinois is like: northern Illinois, Cubs or Sox fans; central Illinois, Cardinals or Cubs fans; southern Illinois, Cardinals fans. I was one of the lucky ones :D

[sandnsea]

15. I see

Oh, and the pennant, it was Red Sox, from the series last year. In case I wasn't clear on that. That fact that the miracle happened, right there on first base, that was quite extraordinary too. :)

[TayTay]

16. Thanks! Baseball is a wonderful game.

And it is an obsession in New England. The six (or five & 1/2, sorry CT) New England states are really quite diverse and would appreciate keeping it that way, thank you very much. But from Rhode Island to Northern Maine, from the Berkshires to the hallowed halls of Harvard to the fishermen in Gloucester, there are the Red Sox and they unite this region. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt that I can go to any restaurant, fair, church or store and start up a conversation about the Red Sox. And there will be people who will join in and they have that same worried and caring expression on their faces that I have.

There is an old expression in Mass Irish politics: Thing may be hopeless, but they aren't serious. This reflects the notion that although the present situation is terrible beyond words, that doesn't mean that you have to give in to it. Learn to smile and appreciate the good moments. Don't let the bad moments rule your life. Take some time off, go through whatever pain you have to go through and then get back because there is always next year. And remember, loyalty matters a lot. Being a front-runner and forgetting the ones what you been dancing with for a long time is tantamount to treason and should never be done. Given a bit of luck, hard work and the help of friends who know what you are going through, you can bounce back. And always leave a little space for miracles, because sometimes they do happen. And always remember, you will fail more than you succeed; the true test is how long it takes to pick yourself back up and do it again. That is character and it matters.

Baseball bridges the worlds in New England. It is one of our great passions. (The other is politics, which really made last year a spiritually draining experience.)

Oh and Busch Stadium in St. Louis is sacred ground to Sawx fans. Not only did New Englanders win the Series there, but they were humbled by the amazing Cards fans who were beyond gracious and welcoming to the nutballs from Boston who invaded last fall. I heard story after story about how unbelievably nice the Cards fans were to the Old Towne Team fans last year. Their incredible generosity in the face of that special pain of losing (ahm, we do know that one) was just so humbling and wonderful. Sawx fans could learn a lot from Cards fans. (But then we wouldn't be Sawx fans now would we? What is Fenway if not angry, funny, profane, depressed, joyful, ritualistic, beautiful and aggressive. My little Cathedral in the Fens is full of nutballs.)

[sandnsea]

18. That is nice to hear

I thought it felt like a very nice crowd of people, very family friendly, fun loving, not taking themselves too terribly seriously. I didn't know if that was St. Louis or baseball or my imagination. Which isn't to say that a crowd of funny, profane, ritualistic people wouldn't be a hoot too!!

[whometense]

17. Just found this press release

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20050916&content_id=1212112&vkey=pr_bos&fext=.jsp&c_id=bos

Red Sox to participate in "Diverse the Curse" Sunday in Brookline
09/16/2005 4:23 PM ET
MLB.com

BOSTON -- Red Sox President/CEO Larry Lucchino, Chief Operating Officer Mike Dee, Senior Vice President/Sales and Marketing Sam Kennedy, Senior Vice President/Corporate Relations Meg Vaillancourt and Special Assistant to the President/CEO Adam Grossman will participate Sunday in "Diverse the Curse," a free educational program presented by the Brookline Human Relations Commission.

Part of the Brookline 300 celebration, "Diverse the Curse" is intended to serve as a reminder that bigotry is a double curse that harms both the target and the perpetrator. A theme of the program is that diversity is the way to reverse the effect of that curse.

The event, which runs from 2-4 p.m., will be held at the Coolidge Corner Theater, 290 Harvard Street in Brookline.

Also attending will be Pumpsie Green, who in 1959 became the first African-American to play for the Red Sox, and Bill "Windshield" Robinson, who as a youngster played for the Boston Tigers, a barnstorming team made up in part of former Negro League players who played games across the Northeast.

The World Series Trophy will also be available to fans who wish to take pictures.

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

[TayTay]

19. Is it possible that there is one person in Mass who

hasn't seen or had their picture taken with the World Championship Trophy? That has got to be the most well-traveled piece of hardware in history. LOL! Everyone in NE has to see it to actually believe that our Sawx won it. LOL!

Nice idea. Considering the disgraceful history of the team in terms of integration, this is a very welcome thing to see and a very hopeful sign for the future. Good for the trio! (Trio=Red Sox ownership.)

[rox63]

20. I haven't had my picture taken with the trophy

Does that mean I'm not a real Masshole, even if I've lived here my whole life? :shrug:

[TayTay]

21. Did it come anywhere near you?

Cuz that trophy went to every one of the 351 cities and Towns in Ma. (They even trucked it out to one of the small islands that had 50 people on it, so they could say everyone had a chance to see 'The Trophy.)

Seriously, it's almost comical. Almost.