WHY ACT SURPRISED? I'M NOT!
October 17, 2008
I HAVE HEARD A LOT OF PEOPLE EXCLAIMING "I CANT BELIEVE IT" OR "THATS UNBELIEVABLE" AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, IN REFERENCE TO GAME 5 OF THE ALCS! WHAT I CAN'T BELIEVE IS THAT IT WASNT EXPECTED!
DO YOU REMEMBER WHO WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HERE? WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE "CURRENT" WORLD CHAMPION BOSTON RED SOX. YOU SEE MY DEFAULT PICTURE I HAVE FOR MY PROFILE? WELL, THATS NOT JUST A COOL PICTURE I PUT UP TO SHOW MY SUPPORT OF OUR TEAM......IT SPEAKS FROM WHAT I FEEL.....WHAT I BLEED.....WHAT I LOVE.....AND WHAT I LIVE! I "AM" A TRUE DIEHARD 100% BOSTON RED SOX FAN AND ROOTAH! I STEM FROM A LONG LINE OF THE SAME. THERE ISNT A MEMBER OF MY FAMILY THAT WEARS ANY OTHER BASEBALL CAP OR SUPPORTS ANY OTHER TEAM THAN THE BOSTON RED SOX. MY FAMILY TREE STARTS IN IRELAND, AND CAME TO BOSTON! SURE.....WE'VE MOVED AROUND, AND SOME HAVE WANDERED TO OTHER STATES IN OUR GREAT COUNTRY......BUT ALL HAVE REMAINED TRUE TO OUR ROOTS! NOW THAT BEING SAID......WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THE TOUGHEST OF TIMES WITH OUR TEAM! SOME HAVE COME AND GONE WITHOUT EVER KNOWING THE FEELING OF BEING "WORLD CHAMPIONS"! BUT THOSE ARE YESTERYEARS TIMES! IN 2004, WHEN THE SOX DID THE UNTHINKABLE IN PROFESSIONAL SPORTS ALL TOGETHER BY COMING BACK FROM A 3 GAME TO NONE SERIES TO WIN 4 STRAIGHT AGAINST THE HATED TEAM TO OUR SOUTH.......A NEW TIME BEGAN IN RED SOX LORE! A TIME OF TRUE BELIEF THAT CURSES DONT MATTER........THAT TRIUMPH IS REACHABLE AT ANY COST! WE BECAME WORLD CHAMPIONS ONCE AGAIN! THEN JUST 3 YEARS LATER WE REPEATED THAT FEAT IN ALMOST THE SAME FASHION AGAINST A DIFFERENT TEAM......THE CLEVELAND INDIANS! WE WERE DOWN 3 GAMES TO ONE, GETTING BEAT IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE BY THE TRIBE WITH SOME BLOWOUTS THROWN IN THERE AS WELL! WE OVERCAME THOSE ODDS AND WENT ON TO BECOME CHAMPIONS AGAIN! THUS BEING SAID..........WHY IS ANYONE SURPRISED ABOUT LAST NIGHTS GAME? IT IS WHAT WE HAVE BECOME.....IT IS WHO WE ARE! ME......I EXPECTED IT.....MY FAITH TOLD ME SO!
NOW.........LETS DELVE INTO THE GAME ITSELF..........WE ARE DOWN IN THE SERIES 3 GAMES TO ONE, BEING BEAT MERCILESSLY BY THE RAYS IN THE PREVIOUS COUPLE OF GAMES! DICE-K GETS THE START AND IT SEEMS LIKE THE RAYS ARE SATISFIED WITH JUST STARTING KAZMIR WHO WE HAVE BEAT UP MANY TIMES ALREADY! BUT THIS TIME SEEMED DIFFERENT......KAZ IS THROWIN A GREAT BALL AND DICE IS MISSING HIS SPOT AND GIVING UP HITS AND THEN "BANG".....THEY STRIKE FIRST BLOOD! THE SCORE STARTS LOOKING SCAREY AT 4-0.....THEN 5-0........THEN 7-0! PEOPLE START LEAVING THE STANDS AND I ACTUALLY HEAR THESE SO CALLED FANS BOOING BIG PAPI! I CANT BELIEVE MY EYES AND EARS! THAT SH*&T HAPPENS IN NEW YORK ALL THE TIME WITH GAYROD AND HGHIAMBI........WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON I THINK! WHERE IS THE FAITH? ARE WE THAT SPOILED? ARE THESE FANS ACTUALLY BECOMING THE SKANKS FANS WITHOUT PINSTRIPES? I HEAR NO "LATS GO RED SOX" CHANTS......I HEAR NO "MVP" CHANTS WHEN PEDS GETS UP.......AND I HEAR BOO'S WHERE THERE SHOULD BE "PAPI" CHANTS! IT TRULY PHYSICALLY SICKENED ME! I COULDNT BELIEVE THE TENTH PLAYER WOULD LET US DOWN BUT THEY WERE! I SAT HERE AT MY MOTHERS HOUSE, AFTER SWINGIN BY FENWAY EARLIER IN THE DAY TO PAY HOMAGE, WEARING ALL OF MY SOX GEAR, IN CITYS CHAT YELLING THAT THE COMEBACK WAS IMMENENT! WANTING TO GO BACK DOWN TO THE FENS AND SMACK EVERY PINKHAT THAT LEFT OUR BELOVED BALLPARK BEFORE THE FINAL OUT WAS RECORDED AND START THE "LET'S GO RED SOX" CHANTS FROM OUTSIDE ON YAWKEY OR LANDSDOWNE OR WHEREVER.......YOU WOULDA HEARD ME THE WAY THE CROWD WAS SO DAMN QUIET! WE NEEDED 7 RUNS TO TIE AND HAD 3 INNINGS TO DO IT IN!
SO ON TO THE BOTTOM OF THE 7TH.........WE GET A COUPLE MEN ON BASE, AND "FINALLY"...WE GET ON THE SCOREBOARD WITH A DUSTIN PEDROIA RBI SINGLE.7-1NOW.......THE CROWD WAKES UP WITH THE "PAPI PAPI PAPI" CHANTS.....AND WHAT HAPPENS? HE DELIVERS A SHOT TO RIGHT FIELD DEEP DEEP DEEP GONE! AND JUST LIKE THAT ITS 7-4! IM DANCING AROUND MY MOMS LIVING ROOM WAITIN FOR HER TO GET HOME SO SHE CAN HELP ME KEEP THE NEIGHBORS AWAKE! NEW LIFE CREPT INTO THE BALLPARK AND I COULD FEEL THE ENERGY FROM QUINCY! ON TO THE 8TH INNING AND PAPS SHUTS EM DOWN!
ON TO THE BOTTOM OF THE 8TH,(MOM IS HOME NOW) WITH ONE MAN ON, UP STEPS ALL-STAR MVP JD DREW WHOS BEEN STRUGGLING AS OF LATE DUE TO HIS BACK ISSUES, AMONG OTHER HEALTH PROBLEMS......AND ......"BANG".....HE SENDS ONE SCREAMING TO RIGHT FIELD AROUND PESKY POLE AND DELIVERS A TWO-RUN HOMER THAT BRINGS US TO WITHIN ONE RUN........7-6......I'M SCREAMIN GOIN NUTS DANCIN WITH MY MOM AROUND THE LIVING ROOM AS SHES HUGGIN HER "BELIEVE IN BOSTON" T-SHIRT SHE GOT FROM CHOWDAHHEADS! WE ARE FRIGGIN PSYCHED AND GOIN NUTS!
UP COMES YOUK AND HE GROUNDS WHAT NORMALLY WOULD BE A SURE OUT TO LONGORIA, BUT HE THROWS SHORT AND IT TAKES A CRAZY BOUNCE OVER PENA'S HEAD AND GOES SAILING INTO THE STANDS.....MAYBE IT WAS NERVOUSNESS, MAYBE IT WAS ALL THATS BEEN GOIN ON......I CHOOSE TO BELIEVE THAT THE 10TH PLAYER, THE CROWD NOISE, GOT HIM RILED.......EITHER WAY, YOUK SAILS INTO 2ND BASE! AFTER SECURING TWO OUTS, UP STEPS THE FORMER BOXER MY MAN COVELLI.....COCO CRISP! HE HITS A BEAUTIFUL BALL TO RIGHT FIELD THAT SCORES YOUK TYING THE GAME BUT HE THINKS THE THROW IS GOIN TO THE PLATE SO HE TRIES TO GET AN EXTRA BASE OUT OF IT AND SUBSEQUENTLY GETS TAGGED OUT AS THE THROW ENDS UP TO THE 2 BAG! ALL GOOD THOUGH......COVELLI HAS JUST TIED THE GAME......AND ITS ON TO THE 9TH INNING IN AMERICAS MOST BELOVED BALLPARK!
WITH JUSTIN MASTERSON NOW DELIVERING THE HEAT WITH TWO ON BASE FOR THE RAYS AND CARLOS PENA COMIN UP TO BAT! HE GROUNDS ONE RIGHT TO DUSTIN AND HE MAKES THE 4-6-3 DOUBLE PLAY.....I FRICKIN LOVE THAT LITTLE BASTID! AND NOW HERE WE ARE.......BOTTOM OF THE 9TH, TIED SCORE TWO OUTS AND UP STEPS YOUK.....BANG......HE GETS SOME NICE WOOD ON THE BALL AND GETS HIMSELF A SWEET STAND UP DOUBLE! NOT GIVING US A CHANCE TO SAY "MANNY WHO?" AGAIN, THEY WALK JASON BAY.....JAYBAY.....TO HAVE THE OPTION OF THROWIN TO THREE BASES FOR AN OUT.......BUT NOW THEY HAVE TO DEAL WITH A GUY WHO JUST HIT A TWO-RUN HOMER IN HIS LAST AT BAT......MY MAN JD DREW! A GUY I'VE PRAISED SINCE WE GOT HIM LAST SEASON WHEN EVERYONE WAS WHINING ABOUT HIS "ADJUSTMENT" PERIOD GOING FROM NL TO THE AL! AND NEXT COMES HISTORY IN THE MAKING.........HE LINES ONE OVER TO RIGHT FOR A GROUND RULE DOUBLE AND MORE IMPORTANTLY SCORING YOUK FROM SECOND AND GIVING THE SOX ANOTHER POST-SEASON WALKOFF WIN! THERES NO TIME EVER THAN AT FENWAY THAT I LOVE HEARING "DIRTY WATER" !
NOW.....WE GO TO TAMPA TO PLAY GAME 6.....BECKETT AGAINST SHIELDS! AM I SURPRISED? HELLLLLL NO! BECAUSE THIS BELOVED TEAM WE HAVE HERE HAS TAUGHT ME THE TRUE MEANING OF "FAITH" AND "BELIEF"! I EXPECTED THIS, LIKE I SAID! TO THOSE FANS WHO LEFT, I SAY "HA"! YOU MISSED THE GREATEST COMEBACK IN ALCS HISTORY! THE GREATEST COMEBACK IN AN ELIMINATION GAME! THE SECOND GREATEST COMEBACK IN POST-SEASON HISTORY BY ONE RUN! AND ONE OF THE GREATEST CLUTCH PERFORMANCES I HAVE SEEN FROM OUR BELOVED TEAM......THE WORLD CHAMPION BOSTON RED SOX!
"LET'S GO RED SOX!!!!!"
-IRISH WHITEY~RSM~™
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