Meltdown and countdown
I love to see players having a career night - 4-for-5, two home runs (including a grand slam), 8 RBIs - just not against the Red Sox.
Last night's loss means that the Sox, after a promising start, have now lost the last two series, and now the top four teams in the AL East are separated by a mere 1 1/2 games. It would be good if the losing streak were turned around tonight against the Devil Rays, because I don't need to remind you who's in town on Monday and Tuesday.
There is obviously a personal sub-text to all of this - I would very much like the Red Sox to be on a roll when I see them next week. Despite having had the tickets in my possession for four months, I have only really thought about the trip in abstract terms. Having been burned before on planned trips to baseball games, I've been trying so far to balance a growing excitement with a rational "Don't smile until you're actually sat inside Fenwway Park" attitude, but with the trip a mere five days away, that is getting harder and harder to do. I'm now at the point where I'm starting to look at concrete details: how I get from the airport to the hotel; how best to get from the hotel to Fenway; what kind of weather I can expect (could be better, unfortunately) and who's pitching.
I've spent a long time just hoping that this trip would finally come together - I first saw the Red Sox on TV in 1986 - so I figure I'm going to be a fairly easy audience. Some occasional showers? I can live with that - I spent the first 18 years of my life in the north of England. A possible rotation of Clement-DiNardo-Schilling-Wakefield? Sounds pretty good (I was hoping for Beckett, but after last night's game, not so much). However, there is one area in which I'm prepared to be a bit more demanding: if I'm going to fly 4,000 miles and cross six time-zones to the Sox play, I think it is only fair that the Sox put some wins on the board for me. I can't go all Steinbrenner on them and demand a win in every game I'm going to see, but I would like to use this forum to share a thought or two with the Sox. I'm not so worried about Friday and Saturday, because Kevin Millar will back at Fenway to liven up the proceedings, but please note: ineptitude in the games on Wednesday and Thursday against the Toronto Blow Jobs will not, repeat NOT, be tolerated.
You have been warned.
Last night's loss means that the Sox, after a promising start, have now lost the last two series, and now the top four teams in the AL East are separated by a mere 1 1/2 games. It would be good if the losing streak were turned around tonight against the Devil Rays, because I don't need to remind you who's in town on Monday and Tuesday.
There is obviously a personal sub-text to all of this - I would very much like the Red Sox to be on a roll when I see them next week. Despite having had the tickets in my possession for four months, I have only really thought about the trip in abstract terms. Having been burned before on planned trips to baseball games, I've been trying so far to balance a growing excitement with a rational "Don't smile until you're actually sat inside Fenwway Park" attitude, but with the trip a mere five days away, that is getting harder and harder to do. I'm now at the point where I'm starting to look at concrete details: how I get from the airport to the hotel; how best to get from the hotel to Fenway; what kind of weather I can expect (could be better, unfortunately) and who's pitching.
I've spent a long time just hoping that this trip would finally come together - I first saw the Red Sox on TV in 1986 - so I figure I'm going to be a fairly easy audience. Some occasional showers? I can live with that - I spent the first 18 years of my life in the north of England. A possible rotation of Clement-DiNardo-Schilling-Wakefield? Sounds pretty good (I was hoping for Beckett, but after last night's game, not so much). However, there is one area in which I'm prepared to be a bit more demanding: if I'm going to fly 4,000 miles and cross six time-zones to the Sox play, I think it is only fair that the Sox put some wins on the board for me. I can't go all Steinbrenner on them and demand a win in every game I'm going to see, but I would like to use this forum to share a thought or two with the Sox. I'm not so worried about Friday and Saturday, because Kevin Millar will back at Fenway to liven up the proceedings, but please note: ineptitude in the games on Wednesday and Thursday against the Toronto Blow Jobs will not, repeat NOT, be tolerated.
You have been warned.
posted by Iain at
11:50
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