Baseball - 2008

First there were the walk-offs. Last Thursday night, on our way to Boston, after that big pour of Macallan 18, I watched the Mets come back against the Cubs, and win in the bottom of the ninth on Beltram's walk-off single. It was only one of three walk-offs that same night, one of the others being Ryan Braun's grand slam.

Then yesterday, there was a make-up game. While seven play-off teams had a day off, a chance to rest and to rethink their pitching rotations for the post-season, the Tigers went to Chicago to play a make-up game against the White Sox, who needed a win to stay alive, and for the right to play the Twins in today's play-in game. This is the second straight year we've had a play-in game. Everyone remembers last year's dramatic play-in, when the Rockies' beat the Padres in extra-innings, Matt Holiday being called safe at the plate, when maybe he was out, but after all, it was extra innings in the hundred and sixty-third game of the year, and the play-offs were waiting. So the call was safe; the game was over; and the Rockies were on their way to the series. Last I looked it was still scoreless between the Twins and the White Sox, so right now I'm wondering if this year's play-in will conclude in dramatic fashion also.

It wasn't that long ago that baseball was moribund; ratings were down; no baseball players had endorsement contracts; and very few fans seemed to care all that much. But now we've got walk-offs, make-ups, play-ins and play-offs. Not the mention that since 2000, baseball has seen post-season walk-offs, those two remarkable championship series between the Yankees and the Sox, both Sox teams ending decades long droughts, and none of it tarnished all that much by baseball's steroid scandal, which in another era might have killed fan interest, but really just seems to have come and gone without much fallout, other than no one hits sixty home runs any more. Since 1995, the year after the last strike, attendance has climbed from 50 million to almost 80 million.

Of course, I'd love to see the RedSox win it all again, the first repeat champions of the new millennium; but I think that's not terribly likely, what with Beckett hurting once more. Still, it was a pretty good season, not just in Boston, but for many fans outside of New York. There's an outside chance we could have a Chicago subway series, or an LA expressway series. The Cubs could end their drought, now running into its second century. And it's hard not to like some of the young teams that have played their way into this year's play-offs. Who knows, maybe Manny could see K-Rod once more; or what about the sight of Manny returning to Fenway, only wearing Dodger blue? Check back for all the details.

Generous Pours

Saturday night in Boston, celebrating with the boys' after Soso's breakout performance the night before, we stopped into the Last Hurrah for a nightcap. The bar was crowded, with tourists and regulars; classic cocktails were being whipped up behind the bar. I remembered the diverse selection of great whiskies, but what I didn't recall was how reasonably priced they were.

It took Mike no time at all to decide on a glass of Hirsch, for around $14, a remarkable price for the bourbon that many consider to be the best whisky one can find, certainly the best bourbon; in fact, if one takes into account the finite supply of Hirsch, the fact that no more of this whisky will ever be produced, that price is just about astounding. John complimented Mike's pick by selecting Rittenhouse 21, a straight American rye whisky with a deep complex flavor, and a smooth long finish. The Rittenhouse was just about the same price, near $14, an especially good buy because a bottle of this great whisky retails for close to $200. I ordered a Laddie 15, nothing unusual, but a wonderful malt whisky, nonetheless. The Laddie was under $10.

But the really great thing about our round at the Last Hurrah was the size of the pours. It wasn't enough that the boys were drinking two of the finest American whiskies at very reasonable prices; but the owner gave them both big generous pours, easily three ounces of whisky. There was so much whisky that we only had a single round, and we sat for more than an hour enjoying the old school ambiance of this exceptional whisky bar. I had enough to drink also, but couldn't resist ordering a sample size pour of HP 30, thought by many to be the world's greatest malt whisky. (The Last Hurrah offers full pours of its whiskies, or small tasting size pours at a fraction of the regualr price.) I had tasted the 30 only once before, also at the Last Hurrah; on that occasion, the taste came courtesy of the bar's owner, who had taken a liking to all of us, and our obvious enjoyment of his inventory. But on that first occasion, I was already so loaded when we drank the HP 30 that I couldn't really remember much about it afterward. This time, I was sufficiently sober to notice how the finish of the 30 was so long that the flavor never left my palate. We passed the tasting around the table, and everyone sampled it, and throughout that process I continued to taste the deep rich malt flavor, with a hint of smoke, but mostly malt, thick and rich and chewy; and I still had that taste in my mouth when the glass returned after a few minutes' time. Too bad this whisky costs more than $500 a bottle. But, I should point out, if you're inclined to spring for the five large, you can find a bottle at Federal, up on a high shelf to the left of Joe, just waiting for some appreciative buyer with a few extra bucks in his pocket.

On our way up to Boston we had stopped for the night at the Glen Sanders Inn, a small inn with a couple dozen rooms, located in Scotia NY, across the river from Schenectady. Now one would not expect to find much in the way of good malts in Schenectady, but the Glen Sanders has a pretty good tap room in the basement, with a decent selection of beers on tap, not too bad a collection of malts, and a nice menu to complement the beverages. They had Macallan 18 on the menu for only $15, much cheaper than one would pay at most of the fancy places where one ordinarily expects to find the 18. So I ordered a glass for dessert, and was pleased to find that our young barmaid, Candace, served the Macallan in a snifter the size of a small fish bowl. This pour had to be four ounces, at least. I enjoyed it for a good while after dinner, watching Pedro try to keep the Cubs from knocking the Mets out of the post-season, and fortunately didn't have to drive anywhere that night. All we had to do was walk upstairs and fall asleep in front of the TV. (The Mets ended up winning in the bottom of the ninth, on Beltram's walk-off single.) The 18 is a great whisky, with a rich, almost chocolate flavor, and another long finish. I rarely drink it, mainly because it's overpriced. It just isn't worth the big price (now over $150) that it lists for on the retail shelf. But on vacation, for $15, for a huge pour in a fish bowl, I was happy I had ordered it.

John says that the blog performs a public service by informing readers of just exactly where they might find good buys on great whiskies. So then, if that's what you're seeking, drive up to Boston with a stop in Schenectady.

The Post-Season

Some time next week, the Sox will open a playoff series, probably against the Angels. If so, it will be the third time they've played the Angels in the ALDS in the last five years. The last two series were Boston sweeps, both of them on the way to World Series championships. Can they do it again? Can they take three out of five from the team with the best record in baseball, without the home field advantage?

Last year, when Boston made quick work of LA, they had Beckett and Schilling at the top of their games, and the Angels were really playing at less than full strength. I know Lester and Dice-K have filled in admirably this summer, but as yet, no one has shown that he can match Schilling's consistent dominance in October. And even though Beckett has been throwing well of late, he hasn't been overpowering anyone. I don't know if he's still suffering from the nagging injuries that bothered him earlier in the season; or if he just hasn't dialed in yet. We'll have to see. But the other part of it is that this year, the Sox are banged up, not the Angels. Drew was back in the lineup tonight, for a couple at-bats, but his disc remains herniated, and its unlikely that he'll perform at one hundred per cent. Same for Lowell, who's had a nagging injury all through the second half of the season. Now I know that other guys have done a good job filling in - Kotsay in the outfield; Casey at first base, when Youk is at third; or Lowrie playing third with Cora at short. Still, Drew and Lowell each played huge roles in last fall's run through the playoffs and series; not to mention that Manny no longer has Papi's back. I know Manny was a distraction; and he didn't play the game the right way and all that, but remember that Manny owns K-Rod, and we're sure to see K-Rod at some point in this ALDS.

Anyway I give the advantage to the Angels. Their pitching is great; and their lineup is stronger, especially with Tori Hunter batting behind Vlad. (By the way, how'd he get that name down in the Dominican?) Anderson is healthy, unlike last year; Figgins gives us fits. They're a tough team.

Enough about the Angels; where have the all the haters gone? I mean, I know the Yankees went home and everything, but how come I don't have haters jumping in any more, talking trash on the Sox? Most of my readers were haters, but since Manny went west, and the Yankees went south, the haters have pulled a collective Houdini act. They're disappeared. You know, maybe it's my theory about A-Rod and the new curse. The Chokeback curse. Maybe it's too terrifying for any of them to confront. Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe D, Yogi, Mickey Mantle, Reggie, Mariano, Jeter, and now, A-Rod. Here's a question for baseball fans - which name doesn't belong on that list? Who's the one guy with a single RBI in his last sixteen post-season games? Who's batting around .140 over that same span? And who gets paid about thirty million dollars a year to perform at that high level? I'm telling you, this guy brought bad karma to the Bronx. And Hank can have all the luxury boxes he wants next year, but if he doesn't find someone who won't choke in October, all you haters are going to be watching football for many Octobers to come.

One more point, go back and read my posting from October 10 of last year, Pinstripe Advice. And after you read that, tell me if I wasn't giving you good advice? Maybe you should have listened to me. On the other hand, maybe you guys aren't privy to all the new shit, who knows? In any event, we'll see you at Keen's.

Toast

What’s that I smell? Is it toast? Or maybe it's just a porterhouse on the grill at Keen’s. Either way it smells just great.

Last fall, Al Neuharth, a well-known expert on baseball, wrote a column which got published in USA today, probably because he owns the paper. Otherwise, no way such an idiotic piece would have been printed anywhere. Al’s thesis was that the Yankees were smart to get rid of Joe Torre, notwithstanding his twelve consecutive post-season appearances, six pennants, four championships, and so forth. Torre was washed up, or so Al claimed; Girardi was going to lead the Yankees back to the World Series; Torre was going nowhere out in LA; and Hank Steinbrenner was a genius. (If I were Hank, I wouldn’t be so proud of that endorsement; it’s kind of like the Rain Man pronouncing that Hank is an excellent owner, if you understand what I’m saying.)

Meanwhile, the Yankees are staying home for the first time since 1995; and the Dodgers are close to clinching the NL West. Their magic number was four going into tonight’s game, which they lead in the fourth, so maybe make that three. I know the NL west is baseball’s weakest division, but they’ll still get to play in October, and who knows what will happen when the play-offs begin. How many wild card teams have won it all since 2000? I looked the other day for Neuharth’s article, but it’s long gone, history, just like the Yankees, and I'm guessing that’s also because Al owns the paper. I mean, if you can get yourself published notwithstanding that you have no idea what you’re talking about, you can just as easily bury the article a year later, in the hopes that no one will remember it. Fat chance, Al. There are only a couple hundred articles, or postings, most of them written long ago, not now, not after the Yankees fell on their face, but last fall, just days after Torre had left, reminding everyone what a fool Neuharth is.

However, before I get too excited about the fact that this year, the Yankees really do suck, I have to agree with G-Man. It diminishes the rivalry to have the Yankees in disarray. 2004 was such a big deal, not just because the Sox won the series for the first time in 86 years, but because they had to beat the Yankees to do that. And yes, one of the reasons we all love to hate the Yankees is because they’ve had so much success over all those years. I mean, who hates the Royals?

In the meantime, however, let’s all enjoy the simple fact that, right now, for the rest of 2008, whatever else happens, the Yankees are toast.

Northeastern??

Today, Cuse is beating Northeastern, looking for its first win of the season. It would be a big win, even if Northeastern is only Division 1-AA. It might be the only win of the season. They turn the thing around, win the Big East, and play in a bowl game on New Year’s day. Well, maybe not. Northeastern plays the likes of New Hampshire, and Maine, and Hofstra, and Villanova. Now Villanova has a good basketball team, as well as a decent girls’ lacrosse team. But football? Still, Cuse would probably have a more competitive record if they played Nova, and Hofstra, and the rest of Northeastern’s schedule.

For some really weird reason, this past week the athletic department sent me a free set of DVDs from the undefeated 1987 season. It’s the hometown feed for three entire games that year: The first was a dominating win over Penn State in the middle of the season, a game that catapulted the Orange into national focus. Those with a long memory will recall that McPherson hit Rob Moore with an 80 yard touchdown pass on the very first play of the game. The second DVD was the last minute victory over Major Harris and West Virginia, probably the most exciting game I ever saw in the dome. And then there is the Sugar Bowl tie with Auburn, the game for which Pat Dye was sent hundreds of bad ties.

I remember seeing the West Virginia game with my dad, and I could still recall much of that last quarter, when five touchdowns were scored, and Cuse won in the final seconds, first on a pass from Donnie McPherson to Pat Kelly, and then on Michael Owens’ two point conversion. Heading into the fourth quarter, WVU had frustrated Donnie Mac all day, intercepting four passes. But he was spectacular in the final quarter, starting with a screen pass to Owens, who broke back across the middle, and ended up going almost 70 yards for a score; and then ending with the aforementioned pass to Kelly. The last touchdown drive began with under 90 seconds on the clock. In between, Moose Johnston ran about 25 yards for Syracuse’s other score, dragging about five guys the last few yards into the endzone.

I remember how loud the dome was that night. It was filled to the rafters; no one left early; in fact, almost no one sat during that last quarter. So while I was glad to get these DVDs from the University, and while I enjoy reminiscing especially about that West Virginia game, what’s the point of sending this gift at this precise time? Is it supposed to make me feel good about SU football? Inspire me to renew my season’s tickets for another year? Perhaps it will make me more forgiving of Coach Robinson, and Dr. Gross. Or maybe it will just make me wonder why I keep wasting my money. I’m no longer willing to waste my time. Today was a beautiful fall afternoon; so we made a fire in the fire pit, and cooked burgers and sausage over wood. I’ve got to develop better skills with the wood fire. But hanging out in the pit on a nice fall afternoon got the nod over driving into Syracuse, and watching the Orange beat a team they wouldn’t have deigned to play only a decade ago. Next year I should just save my money; skip the drive; and just watch the DVDs all fall. That would be a lot more fun.

Catching Up

For some reason, I just haven't had enough time lately to post on all the important things that have been happening. Perhaps it's my day job, which has been very demanding of late. That and I've actually made time to read a couple good books; and you know how that takes so much more time and effort than, say, watching clips on youtube. Anyway, here's some important information that I have neglected to discuss.

A week ago, we saw Wycliffe Gordon for the second time this year. Exodus to Jazz brought him to town, and he played in a club setting. Thanks to Dan & Randy, who are charter members, we sat about four feet away from Wycliffe, and Marcus Printup on the trumpet, and Grey Mayfield on the alto and flute. Great show. Wycliffe may be the most underappreciated musical genius on the planet. He makes that trombone into a virtuoso solo instrument. At one point he soloed on his mouthpiece alone. No horn; no valves; no nothing. The guy is unbelievable, and I just can't figure out why he hasn't become a superstar.

In other entertainment news, the best movie of the year has come out on DVD. That would be the Celtics championship video. It features the usual season summary, with extended focus on the playoffs, and the Lakers rivalry, and then the finals. Great stuff. Beyond that, there are a few other documentary pieces, and most fun of all, the entire fourth quarters of game seven against the Cavs (Bron and Pierce lighting it up), and game six against the Pistons, with the Cs coming from ten down to clinch on the road. I'm feeling spoiled right now. I mean ever since 2003, when Cuse had their miraculous run through the NCAA tournament, it's been unbelievable. The Sox in 2004; then repeating last fall. And followed immediately by the Celtics' first championship in over twenty years. Things were pretty barren all through the 90s, but these past five years -- amazing.

Along those lines, I read an interesting factoid in Emperors and Idiots. Now G-Man criticizes me, and all Sox fans by implication, for living in the past, and being obsessed with the 86 years, and all that. But really G, it's just that we're students of history. And here's a great example of why. I've always hated on Steinbrenner; perhaps for his free-spending ways; perhaps for the success the Yankees have had since he took over; and also perhaps for the boorish way he publicly criticizes his own people. But I read in Emperors and Idiots, that after game seven of the 2004 ALCS, when the Sox were celebrating on the diamond in Yankee stadium, and their fans were hanging around down by the visiting dugout, long after the game had ended, perhaps an hour or so after the last Yankee fans had left the stadium, some of the Yankee personnel went to Steinbrenner and complained about this unduly lengthy celebration. They suggested that the lights should be shut off, and the Sox and their fans sent home. Steinbrenner said no. He told his people to keep the lights on for as long as the celebration lasted. "They've earned it." A pretty generous act by a guy whose team had just lost a 3-0 series lead for the first time in baseball history, including the last two games at home. Perhaps I've been unfair to the guy; and maybe if he was my team's owner, I'd see him differently.

Lastly, I've been remiss in not recognizing Danny for the best word of the past month: vituperate. I encourage all my readers to look for similarly challenging vocabulary in the future. Maybe we give a word of the month award. Extra credit for six syllables.

Penn State Whips Colgate

In 1959 I saw Syracuse shut out Colgate 71-0 in the last home game of that championship season. The Orange led 30-0 after the first period, and 45-0 at the half. My guess is that the second string played the entire second half, but that didn’t give Colgate much relief, because an LA sportswriter said, after Cuse had demolished UCLA in the final game of the season, that although it was clear SU was the best team in the nation that year, the second best team may have been their second string. The annual Colgate game, which had meant so much to both schools early in the last century, stopped being played soon after the '59 season. The two teams just weren’t in the same league any more.

Today we went to the dome and saw Penn State crush the Orange, 55-13. It was 21-0 after the first quarter; the Orange didn’t record a first down until the 12 minute mark of the second quarter. Actually, I was surprised the score was so close. Late in the first half, SU had the ball with under three minutes to play, and Paterno called a couple time outs, so that his guys could get the ball back without much time on the clock. Many of the fans booed, figuring it was wrong for Penn State to run up the score.

But in truth, Penn State wasn’t running up the score; they were just practicing. It was a scrimmage. Joe Pa wanted his kids to run their two minute drill, which they did quite well, moving the ball down the field in under a minute, and kicking a long field goal with only a few seconds left in the half. Later in the year, when Penn State plays Michigan or Ohio State, and they really need to run the two minute drill, it will be a good thing that they practiced the two minute drill today. In reality, they could have scored almost at will; or they could have run the ball down our throats all day long. Instead, they tried out a bunch of different plays, many of which didn’t work so well, and also moved players in and out of the lineup, giving everyone, and everything in the playbook, a tryout.

I went back and looked at the numbers from 1959. The Orange had five shutouts that year (keep in mind, we’re talking football here, not baseball), and in another three games, they allowed a single touchdown, or less. For the entire season, for the ten regular season games they played, their defense gave up fewer than 200 rushing yards. That was an average of 19 yards of rushing offense allowed per game. This year, against the likes of Northwestern and Akron, they have surrendered over 200 yards rushing in every game. Every game their opponent runs the ball more than the 59 team allowed for an entire season.

I was amazed at first by the size of the crowd, reported at close to 46,000. On closer inspection, however, I saw that much of the crowd was wearing Penn State’s blue and white. I figure that by the fourth quarter, the crowd was predominantly Penn Staters. We left at the half, with the Orange down 38-6, and really, why would anyone want to see any more? I don’t know how bad it can get, but it’s hard to imagine anything much worse than this. Next week they play Northeastern, which is not a Division I-A team. So if we do well, we should schedule St. John Fisher, and Brockport State, reinstate Colgate to the schedule, and finish the season at Tufts. We might not win all those games, but at least we’ll be competitive.

How the Curse was Reversed

I’m reading Emperors and Idiots, Mike Vaccaro’s book on the Yankee-RedSox rivalry, from its inception in 1904, all the way through the two great seven-game championship series in 2003 and 2004. Vaccaro writes for the New York Post, and does a pretty good job of objectively telling both sides of this long and contentious story. And as I read over the past two nights about the winter of 2003-04, and then the Sox comeback from 0-3 in October of 2004, I had an epiphany. My very own epiphany, I’ll add. There’s nothing in Vaccaro’s book that even hints at this revelation. However, as I’ve said before in other contexts, it’s probably true, because it’s based purely on the facts.

The Curse that dogged the RedSox for 86 years, if you believe in curses, is supposed to have originated with the Yankees’ acquisition of the Bambino, Babe Ruth, after the 1919 season. Ruth was the best player in the game, but for the Sox he had mostly pitched. He led them to World Series championships in 1916 and 1918, and along the way, discovered that he liked hitting more than pitching. Were he to play in the outfield, not only could he play every day, but he could bat every day, where he could perfect a skill little known in those early baseball days, hitting the long ball. Without belaboring the story, the Sox ownership didn’t want Ruth playing outfield, and they couldn’t see that anyone could change the game that much by hitting home runs, as Ruth would do in the twenties. Plus, Ruth was becoming tough to manage, and on and on. Everyone knows the story – Ruth goes to the Yankees; they begin winning championships; and the balance of power shifts in the American League. (Interestingly, they only won three series in the twenties, when the first great Yankee team took the field.) Meanwhile, the Sox endured an 86 year drought, made more painful by the heartbreaking manner in which they seemed to fail, every time they got within reach of the prize.

Fast forward to the fall of 2004. Everyone knows this story too – How the Sox fell behind 0-3; how Rivera was only three outs away from a sweep; how Dave Roberts stole second base; how Ortiz almost singlehandedly kept the Sox faint hopes alive through those two marathon extra-inning games in Fenway. And how, once they had come back in Game Four, they never lost again in that post-season, sweeping the Cardinals, their other October nemesis, to win the first championship of almost everyone’s lifetime. That’s the story, right? In October 2004 the curse was reversed, as evidenced by last year’s triumph over Cleveland and the Rockies.

But reading Emperors and Idiots, and seeing the whole saga unfold on the pages of this book, I came to realize that the curse had been lifted before the fall of 2004. Think back to December of 2003, after the Yankees had won the ALCS in seven, on Aaron Boone’s walk-off home run, and the teams jockeyed not only to improve their respective rosters, but to deprive their rivals of signing any players who might improve the other’s roster. And what was the big trade of that winter? Who had the Yankees stolen away from the Sox, barely a couple days after Boston seemed to have him all signed up?A-Rod. Once again the Yankees had landed the guy who, by acclamation, seemed to be the best player in the game. 2003 MVP for the worst team in the AL. Gold glove shortstop. Youngest guy ever to hit 300 home runs. I can remember clearly the glee that Yankee fans then felt, figuring that with A-Rod playing next to Jeter, the Yankees would have an incomparable duo, both at the plate and in the field. Another combination like Ruth and Gehrig. Their dynasty was guaranteed for another decade. Or so it seemed, in the winter before that magical 2004 season.

Now, think forward another ten months to Game Six of the following ALCS. That game is recalled for Schilling, and his bloody sock, and his gutty performance through seven innings, holding the Yankees to a single run. Only in the eighth inning Bronson Arroyo got in trouble with one out. Jeter had singled home Cairo; the lead had been cut in half; and Bronson looked shaken as he pitched to A-Rod. But A-Rod promptly killed the rally when he hit Bronson with his purse, as Arroyo tried to make the tag on a ground ball down the first base line. A-Rod was called out; Jeter was sent back to first; and the Yankees never again threatened. In the ninth inning, although Foulke walked two guys, no one could hit him, and the Sox held on to win 4-2. Game Seven was over by the second inning, and the Sox had somehow managed to come back from a 0-3 deficit, the first team in the history of baseball to do that. It was a miracle; and the curse had been lifted. Only maybe it wasn’t really a miracle; and maybe there’s still a curse. Except this time, instead of the Bambino putting a curse on the team that dumped him, what’s the chance that A-Rod brought a curse to the team that signed him?

Clearly, it’s too early to know if the Yankees are cursed. Even though we now love to think about the whole twenty-zero thing, an eight year drought is hardly evidence of a curse. Even in the Steinbrenner era, when the Yankees could always open their wallets to sign whomever they wanted, they’ve already had an eighteen year absence from the post-season, which was then followed by four titles in five years. So perhaps it’s just bad luck; or maybe they’re making some dumb decisions right now (The whole Joe Torre fiasco comes to mind.); or maybe A-Rod will stop being a bitch next year and finally start to perform when it counts; but I think that’s the least likely possibility. In fact, I think that Hank Steinbrenner made a mess of the whole A-Rod thing last fall, and missed an opportunity to free up a quarter billion dollars that could be better spent elsewhere. In any event, the best evidence was the realization that any chance the Yankees had in 2004 was snuffed out by A-Rod’s bush league play.

But whether there’s a curse or not, I love this theory, because I love to hate on A-Rod. And blaming the Yankees’ present woes on that guy may be unfair, but it’s still a lot of fun to think about. Only problem is, by my count, and if I’m right about the curse thing, the Yankees drought will continue until 2086, and I won’t be around to enjoy most if it. But if I am right, and if global warming doesn’t melt the entire earth, I want someone who reads this to come and add a footnote to my gravestone sometime long after I’m gone. I’m the guy who first figured out this new curse; who first perceived the true symmetry in how the curse was really reversed.

Upside Down in September

How September has changed. Once, this time of year meant the start of football season, and eager anticipation about the Orange especially, but also the NFL. What better way to spend a weekend afternoon than in Archibold, or the Dome, or just sitting on the couch with a bag of Doritos, and the Phins on the tube? A couple years every decade, the Sox would make a run at the pennant, and then baseball in September would still mean something; still, pennant fever was shrouded with the ever-present dread of heartbreak. So even if the Sox were in the thick of things after Labor day, or even in those few years when they seemed destined to play in the post-season, I was always wary of getting too deeply engaged, fearing that it could all end, as it had so often, in tragedy.

This year, and for the past few years, everything has been upside down. Yesterday was the home opener for Cuse, and we had planned to drive in, and watch them take on the Akron Zips. Once upon a time, Akron would have been fodder for the Orange, someone to fatten up the schedule. But times have changed. And I’m happy to say that, because it had been such a hectic week, at the last minute we chose to stay home, and managed to avoid seeing the Orange lose to the Zips, while surrendering almost 500 yards of offense. Now if they can’t beat Akron, who are they going to top this year? And the Orange on their way to a winless season? I remember reading about Columbia going winless year after year, and wondering how could that happen? How could a program be that lousy year after year? And if I’m not mistaken, Northwestern was once one of those schools that managed to lose every game in a season. Of course, Northwester clobbered the Cuse last week, when we also surrendered close to 500 yards. What’s it going to be like next week, when they take on Penn State? Our trip to the Fiesta Bowl seems like eons ago; another lifetime.

And in the NFL, while things are perhaps not quiteso bleak, not completely hopeless, it’s going to tough to get excited about much of anything this fall. The Dolphins had one of those bottom-dwelling seasons last year, winning only once. And even though they lost today, to the Jets in Miami, they put up a fight, and were in the game in the fourth quarter. I’m not expecting a quick return to glory, but maybe they’ll at least play respectably this year. In any event, it’s the first weekend of the football season, and I have nothing to look forward to, either from the Orange or the Aqua and Orange.

By way of contrast, the Sox have left us with high hopes for the next two months. They’re playing as well now as they have all year, having won another road series. Most importantly, Josh Beckett had a strong outing on Friday night in Texas. With a healthy Beckett, the top three starters give Boston the deepest pitching they’ve ever brought into the pennant race, or the post-season, even without Curt Schilling. They’ll miss Schill’s big game performances, but Beckett, Lester and Dice-K give the Sox a great rotation. (Props for Byrd, who had another great outing today.) Plus, Lowell had a big game on Friday, coming off the DL; Youk and Pedroia remain hot; and even the bottom of the lineup is contributing of late. I don’t want to get ahead of ourselves here, because we have six more games with the Rays, and seven with the Jays (who are playing the spoiler right now, beating everyone in the AL East). So the next two weeks will tell us whether the Sox are playing in October. But my point is that, at least for baseball, there’s something to look forward to. A reason to read the sports page every morning, for the time being at least. I doubt, however, that I’ll rush to read much of anything, come November. Well, maybe the Herald, because by then, the Celtics will be playing again. Still, it will be a weird fall without a football team to root for.

Manny Moves Up- No. 20 with a Bullet

Manny just passed another milestone; he’s over 1700 career RBIs. Perhaps within the week, certainly by the end of the season, he will be in the top 20 all time in that category. And as I’ve had occasion to point out in many previous postings, he’s managed to reach that lofty number in only fifteen seasons. If you look above him in the all-time listing, only three of the top twenty reached that plateau in fewer than twenty seasons.

Now let’s look forward, and assume Manny plays another five seasons, during which he stays productive. His tenure on the West Coast has shown that he can still hit; he’s knocking in runs at a remarkable pace for the Dodgers, even if they aren’t gaining much ground in the lame NL West. So can he drive in another 500 runs in the next five years? Not unthinkable. If so, he’ll be right there with Ruth, and maybe even Aaron, contending for the all-time career RBI record. I know Manny likes to act as if he doesn’t care, but we know that’s mostly an act (OK, perhaps sometimes it’s a conniption); and I think if that goal is in sight, he’ll stick around until it’s accomplished.

Only problem is, where does an aging slugger best fit? In the AL, at the DH. And who has enough money to pay Manny what he’ll want after this year? I hesitate to answer my own question. Now maybe the Angels could afford Manny, but they already have an aging slugger in the outfield, one who is prone to make gaffs, and who will probably end up at the DH spot. So that leaves only one team. I shudder at the thought of Manny wearing pinstripes. I’ve always hated Boggs, ever since he sold out, and road that horse around Yankee stadium. I know he’s wearing his Boston cap in the Hall of Fame, but I never would have voted for him. He disappeared in the 1986 post-season, and seemed to hit best when it really didn’t count. Still, I might have voted for him, even with his horse and his addiction, had he not gone over to the dark side. Damon is another one. We use Damon’s shirts as rags in the barbeque pit, mostly to clean up grease and bird poop, but I can accept his defection more easily than Boggs’, because the current clean-cut Damon bears almost no resemblance to the colorful guy who knocked in six runs in my favorite game seven of all time. This guy playing for the Steinbrenners, and smiling his goofy smile without any whiskers or hair to speak of, he can’t really be that free-spirited Johnny Damon, can he?

But Manny in pinstripes? How can the Nation possibly deal with that? And now that I think of it, how will the haters deal with that? They’ve always talked shit on Manny, relentlessly, interminably, tediously, but what will they say when he takes aim at that short left field foul pole? Will haters have to eat their words? That just might be more fun to watch than a dinner at Keen’s. On the other hand, maybe the Mets will sign him, and he can join Pedro and Santana, and still get to play near Washington Heights. For now though, give Manny his due for another big season at the plate.

Respect for Pedroia, but Pray for Beckett

It’s September already. The Sox are coming off their best month of the year, but having dug themselves a hole in the middle of the season, they’re trailing the Rays by a pretty wide margin, and find themselves in a battle for the AL wild card. They’ll have to play well from here on, and even then, everything depends on Josh Beckett’s elbow. Because a wild card berth won’t mean much without a healthy Beckett, especially if they have to play on the road against LA or Tampa.

With a banged up lineup, different guys have stepped up all year long. In June, it was Drew, who put on a pretty good show imitating Papi, who was then on the DL with an injured wrist. Then for a while it was Youk, who may have been the most consistent performer all year -- this year’s version of Mike Lowell, knocking in more runs than ever before, playing almost flawless at first, and then filling in at third, when Lowell did his turn on the DL. Lowrie at times was hot; Bay had a great month after the big trade.

Of late though, it’s been Dustin Pedroia, who amazingly is the subject of MVP gossip in the sports pages these days. As we entered tonight’s game, Pedroia led the American League in batting average, hits and runs. He’s tied for third in doubles. He’s struck out only 47 times this year, on average once for every twelve at bats. And as the season wears on, he’s only getting better. In July he batted .350; then in August, he upped that to .374, with twenty RBIs; plus, he scored thirty-three runs. Tito has him batting cleanup again tonight. Can you imagine? A guy standing five foot five, batting cleanup in place of Manny! Of course, he hit that grand slam against the Yankees, in New York, and twice against the White Sox over the Labor day weekend, he had four hits in a game. Tonight, in Fenway against the Orioles, he’s already knocked in four runs. Talk about stepping up.

Lester went only five innings tonight, because he walked a bunch of guys. He and Dice-K are anchoring the rotation, but we don’t usually get seven or eight innings from them. So it still comes down to Beckett. Even with Lowell returning to the lineup; even with Jason Bay filling in admirably in left. Even with Pedroia leading the league in hitting; everything still depends on Beckett. So if you’re religious, pray for a healthy return to the line-up. If you’re not, how about calling Dr. Morgan, and seeing what he can do? Either way, it may be time for a miracle.

(A post-script: I was about to post, until I noticed that we had the bases loaded, with Ross on second, and VanEvery on third. Who are these guys? And what are they doing on second and third? Answer: nothing much, because Coco just grounded into a double play. Big surprise there.)