In a season in which I’ve been to more Red Sox games than any other, last night I officially lay the 2012 Red Sox to rest. Sure, at 15.5 games back in the AL East the Red Sox have been over and done with for some time now. Bet despite my grief, I needed closure. It felt very much like a funeral as I walked through the Yawkey Way entrance.
I can vividly remember buying a ticket package last January. I specifically chose the package that I did because it included a Yankees vs Red Sox game on September 11th – a late season game bound to have playoff implications. Instead I watched a decimated Red Sox team trying their best to play spoiler. As my girlfriend scanned the starting line-up on the centerfield scoreboard, unprovoked she stated, “I only recognize two names up there.” Whether you’re a Red Sox fan or not, almost everyone in Boston (except Mayor Menino) has gotten used to rattling off names like Papelbon, Big Papi, Beckett, A-Gone, Youk, and Pedroia. Instead last night’s lineup was filled with Loney, Lavarnway, Kalish, and Ciriaco. Only the names of Ellsbury and Pedroia resonated with the casual fan.
The game itself was bittersweet, for several reasons. Sweet in the sense that Jacoby Ellsbury had a walk-off single, one which would drop the Yankees back into a tie for the AL East lead with the Orioles. As much as I want to root hard for the Yankees to somehow fade and miss the playoffs, it just ain’t happening – the rest of their schedule is brutally easy and mostly at home. It was also sweet to see Dustin Pedroia hit a home run to tie the game after the Sox found themselves down 3-2. Pedroia and Ellsbury absolutely have to stay – I just hope that Ellsbury wants to, and Scott Boras doesn’t play spoiler.
Fenway was stuffed to the max, which frankly was surprising to me. I guess the Fenway faithful will always get up for Red Sox vs Yankees, regardless of how poorly the hometown team is playing. I managed to find seats in the second row directly behind the Sox dugout, and it was more of the same – sloshed 60-year-old businessmen sitting in front of us, similarly sloshed 22-year-old college kids from Boston and Philadelphia sitting behind us and heckling Yankees first baseman Nick Swisher to no end. Swisher, to his credit, was a good sport and went back and forth with people in the stands on several occasions. He clearly has some “idiot” in him, and I couldn’t help but wonder if he’ll end up in Boston next season. On the Red Sox side Jacoby Ellsbury was one of the few to acknowledge the fans as he ran into the dugout each inning.
While the house was packed and the game was tight, there’s no doubt that the Red Sox lineup was missing many of the old personalities that’s made this rivalry great in recent years. The electricity that you’d expect in any Yankees vs Red Sox series, let alone a September series, just wasn’t there. Bobby Valentine seemed to trudge out to the mound as he pulled Lester from the game, and it felt very much like the good times had passed the team by.
Realistically, it might take 2 or 3 seasons for the Red Sox to truly emerge as a contender once again. And while there’s no doubt that Red Sox fans will continue to head to Fenway in droves, it won’t truly be the Fenway I’ve come to love until the electricity is back in the air.
For now we have the Patriots – New England is now solely focused on you, Mr. Brady. Go get ‘em.
I thought I had complete satisfaction with the Red Sox after last years September collapse, but this year was so so much better. As a Yankee fan I honestly dont know if I could have scripted the past year for the red sox any better, maybe a Pedrioa PED report or Ortiz finally giving up his “relentless” search to find out who lied about his PED use and admitting what everyone outside of boston knows would have made it better
I agree that it is going to take a few years for the Red Sox to get back to where they want to be, but it had to be done. The group of players that was assembled had so much bad “karma” that they would not have been able to get out of it. It will be very interesting to watch how they put together a new team now that they have been given a second chance.
I wouldnt be so quick to write the yankees into the playoffs. They have been playing like crap and banged up for over a month now. They probably will get in as either the division winner or one of those wild cards, but I dont know if I would really count losing that wild card game as really being in the playoffs.
Tell Mr. Brady that Eli says “Hiya Pal!”
Mr Brady will eat Eli alive now that he appears to have a defense. As for the Yankees, they definitely looked sloppy in the loss last night. Cano dropped a tough overhead pop-up in shallow right field. Swisher fielded a ball at first base and no one was covering the bag. But with two series against Boston, 2 against Toronto, and one against Minnesota including 4 series at home I think they’ll be just fine. And with the injured guys coming back, they’ll get even better. That said, I was definitely more scared about the Yankees winning the World Series last year. They certainly could this year, but I thought they had a better chance in 2011.
I really have no feel for the team right now, when healthy they were the best team in baseball, but injuries are part of the game. As guys come back are they fully healthy, can they get back to full form quick? Who knows.
There is also talk of Sabathia still being hurt, if he is hurt we have no chance.
I put both of those sloppy plays on Swisher, who is not an every day 1b. He should have let cano field the grounder and cover first and he crowded Cano on what was a difficult catch to begin with. The Yankees miss Teixeira’s glove more then they miss his bat.
Also, I like the title of the article, very clever.
Why thank you sir.