Editor’s Note: This article was originally written on October 24, 2007. It is being republished because I forgot to write an original one for today. At least I’m honest …
Ran a live web blog feature during Game 1 of the World Series, unfortunately, I only made it through six innings.
7:31pm – Super excited for tonight’s game one. Read all the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and Rocky Mountain News articles related to the Fall Classic throughout the day. I honestly feel the team that wins game one takes the series. I don’t think Boston can psychologically recover in time if Colorado can beat Beckett out of the gates. The Sox need to win and kill this “team of destiny” vibe in the Mountain Tme Zone. Maybe it isn’t that simple, but just for the record, I’ll pick the Sox in six.
8:04pm – This is so weird, ever since Boston won the World Series, they lost their “lovable underdog” status. It has peaked in this World Series; it seems all neutral fans hate the Sox and love the Rox this October. Boston is the greedy, overhyped favorite, and Colorado the scrappy, playing-for-the-love-of-the-game fan favorite. I guess I’m just not used to Boston playing the “Yankees role,”
8:08pm – Did anyone else hear Kevin Kennedy go on a 2 minute monologue about the tricky dimensions of Fenway in response to being asked about the Rockies long layoff? Also, Eric Brynes is slighty above slighty entertaining and honest, but mostly loud and obnoxious.
8:15pm – Is Colorado the first team to ever hit their DH in the 9 spot? Just curious …
8:16pm – YOUR 2007 AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONS BOSTON RED SOX … (awesome)
8:17pm – You can tell the cheapest tickets for Fenway Park were $850 a pop, meaning no real fans could afford to go to the game. That was the softest “Youuuuuk” I’ve ever heard during pre-game introductions. Corporate America has killed the home field advantage. Thank you.
8:27pm – Game time. Boston.com has a moderated chat for Red Sox fans only. Glad to know I am not the only one watching the game from home alone and desperate for human interaction. Go me.
Inning 1 – Dustin Freaking Pedroia
8:37pm – First pitch. Fans can’t even sustain a “Let’s Go Red Sox” chant. Great. Taveras is up first, Imagine Sports simulations picked him as the most unlikely player to have a breakout series. Beckett K’d him looking to start the game.
8:39pm – If Kaz Matsui has a big series, he could collectively break the hearts of all Red Sox and Mets fans, therefore making him the biggest hero in the Evil Empire. The baseball gods sometimes have a sense of humor with these kinds of things. 10% of the fans stood and cheered Beckett’s 2 strike pitch, the rest sipped their vintage merlot in anticipation.
8:42pm – McCarver announces the generic keys to the game. Joe Buck makes sure to note they are the MASTERCARD keys to the game. Thank goodness there is only ONE October…
8:44pm – Josh Beckett is on pace for 27 strikeouts.
8:45pm – I am really looking forward to seeing David Ortiz bat. Rumors are circulating he took another cortisone shot before this series; it is safe to confirm or deny that after seeing his stance. If Papi is crouched over, his knee is feeling no pain. If he is standing straight up and swinging with only his arms, instead of using his lower body, he is hurting. His first stance could really affect my confidence in this series.
8:47pm – Mighty Mouse hits one into the Monster seats, 1-0 Red Sox. The fans collectively wake up.
8:49pm – Maybe I’ve been over-rating the Rox and under-rating the Sox? Youk doubles.
8:50pm – David Ortiz is hurting. Badly. There is NO OTHER REASON he would be trying to bunt. The Red Sox organization does not believing in giving up outs, they HATE bunting. He is swinging with only his arms, he is hurting bad. I hope they sit him during the Colorado games, given how Youk is swinging the bat. He was able to advance Youk on a weak grounder to 1st.
8:52pm – If Manny needs to take off every September with some injury to hit like this in October, I think the Sox should be very, very supportive. Singles to left, 2-0 Sox.
8:54pm – Lowell just got robbed of a walk and FoxTrax proved it! I hate Fox Trax, I think it is the most inaccurate “strike detector” technology of all the networks. I just wanted to add that. Thanks for listening.
8:57pm – If Jason Varitek is not remembered in history as a Johnny Bench type competitor and player, he will not be accurately protrayed. You realize the Sox gave $40 to a mid-30s catcher who can’t hit and nobody has EVER criticized it? He is invaluable to this ballclub, If the Red Sox are starting a mini dynasty here, it will end when Jason Varitek is no longer behind the plate. I wonder what Heathcliff Slocumb is doing these days? Oh by the way, the catcher who can’t hit I just described singled. Here comes the $14 million dollar grand slam (copyright to Bill Simmons)
9:00pm – JD Drew in the clutch? Again? I’m so confused right now. Douible to RF scores Ramirez!
9:01pm – My buddy Brinder just called for no reason other than to annoy me during a World Series game. I hate that.
9:02pm I wonder why TIto shook up the lineup, batting Drew after Tek and Jacoby after Lugo – that seems a little out of character for the normally stubborn Francona. Amazing defensive play by Colorado. Inning over.
Inning 2 – Creaky Kneed Ortiz
9:06pm – I wonder why more media hasn’t made a big deal out of the whole Todd Helton to the Red Sox deal that fell through because Boston wouldn’t include Manny Delcarmen? I mean seriously, the odds are VERY high that Delcarmen will face Helton at some point in this series, and NOBODY has addressed that angle? Strange.
9:07pm – Beckett may still get 27 strikeouts, but he won’t get a no hitter. Garrett Atkins doubles.
9:10pm – 5 outs. 5 strikeouts. And 1 horrible pun involving Hawpe and Hop by McCarver.
9:11pm – My pre-season pick for Rookie of the Year doubles to score a run for the Rockies. Sorry, I’m pissed and had to do something to make myself feel better. Bragging about Tulowitski didn’t really help, in retrospect.
9:12pm – P.S. Beckett won’t get 27 strikeouts either. So much for history in the making.
9:13pm – “I’ll take the escalator.” Funniest commercial that hasn’t gotten old during the playoffs. Seriously, compare that commercial the GPS-loving weirdo, Dane Cook reminding us there is only one October, and “This is ourrrrrrr country.” I think Dane Cook is the baseball gods way of reminding me NEVER, EVER to write an article defending September baseball. After all, THERE IS ONLY ONE OCTOBER!
9:17pm – I love Jacoby Ellsbury. I fell for him in Spring Training and followed his career through AA, AAA, and attended his first game in the Show this year. However, unless Coco is hurting, I don’t think he should have started this game (against a LH starter) over Crisp. Just my opinion.
9:18pm – This is quickly becoming the anti-first inning. Francis has a history of settling in after the first; be prepared for a tight battle from here on out. I am scared the way Colorado hit Beckett in the second inning.
9:20pm – In honor of Jeff Francis, I want to remind all Pittsburgh readers the Penguins are on TV tonight.
9:21pm – It now hurts me to watch Big Papi swing. And I want a hamburger.
9:25pm – However, he is still a better hitter than 90% of the league with only one knee. Double to CF scores Youk, 4-0 Boston.
9:28pm – I have to feel that 4 runs is enough for Beckett. Just saying ..
Inning 3 – Nothing happened, but it still counted.
9:33pm – Manny – LF Gold Glove 2007. I’m kidding, but he did just make an amazing catch.
9:34pm – Not that Beckett hasn’t been nearless flawless, but he is throwing many more first pitch balls compared to his previous starts. A high pitch count isn’t good for a team whose bullpen involves Eric Gagne.
9:35pm – 1-2-3 inning nonetheless.
9:38pm – Joe Buck makes more jokes that nobody understands. Tim McCarver adds a half-assed laugh to break up the akward silence.
9:40pm – Joe Buck comments on Chris Myers weather report, I think he was trying to be funny.
9:41pm – If you missed the third inning, as of right now, you haven’t missed a f’n thing. It sucks so bad, they are showing highlights from last inning to keep people watching.
9:42pm – Lugo bunts for a base hit. Here comes Jacoby. At least we’ll start next inning at the top of the lineup.
9:44pm – STOP THROWING TO FIRST. LUGO’S LEAD IS LESS THAN PEDROIA’S HEIGHT.
9:45pm – Ellsbury makes an out after Buck talks about how successful Ellsbury has been versus left-handed pitchers. Perfect.
Inning 4 – Manny being Manny, Tek being Tek
9:53pm – Just had an extended conversion with my future father-in-law regarding rain-out rules in the postseason. I know in the regular season you need to go 5 innings to make a game official, but do those same rules apply in the playoffs? It was his question and I honestly have no idea. With the rains increasing at Fenway, it may become a very relevant question.
9:54pm – 7 K’s through 4. Josh Beckett is rediculous.
9:57pm – Just in case my future father-in-law reads this blog, I want to let you know that you are a man, no matter what Taco Bell says, even though you own a lap dog. I don’t even care what you get on your Nacho el Grande.
9:59pm – The AL ROY grounds out to the NL ROY.
10:01pm – If this game ends 4-1, this may be the most uninteresting diary ever.
10:02pm – 82 pitches for Francis, we may soon get to see the best bullpen in the NL. Hopefully he is right-handed, so Jacoby can actually swing the bat.
10:03pm – Ortiz swings his hands inside out and singles again. Let me restate my opinion on a one-kneed Ortiz. He can hit singles and doubles with one knee. He just needs both to hit the homeruns that have made him the Greatest Clutch Hitter in the History of the Boston Red Sox.
10:04pm – The rain has let up. Thats good news for Sox fans. Another low strike called to Manny, he isn’t exactly happy about it.
10:05pm – Tim McCarver describes Fenway Park as a national treasure. All fans who ever attended a game there (present company included) nods approvingly.
10:07pm – Manny hits a double and Ortiz is the only guy in the lineup who couldn’t score from first. I really hope the Sox win the first two games so they can rest him during the Colorado games. Another note: Has any hitter been more locked in during a postseason run than Manny in 2007? Seriously, show me some stats, anything, he has been AMAZING.
10:10pm – The Bullpen Band always makes me smile. Thanks for taking off some of the tension, Fox. I needed that!
10:11pm – Mr. Captain of the Red Sox Nation, Please blow this game wide open with a hit. Thanks, The Nation.
10:12pm – Ground Rule Double by Mr. Red Sox scores two – What are the odds the 14 million dollar grand slam can come through in the clutch twice in one game? 6-1 Sox
10:13pm – With Lowell on 3rd and Tek on 2nd, Drew strikes out. Thanks for showing up JD.
Inning 5 – It’s O-vah
10:17pm – I am amazed by Josh Beckett. Maybe I am too young to remember great performances in postseason history, but honestly, he is on a level right now I have never seen by any pitcher ever. That includes the 1999 Pedro which, at the time, I thought would never be topped. It is so special to watch and know that what you are seeing will be talked about in the history books for years to come. 8 strikeouts for Beckett.
10:20pm – Tim McCarver looks for his thesaurus as Joe Buck wants a different word to use to describe Beckett other than “dominant.”
10:22pm – 2 potential strike threes get called for balls as the most inconsistent home plate umpire in post-season history continues to befuddle pitchers and hitters alike. Beckett has 24 strikeouts this postseason, that was only his 2nd walk. It is highly unprobable he missed on either of those pitches
10:24pm – Beckett gets bored and allows a hitter to fly out instead of strike out. End of inning.
10:24pm – Beowolf? Seriously? A cartoon movie that isn’t targeted for the elementary crowd? A cartoon movie with sexual tension and a Angelina Jolie look-alike as a main character? What the hell is happening to this country … If we can find sexual satisfaction in cartoons, we might as well replace Dilbert with Anime on the Sunday comics and call ourselves Japanese …
10:25pm – No offense Dice-K or Okie. Or Kristy.
10:29pm – This is the first time that Jacoby has really been counted on to start or kill a rally. Lugo hit a single up the middle, and now Ellsbury is up, against a left-hander, with a chance to make a difference. I’d like to see a bunt
10:30 – Well that didn’t work, bunt ground-out in the form of a fielder’s choice. Hopefully Jacoby can steal a base and Dustin will hit him in. Or at least I’ll get a free taco.
10:32 – According to Tim McCarver, the move of Morales will keep me from getting a free taco. The home plate umpire just called his move a balk. I still want a taco. McCarver confirms we don’t even get gaucomole with a balk – thanks for that.
10:36: YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUK. 7-1. Creaky Kneed Ortiz up to bat.
10:38pm – Ortiz somehow hits another double only using his hands, he has become the Ichiro Suzuki of this lineup with only one knee. 8-1 Sox, amazing! The crowd puts down their Blackberry for a moment and tries to start a “Manny, Manny” chant. It fails. Finish your caviar.
10:40pm: Tomorrow’s game on Fox advertised at 8pm, don’t expect a first pitch before 8:45
10:41pm – Manny is to postseason hitting what Beckett is to postseason pitching this October. Seriously, prove to me one documented case of one pitcher and one hitter being more dominant than Beckett and Manny in 2007? Unbelieveable. 9-1 Sox
10:43pm – Red Sox MVP Mike Lowell hits a double. Ties a MLB postseason record for extra base hits. Jason can put a nail in the coffin here.
10:44pm – Tek Walks.
10:45pm – The 14 million dollar grand slam comes up for the second time this game with the bases loaded
10:48pm – I admit, I saw the hit and thought “ground out, how fitting.” Ends up being an RBI single for Drew, Lugo up and a new pitcher coming for Colorado. I am starting to believe, if Schilling can win tomorrow, the Sox have a chance to sweep. Can you imagine Jon Lester, the cancer survivor, winning Game 4 for Boston? Wow …
10:56pm – Seriously? This is the BEST TEAM in the National League? 12-1 Sox after two back-to-back bases loaded walks. Dustin is up now, and this can start getting ugly with one base hit.
10:58pm – 3 straight. 13-1 and the hottest hitter on the Red Sox roster coming up. Pitching change. There is no adjective to describe how happy I am right now.
11:03pm – Inning ends after Red Sox tie record for most runs ever in a World Series game. I’d say I couldn’t be any happier, but I know I get to watch Beckett pitch the next half inning, so that would be a lie.
Inning 6 – First Time for Everything
Well at 13-1, I feel comfortable going to be bed, but unfortunately, I committed to doing a game blog, so I feel an obligation to stay active until the game is over. Also, I’ve never fallen alseep during a Red Sox playoff game. Ever. I think the “will i blog until the game is over” debate has become more interesting than the “will the red sox win” debate
11:06 – I am hoping this is Beckett’s last inning, just in case we need him for Game 4. You never know what can happen with Schilling on the mound, and then two games in Colorado. I would err on the side of caution and make this his last inning.
11:07 – Kaz tries to channel all the hatred of the Yankee’s Evil Empire to start a rally by hustling out an infield single. So-called MVP candidate (Jimmy Rollins should be the MVP) Matt Holliday grounds in to a double play before I can finish this entry.
11:09 – Inning over.
11:13 – Namsake of the Bill Simmons Reggie Cleveland All-Stars is the winner of the trivia question, name the first Canadian pitcher to start a World Series game?
11:15pm – I may be done for the night after Fox played Sounds of the Game to promote Taco Bell’s promotion for a free taco for each stolen base.
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