Boston Red Sox!?! (Orono: beach, vacations, golf)

[ogre]

I'm getting an uineasy vibe about this series. It's not tonight's game especially. Of course you'd prefer to have your team sweep a playoff series and get it done with, but realistically, the team that wins the series will usually lose at least a game in the series, often two or three. That's why each round of the playoffs is a series, and they don't let everything ride on one game.

What has me concerned is still the last game. Of course there's no way to know who would have broken the tie first, if the Sox hadn't handed the Indians a win by using Gagne, but these two teams are looking very closely matched. I'm getting the uneasy feeling that you can't just throw away a good chance to win a game like that and expect to have a lot of room to make it up when you have a tight matchup like this. I'm hoping Francona's decision to bring in Gagne in that situation (I still almost wonder whether he's not being paid off to throw this series) doesn't turn out to be this year's equivalent of Grady Little's decision to leave Pedro in an inning too long.

Well, time to draw on every superstitious good-luck charm any of us has. (You're right, Molly. Why is it that this team is the one thing that can bring out the superstition in otherwise rational folks?) Hang in there and hope!

[bigchuckie]

They are done You could see it on their faces Sat. Dice K pitched ok but not great too many pitches in too few innings. I shut it off after the 2nd inning. Bases loaded and no outs and no runs I could tell it was gonna be an ugly night to be a Sox fan. So I just shut it off and listened to MNF instead

[ogre]

Yesterday I kept thinking about the results of Tuesday night's game, and finding that in my head I was hearing a few lines from Gordon Lightfoot's old song, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. The lines that kept repeating themselves in my head were the ones, after the onrushing water has caved in the main hatchway, when the cook says, "Fellas it's been good to know ya." Yes, the current dire situation left me all day yesterday thinking of sinking ship metaphors--those lines from that song, or the band playing Nearer My God to Thee, or an image of the captain stepping out of the wheelhouse to address the crew one final time before the ship goes under.

I wonder how others feel. The funny thing about my feelings is that I went through that awful sinking-ship sense of disappointment yesterday, but now I already find myself feeling resigned to the expectation that they're going to lose, and beginning to move on psychologically. Of course the only problem is that they still have to play the rest of the series, however brief or drawn out a time that will be. If they happen to win a game or two, or even if they get a lead in tonight's game, or keep the game close, that's certain to start up some little stirring of hope all over again, which will most likely just lead to further disappointment, since they're unlikely to come back all the way in this series.

Life ain't easy when you live it as a Sox fan. At least we've had '04.

[twistedsista1]

I have that same sinking feeling...and they've been playing like they have it too. Seems like they fizzled when the MFY passion died. Odd.

[Zymer]

Originally Posted by ogre

Yesterday I kept thinking about the results of Tuesday night's game, and finding that in my head I was hearing a few lines from Gordon Lightfoot's old song, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. The lines that kept repeating themselves in my head were the ones, after the onrushing water has caved in the main hatchway, when the cook says, "Fellas it's been good to know ya."

" When supper time came the old cook came on deck
Saying fellows it's too rough to feed ya
At 7PM a main hatchway caved in
He said fellas it's been good to know ya."

Haven't heard that one in a long time. Used to listen to it when I was stationed at Ft. Sill, OK, in a bar in Lawton called the "Blue Mule".

"The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call Gitchee Gumee
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy."

[Bydand]

Ah yes, November 10, 1975. I was living up in that area when the Fitz went down. What a beautiful ship it was, what a crappy night it was as well.

Will there be that sinking feeling here as well? Who knows, but it didn't look like it last night anyway. Boston played good ball, and didn't appear to choke.

[mollysmiles]

great song....sad event......


I have a theory.... I think that "sinking", foreboding feeling is actually a deeply rooted self-preservation characteristic....deeply ingrained in the armor of any long-time, die-hard Red Sox fan. Also ogre, you have been blessed with yet another one of those characteristics that I don't yet possess, yet I admire you for having.....the analytical breakdown of all that could possibly go wrong, done before the game, carefully factoring in pitching, swing style, timing, injuries, explosive managers and players, and field conditions--the breakdown occurs for not only the Red Sox, but for the opposing team

And Red Sox fans must do this....it doesn't mean we love our team less, it doesn't mean we're less dedicated, it just means that we are fully and completely understanding of all that may go wrong....it shows that despite our love for the Red Sox on the long dry run for years, we truly are logical!

That being said, if you are not a die-hard, long-suffering, dedicated Red Sox fan, do NOT even attempt to do this....not because you will not be correct in your analysis, but simply because we do not allow others to speak ill of our team---EVER.....it is a right to be EARNED after many disappointments, heartbreak, and yes, tears.

so, we're back in Boston tomorrow night

[ogre]

Originally Posted by Bydand

Ah yes, November 10, 1975. I was living up in that area when the Fitz went down. What a beautiful ship it was, what a crappy night it was as well.

Will there be that sinking feeling here as well? Who knows, but it didn't look like it last night anyway. Boston played good ball, and didn't appear to choke.

This isn't the time to get overly optimistic. Boston also played good ball--better than Cleveland did--in the first game, then proceeded to lose three in a row. They've still got to show they can win in this series with someone other than Beckett as the starting pitcher. I'm afraid it's quite possible that last night's win means the Sox are only prolonging the torture.

A couple of people have said they've looked defeated in the last couple of games (before last night). I don't know. I'm not sure I see that. This team isn't the exuberant Idiots of '04. These guys are more professional and businesslike. Sure, there are individuals with some personality, so it's still an appealing team, but collectively they seem a lot more than the '04 team like a bunch of guys just going to work each night, and not getting really up or really down about what happens in one game. That's a different kind of low-key demeanor than looking dejected and defeated.

[ogre]

Originally Posted by mollysmiles

great song....sad event......


I have a theory.... I think that "sinking", foreboding feeling is actually a deeply rooted self-preservation characteristic....deeply ingrained in the armor of any long-time, die-hard Red Sox fan. Also ogre, you have been blessed with yet another one of those characteristics that I don't yet possess, yet I admire you for having.....the analytical breakdown of all that could possibly go wrong, done before the game, carefully factoring in pitching, swing style, timing, injuries, explosive managers and players, and field conditions--the breakdown occurs for not only the Red Sox, but for the opposing team

And Red Sox fans must do this....it doesn't mean we love our team less, it doesn't mean we're less dedicated, it just means that we are fully and completely understanding of all that may go wrong....it shows that despite our love for the Red Sox on the long dry run for years, we truly are logical!

That being said, if you are not a die-hard, long-suffering, dedicated Red Sox fan, do NOT even attempt to do this....not because you will not be correct in your analysis, but simply because we do not allow others to speak ill of our team---EVER.....it is a right to be EARNED after many disappointments, heartbreak, and yes, tears.

so, we're back in Boston tomorrow night

Molly, time to lay on lots of rep--unofficially, since it's way too soon after the last time they finally let me rep you again for them to let me give you any official rep yet again. This is an excellent description of what being a Sox fan is all about--and what a hard won privilege it is to speak candidly of their shortcomings.

Great minds think alike! I had been thinking about maybe making a post about that very theory of yours, about how the logical assessment of the Sox and their opponents, and why the Sox could lose, is at least partly a defense mechanism. I've been thinking of this in terms of the occasional talk on this thread about jinxing them if you get too optimistic. Now, it's true that there's something about being a fan of that team that can bring out the superstitious side in even the most rational person, and can lead to rituals like sleeping in your Sox shirt, etc., but what I think we Sox fans really are concerned about, when we say we don't want to jinx the team with too much optimistic talk, is making sure we don't jinx ourselves, by setting ourselves up for the disappontment we know from long, unfortunate experience is most likely going to come. If you get all worked up over the idea that they're certainly going to win, it's that much more bitter when it all falls apart. Keep reminding yourself of everything that could go wrong, and you're already halfway to being able to deal with the inevitable disappointment when it does arrive.

It's not that I really believe in jinxes or anything. Not really. I mean, really I don't believe in that kind of thing. Not at all. Not the least little bit. Really!

[Bydand]

I agree ogre. It is different acting team without a doubt. And I tried to send to rep over to Molly as well and it said I had to spread it around a bit.