Bob Ryan Wraps It Up



Though it is probably time to move onto more pressing matters, like whether or not Tracy Murray retires, Bob Ryan's column in today's Globe was so good, Mike Francesca recited the whole thing out loud on the air this afternoon. I'm not sure which was more impressive, Ryan's piece or that Francesca can read.

Eleven days ago, baseball life as we know it changed. Why? Who knows? It just did. Emerging from a 3-0 abyss in the American League Championship Series, the Red Sox rolled off eight straight wins. Three outs -- make that three Mariano Rivera outs -- away from a humiliating sweep by the Evil Empire, the Boston Red Sox have put together the most devastating run in the history of postseason baseball, winning the last four games against the Yankees, then dispatching the St. Louis Cardinals in an official World Series sweep, the capper being last night's 3-0 triumph before 52,037 heartbroken fans at Busch Stadium.

This is about winning Game 1 of a World Series with a home run off a foul pole struck by a player who, if plebiscite managing were in vogue, would have been dropped from the lineup three games earlier. This is about winning Game 2 of a World Series when a very expensive, swaggering, big-talking, 37-year-old pitcher does the very thing he said he had come here to do, and he does it on an ankle that needs significant surgical repair. This is about winning Game 3 of a World Series when the gifted 33-year-old diva of a mound ace submits his best performance in a month in what may have been his Red Sox farewell.

Finally, this is about Derek Lowe out-Curting Curt and out-Pedroing Pedro with a spectacular seven-inning display of pitching. This is about Johnny Damon leading off the ballgame with a home run into the St. Louis bullpen, making it the fifth straight game the Red Sox scored in the first inning. This is about Trot Nixon hitting three doubles and knocking in two runs. This is about becoming only the fourth team in major league history to win a World Series without ever trailing.

This is about an eccentric billionaire owner, a precocious general manager, and a computer-toting manager working together to build on a team left behind by a Massachusetts-born pure fan who had stocked the cupboard with stars, including the Series MVP. The starting lineup in this biggest of all games featured four Dan Duquettes, four Theo Epsteins, and one Lou Gorman. I like that.

What a sweet ride it was. Has any team ever sent its followers on such a manic (sweeping the Angels), depressive (losing those first three to the Yankees), euphoric (each and every one of the last eight games) postseason journey? It's not possible.

So there it is. No more crying, hear? No more whining, hear? No more "Whys?" The Boston Red Sox are champions of the world.

There is only one thing left to say.

"Go Cubbies!"

Ryan's point about the composition of the team is a good one. While Theo Epstein deserves tremendous credit for Boston's success, Martinez, Ramirez and Varitek were all acquired on Dan Duquette's watch.

Posted: Thu - October 28, 2004 at 07:08 PM      

©