Thursday, October 21, 2004

Can I Breath Again?

Celeste is in a growth spurt, I think; she was up a lot between 1:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. last night, so I'm a bit wiped out, but I have to say: THE RED SOX WON THE PENNANT!

I haven't said anything about the ACLS for fear of jinxing things. I tend to be a little superstitious anyway, but when it comes to baseball mojo there are many, many rules that must be followed.

Last year, it was the old beaten up ball that I had as a gris-gris, this year it was the rally cap. Honkey Cracker explains:
the Rally Cap is a device employed by losing baseball teams all around the world. The players turn their hats inside out and put them back on their heads. This is supposed to be good luck or something.... I don't know.
Well, let me tell you: Do not taunt the rally cap. The rally cap is the gris-gris needed to win; it is the juju that guards against curses.

After Game 3, I was down, but committed to watching the rest of the series. As the Beloved BoSox clawed their back in the 5th and then saw their lead disappear in the 6th, I turned my hat inside-out. And it stayed that way until just after midnight this morning. The way I saw it, being in the hole 3–0 for the ACLS, the rest of the series was all one big rally — a never before seen four-game rally — and last night the rally cap paid off in spades.

That was part of the beauty of this ACLS: It had the lowest of lows and the most dramatic of comebacks. Karma was flowing freely, finally giving those who were long, long, long overdue what they'd rightfully earned. And it was about redemption.

The night of Game 5, I kept finding a single tune running through my head: Bob Marley's "Redemption Song".
Old pirates yes they rob I
Sold I to the merchant ships
Minutes after they'd took I from the bottomless pit
But my hand was made strong
By the hand of the almighty
We forward in this generation
Triumphantly

Won't you help to sing
These songs of freedom
Cause all I ever had
Redemption songs, redemption songs

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our minds
Have no fear for atomic energy
Cause none of them can stop the time
How long shall they kill our prophets
While we stand aside and look
Some say it's just a part of it
We've got to fulfill the book

Won't you help to sing
These songs of freedom
Cause all I ever had
Redemption songs, redemption songs, redemption songs
It seems apt, in so many ways; after Game 3, this team needed redemption and it came with the expected bat of Señor Octubre David Ortiz and the unexpected bat of Mark Bellhorn, and, last night, with the much-too-quiet-of-late bat of Johnny Damon. It also came with the literally stitched together ankle of Curt Shilling, the back-to-back-to-back appearances by Keith Foulke, and — never to be forgotten — the arm of Derek Lowe, who had long been given up for dead. Adding to it all were the acrobatics of Bill Mueller, Orlando Cabrera, Doug Mientkiewicz, and Trot Nixon; the speed of Dave Roberts; solid performances from Kevin Millar, Jason Varitek, and Manny Ramírez; and clutch appearances by everyone in the bullpen, even Pedro (who had me sweating when he came out last night).

For Game 7, "Redemption Song" found itself alternating in my mind with "Tessie" (mostly the Dropkick Murphys' version, but sometimes the original, too). I guess that's a sign of the calmness that overtook me for the end of this series. Now, unbelievably, there is more baseball to play. I stopped breathing a few times at the end of Game 6; I'm not sure how I'll make it through a World Series ...

Keep the Faith! Believe!

7 comments:

mc said...

It's pretty unbelievable, isn't it?? As a longtime fan of the HYs, I'm kinda in shock. But the Sox deserve it, that's for damn sure. And Schilling is surely some kind of god.

T. Carter said...

A Yankees fan? But I thought you were in Maine ... it must be tough ...

mc said...

Usually being a Yankees fan in Maine is entertaining, in a sadistic sort of way (ie, watching the Sox fans' angst eat them up each year). This year, not so much. To make it even odder, at a trade show on Thursday I won a Big Papi jersey in a business card drawing!! Darren is very happy.

Anita said...

Dude--
my blog keeps saying that you've updated, but nothing new is coming up! is my blog mucked up or am I missing some of your posts???

Hope you're doing well!!!

yoni cohen :: http://yocohoops.com said...

Hey-

Came across your blog today. Great stuff. Think the Sox will win the World Series as well this year -- and the cosmos will be out of alignment.

Noticed that you are a sports fan. Hoping you could add a Blogroll link to my "College Basketball Blog,"
http://collegeball.blogspot.com. I'd very much appreciate a link on your site.

And would gladly return the favor, adding you to my blogroll.

Thanks!

Yoni Cohen, http://collegeball.blogspot.com
College Basketball Blog

Anita said...

Now I'm worried.

I'm asking for my monthly everything-is-ok quickie blog update.

Worse than your mother...your blog friend Anita

T. Carter said...

All is well: Busy, Sleepy, but Well ...