Red Sox Primer

The histories of these two World Series teams couldn’t be more different. The Rockies won their first franchise playoff Game twenty days ago; the Red Sox won their first World Series in 1903. But one of the benefits of having a team like the Rockies that has only been around for 14 years is that you don’t end up torturing generations of fans like the Red Sox have done for the last century.

Household names like Cy Young, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski and Roger Clemens have worn their red and white uniforms. But their history is also one of great frustration that is only now beginning to be exorcised. Here’s a quick primer:

Curse of the Bambino - After winning five World Series titles from 1903 to 1918, the Red Sox winning ways were halted by owner Harry Frazee who sold the great Babe Ruth – who helped pitch, bat and bartend the Sox to four of these titles – to the Yankees so he could finance his Broadway bomb No-No Nanette. Over the next 14 years, Babe and the Yanks would go to World Series seven times and win four of ‘em. The Red Sox would never win the World Series again, at least according to all of those poor fans that didn’t live to see 2004.

Splendid Splinter - Ted Williams, who suffered from the terrible nickname, The Splendid Splinter, was one of the greatest hitters of all time. His 1941 batting average of .406 is still the highest season batting average ever recorded. He won the triple crown and even took time out to bomb bad guys in WWII and the Korean War. He never won World Series, though he came close in 1946 versus the underdog Cardinals but Johnny Pesky got the ball stuck in his glove on a relay throw and allowed Enos Slaughter (I shall call him…Enos) to score from first to let in the go ahead run.

Yaz and Pudge – the 60s and 70s were a really rough time to be a Red Sox fan. Carl Yastrzemski won the triple crown in 1967 and led the Impossible Dream team to the World Series where they lost to Bob Gibson’s Cardinals. The 1975 team made it to the World Series again with Carlton “Pudge” Fisk forever stamping sports highlight reels by urging his 12th inning Game 6 walk off homer to stay fair. But they went on to lose a heartbreaking Game 7. In 1978, the Yanks came back from 14.5 games back to tie the Sox and force a one game playoff in which Bucky “F****ng” Dent hit a 3 run blast at Fenway that broke New Englanders hearts again.

Buckner – The young phenom Roger Clemens got his taste of the Curse of the Bambino in 1986, leaving with the lead in a Game 6 that would have given the Sox their first World Championship since 1918. But the Mets made an amazin’ late comeback capped by Mookie Wilson’s roller through Bill Buckner’s legs. Ouch. They went on to lose a heartbreaking Game 7, again.

Grady Little / Aaron Boone – in the 2003 ALCS versus their arch-enemy the New York Yankees, the Sox made it to a critical Game 7 in the Bronx. I was there. The great Pedro Martinez pitched his heart out, only to be left in “one batter too long” by manager Grady Little. Jorge Posada hit a game tying blooper that led to extra innings where Aaron Boone slapped Tim Wakefield’s knuckler over the wall for a walk off win. More pain. To add insult to injury, visiting Red Sox fans were ordered to leave the subway cars after the game to make way for triumphant Yankees fans leaving the stadium.

Why not us? – in 2004 the Sox met the Yanks again and battled from 0-3 series deficit in the ALCS to force a deciding Game 7, again in Yankee Stadium. Curt Schilling, whose bloody sock entered baseball lore in Game 6 (had there been a secret ritual of spilled blood that reversed the curse?), had t-shirts printed that asked the question “Why not us?” Did they really need to lose Game 7s forever? Johnny “now known as Judas” Damon hit a grand slam in the second inning and led the Sox to a Game 7 rout. The Sox rolled over the Cardinals in the World Series and handed New Englanders a reason to believe for the first time in 86 years. Damon bolted for Yankees cash the following year.

2007 – The Sox are now a big payroll team with big names. Game One starter Josh Beckett, who beat the Yanks in the 2003 World Series for the Marlins, has been unstoppable in the playoffs this year. Curt Schilling, who has two World Series rings, has been up and down, but showed his playoff magic in Game 6 on Saturday night by beating Cleveland. The expensive addition of Japanese star gyroballer Dice-K Matsuzaka has been mostly positive for the Sox. On the hitting side, future hall of famer Manny Ramirez is having one of his best playoffs ever. Big Papi is going strong and Mike Lowell has been an RBI machine all season. JD Drew’s Little Brother’s Big Brother, JD Drew awoke from his season long slumber to hit a grand slam in Game 6 against Cleveland to extend the Sox’ season. But the Sox are in the World Series also largely due to the small names. Rookie farmhands Dustin Pedroia (5 RBIs in ALCS game 7) and Jacoby Ellsbury supply big sparks. Jonathan Papelbon and Hideki Okajima give solid bullpen support. Kevin Youkilis can wear pitchers out and hit for power.

Pundits are picking the Sox, despite the Rocks’ improbable 21 for 22 run. But this is mostly due to the perceived superiority of the battle tested American League. From what we’ve seen of the Rockies in the last few weeks, I’m not sure they’d lose if even if you dug up and fielded Bambino, Splinter, Yaz and the rest; the Rockies are that hot. But it’ll be fun to see, especially Saturday night when the big show comes to Denver for the first time ever. Fans will get to see slow moving Manny Ramirez try to cover the cavernous Coors left field and David Ortiz standing at first with a glove.

Go Rockies!!