FIELD OF DREAMS
By Steve Marsi
I’ve been in between jobs for the past two weeks and sleeping 14 hours a day, so I may be imagining all of this. But I think it’s legitimate.
It certainly seems like Boston (84-54) is playing like the best team in baseball. While watching the Red Sox these days, it’s hard not to feel like Manny Ramirez in his ad spot for Olympia Sports. In his memorable acting debut, Ramirez picks up a pair of Reeboks and drifts away into his own world (talk about typecasting) with thoughts of winning the World Series dancing through his head. Such a scenario seemed laughable a few weeks ago, but is it really just a pipe dream now?
At the beginning of August, the underachieving Sox were coming off a three-month rut of .500 ball. Now, only two teams in the major leagues – the Cardinals (93-46) and Yankees (86-52) – have better records. The Red Sox have won 20 of their last 22 contests, and just finished a nine-game stretch against American League West powers Anaheim, Texas and Oakland with just one loss. Having once trailed by 10 games in the A.L. East, they now sit just two behind first-place New York and have built a five-game cushion over Anaheim in the Wild Card standings.
Boston’s dominance has been multifaceted. The Dominican Demolition Duo of Ramirez (38 HR, 111 RBI) and David Ortiz (36 HR, 124 RBI) leads the way, but this is a lethal lineup from top to bottom. Johnny Damon (.389 OBP) is enjoying the finest of his 10 major league seasons and leads the A.L. with 108 runs scored, while Jason Varitek (.402 OBP) has hit in 14 straight games and provided a major boost to the middle of the order. The starting rotation has been outstanding, as Derek Lowe (14-10, 5-0 in last six starts), Tim Wakefield (11-8, 4-2) and Bronson Arroyo (8-9, 4-1) have elevated their play to accompany the stellar Pedro Martinez (16-5) and Curt Schilling (18-6). The Sox are putting on a clinic defensively, with everyone from Gold Glove shortstop Orlando Cabrera to unheralded Dave Roberts showcasing the skills with the leather. Simply put, Boston is making opponents look silly.
Most of the Greater Boston populace expected the Sox to be contenders in 2004, but seriously, who are these guys and what have they done with our baseball team? A sign that we may be living in some kind of parallel universe came last night when ESPN commentators suggested that last night’s series finale against Oakland – an 8-3 Sox victory – was particularly important to the A’s from a psychological perspective. Pre-game talk centered on the A’s needing a win to prove that they can compete with Boston, to build confidence in the event that the teams meet again in the postseason. Think about that for a moment. Analysts are giving the Boston Red Sox a mental edge in a possible playoff battle. Hell has officially frozen over.
Of course, all this has merely set the stage. The Red Sox have completed the main objective of all teams during first five months of the season in that they have gotten themselves in position to make a playoff run. Actually making it to, and thriving under the pressure of October is an entirely different matter, however, especially with heightened expectations. The way the Red Sox are built, nothing short of the American League pennant will seem satisfactory, and that’s a long way off.
But it’s fun to dream. Please don’t wake me.
UP NEXT: Wakefield takes the mound tonight in the first of four games at Seattle (51-87). The last-place Mariners will counter with rookie Bobby Madritsch (3-2). Despite a disappointing season and seven straight losses, Seattle has drawn national attention due to outfielder Ichiro Suzuki’s pursuit of the single-season hits record. Ichiro is currently hitting an absurd .377, and needs 30 hits in the next 24 games to tie the mark of 257 set by George Sisler in 1920. Schilling, Arroyo and Lowe will pitch the following three nights at Safeco Field, before the Red Sox return home to take on the Devil Rays Tuesday.
WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU: Sox fans everywhere are grateful for pitching standout Kevin Brown removing himself from the Empire’s starting rotation. After a sub-par outing last Friday, Brown broke his non-pitching hand while punching a wall in a fit of rage – a tough blow to a team whose pitching staff is already short-handed. With his immaturity, the right-hander has given quite the favor to surging Boston, which is looking for its first division title since 1995 and has six head-to-head matchups remaining with the Yanks. The playoff prospects for both clubs are looking strong with Boston’s Wild Card lead at five games, but the A.L. East race is still important. Can the Sox continue their unconscious play? How much does New York have left in its tank? One thing is for sure – it will be fun to watch.
