World Series Diary: Game #1
By The Yawkey Way Philosopher
My writings on what will hopefully be an eventual Red Sox World Championship are dedicated the memory of Victoria Snelgrove. She was the young lady killed after the Red Sox defeat of the Yankees in ALCS Game Seven by the Boston PD's excessive use of force combined with the inappropriate actions of some overly zealous fans during the celebration. May her fate remind us of the delicate balance between being fans and being responsible for our actions and their potential effects on those around us.
What a whirlwind game to say the least. Leave it to our beloved Sox to find a way to blow a five-run and a two-run lead, then have Mr. October Jr. ping a baseball off Pesky's Pole to secure the victory in game one. Not the best played game from the Sox standpoint, but if you can have a sub-par performance from Wakefield (to his defense the wind was not conducive to the knuckleball), give up nine runs, commit four errors and still win; you really can't complain.
The Cardinals offense was every bit as good as advertised. Their ability to combine power with small ball was impressive. Still, I'm confident that the Sox can play better and their superior starting pitching should help. In addition, two of the best pitchers in the St. Louis bullpen are unavailable for the duration of the series, so knocking out their starters early will continue to play an important role in the series.
The pre-game introductions did provide a nice bit of irony and possible the ultimate sign of good karma. First off, The Yaz throwing out the first pitch was great, that guy has humongous shoulders! The big karma moment however occurred as the various coaches, assistant and trainers were introduced; the great Johnny Pesky was snuck into the line to add some history to the evening. I remember thinking, "Gee, wouldn't it be ironic if the right field corner played a roll in the outcome of the game?" Sure enough, Pesky's Pole allowed the Ortiz home run to sneak inside and the Bellhorn homer to ping off the webbing. While you can never doubt that talent and solid play contributes to a championship, a little luck along the way never hurt anybody.
Another thought I had during the game was the pure terror the top of the Cardinal lineup can inspire. Is it fair that Larry Walker is batting second? Is it fair that the 2-5 hitters: Walker, Pujols, Rolen and Edmonds; are probably the most ungodly collection of pure hitting talent assembled in one lineup in quite awhile? Not to mention they all have won or are capable of being gold glove winners.
Winning Game One meant a great deal my good, clean readers. If not for injuries to Carpenter and Kline in the St. Louis bullpen, this sucker would be a genuine toss up, without them, the Cardinals pitching staff is at a noted disadvantage. Still, game one would have been the trap game. Coming off a tremendous series against the Enemy, I'm sure it was in the back of everyone's mind that a letdown was certainly possible. It was a great relief to see the Sox play well and if anything, seem a bit over excited and over aggressive.
Three wins to go!
