A Book With A Very Happy Ending
By ThrowsLikeAGirl
"We knew this team would contend. We had the players. They just had to perform — just deliver." This is how author Stewart O’Nan explains the fortuitous timing of his latest book project, a collaborative diary with Stephen King, of the 2004 Red Sox season. Yes, that’s THE HISTORIC 2004 CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON. The one that hasn’t had a happy ending for 86 years. Somehow O'Nan and King just sensed that this WAS the year. In a word: Spooky.
They’ve titled the resulting book in honor of the generations of Red Sox nation who have religiously followed their prodigal team — very simply — "Faithful."
We spoke with Stewart O’Nan just after the book was sent to print in early November — within just a couple of weeks of the Sox’ tidy sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. The book should arrive in stores on November 22, or can be pre-ordered online now. An audio version is being recorded even as Stewart and I are speaking. "They tell me that this is the fastest book to go from manuscript to production since the Starr Report," O’Nan told us. We think we heard a bit of breathlessness still in his voice.
The book’s bold cover design features an image that will forever be an icon of this season: Jason Varitek’s glove all-up-in-the-pretty-face of Alex Rodriguez during July’s legendary bench-clearing brawl. "As a Sox fan I will always be stirred by that image," said O’Nan, "Here’s this prima donna, Arod, going up against Tek, the ultimate dirtdog — and Tek’s saying ‘We’re not gonna back down, we’re gonna be tough and you’re not gonna yell at OUR guy." O’Nan agrees with many observers of baseball that this was a galvanizing moment in the rivalry of the two teams: "A-Rod really encapsulated what the Yankees were — a one-guy, one contract bunch. The Sox showed us then that they were gonna be a TEAM. Plus, Arroyo was great – he just pitched beautifully for us. The Yankees (ultimately) lost because they didn’t have the (pitching) talent, or the team."
O’Nan, ironically, was not at Fenway for that tipping-point game. He was watching the action while attending his wife’s family reunion on the Rhode Island shore. "Everyone was piled into the living room in front of the TV. Watching the Sox with generations of fans is like watching old family movies. We all feel the emotion of it, and everybody has their memories."
Yet O’Nan thinks Sox fans aren’t as sentimental as their reputation for undying loyalty may suggest. New Englanders — especially the ones who have forked over top dollar for a precious seat at Fenway — are a tough crowd.
O’Nan joined Stephen King at the park for several games over the summer, with tickets scrounged-up like any other fans. At times they attempted to take notes, but that effort usually gave way to just experiencing it. "The feeling was important" says O’Nan of how Boston’s fans relate to their team. "Players can go from goat to hero in one inning. First the crowd is all over a guy, booing him, screaming ‘you suck!’ and the next moment we’re all cheering him. For all of our faith and hope we can be a hanging jury." His favorite stretch of the season was the series against the Angels, A’s and Texas. "That full month of the season was very exciting. We went 8 and 1. It just showed me that this team had it together, and they made it look easy."
If you look around New England lately, there seem to be even more Sox fans than ever — proudly displaying their "B" emblems. "This team turned a lot of people into Red Sox fans. I think we got a lot of Mets fans now," says O’Nan. But will the Sox now become what they hate? Will they now become the Yankees?
"Let’s face it," O’Nan says about the state of The Rivalry, "We are a privileged, East Coast, high-payroll club. No one else has to deal with them - or CAN deal with them. The new owners have a new philosophy, but they have to respect the tradition. Bringing in Yaz — who hated the old owners — to throw out the first ball in the World Series — was a good move. I’d say don’t give up on our prospects — don’t chase them away. We’ve given away great pitchers in the past: Pavano, Suppan – both were Red Sox. Let’s not mortgage the future."
O’Nan sees a bright future for the Sox. He’d like to see "sleeper" players like Kevin Youkilis and David McCarty given a chance to show their value. And as far as predictions go, well, let’s just say if Stewart O’Nan and Stephen King decide to do a book on a Triple Crown contender, I will bet on their horse.
