I keep waking up, lying on my side, headphones askew, computer on standby. I turn it on and there is an error message on the Red Sox home page. The game ended hours ago and I don't know who won. I'll look in the morning, concentrating all of my effort on turning the machine off in my sleep-addled state.
I love the Red Sox. I have since I was five years old and first watched them on tv with my father. I lost touch with them for a while when I lived in places where I couldn't watch them, but in the past decade, with mlb.com and now ESPNAmerica, I've watched more and more games. I watched both World Series wins, by myself, on the computer in the middle of the night here in Dublin. When they won in 2004, I shouted loudly at the last out and went dancing in the garden, at 5:30am, looking up at the sky and smiling, thinking of my dad, who had died six months previously.
When this season started, the Sox were a disaster. They started the season with six losses and everyone immediately wrote them off. I pointed out to my husband that baseball teams play 162 games a season and to say they are going end up in the bottom of the table at this stage was stupid. By the All-Star break, the Red Sox were at the top of the division, a game ahead of the Yankees , having a record of 8-1 against them head-to-head. Things were looking good.
Ah, but then comes September. There is something frightening about September to all Red Sox fans, I imagine. Time after time they have led the division up until the end of August and inexplicably start pitching badly, not hitting and making lots of errors. They make you hold your breath waiting to see if they will even make the playoffs, never mind win the division. And its usually the Yankees who benefit from this September Slide, as I call it, which makes it even more bitter. Yes, I am a Red Sox fan, and yes, I hate the Yankees.
I wouldn't need a calendar to tell it is September. Right on schedule, the Sox are falling apart. Their record so far this month is 2-7 and they are now 2.5 game behind the Yanks. One of the Blue Jays commentators started talking about the wild card race between the Red Sox and Tampa Bay! They play eachother seven more times this season and the Red Sox are 6.5 games ahead of the Rays in the standings.
For some unknown reason, I am not concerned. Back in April I declared they were going to win the World Series again this year. I still believe they can, but I'm not so sure they will. Nonetheless, I made sure I would be in Boston during the World Series so I can at least be with baseball fans if it does happen. Until then, I shall lie in my bed, headphones in place, trying not to fall asleep before the game is over and hope the September Slide will be a short one.
I love the Red Sox. I have since I was five years old and first watched them on tv with my father. I lost touch with them for a while when I lived in places where I couldn't watch them, but in the past decade, with mlb.com and now ESPNAmerica, I've watched more and more games. I watched both World Series wins, by myself, on the computer in the middle of the night here in Dublin. When they won in 2004, I shouted loudly at the last out and went dancing in the garden, at 5:30am, looking up at the sky and smiling, thinking of my dad, who had died six months previously.
When this season started, the Sox were a disaster. They started the season with six losses and everyone immediately wrote them off. I pointed out to my husband that baseball teams play 162 games a season and to say they are going end up in the bottom of the table at this stage was stupid. By the All-Star break, the Red Sox were at the top of the division, a game ahead of the Yankees , having a record of 8-1 against them head-to-head. Things were looking good.
Ah, but then comes September. There is something frightening about September to all Red Sox fans, I imagine. Time after time they have led the division up until the end of August and inexplicably start pitching badly, not hitting and making lots of errors. They make you hold your breath waiting to see if they will even make the playoffs, never mind win the division. And its usually the Yankees who benefit from this September Slide, as I call it, which makes it even more bitter. Yes, I am a Red Sox fan, and yes, I hate the Yankees.
I wouldn't need a calendar to tell it is September. Right on schedule, the Sox are falling apart. Their record so far this month is 2-7 and they are now 2.5 game behind the Yanks. One of the Blue Jays commentators started talking about the wild card race between the Red Sox and Tampa Bay! They play eachother seven more times this season and the Red Sox are 6.5 games ahead of the Rays in the standings.
For some unknown reason, I am not concerned. Back in April I declared they were going to win the World Series again this year. I still believe they can, but I'm not so sure they will. Nonetheless, I made sure I would be in Boston during the World Series so I can at least be with baseball fans if it does happen. Until then, I shall lie in my bed, headphones in place, trying not to fall asleep before the game is over and hope the September Slide will be a short one.
2 comments:
I just arrived in Toronto for the fest yesterday and tonight is the last of the 4 night stand of Red Sox at Blue Jays. I think TO won the last 2 games because the Red Sox are 2.5 in my NYY AL East rear-view mirror. Things could change so no smack will be talked by me!
GN
Former Yankee fan here--I know; go ahead and hate me! but I too was imprinted at an early age. Not watching baseball right now; devoted to the U.S. Open, which has had to deal with rain, rain, and more rain this week. Yours in sports-fandom, Kathy
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