A good walk spoiled?

Someone from our church gave our senior pastor a 4 person pass for 18 holes of golf at a nearby course and he invited me to play on Wednesday (the last warm weather day in the extended forecast). I only play golf a few times a season, and I really enjoy it every time I get out. This was only my second round in 2007 and the first time I'd played 18 holes in at least a year.

I played really well from the tee and pretty terrible on and around the greens. I would have broken 100 easily if I hadn't found the water on the 18th hole, but I finished right on 100 and had a great time.

The one crazy thing about playing in the middle of the fall, is the leaves on the course camouflage the balls so much that we lost a few right in the middle of the course. I'm sure I drove the cart or walked within 15 feet of a few of my shots and looked right by em. I lost one ball in the water, one ball in the woods, and four balls just sitting somewhere in the middle of the course!

All in all it made for a very enjoyable work day, and I'll have to make sure I break my clubs out a few more times next season.

World Series games 3 and 4

Game 3:

After game 2 where the pitching was brilliant, the bats lit up game 3. The Red Sox scored 10 runs with 0 home runs. Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia were two rookies at the top of the lineup and they combined for 7 hits, 3 runs, and 4 RBI. Even Dice-K got in the mix with a 2-run single in the middle of the 6-run third inning. Everyone was questioning Francona's decision to start Ortiz at first base and sit Youkalis, but Papi had a big RBI hit in the third inning and handled the defensive duties flawlessly at first.

I can't even put into words how well Terry Francona is managing this team. He's pulling pitchers at the right times. He's making his defensive substitutions at the right times. He's making smart decisions even when they aren't necessarily popular with the media. He became the first manager in the history of baseball to win his first 7 world series games. I think his contract is up soon and the Sox better sign him for big money and big years.

Game 4:

The Red Sox are world champions again! This team could do no wrong after game 4 of the ALCS. Once again they got a great outing from their starting pitcher (John Lester). Once again they got timely hitting (Jason Varitek, Mike Lowell). Even another no-name bench player came up with the winning hit (solo home run by Bobby Keilty). When Papelbon came out of the dugout for the bottom of the 9th inning, I was about as calm and confident as a Red Sox fan could possibly be. I knew that the Rockies were beat. It was a sweep just like the 2004 world series, but it felt very different this time around. It was very similar to the Patriots second and third Super Bowl wins...they seemed inevitable. After the 2004 playoffs I felt exhausted as a fan. After these playoffs I just feel happy and proud that the team played so well. I'm also really really excited about the future of this team in the next few seasons. That's for a later post, but for now I just get to savor a second Red Sox World Series championship team in my lifetime. It feels great!

World Series Game 2

The Fenway Faithful have a standard cheer that you'll hear 30+ times each time you go to a home Red Sox game. It's not flashy or different, but it's a Boston tradition: "Lets go Red Sox" [clap clap clapclapclap] Last night, even on TV, you could hear the chant changed slightly but just as loud: "O-ka-ji-ma" [clap clap clapclapclap]

Hideki Okajima...or "That other Japanese pitcher the Red Sox picked up last off-season" entered the game in the top of the 6th inning with runners on first and second with 1 out and recorded 7 consecutive outs before being relieved in the 8th inning. The Red Sox bats were quieted by the Rockies pitching in game 2, but the Red Sox pitching was even better. Okajima was as dominating as you'll ever say about a pitcher who throws most of his pitches in the mid 80s. He finished his night with four straight strikeouts and no Rockies hitter even made good contact off him.

So the Red Sox go to Denver with a 2-0 lead and they're going to have to sit either David Ortiz or Kevin Youkalis because of the NL no DH rules. At least they know they have the bullpen to win the pitching duels. I'm about as confident as a Red Sox fan can possibly be in the playoffs right now.

2007 World Series: Game 1

Well it was really nice to be correct from my little prediction in my last post. I hinted that the first pitch of the world series would be a strike from Beckett and it was. It was really hard to feel nervous going into the game knowing that there isn't another pitcher in baseball I would rather be pitching that game. After Beckett struck out the side in the first inning and Dustin Pedroia hit the second world series pitch he's seen over the monster, it was all smiles after that.

I really want to get out of Boston with 2 wins before the Rockies bats wake up...that lineup is pretty good. Game 2 tonight...go Sox!

The Red Sox and the World Series

The calendar year of 1986 was an amazing one for New England sports. The '85 Patriots started things off in January of '86 by making an improbable run to the Superbowl where they got decimated by the great Chicago Bears team. The '85/'86 Celtics team won the NBA title in 6 games over the Houston Rockets and are now considered one of the greatest teams of all time. The '85/'86 Bruins made the Stanley Cup finals where they were out-classed by the great Edmonton Oilers team that included Gretzky and Messier among other greats.

And then there was the tragedy that was the 1986 Red Sox.

I was 7 years old that summer and with all the excitement in the city about the other 3 teams making the finals earlier that year, sports was becoming a big deal to me. The Red Sox won their division, came back from down 3-1 against the Angels in the ALCS to get to the world series and were up 3-2 in the series against the Mets going back to Shea Stadium only needing one win to clinch their first world series since 1918. Then in game 6, the unthinkable happened. With 2 outs in the bottom of the 10th inning, the Red Sox only needed 1 out, up by two runs and no Mets on base. Somehow the wheels came off and the Mets scored 3 runs capped off by the famous Bill Buckner error behind first base to force game 7 which seemed destined to be won by the Mets. (The Red Sox were up 3-0 after 5 and a half innings in game 7 before losing 8-5 in the end.) I was just old enough to be heart-broken and I became a Red Sox fan for life, inheriting all the pain and suffering of a team that couldn't seem to win the world series under any circumstances.

18 years later, the 2004 Red Sox changed everything. They became the first team to ever come back from down 3-0 to win a series, and they swept the Cardinals to win their first world series in 86 years.

And now they're back. Instead of dreading the next Red Sox heartbreak, I'm confident and looking forward to celebrating again. I'm trying to remind myself to really absorb the experience this time. It was 18 years in between world series appearances last time and I'll never know how long it will be after this season before they're back again. Josh Becket is going to be throwing strike one to Willy Tavares in a little over one hour from now and I'll be enjoying every pitch after that one.

Fall Colors

Often short windows of opportunity close before I realize that they were open to begin with. Every fall there's the best weekend for the leaf colors to be at their peak of brightness and diversity before all the colors start moving toward their inevitable brown and falling away for a long winter. Almost every fall I realize that I missed the peak of the colors in the hustle and bustle of my (sur)real life and I try to soak in and appreciate the slightly drabber color palate one or two weekends too late.

Not so this year! This past weekend the colors just popped out at me. There were some trees still fully green which made the yellows, oranges, and reds around them even more stunning. Not too many leaves had fallen and there was very little brown. All weekend whenever I was in the car I felt like it was the most beautiful ride I had taken this year.

On tuesday, the rain came, and today when I look outside, the colors are a little more faded and a little more brown. There's still a lot of fall left and the weather hasn't turned very cold yet, but the best part of the season just passed and for once I didn't miss it.