The Devil is perilously close to all naughty Girl Scouts on Halloween.
Friday, October 31, 2003
Sunday, October 19, 2003
Head of the Charles
Head of the Charles, 2003. This is at the Riverside party at "The Big Easy" on Landsdowne in Boston.
Jono appears to have dribbled on himself, while I know for a fact that Anchu is double-fisting out of frame.
(Whoever's butt that is in the upper-left background... damn.)
Thursday, October 16, 2003
There's a fly ball, deep to left!
Game Seven
The Thursday of the seventh game of the ALCS (October 16, 2003), I was travelling upstate to Niskayuna (home). Leah and I were taking the train up so that she could drive us to Boston for the Head of the Charles.
I was extremely nervous about the game, and had considered taking a later train so that I could watch the game on TV. I was of two minds, though. I thought that I might be too worked up and full of agita to watch, and that maybe it would be best that I would be on the train, and out of touch. The game would likely be almost over, one way or another, before we pulled in to Rensellear station, a bit after 10 p.m.
It was going to be a tight fit for Leah to make the 7 p.m. train, and I was waiting for her at the entrance to the track. She sprinted up at the last possible minute, and we were the last two people to get on the train.
I borrowed her Walkman and listened for the first one and one-half innings from WCBS, while the Red Sox pulled out to an early lead. I lost the signal when it was 3-0 Sox, and not looking good. I didn't say anything to Leah about how the game was going, and tried to put it out of my mind.
When I walked into the Rensellaer train station, it was just in time to see Soriano strike out against Pedro, two on, two out, 4-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Leah's mother picked us up. We got in car, and put the game on the radio. Nelson got another out, then Ortiz hit Wells' first pitch out to make it 5-2, Sox.
And then the rally started. One out in the bottom of the eighth, then on an 0-2 pitch, Jeter doubled.
All quotes from John Sterling and Chalie Steiner from the WCBS broadcast, as I heard it that night.
"It'll be an 0-2 to Jeter, now the pitch is swung on and lined to deep right field Nixon going back, a way back, and it's over his head, one hop off the wall Jeter goes to second and holds on with a double. So Jeter a hard double to right field with one out and here's Bernie Williams. You can see how big the Ortiz home run was because without the Ortiz home run, the Yankees would be sending up the tying run. -- That was one of those patented Derek Jeter inside out swings, Trot Nixon had no chance; a hard line drive off the wall, Jeter now at second base, Bernie coming up, if he gets aboard, Matsui would be the tying run. The crowd has given up their seats, they are standing."
Bernie runs it to 2-2, then singles into shallow center.
"Jeter leads off second base with one out, it'll be a 2-2 from Pedro to Bernie Williams, we're in the bottom of the 8th and Boston has a 5-2 lead. Here's the 2-2, lined to center field, base hit! Jeter rounds third, he'll score, and the Yankees will send up the tying run. It's a base hit and an RBI for Bernie Williams, and the Red Sox have a 5-3 lead."
Now it's on Matsui, the 106-RBI rookie from Japan, batting lefty. He's hit Pedro well this series, two hard doubles.
"Pedro deals, and there's a strike at the knees. Matsui has doubled in three trips, the double a long shot over Damon's head. The Boston defense is playing very very deep in the outfield, not sure I understand why. It'll be an 0-1. And the pitch... breaking ball strike, and the count 0-2. The reason I say I don't know why, that's not the tying run there at first base, why would you give up a base hit? Nixon is practically playing on the warning track in right field, that's not an exaggeration he's a few steps away. Damon is very deep in center field, Ramirez is, I would say fairly deep in left for a left hand hitter."
"Anyway, ahead on the count Matrinez 0-2, Bernie Williams off first, 5-3 Boston, bottom of the eighth, with one out. Now Pedro holds the set and deals... lined like a bullet, it's a base hit down the RF line, it's a grounds-rule double, it hopped in the seats, and the Yankees are a single away from tying the game. Matsui hit an absolute bullet down the right field line, it hit just inside the line and skipped into the seats, and the Yankees are one single away from tying the game. And do you know know how big the Ortiz homerun was? At the time it was an afterthought, but the Yankees are having a big eighth inning."
Grady Little makes a trip to the mound, but fails to hook Pedro. Jorge comes up, where a base hit will tie the game.
"Now here's Posada, coming into the game the Yankees best hitter in the LCS, but tonight, nothing for three, he has just stung the ball solidly twice, flying to center field, he has also bounced to first. And Posada and Pedro Martinez, don't like one another, never have, and here's the moment. -- Alright, here's Posada, he's oh-for-three, the pitch way inside, the count 1-0."
"Boy, is it strange that Little is not going to his bullpen? It'll be a 1-0, I mean that is absolutely weird, his bullpen has been so great, and he's got three deep out there. A base hit ties the game. Second and third, one out. The pitch, breaking ball strike, and the count 1-1. You know, one factor we haven't mentioned, this is only the eighth inning. If Posada can hit a ground ball, it's 5-4, and don't think that's not important to be one down going to the ninth. So Posada wants a base hit but he's gotta make contact and get that run in from third, Bernie Williams."
"It'll be a 1-1, outside, 2-1. Well I'm amazed at Grady Little, if Boston gets tied up in this game, that is going to be story line one, Pedro is over 120 pitches, Bernie Williams at third, he's the fourth run, Matsui at second he's the tying run, Posada ahead on the count 2-1. A switch-hitter batting left, now Martinez is set, the pitch... cut on and missed on a change, a great change by Pedro, and the count 2-2. Posada practically jumped out of his shoes, he was way ahead. So the count 2-2. Again, a base hit ties it, just a single. But Posada cannot afford a strikeout, he's got to put the ball in play and get at least one of these runs in."
"It'll be a 2-2... swung on and looped to shallow center field, it is a base hit! One runs scores Bernie, here's Matsui, he scores, Posada goes to second with a double, it is a two-run double by Posada, and the Yankees have come all the way back to tie the game at five, in one of the greatest comebacks you'll ever see."
"It was a, talk about a bloop and a blast, that was a textbook bloop, Garciaparra went sprinting out from shortstop to short center field, Walker went sprinting out from second into short center field, Damon came sprinting in from center field, and by the time the ball was finally retrieved, nobody covering second base, Posada is there with the lead run, as Pedro Martinez walks head down toward the third base dugout, the Yankees have pulled all even five and five, and when Posada dinked it into short center field, most of the Yankees in the first base dugout came running out, you would've though it was the Little Leauge World Championships. And so, Pedro Martinez's night is done, the Yankees have come from all the way back and this pitching change is brought to you by AT&T wireless."
I was screaming and pounding the back of the seat in front of me when Posada got the 2RBI double. told Leah, "I'm sorry, but you can't drop me off." Listened in the car with Leah driving around Nisky, getting quieter and more intense as Mo piled up three scoreless innings. when Boone hit the first pitch out to left, "his first at bat of the game.. and there's a high fly ball, deep to left, it's way up there, it's on it's way, it's GONE! Aaron Boone!!" Mariano is down on the pitching rubber, pounding his fist against it in glee. "Leah, stop the car." I get out and jump around and scream and hug and can't believe what I just heard.
Boone heads to first, feet barely touching ground, as the dugout erupts.
Here's my rudimentary page on the greatest game of all.
The Thursday of the seventh game of the ALCS (October 16, 2003), I was travelling upstate to Niskayuna (home). Leah and I were taking the train up so that she could drive us to Boston for the Head of the Charles.
I was extremely nervous about the game, and had considered taking a later train so that I could watch the game on TV. I was of two minds, though. I thought that I might be too worked up and full of agita to watch, and that maybe it would be best that I would be on the train, and out of touch. The game would likely be almost over, one way or another, before we pulled in to Rensellear station, a bit after 10 p.m.
It was going to be a tight fit for Leah to make the 7 p.m. train, and I was waiting for her at the entrance to the track. She sprinted up at the last possible minute, and we were the last two people to get on the train.
I borrowed her Walkman and listened for the first one and one-half innings from WCBS, while the Red Sox pulled out to an early lead. I lost the signal when it was 3-0 Sox, and not looking good. I didn't say anything to Leah about how the game was going, and tried to put it out of my mind.
When I walked into the Rensellaer train station, it was just in time to see Soriano strike out against Pedro, two on, two out, 4-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Leah's mother picked us up. We got in car, and put the game on the radio. Nelson got another out, then Ortiz hit Wells' first pitch out to make it 5-2, Sox.
And then the rally started. One out in the bottom of the eighth, then on an 0-2 pitch, Jeter doubled.
All quotes from John Sterling and Chalie Steiner from the WCBS broadcast, as I heard it that night.
"It'll be an 0-2 to Jeter, now the pitch is swung on and lined to deep right field Nixon going back, a way back, and it's over his head, one hop off the wall Jeter goes to second and holds on with a double. So Jeter a hard double to right field with one out and here's Bernie Williams. You can see how big the Ortiz home run was because without the Ortiz home run, the Yankees would be sending up the tying run. -- That was one of those patented Derek Jeter inside out swings, Trot Nixon had no chance; a hard line drive off the wall, Jeter now at second base, Bernie coming up, if he gets aboard, Matsui would be the tying run. The crowd has given up their seats, they are standing."
Bernie runs it to 2-2, then singles into shallow center.
"Jeter leads off second base with one out, it'll be a 2-2 from Pedro to Bernie Williams, we're in the bottom of the 8th and Boston has a 5-2 lead. Here's the 2-2, lined to center field, base hit! Jeter rounds third, he'll score, and the Yankees will send up the tying run. It's a base hit and an RBI for Bernie Williams, and the Red Sox have a 5-3 lead."
Now it's on Matsui, the 106-RBI rookie from Japan, batting lefty. He's hit Pedro well this series, two hard doubles.
"Pedro deals, and there's a strike at the knees. Matsui has doubled in three trips, the double a long shot over Damon's head. The Boston defense is playing very very deep in the outfield, not sure I understand why. It'll be an 0-1. And the pitch... breaking ball strike, and the count 0-2. The reason I say I don't know why, that's not the tying run there at first base, why would you give up a base hit? Nixon is practically playing on the warning track in right field, that's not an exaggeration he's a few steps away. Damon is very deep in center field, Ramirez is, I would say fairly deep in left for a left hand hitter."
"Anyway, ahead on the count Matrinez 0-2, Bernie Williams off first, 5-3 Boston, bottom of the eighth, with one out. Now Pedro holds the set and deals... lined like a bullet, it's a base hit down the RF line, it's a grounds-rule double, it hopped in the seats, and the Yankees are a single away from tying the game. Matsui hit an absolute bullet down the right field line, it hit just inside the line and skipped into the seats, and the Yankees are one single away from tying the game. And do you know know how big the Ortiz homerun was? At the time it was an afterthought, but the Yankees are having a big eighth inning."
Grady Little makes a trip to the mound, but fails to hook Pedro. Jorge comes up, where a base hit will tie the game.
"Now here's Posada, coming into the game the Yankees best hitter in the LCS, but tonight, nothing for three, he has just stung the ball solidly twice, flying to center field, he has also bounced to first. And Posada and Pedro Martinez, don't like one another, never have, and here's the moment. -- Alright, here's Posada, he's oh-for-three, the pitch way inside, the count 1-0."
"Boy, is it strange that Little is not going to his bullpen? It'll be a 1-0, I mean that is absolutely weird, his bullpen has been so great, and he's got three deep out there. A base hit ties the game. Second and third, one out. The pitch, breaking ball strike, and the count 1-1. You know, one factor we haven't mentioned, this is only the eighth inning. If Posada can hit a ground ball, it's 5-4, and don't think that's not important to be one down going to the ninth. So Posada wants a base hit but he's gotta make contact and get that run in from third, Bernie Williams."
"It'll be a 1-1, outside, 2-1. Well I'm amazed at Grady Little, if Boston gets tied up in this game, that is going to be story line one, Pedro is over 120 pitches, Bernie Williams at third, he's the fourth run, Matsui at second he's the tying run, Posada ahead on the count 2-1. A switch-hitter batting left, now Martinez is set, the pitch... cut on and missed on a change, a great change by Pedro, and the count 2-2. Posada practically jumped out of his shoes, he was way ahead. So the count 2-2. Again, a base hit ties it, just a single. But Posada cannot afford a strikeout, he's got to put the ball in play and get at least one of these runs in."
"It'll be a 2-2... swung on and looped to shallow center field, it is a base hit! One runs scores Bernie, here's Matsui, he scores, Posada goes to second with a double, it is a two-run double by Posada, and the Yankees have come all the way back to tie the game at five, in one of the greatest comebacks you'll ever see."
"It was a, talk about a bloop and a blast, that was a textbook bloop, Garciaparra went sprinting out from shortstop to short center field, Walker went sprinting out from second into short center field, Damon came sprinting in from center field, and by the time the ball was finally retrieved, nobody covering second base, Posada is there with the lead run, as Pedro Martinez walks head down toward the third base dugout, the Yankees have pulled all even five and five, and when Posada dinked it into short center field, most of the Yankees in the first base dugout came running out, you would've though it was the Little Leauge World Championships. And so, Pedro Martinez's night is done, the Yankees have come from all the way back and this pitching change is brought to you by AT&T wireless."
I was screaming and pounding the back of the seat in front of me when Posada got the 2RBI double. told Leah, "I'm sorry, but you can't drop me off." Listened in the car with Leah driving around Nisky, getting quieter and more intense as Mo piled up three scoreless innings. when Boone hit the first pitch out to left, "his first at bat of the game.. and there's a high fly ball, deep to left, it's way up there, it's on it's way, it's GONE! Aaron Boone!!" Mariano is down on the pitching rubber, pounding his fist against it in glee. "Leah, stop the car." I get out and jump around and scream and hug and can't believe what I just heard.
Boone heads to first, feet barely touching ground, as the dugout erupts.
Here's my rudimentary page on the greatest game of all.
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