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October 18, 2004
SPEECHLESS... JUST SPEECHLESS
So I bolted out of the office at 5:10 in order to watch the Sox-Yankees game. Here we are past 11:00, and I am just able to start a wrap up post on one of the most amazing games I have ever watched.
Rather than try to put words to my thoughts -- I really am mentally exhausted and emotionally spent -- I thought I'd steal a page from MG's book and post an IM conversation. As you all know, Tim is a die-hard Sox fan too. We got on IM in the second inning, around 6:30, and had a non-stop conversation until the game ended after 11:00 and in the 14th inning -- all while following along on the Sons of Sam Horn message board. Excerpts are posted below. ("Jesus" is Johnny Damon; "Fruit Bat" is Mariano Rivera of the Yankees, "Papi" is David Ortiz, "Malphabet" is Doug Mientkiewicz... you'll figure out the rest as we go.)
As a bit of explanation... as former athletes, Tim and I are each superstitious when it comes to sport. As Red Sox fans, we take that quality to Herculean levels. So you'll notice us repeating the same mantra before nearly every pitch. Why? Because when something's working, you don't mess with the mojo. Period. End of sentence.
In the words of Crash Davis in Bull Durham, "A player on a streak has to respect the streak. You know why? Because they don't happen very often... if you believe you're playing well because you're getting laid, or because you're not getting laid, or because you wear women's underwear, then you ARE! And you should know that!"
And so it was that despite a typo in the word "the" the first time he typed it... Tim is a smart man, and knew not to fix it. The Sox did well because Tim didn't fix the spelling... and because I believed. (grin) (And for another IM conversation, check out Tim's site.)
As the eighth inning approaches, the Sox are down 4-2. Then Papi Ortiz homers, and it's 4-3.
Mudge: my [freaking] heart is racing, dammit
Tim: i know
Tim: but hte Red Sox will win tonight
Mudge: if i die because of this, they better win at least
Mudge: YES
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonight
Tim: mueller v. rivera again
Mudge: MUELLER OWNS FRUITBAT
Tim: lol
Mudge: i believe
A sacrifice fly scores the tying run
Mudge: scores a run
Tim: tie game
Mudge: whew
Tim: ok good
Mudge: you IMing with [RedSox Die Hard]?
Tim: yes
Mudge: he is not responding to me
Tim: but he is not there. he is on the sofa
Mudge: good
Tim: that is why the sox tied the game
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonight
Mudge: I believe
Mudge: we are pathetic, btw
Tim: [Red Sox Die Hard] is back on the sofa with his 1967 Impossible Dream glass full of Sierra Nevada
Mudge: 1 pitch pop ups make my nether regions tingle.
Tim: Bernie helping out Foulke and popping out to Malphabet on the first pitch. Tim: lol
Mudge: Foulke has been the man
Tim: lol
Tim: that was a GREAT line
Tim: Foulke has to be gassed
Mudge: caught corner, I thought
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonight
Mudge: I believe
Mudge: you have one more in you keith
Tim: sack!
Mudge: sack up, foulke
Mudge: YES
Mudge: SACKED UP
Keith Foulke gets out of the 9th inning. We rejoin the conversation as the game goes into the later innings.
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonight
Mudge: I believe
Mudge: Sinclair has lost 20% of its value since its announcement
Tim: it'll cost Kerry votes, but that is good to hear
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonight
Mudge: I believe
Tim: ok, 'Tek
Mudge: base hit wins it
Tim: walk Varitek?
Mudge: What is point?
Tim: i dont know
Tim: maybe one has better #s v Quantril
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonight
Johnny Damon comes to bat with a chance to win
Tim: JESUS HAS A CHANCE FOR REDEMPTION
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonight
Mudge: Had to tell [Doc] our mantra. He is on on [Mrs. Doc's] ID
Tim: i am not pinging with anybody who is not a red sox fan tonight
Mudge: lol
Tim: shame on u for [messing] with our mojo
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonight
Mudge: I believe
Mudge: One more fist-pump from Jeter, and I'm heading out to Fenway with a high-powered rifle.
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonight
Mudge: I believe
Mudge: I AM DYING
Tim: nobody to pinch run for Ortiz
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonight
Mudge: I believe
Tim: who is left in the pen forthe sox? Lowe and Schill?
Tim: McCarty on the bench?
Mudge: And maybe Adams
Tim: and Mirabelli?
Mudge: yes, and reese
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonight
Mudge: I believe
Later, David Ortiz is called out at second on a play where replays show he is clearly safe
Mudge: BULL [STUFF]!! HIGH THROW
Tim: wtf was that? he was safe
Mudge: SAFE
Mudge: SAFE
Tim: yes, safe. bad call
Tim: clearly safe
Mudge: horrid call
Tim: yes
Tim: Denkinger returns
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonight
Mudge: I believe
Mudge: you have to be kidding me
Mudge: News flash! Yankees get the call. In other news, dog bites man.
Later, Sox catcher Jason Varitek is unable to handle Tim Wakefield's knuckleball, and commits three errors in one inning.
Tim: 'Tek is a mess
Mudge: I hate this [stuff]
Tim: geez
Mudge: Varitek playing himself out of a contract
Tim: nothing u can do......i mean, do u lift Tek for mirabelli?
Tim: ugh
Tim: nevertheless
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonight
Mudge: this bites
Mudge: But
Mudge: I believe
Tim: why walk jorge?
Mudge: Get the force at any bag
Tim: good call. just dawned on me
Tim: nice way to start
Mudge: 0-2
Tim: incredible pressure
Mudge: And still......
Mudge: I believe
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonight
Tim: catch the ball 'Tek
Mudge: he caught one!
Tim: barely
Tim: wow, he is lost
Mudge: [FREAKING] VARITEK
Tim: [filth flarn filth]
Tim: catch the ball
Tim: this is sick
Tim: three past balls in this inning
Tim: wow
Mudge: I believe
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonight
Mudge: He cannot catch
Tim: not the knuckler anyway
Mudge: I believe
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonight
Mudge: phew
Tim: amazing
Sox come to bat, and Varitek poops the bed again
Tim: first pitch swinging, Jason?
Tim: way to work the pitcher
Mudge: I hate Varitek tonight
Tim: not a nice night for him
Tim: lift Tek and put in Mirabelli
Mudge: [shoot!]
Tim: ugh
Tim: if that was manny, it was a drop
Sox fail, and Yankees come up in the 13th. Who should the Sox pitch?
Tim: tough call for francona
Tim: wakefield is looking good, and your pen is thin
Tim: this is a tough managerial spot
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonight
Tim: wow
Tim: i think that foul ball landed up near the Hancock Building
Mudge: Whew
Tim: nice
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonight
Mudge: I believe
Tim:'Tek must be nauseous trying to catch these floaters
Mudge: 2 out
Tim: NICE
Tim: 69 pages on this game on SoSH
Mudge: YES
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonight
Mudge: They're coming to take me away, ha ha, they're coming to take me away, ho ho, hee hee, ha ha, to the funny farm... where life is beautiful all the time, and I'll be happy to see those nice, young men in their clean, white coats - and they're coming to take me away, Ha-haaa!
Tim: lol
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonight
Mudge: I believe
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonight
Mudge: I believe
Tim: ok, work the count
Tim: lets go
Mudge: make him pitch
Mudge: Dammit
Tim: oy
Tim: looked terrible
Tim: its already the 7th in that other game. wow
Sox come up in the bottom of the 14th
Tim: ok, JD
Tim: geez
Mudge: [FREAKING] CABRERA
Tim: when did loaiza become cy young?
Tim: this is silly
Tim: regardless, hte Red Sox will win tonight
Mudge: And still....
Mudge: I believe
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonight
Mudge: Here comes a walk off
Tim: i am ready for it
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonight
Mudge: I believe
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonight
Mudge: I can feel it
Mudge: I believe
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonight
Tim: manny did not look good on that swing. pulling off of the outside pitch
Tim: still
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonight
Mudge: I believe
Mudge: ARGH
Tim: manny has him where he wants him
David Ortiz comes to bat
Mudge: Tizzle coming up!
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonight
Mudge: I believe
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonight
Mudge: I believe
Tim: cant pull the outside pitch
Tim: beatt that off the wall, DO
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonight
Tim: gonna walk him
Tim: it'll be up to Malphabet
Ortiz hits a foul ball that would have been a home run had it stayed fair
Mudge: WOoooooooooooorats
Tim: wow
Tim: rat farts
Mudge: I believe
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonight
Tim: gonna come back inside on this pitch
Mudge: I believe
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonight
Ortiz fouls off about 5 straight
Mudge: Staying alive, staying alive
Tim: quite an AB
Mudge: ah ah ah ah
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonight
Mudge: good AB
Mudge: And because of that....
Tim: wow, this is quite a battle
Mudge: I believe
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonight
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonight
And then.... Ortiz with a bloop single, and it's OVER
Mudge: YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tim: yeyeyeyeyeye
Tim: i love it
Tim: and i never had a doubt
Tim: hte Red Sox will win tonighthte Red Sox will win tonighthte Red Soxwill win tonighthte Red Sox will win tonighthte Red Sox will win tonight
Mudge: I BELIEVED ALL ALONG!
So why did I show you this? Well, to prove what incredible losers Tim and I are, of course! But also because our beloved Red Sox aren't dead yet -- hte Sox will win tonight, and I believe.
