Pretty sure I met this kid's grandma the last time I was in Boston...
When our little, Jack Murphy's Avenger war party, headed back east in September of 2007 to see the Chargers take on the Patriots we also had the pleasure of seeing the Yankees battle the Red Sox in the midst of a pennant race. It was an excellent time and the Red Sox smashed the Yanks (I will note once again that the two times I've stepped into Fenway the Sox have gone on to win the World Series).
Anyways......as we walked from our hotel to Fenway we were pretty sure the beaten path we traversed was the correct one. Fenway's tiny and nestled into the landscape of buildings though so we didn't have definitive evidence that we weren't plodding off course. How does anyone ever know these things when dropped into an unfamiliar setting?
The smart thing to do is to ask a local and so we did. As the early 50-something elderly grandmother type approached we politely queried:
"Excuse us mam? Are we heading in the correct direction to get to Fenway?"
She looked at our touring party and in a gravelly voice, said:
"Keep going straight. It's on the right. If you miss it you're a MORON."
So direct and to the point, a sweet old lady really. Could she have been kin to the above scallywag? Probably.
I bring this up for two reasons: nostalgia and the AL East race.
Last night the Red Sox began a four game series with the Yankees. Going into last night's game the Sox were a couple games behind the Yanks despite having an 8-0 head-to-head record this season.
The law of averages would suggest that the Red Sox will begin losing to the Yankees this weekend, precisely the wrong time for them. As dictated by this Law the Sox lost last night. The armchair psychologist in me says that the Sox are done.....they're done because the Yanks now hold the mental edge......the lead in the division and the knowledge that you're only as good as your last win---and the Sox know it too.
Now I'm not one to be owned by the numbers. I follow my gut in certain instances. I equally weigh karma & voodoo, coupled with trends and patterns. To that end it is quite obvious why the Red Sox have no chance at the World Series in 2009......
I have yet to step foot in Fenway this season. It's actually that simple.
Editor's Note:
I'm available anytime in August, Mr. Lucchino, Mr. Werner, Mr. Epstein. For a price$$$
Allow me to retort: Could I have been more right about the Red Sox? After losing on Thursday they don't score for the next 3o-something innings. 6 1/2 game lead for the Yanks.
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