ON SPORTS ~ Angelic Sweep...

OVAH THE MONSTAH

Angelic Sweep:

where previously Molly flew home in time for first pitch...

As the 2004 playoffs began the Sox made their entrance as the Wild Card paired off against the Anaheim Angels. In the best of 5 series they opened on the road in CA so the game times were all screwy on the East Coast. I suffered through the beginning of the first game sitting at my desk in the middle of the work day listening on the radio and tracking pitch by pitch graphics online. No streaming video feeds, no TV signal - goin' old school. This is normally fine during the regular season. But for the start of the much anticipated playoffs, not so much.

In the middle of the action my employer called me from the road to check in with a work related question (what nerve!). I barely got the answer he needed out of my mouth before all kinds of offensive prowess was happening on the field so I hung up on him. Lucky for me I had worked for him for 9 years at that point so he was aware that trying to compete with me and the Sox was a losing battle.

The afternoon dragged and I was sitting around in an empty office because every one else had skipped out and gone home to watch the game. Having pity on me, my boss called me back (between innings so as not to distract me again) and told me to go home. The Sox were rolling it up on the Angels so there was no tense need to see the game, but after so much suffering it is nice to see the happy stuff every now and then.

The next game was an evening start but didn't begin until 10PM on the East Coast. Propping my eyelids open with toothpicks I delighted in watching Pedro better Colón in a tight game all the way through to the end when the Sox' bats broke out and sent that damn Angels rally monkey into hiding.

Game 3 was another problematic afternoon start although this one was back in Boston. I didn't get anything accomplished at the office and my boss took pity on me eventually sending me on my way. I figured I would get home just in time for the end of the game which was turning into another blow-out. But just when I got home the Sox pitching fell into a free fall, loading the bases and giving up a Grand Slam to Vlad Guerrero near the end of things to send it all into extra innings. I went from rushing home to see the first round victory celebration to wishing I'd stayed away to avoid witnessing the collapse and giving the Angels a chance in the series.

But then, David Ortíz (aka Big Papi) stepped up to the plate in the 10th. He had gotten on base in the 8th and the announcers had criticized why Sox Manager, Terry Francona, hadn't sent in a pinch runner for Ortíz. That would have removed him from the game and a bench player would have been up in this pressure situation with all of Fenway on its feet. Thankfully, Francona didn't think that way and instead Papi came to the plate and belted the pitch right into the Bleachers for the game winner that swept the Angels right out of the playoffs and sent the Sox on to the next round. Their next opponent? Who else? Boy I was happy! Grand heroics in style and a tone was set. Including the pattern of late, sleepless nights and not a lot of work getting done.

next week, IMPENDING DOOM, in which Molly's Sox faith is severely challenged...