I stayed up way too late last night.
The Red Sox went into a 0-0 16 inning game against Tampa Bay. My endurance gave out in the 15th, before Dustin Pedroia made the winning RBI and then Papelbon's and Gonzales's close.
But in the 11th inning, Josh Reddick made a thing of beauty catch against the wall and rolled, keeping it in his glove. That's just darned good baseball.
I've been watching Pedroia play since he was a pup. He still kind of looks like one beside his teammates, but no one in the game has played with more heart and fire than him in the past several years. If anyone was going to bring that endurance match home last night, it was my boy Pedroia. Ellsbury comes close, and now Reddick, too.
And you know what? That is why I love the Red Sox. These guys are highly fallible guys, prone to injury, because they put everything they have into the game. Each moment matters to them in a way you don't see with some of the other teams. The Red Sox players, individually and as a team, have more heart even than their deepest loving fans of any sport. I give my kudos to Terry Francona for keeping that kind of spirit alive in them from game to game. It's not just the skill, the talent and the know-how, the calculations and the play. It's the pure love of baseball.
I love these guys like they're my own.
Me too...! Love and Red Sox are beautiful things! (My parents were visiting and my 82 year old dad stayed up as all us 'young-uns' headed to bed.) Do you recall the Paw Sox game that went into 33 innings? My dad was at McCoy Stadium for SOME of that one! I have been missing in action with comments and miss everyone in Blog Land> Hope you are well!
ReplyDeletei think that's before my time, and i hate to say, my love of the red sox really grew more since my students got me involved around the 2004 season, esp the playoffs against nyy. i used to live on top of the fenway T stop, and in those days, i hated game nights. but the further i moved away from that apartment, the more my love grew. I have an old friend who would get me involved in a game on the radio from time to time, but i'd get so frustrated with them, it hurt, so i tried not to follow them for far too long. lol!
ReplyDeletei love that you call them your "other boys".... it's amazing how loyal baseball fans are... hope you are enjoying your summer!
ReplyDeletethanks, christine, and i hope you're having a greeat summer, too!
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