Boston Guy

I still cannot believe it.  

I checked Facebook in bed this morning, because I did not want to get up.  (It was seven degrees with wind chill outside.  Seemed like a good day to procrastinate moving.)  Facebook loaded on my iPhone and I was presented with this wall post from my brother:

Welcome to Red Sox nation Mr. Crawford. Where is your locker you ask? No no, not next to Big Papi or Dustin. Yeah right over there. Right next to Adrian and Youk. Relax, you'll fit right in.

I literally could not process this and thought he was joking.  My thought process went something like this "Haha, very funny.  I keep up on Red Sox news.  There was nothing about this yesterday afternoon.  Granted I wasn't online last night.  Man, that would be awesome.  Maybe someone posted a rumor.  I'll have to check Sons of Sam Horn.  But really?  No.  Can't be."  

Then I went to a few sports websites.  Turns out that this "can't be" was being.  Lo and behold, Carl Crawford is about to become a Red Sock.  Holy crap.  

I was happy about Gonzo, but I am floored by this.  Who saw this coming?  No one.  It was supposed to be between the Angels and Yanks.  Wow.

I like this deal, a lot.  It locks up a likely superstar, and even though he'll be a bit old in his final two years, I'm sure he will still be productive, especially defensively in the outfield.  I hear he's a killer clubhouse presence.  I love his speed.  I honestly don't care about the money.  As long as it doesn't prevent getting us a decent bullpen and doesn't somehow impact ticket prices this year, spend whatever you can.  I love that this ownership cares, and they care smart.  

I've read a few articles today on the whole trade, but my favorite was from Sports Illustrated, which I've pasted below.  Enjoy.  I can't wait until April.  

Red Sox shock the baseball world by landing Carl Crawford  

The Red Sox shocked the baseball world, or at least the portion of it that managed to hold on to their drinks around the lobby bars of the winter meetings hotel here when the news broke in the last hour of Wednesday. Boston somehow turned $142 million into stealth money, agreeing to make Carl Crawford the second-highest paid outfielder in baseball history with hardly a moment of preparation by those outside their own suite. It was a rare "wow" moment in a Twitter-mad world.

"[Bleeping] Theo," one GM said of Boston general manager Theo Epstein. "What a brilliant move."

Four quick thoughts...

- The Red Sox are not going to be in the post-season for the first time for the first time since 2006 and while most people blame shaky aces, a bad bullpen and injuries, the little secret is that I am one of the Triumverate that cannot be living in Boston for the Sox to win it all.  You see, two of my best friends from college believe that for the Sox to win it all, none of us can be living in Boston.  In 2004 we were respectively living in Connecticut, Georgia, and New Zealand.  In 2007, it was Orange County, DC and Los Angeles.  Maybe next season that theory can be busted.....

- Fall in Boston is way better than Fall in DC.  Mainly because Fall in DC doesn't actually exist.  It's more like summer summer summer summer teeeeeeny bit of fall BAM winter!  I love the crisp air up here.  That said, what the hell is up with these humid 80 degree days?  I'm done with you Summer.  (Until next year.)  

- I forgot about "International Talk Like A Pirate Day" this year, on September 19th.  That makes me sad.

- I've lived in Boston (truly Somerville, for those in the know) for exactly 13 months as of today.  The two other place where I've lived that long: Washington, DC and the town where I grew up.

Happy October!

One of the more amazing things about living back in Boston is the connection of baseball.  The Red Sox may not be doing well this year, but man do they still connect people.  I was in the North End a little while ago, and had multiple brief conversations with strangers about the Sox -- what the score was, how (badly) we're doing this season etc.  In DC, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who cared about the Nationals.  (And even if you did, that person would be the exception.)

And living in Boston means that I can regularly go to Fenway!  I've been a handful of times this season, and it's still such an experience.  Each season, when I walk up the steps and see the fresh green grass for the first time, it makes me smile.  The perfect summer evenings spent with beer, franks, and friends are amazing memories.  Almost every game, the excitement and passion in the park is almost palpable. 

One of my trips to Fenway was this past Labor Day weekend.  It was a beautiful weekend for baseball.  Unfortunately, the Red Sox did not play beautiful baseball; they lost Sunday in horrendous fashion, 7-5.

Throughout the game - and after - I was thinking about all the calamities this season:

• Injuries.  (Youkilus would've had that throw.)  More injuries.  (Ellsbury would've had that blooper.)  More injuries. (Pedroria would have been able to do something to jump start things!)
• Below-expectation big-name starting pitching.  (Lackey is 12-9 with a 4.48 ERA.  Beckett is 4-4 with a 5.91 ERA.)
• An awful bullpen.  (The Boston bullpen has walked a run home four times in three games, from 9/5-9/7.)

Yet, I was also thinking that if Beckett and Lackey pitched to expectation, and Pedroia, Youk, Ellsbury, Cameron (remember him?) didn't have season ending injuries, we'd be in the thick of it right now.  We wouldn't be runaway first place, but we would be in the Hunt for Red October.  Sadly, that's not the case. 

The Sox now have an Elimination number of 14 from the Division and 17 from the Wild Card -- including tonight's (Wednesday's) win.  We're 9 back in the Division and 6.5 back in the Wild Card.  Time to start thinking about 2011.  (Since it took me forever to understand elimination numbers, a quick explanation.  Any combination of wins by the Yankees and losses by Red Sox totaling to 14 makes it impossible for the Red Sox to win the division title.  Any combination of wins by the Rays and losses by the Sox that equals 17 makes it impossible for the Sox to win the Wild Card.  FYI, there are 19 games left.) 

But you know what?  I'm okay with thinking about 2011.  Yes, I would love for the Sox to be in the postseason.  Yes, I would have loved for things about this season to be different.  But can you hear that? It's something new.  It's a type of quiet.  No more talk of Curses.  No more invoking 1918.  No more talking about how close we were recently and how we still lost it. 

Since 2004, we've had yet to go more than 3 consecutive years without seeing the Sox win a Ring.  We're like other baseball teams now -- a beloved team trying its best to win games.  So this year sucked.  Oh well.  I still love the connection the Sox bring, I'm still rooting for them, and enjoying the hell out of going to Fenway.   

So even if 2010 is a bust, 2004 and 2007 are gifts that keep on giving.  Us Sox fans can enjoy (or gripe about) the present and speculate on the future without needing to dwell on the past. 

We're free of those chains that used to hold us to 1918, 1967, 1975, 1978, 1986, and 2003. 

That just might be win enough for me right there.