It's just criminal...and I loved it!

August 14, 2007 - Tuesday

It’s just criminal...and I loved it!

I've spent a lot of money in and around Fenway this season. Between tickets, parking, beer, the emergency pair of flip flops I had to buy on Yawkey Way because I wore brand new sneakers to a game and had blisters the size of silver dollars. So - I don't feel badly telling you that we showed up at last night's game without tickets - scored some cheap SRO stubs from some guy on the corner of Lansdowne, and by 8th inning, I found myself sitting close enough to John Henry that I could've easily shared my opinion of the Gagne/Gabbard trade. (Which is not favorable, of course....but, I restrained myself, knowing security would toss us from that area for saying anything undesirable) I'm sorry, they say there's not a bad seat at Fenway. Those people never sat where John Henry sits. Those are THE seats. It doesn't get better than that....and, I was 3 rows behind home plate last time! This was better....much better.

I was relieved last night when Gagne's services weren't needed. The last thing the Fenway Faithful needed last night was to see Gagne make his way from bullpen to mound last night. I'm quite certain a great big Booooo would've lingered in the thick, August air. Thank God Wakefield was so dominant...Jeez, Wake - you looked like Beckett!!! Tim, you are the Devil Ray's Daddy. You know it. We know it. We're grateful. Nice work. 3 to nothing, Papelbon did his usual 2 quick K's, let a guy on base, nail the 4th batter routine. It was as awesome as usual.

And...Tonight. The magic continues. First - we win. Second - Yankees lose. That's all good right there. Lester - amazing work for you tonight. I do admit, I was still too mad at Gagne to be enthusiastic about his outing, especially when he hit the mound and threw 3 balls in a row. I'm screaming, "Pull him! Pull him!" at the TV, as if Tito can hear me. In my head, I'm planning my irate and outraged phonecall to Francona's Wednesday lunchtime call-in radio show. And, then....strangely enough, 3 outs, boom, boom, boom. Just like that. Well, Ok....but, it still doesn't make up for the weekend, Gagne, you've got a long way to go. So, Tampa ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the ninth. Then....Mike Lowell....(Mike, you know how much I love you, right?)....hit it big, right over the Monstah. Tie game. So, I get myself a Diet Coke, I settle in for extra innings. But, no...the boys are eager to go home. Captain Tek hits a ground rule double...and, (THANK YOU, Tito, for bringing in Coco!) Crispy hits another double, finding the hole between center and right...RBI'ing Jason in. "And, the Red Sox win!!!"

I'll never stop loving the sound of those 5 words. The only thing better is NOT hearing them - because I'm at the game!

Thanks for the amazing baseball, Gentlemen. I love you guys.
Ann, The Red Sox fan

(photo courtesy of Brad Trent, BusinessWeek)