Lightning Strking

Ok, I know I've been very bad with my blog for the past month (for a variety of reasons), so you can scold me later (as long as the physical punishment isn't too painful). I'm going to get back into it with a couple posts recapping what's been an amazing past month in Boston sports, and any other funny anecdotes as I try to develop some sort of regular rhythm.

Now, with that out of the way, how's bout a lightning round recap from the sports world. With all due apologies to Peter King, here's 19 (Beckett) things I think about the 2007 ALCS:

1.How dominant is Josh Beckett. Two solidifying wins over the Indians, including the series saver in Game 5. Was there any doubt that Beckett would win that game. As I heard a commentator remark after the World Series, Beckett looked like he wanted there to be an additional round or two. Nothing touches this man in the post season.

2. Game 2's loss was very disappointing, but it wasn't devastating, as it would have been pre-2004. It was a loss, and all who know me, know that I'm not the best at losing (it's what allows wins to be so thrilling). But there was still hope with these Red Sox, cause the specter of 1918 doesn't hang over their head. As the sole team in MLB history to come back from being down 3-0 (which even most Sox fans thought impossible) here, even when down 3-1, I kept confidence up. Beckett would be lights out in Game 5 (he was), no way Schilling would lose two in one series (he didn't have dominating stuff, but it was still good behind amazing Red Sox bats), and then Game 7 is up for grabs (and it was, until it was broken open by the Sox late).

3. Could Kevin Youkilis sweat anymore when he's at the plate? Honestly, if he goes in the steam room at a gym, does he just turn into a prune surrounded by a puddle. It must be impossible for him to overheat.

4. Dustin Pedroia is such a gamer, the little guy that he is. You know he was the kid in high school that if four bullies all much bigger than him, started to give him a hard time, he woulda taken on all of them at once, eagerly. Oh, and screw that his hair is thinning, he is still so very hot.

5. I'll admit I bought all the hype, like most people, before the post season even began, about how tough it would be to face CC Sabathia and Fausto Carmona back to back. Well, in this series the two were a combined 0-3, with the only game they started that the Indians won being Game 2, the marathon extra-inning game that the Tribe took 13-6.

6. How annoying did the white towels at Jacobs Field get. Much like the rally monkey in Anaheim a few years ago, any of these "actions" fans do to rile up their teams in the post season are cute the first 2-3 times, and majorly annoying from there on out. All I typically see at Fenway Park are just cheering/screaming fans, that know their baseball, without needing many extra gimics.

7. JD Drew finally came through, in a big way, in Game 6 with that grand slam. Up until that point, during much of the year, I'm sure other Red Sox fans were also longing for the company man, Red Sox home grown Trot Nixon. And gosh did he make the team pay in Game 2 with the hit that broke that game wide open. Good job by Trot, and great blast JD, to one of the deepest parts of the park.

8. Coco Crisp is either out of here next year, or will be a bench player. However, he's still young and a good, not great player, so hopefully the Red Sox can do him well and find him a nice place to go. While his arm strength is on par with that of my own during little league...gosh can he catch. The amount of OMG/web gems catches that Crisp made this year are too many to count. Can only hope Ellsbury will be able to match up to that (he's already given strong indications). Even that catch Coco made in Game 7, running in to the wall, to seal the series...man.

9. While many of the Indians bats came up lame during the series, Grady Sizemore, apart from having a great name, showed up to play. I've heard all the great acoldates, but getting to watch him play for a bit regularly, there's another hot young star. Can look forward to hopefully seeing him in many more Red Sox / Indians contentious games over the next few years.

10. Speaking of lame Indians, I know Kenny Lofton has come so close to winning a World Series many times, and I don't have a problem if he ever gets one. The man is still fast, still can play. However, that flip/drop of the bat on ball four of an at bat has got to go. I have no problem with Josh Beckett ripping him a new one for that.

11. These 7 game series and come from behind performances are exciting, but there's part of me, that would like win a series sometime where it wasn't always so desperate, say a 6 game series or something. However, if it has to go 7 games, it is better probably to have the Sox backs against the wall rather than trying not to blow something.

12. WEPN / 1050 ESPN Radio in New York needs to find its way onto a stronger signal if possible. Driving back on a Saturday evening from Massachusetts, I had a hard time for much of the Connecticut Turnpike in trying to pick it up. Hartford's ESPN affiliate wasn't much better. The best radio I could get, plenty clearly, was WTAM 1100 from Cleveland. (Going over lineups and the field, apparently the Indians broadcasters like the small details, letting us know not only all the distances to the outfield, but how high the fence is in each area - thorough). Disney also owns WQEW 1560, for Radio Disney. While the dial position is not as desirable, it's a clear-channel signal, and much stronger. Swap them perhaps? Just a thought for the future.

13. Could the elder statesman of the Red Sox, Mr. Tim Wakefield, have a bit better luck please. He's left off the ALDS roster for health reasons (rightfully so). Pitched one game in the ALCS, and pitched well in it, but still got let down by the total lack of Red Sox offense. Yes Paul Byrd pitched even better, but Wakefield had his knuckler working wonderfully, which is tough to do in October, before giving up some hits in the 5th. I agree with Francona, Wake woulda stayed in the game longer if it wasn't the playoffs. However, all that happened the next day in much of the national media was Wakefield getting scolded about how he was the wrong choice for the game and that he was overmatched. The man deserves better, and at least I hope most Red Sox fans still love this great guy.

14.What was baseball like in the post-season back before Fox got a hold of it. Seriously, before there were 437 cameras at each game, how did we at home watch a playoff game without knowing the angst expressed on the face of each fan in the ballpark. I think I was even able to count the number of one guy's fillings when he opened his mouth, we were up so close.

15. Did I mention how hot Dustin Pedroia is, in physical appearance, but also in game attitude and work ethic.

16. Francona always just seems to be able to make the right decisions. He's stuck behind players so long, usually deservingly so. However, in Game 6, he made the switch to start Jacoby Ellsbury in Center Field instead of Coco Crisp. Crisp bat had looked awful, and Ellsbury, who hadn't even played half a season in the majors, was ready and raring to go. What great dreams Sox fans can have of the future.

17. Thank you to the Jacob's bugs for not making an appearance in this series. While I've no doubt they rattled Chamberlain in the ALDS series for NY, those are the breaks. It was nice to not have something else around to scapegoat for the result of any particular game. Bonus thanks to "Terry in Boston" for calling up WEEI's Big Show with one of the most hilarious phone calls I've heard in a while.

18. NESN will more than likely have several people ready with the bleep button next year during Josh Beckett's post-game press conferences. But admit it, he's using words we all know, and it just makes him that much more fun of a player.

19. A big thanks from all of baseball to both the Red Sox and the Indians for giving us an actual series to watch. After and Divisional Series round that featured only one game above the minimum (3 sweeps, and the Cleveland/New York series went four games), a sweep in the NLCS, and then to come a sweep in the World Series, the Red Sox and Indians showed themselves to be the two best teams in baseball, as their tied records indicated at the end of the regular season, and thus gave us a strong 7 game to enjoy.

Up next, the Championship.