Portland Sox Fan

It has been on life support. Virtually brain dead.

Bring it back and make your ALDS predictions here.

And for our international friends here at PSF.com, in case you didn’t know it, you can watch the whole postseason for $15 bucks. Details here.

Yes, international friends. We get heavy traffic from the following:

Peru
Italy
United Kingdom
France
Canada
Netherlands
Germany
Spain

Go Sox!

Two wins. Two wins represent the margin between a seemingly euphoric year in which there is widespread talk of a potential championship and a disappointing year in which there were more questions than answers. In the 2002 season, 93 wins left the team out of the playoffs. The 95 wins in the 2003 season were enough to garner the wildcard slot and capture the attention of the region. It’s hard to believe that 2 wins over the course of 162 games makes that much of a difference.

In looking over the statistics between the last two seasons, all that really changed for the Sox was two extra wins, combined with the Angels complete collapse, opening up the Wild Card slot. It is interesting to note that amongst playoff contenders, the Sox were the only team to win more games than they had the previous season.

Boston won 95, last year 93. Diff: +2
NYY won 101, last year 103. Diff: -2
OAK won 96, last year 103. Diff: -7
SEA won 93, last year 93. Diff: 0
ANA won 77, last year 99. Diff: -22
MINN won 90, last year 94. Diff: -4

Unrelated note: KC won 62 games last year and 83 this year. Tony Pena is the manager of the year.

Hoss has spoken

Pedro wins: 14 achillies. Hoss, Blah (18)
Lowe wins: 17 PSF, PossibleDream
Wakes wins: 11 Mr SFanatic with (12)
Burkett wins: 12 PK, rebel, Hoss, Lobster Larry, PossibleDream
Fossum wins: 6 Cater

Manny HR: 37 Cater (39)
Manny RBI: 104 Lobster Larry, Rebel (132)

SheAAA HR: 20 Rebel (19)
SheAAA RBI: 97 Fanatic (93)

Team wins: 95 Ami, Fanatic, PossibleDream (96), Lobster Larry (94)
Playoffs??: Yes Most people said playoffs in one way or another. 2 said no; 1 said probably not.

PossibleDream and LobsterLarry with 3 right/closest each.

Original Thread:

“What I want to know,” Millar continued, “is who wrote the script? Who wrote the script for celebrations? What is it? Clinch wild card, no beers? Clinch Division Series, 4 to 9 beers? Clinch LCS, 6 to 9 beers? Win World Series? No limit? I never had more fun in my life, running down Yawkey Way in my spikes with Derek [Lowe] and Todd [Walker] and heading into that tavern [the Baseball Tavern] with a couple of thousand people behind us chanting, `Bring On Oakland!’ We were there 10 minutes. I wish we could have stayed four hours. And we might have, if we didn’t have a bus, and a plane to catch. It would be one thing if I were standing here talking to you, holding a Jack Daniels, but we had our fun, we got on the plane, and it’s over. We know what’s at stake.” KEVIN MILLAR

“It’s a big haul from spring training on the first of February all the way up to last night. It’s a celebration of their accomplishments, and it’s a relief, too. A lot of these guys have never been in that position before, and it was special for them. I heard a lot of talk we might have celebrated too much. That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. That’s probably somebody saying that who’s never been in that situation, or somebody who didn’t want the Red Sox to win. That’s what it boils down to me. Someone who doesn’t want the Red Sox to win and who isn’t happy they’re getting ready to play in October” GRADY LITTLE

“No matter what happens around here, somebody will have something negative to say. If we were to win the World Series in six, someone would say we should have won it in four. The thing about the celebration was that we were doing it with the fans. The great thing for us as players is to win for ourselves, sure, but I think it would mean even more to us in that clubhouse to do it for the people of Boston.” TODD WALKER

it is clear that the jubilant celebration was not from a precise analysis of what the wc means (its not the division) by the fans, but rather a function of their incredible and magnificent joy at anything done even remotely successful by the Red Sox.
Rememeber they drew a million in a parade AFTER they lost a dreadful WS to the mets.
Ive listened to this moronic raindripping about the sox/fans celebrating ‘too hard’ from the media, weei callers,and MLB ‘onlookers’ all day, and its nothing more than self serving sophomoric snorts from yawnessy wannabees.
They didnt pillage and rape. They were happy and they cheered. RICH

Nice that they got to do it at home. Fitting that they did it in an offensive explosion. Classy that they seemed to really want the fans involved in the celebration.

This is the feel-good quote of the day:

“This is the absolute best crowd,” Tim Wakefield said. “I’ve never heard them so loud as in this game, even when the Yankees were in town. I came in here, took a champagne shower, went back out twice and they’re still out there.”

Went back out TWICE. This is why PSF.com is proud to sponsor Timmy. I didn’t see the game last night; but I’ll be sure to watch the NESN replay today as I work from home.

Goofy moment of the night:

Trot Nixon started talking maturely about how the 2003 Sox remind him of the 2002 Anaheim Angels but then lost his mind, smashed two full beer cans together and screamed, “Stone Cold Steve Austin!”

Huh?

UPDATE:

Regarding overcelebration, which some have brought up here and in other places, it is my opinion that the celebration last night was more for the fans than for the players. To me, it seemed to be their way of saying ‘Thanks’…as indicated above by Wakes going back out to the field twice, by Nomar throwing shirts to the crowd, and by this Todd Jones story:

Reliever Todd Jones, champagne bottle in hand, walked across the outfield grass to the Sox bullpen and sprayed the fans. As he walked back to the clubhouse, Jones pointed at himself, shook his head no, and crossed his arms like a football referee signaling incomplete pass, then pointed at the fans, while mouthing, “You, you,” over and over.

“But how could I not go out there and thank them? They were with us all year. There were times they could have shot us and they didn’t.

ANOTHER UPDATE:

Funny story from House that Dewey Built:

Now, normally I wouldn’t bore you with such trival details, except one of the cooler things happend during this excursion. Jocelyne, my girlfriend, heard someone from the street yell, “Let’s go Sox!” Thinking it was just some fan, she looked down. And saw Boston starter Derek Lowe.

It was cool, there was Derek Lowe standing 3 stories below us in the player’s parking lot, on a cell phone, wearing the red undershirt and two bags of ice on, and he was feeling the crowd. A few minutes later, I yelled down “Good game Lowe!”. He acknowledged with a fist pump and a point. It was the first time a major league baseball player gave me something rather then the finger (I hate you Jack McDowell and Tony Phillips).

8.2 innings of shutout ball by the pen.

Ortiz remains hot.

Sox need one win or one Seattle loss to clinch.

That is all. I’m gone all day Thursday.

For those of you that missed this over the weekend, check it out.

For those of you that are ignoring it, I’m a little disappointed. There are more than 10 regulars (especially chat room regulars) who can afford to give 5 or 10 bucks to the cause. Am I asking a lot here?

Once again, Paypal.com, send money to psf@portlandsoxfan.com. If we don’t get our guy, you get the money back.

UPDATE: Balance: $63.92 $10 of that is mine.

So I listened to most of the game on the radio. Got home, was flipping between the game and some show.

Moved upstairs to the computer to watch the end. Was just about to click on ‘shutdown’ with 2 out in the bottom of the 9th…until Walker’s HR.

Then, I just knew.

22:13:31 [gedman211] is williamson able to pitch?
22:13:43 [psf] dunno
22:13:53 [psf] doesn’t matter
22:14:02 [psf] Sox will not need any more pitchers this evening.
22:14:19 [gedman211] hope not
22:14:19 [DubyaC] who’s due up this inning?
22:14:25 [Tard] psf calling the shot , just like the babe did
22:14:56 [bosoxfan] Im sorry .. that hr just shocked me..
22:15:05 [bosoxfan] I may get evicted
22:15:22 [DubyaC] have your neighbors knocked on your door, bosoxfan?
22:15:28 [psf] wait until the next one, bo
22:15:54 [rich] 1 1 ortiz
22:16:12 [rich] 2 1
22:16:20 [psf] they o’s fans, bo?
22:16:26 [rich] just mised. were in the 10th, folks.
22:16:39 [DubyaC] come on David O — be patient up there
22:16:40 [Anon] Da Monstah
22:16:43 [psf] 22:15:28 [psf] wait until the next one, bo

By the way, Ortiz knew it was gone about halfway through his swing.

Yes, it is only the Orioles, but that was a big, big win in late September.

Nice outings by Kim, that is. Here’s hoping the Sox get a couple more nice performances under their belt and Kim regains form just in time. Once again, Mike Timlin was inspired by the support from PSF.com, and comes through in a tight spot.

And for those that have been a little worried about the lack of offense over the past couple weeks, let’s not forget this:

It was the first time since Sept. 8 that the Red Sox have had their starting nine in the lineup after a stretch of injuries and illnesses.

And I liked this line in a Globe article about Ortiz clawing his way out of some recent doldrums:

“It’s all the easier to find your way out of the dark when the power remains on all around you. “

This cracked me up just a bit from the Herald:

Evidently, Little is fed up with the constant second-guessing of NESN pregame- and postgame-show host Bob Rodgers. When asked about the status of lining up his postseason pitching rotation, the Sox manager planted his tongue firmly in cheek.

“The job we’ve got around here is a whole lot easier to do after the game is over,” Little said.

Also from the Herald, Orioles pitcher Jason Johnson seems to be implying that the Sox have something shady going on:

Nixon’s homer, in particular, did not sit well with Johnson, who said he threw a perfect pitch — “Right on the black, right where I wanted to throw it.”

The implication was that Nixon knew what was coming, although Johnson did not accuse him of anything directly.

PSSST….Jason…Sox were made to turn off the TV last week. What clued you in last night? Did you see smoke signals coming from the Sox bullpen?

Wakes tonight, magic number is now 4.

When I arrived at the birthday party I was attending yesterday (Dora the Explorer theme), I got out of my car in the bottom of the 7th, with runners at the corners and 2 out. I had lingered for an extra minute to hear the 2nd out, and at that point, I figured if I waited much longer, people would start staring at the man and his toddler sitting in the car and not going into the party.

Well, apparently Pedro buzzed one by to end the inning, Mike Timlin was inspired by his new sponsorship, and Kim was inspired by being shamed Friday night.

I’m going to push Saturday night way, way back in my brain. I’m not going to FORGET it, but I’m going to hope against hope that it was the bullpen getting it out of their system.

Seven games left, O’s and Rays left in the regular season.