April 12 - Raising the Flag

There is a line from Fever Pitch where a young kid asks Jimmy Fallon the following question: “You have always loved the Red Sox, but have they ever loved you back?” I can’t speak for Jimmy Fallon, but after thirty years of being largely teased by the Olde Towne Team, the Sox finally reciprocated and showed me some love yesterday afternoon at Fenway Park. While I was too cheap to spend the $500 to attend, I was able to watch all of yesterday’s festivities via NESN, and let me tell you, I now regret my decision to stay at home. I say that because yesterday was a historic day for Red Sox fans and one that can never be repeated. The parade was great, but yesterday was off the charts. There may be championship ring ceremonies in the future but there will never be a ceremony like yesterday. It is just not possible since yesterday was more than just a day to honor last year’s world champions. It was a day of cleansing and redemption and reflection. For me, it was a day to savor the past. Not just the past twelve months and the miracle of last October, but a past that spans almost thirty years. After all, I fell in love with this chick in October of 1975 and have been stalking her ever since. Wherever she has gone, I have followed. Over the years, she has teased me to the point of insanity, but yesterday was different. Yesterday she stopped, gave me a sloppy wet kiss, and invited me up to her bedroom. My days of stalking this girl are finally over.

I have to admit that yesterday was an emotional day for me and I will concede that I had a hard time keeping my shit together when Johnny Pesky, Derrick Lowe and Dave Roberts were handed their championship rings. Why was I so moved by these three incidents? Well, the case of Johnny Pesky is pretty obvious - isn’t it? Pesky is the Boston Red Sox. He has been with the organization since the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Heck he played with Double X and just narrowly missed out on playing shortstop behind Lefty Grove. When I picked up this team in 75, Pesky had already served a lifetime sentence and what followed was another 30 year sentence filled with torture. How can you not get a little chocked up seeing an innocent man pardoned after serving 60 years in Hell? I, for one, will always remember the scene of Pesky getting his ring and then being embraced by each and every member of the 2004 team. I say this because Pesky is a symbol of Red Sox fans everywhere. He has been there since day one, pouring his life into this organization. When players were embracing him, they were basically saying this one is for you Johnny, and in doing so, they were saying this one is for an entire nation of psychotic fans who have always stuck by this team.

While Pesky was the highlight, I was also moved the moment that Derrick Lowe was introduced. I am not entirely sure why since I was never a huge fan of Lowe as a player, but perhaps it was because I always thought he was a great guy who was ruthlessly castigated by both the fans and the media. There were times when Lowe drove me crazy but I always felt this guy wanted to win a championship and I have long felt that last year’s championship meant as much to him as anyone on that twenty-five man roster. With that said, I thought it was great that he was able to come back and participate in yesterday’s festivities. Some cynics may argue that Lowe only returned because he can’t pass up a good party, but I disagree. I think Lowe came back, in part, to clear the air with Red Sox fans and this is what ended up happening. By coming back, Lowe basically said he had no hard feelings for all the abuse he took, and judging from the applause he received upon being introduced, it is clear that Red Sox fans now appreciate his contribution to the cause. To me, it was almost like watching a child reconciling with his estranged father and all is now forgiven.

The last moment that I thought was pretty memorable came when Dave Roberts was introduced. Little Dave Roberts did nothing less than save the season and it was good to see him rightfully adored. I kind of expected this would happen, but it was good to see someone other than David Ortiz or Curt Schilling showered with applause. Roberts, like so many others, played a huge roll in last October’s miracle and I am glad that Sox fans duly recognized this contribution with a thunderous ovation.

I only have two complaints with yesterday, and the second is really more a question then a critique. First off, who decided that it was a good idea to have some guy singing a tortured song during the raising of the 2004 championship flag? The song was simply dreadful and the singer lacked any skill whatsoever. It was not a highlight. My other question is why Tom Brady wasn’t available to throw out the first pitch. In case you missed it, Rill Russell, Bobby Orr, Teddy Bruschi and Richard Seymour were brought in to throw on the first pitches. Bruschi has some sentimental appeal and both he and Seymour are cornerstones on the three-time world champion Patriots, but let’s be honest here – neither has a place reserved on the Mount Rushmore of Boston sports heroes. Brady’s face is already being carved into that stone and I found it curious why he wasn’t out there yesterday.