1978
If you're a Red Sox fan you suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD). PTSD is defined as someone subjected to repeated and/or severe trauma. The five greatest collapses in the history of mankind are the Fall of the Inca Empire, the 1978 Red Sox collapse, The Fall of the Roman Empire, the 1975 Red Sox fold and the 1986 Red Sox debacle.
I was in the bleachers for Game 7 of the 1975 World Series. I watched in horror as Tony Perez deposited Bill Lee's eephus (a cute name for a 70 mph hanging, breaking ball) into orbit.
My exploits in in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series are well chronicled by Billy Sunday in Drown. In summary if Buckner fields the ball my life hits its pinnacle. Instead it was the beginning of a slow, steady decline that seemingly continues to this day.
Surprisingly, while both of these disappointments happened in the World Series its 1978 that really sticks with me. Whenever I see a front runner collapse I have flashbacks (this gets particularly ugly at the horse track). That Sox team coughed up a 14 game All-Star break lead, culminating in a four game sweep at the hands of the Yankees in Fenway that September, (now affectionately referred to as the "Boston Massacre"). Bucky (F'in) Dent finished the job in a one game, playoff at Fenway where again I was in the bleachers.
The championships of 2004 and 2007 helped chase the demons at least temporarily. But in reality the Sox have won two titles in a century. With the benefit of history these wins now appear almost accidental, like a broken clock being right twice a day.
If 99% of life is showing up the other one percent is showing up at the right time: enter Theo Epstein. Unlike everyone else I was unwilling to believe in Theo for the sole reason of "needing a reason to believe".
The 2011 Red Sox went 2-10 to start the season. They are 3-9 in their last twelve. This season Theo's true abilities are on display. There is John Lackey who at $16 million can't locate a fastball, Carl Crawford who at $15 million can't hit a fastball, and JD Drew who at $14 million can't throw or hit a fastball due to an injury called, "loss of interest".
The other night in Toronto the Sox for the eighth straight time were trying to get Wakefield his 200th win. (As an aside how many times do you think Bill Belicheck has put a personal goal before the team's welfare, answer never.) With the Sox up 8-5 in the 8th inning Theo's co-conspirator, manager Terry Francona watched quietly as Daniel Bard walked in two runs to tie the game. (I walked in a run in Little League the manager unlike Terry wasn't going to give me another opportunity.) Matt Albers then came in and pitched like well another Theo overpaid, underperforming pick up. He gave up three more runs.
As the Sox mounted a come back in the ninth, Terry elected to have the pinch runner attempt a steal of second. He was thrown out to end the game by the distance of most horse races, a country mile. Incompetence isn't a curse it's a quality.
But I'm not here to tell you I told you so Sox fans. I'm just telling you it feels a lot like 1978. I know I remember it like yesterday.
KOKO
