Angels at Red Sox, Game 4 ALDS Thread
October 6, 2008
So far, three games into this 2008 American League Divisional Series between the Angels and the Red Sox, the team that has been On the Road has won every game. Maybe there’s no place like home, and not in the way that Dorothy meant it. I mean maybe home does not exist. Where is home? Jack Kerouac boomeranged back and forth across the country for years trying to answer that question. Maybe he only ever felt at home when he was in motion, on the way from one thing to another. By the time he arrived, whatever he thought he’d come for had evaporated, if it ever existed in the first place.
My home is in Chicago, sort of, where I reside, but it is also in Vermont, sort of, where I grew up, and in New York City, sort of, where I lived for years. Sometimes people assume I’m from Boston, because of the Red Sox cap, but the truth is I don’t know that city very well. I went there every once in a while as a kid, a little more often when I spent a couple summers on Cape Cod during high school, then I lived there for a few months in the fall of 1985. The last time I was there was for the parade in 2004, which I’d always promised myself I’d find a way to attend, so that I could scream and yell and cry with strangers.
Last night I watched the Red Sox game in a bar here in Chicago where I watched the Red Sox win the first World Series of my lifetime. Then, the place was packed with Red Sox fans, backing up the reputation it has for being a Red Sox bar. When Foulke fielded the last grounder everyone went berserk. Things have changed. Last night the place was half-empty, pockets here and there of laughter-barking late Sunday football lushes who either didn’t care about the Red Sox or who were sick of them. The moment I walked in some drunk spotted the Red Sox cap on my head and bellowed, “Nice hat! Do they make it for men?”
But this is not my city. Why should I be surprised when I don’t feel at home. I wouldn’t feel at home in Boston either. Who cares? Just let me read my books and follow my team in peace. So on that note, tonight I’ll be rooting for the home team from behind the locked door of the unit where I currently pay my rent and pet my cats. Go, home team.
Angels
Figgins, 3B
Anderson, LF
Teixeira, 1B
Guerrero, DH
Hunter, CF
Napoli, C
Rivera, RF
Kendrick, 2B
Aybar, SS
SP: Lackey
Red Sox
Ellsbury, CF
Pedroia, 2B
Ortiz, DH
Youkilis, 3B
Drew, RF
Bay, LF
Kotsay, 1B
Lowrie, SS
Varitek, C
SP: Lester
Cardboard Gods 
1. Nothing shatters a purring cat comfort level faster then a Manny home run. My cats stay away from me until after the game is over. I can imagine the conversation that takes place as they try to figure out if the couch is safe yet.
2. In last night’s game, you had a moment where the Red Sox might have missed Manny Ramirez. In the 10th with two on and one out, Jason Bay had a chance to be the hero, but instead he struck out.
In total, Bay went 0-5 in a game the Sox could have clinched. It’s probably a coincidence but that made me think…
(Actually, I think Beckett’s ineffectiveness due to his strained oblique was a bigger factor.)
3. After coming close to predicting the correct final score of the Rays-White Sox game, I will apply my slightly tarnished prognosticating skills to this game.
Final score: Red Sox 6, Angels 5 (10 innings).
Thank you.
4. Orange County is home for me, but that never meant that I’ve always been comfortable there. LA has never been home, but just that place up the road, a place I don’t often care to go, but am glad to know it is there. Usually, I find myself staring at the ocean or the mountains and wanting to get in a boat and head west or a motorcycle or sports car (always depending on the day) and heading east, through the desert to something. I’m never comfortable, though, when I go somewhere else, at least not for more than a few days. I always feel too far away from the ocean.
5. The Rays win evened the overall home v road record in these playoffs at 7-7.
6. 2 : Bay raked in the first two games. The guy that really needs to get going is the possible regular season MVP, Pedroia.
7. What are the odds that Velasquez will see any action in the next game or two?
8. Howie Kendrick has never met a ball he didn’t swing at.
9. 7 : Slim but possible, I guess. Francona used everyone but Sean Casey last night.
10. So why is Kotsay the backup first baseman instead of Casey?
11. Watching the Sox in London, I feel your pain.
GO SOX, the HOME team.
12. Very nice turn there by Aybar.
13. 6
Very true. Bay had a MONSTER two games in Anaheim (that’s right, Arte, I said ANAHEIM!).
Nice double play, even with the tough throw!
14. 10 : Apparently, Casey’s always leaden legs have become even more leaden this year. Even though Kotsay isn’t a first baseman, I guess the feeling is that his defense is better than Casey’s and he won’t be roadblock on the bases that Casey would be.
15. But Sean Casey is supposed to be the nicest guy in baseball!
Along those lines, there was still an L.A. Dodgers Luis Gonzalez bobblehead available at the Dodgers gift shop today.
And Jason Schmidt jerseys were easy to find.
16. Casey was also born in the town I was born in, Willingboro, NJ (speaking of sort-of homes).
He can still hit, tho not for power.
17. Continuing the theme of people away from home, there was an autographed photo of Manny Ramirez at the local restaurant where I had lunch. It’s definitely not a fancy place, but it’s open late and I assume Manny stopped by after a game.
I wonder if he ordered tapioca for dessert.
It’s that kind of place.
18. 16 ..Where I sit at this very moment.
19. Casey’s got to be the second most famous athlete from that town, after Carl Lewis.
20. The few people that I have asked have never heard of Casey, and they have all heard of Lewis. It was suggested to me that his “birthplace” is due to the fact that Memorial Hospital is here, (now called Lourdes Medical Center) and he may have grown up in one of the surrounding towns.
Crystal Langhorne, who won a national title at Maryland in women’s basketball, was born here, and Kareem McKenzie of the Giants went to school here.
21. 17 I’d like to think Manny had pie. And I saw that picture, which means that Manny has had to have had at least 2 meals there.
And I think in that border area of Pasadena and South Pasadena, Manny would be able to eat most of his meal in peace.
It is just down the street from Tommy Lasorda’s old restaurant.
22. 17
Not to out your place, but I think I ate breakfast there Sunday morning (with bhsportsguy). Was it on Fair Oaks just South of the 110?
23. A belated “Hey Hey!” That was a great play by Pedroia in the 3rd.
No score through 3… good pitching so far.
24. 21 Not Boston cream, I assume.
25. 21
Manny could feel free to eat pie with Enrique Wilson at the South Pasadena Shakers Restaurant.
Nobody would come up and bug him.
We’re not a starstruck bunch around here.
Wild Thyme, which is down the street from Shakers and owned by the same company, was used for several scenes in “Big Love” last season. It was the place where Bill Paxton met the woman whom he contemplated adding as wife #4.
26. 25 I enjoyed “Big Love”. Good program.
One of the podcasts I enjoy is “Never Not Funny”, by Jimmy Pardo. I am always struck by how routinely he sees famous and semi famous people, living in Los Angeles.
I don’t think I’ve seen anyone famous.
27. When did the game thread become a discussion of desserts?
Big at bat coming up for Manny-substitute Jason Bay!
28. Wow, pretty good pitching from Lackey to get out of it.
29. Tapioca has a very powerful pull on people.
30. It would behoove the Angels to score a run now. This is the time for it.
31. Poor Howie. It’s just not his series.
32. Langston:Hudler::Lackey:Kendrick
33. This was a good time for Pedroia to get his first hit of the ALDS.
34. 33 : Hopefully that gets him going. I think he had a similar slow start in the playoffs last year, then went on a tear.
35. I think an uninjured Hunter would have beaten that out.
36. So the White Sox were in trouble when they fell behind because they could only score runs by hitting home runs.
And the Angels are in trouble when they fall behind because they CAN’T hit home runs.
I believe the moral of this story is: don’t fall behind.
37. The moral of this story is: the mute button is your friend.
38. I am guessing that the Carey/Martinez/Darling combo with Craig Sager will be the crew announcing the ALCS.
39. The Kotsay over Casey decision is looking good so far tonight.
40. I would really love it if Bob Newhart were my boss at the library.
41. 40 Can he be appointed by the Mayor or would he have to pass a civil servant exam?
42. There’s an opening for City Librarian and that’s a mayoral appointee.
43. Poor Howie is right. He’s better than what he’s showing here.
The eighth is going to be the Angels chance to score some runs,
44. OK, this is the big at bat here.
45. Dear Angels,
This is your last chance. Make use of it.
Sincerely,
Bob Timmermann
46. The problem with this Viagra commercial is that no self-respecting male would ever throw the remote control to a TV set out the window.
47. If the Angels were to pull this out, Shaughnessy and Ryan will be so ticked off at having to make another flight out to Orange County.
And then, they’d be facing a flight back to Boston or to Tampa. They’ll be angry. Very angry.
48. Wow. It comes down to Hunter.
49. Come on! Just a base hit!
50. Finally! A key hit for the Angels! Thank you!
51. 鳥居!
52. Chip was quite excited. I wonder if Jared Weaver can pitch again. He looked great last night.
53. That was one fine little piece of hitting by Toriiiii.
54. Wing Ding bandit
55. YES! Hunter says “let there be free baseball!”
…potentially
56. Scioscia said everyone was available. Garland and Jepsen haven’t pitched yet. Garland likely won’t be pitching unless the game goes 20 innings.
57. David Ortiz isn’t David Ortiz.
58. Wow, nice pitching there by Shields.
59. My neighbors are watching this game and they aren’t on digital cable and are about three seconds ahead of me.
And they clap a lot.
They are rooting for the Angels.
There used to be Boston fans in my building, but they moved out.
60. 56 Amen to that. Garland is the last resort. I think Arredondo may be next, but Shields may go another inning because he’s always had a rubber arm.
61. Is that the first ever “Beat L.A.!” chant at Fenway Park?
62. The Laker fan in me now wants the Angels to win this game. A lot.
63. Very nice to see Morales get the hit there. I can’t believe they used Rivera all this time. Would also have liked to see Wood or Quinlan in there today, with Figgins moving to second.
64. It disturbs me that my neighbors are finding out what is happening before me. The only way to avoid their clapping is turn the volume way up and I think that solution is worse than the disease.
65. 61
You heard it too? That’s insane. I thought Red Sox fans would know better. The Angels are as “LA” as East Rutherford, NJ is New York.
66. 64 – Put on 830 AM KLAA and you’ll know before them!
67. I really really want to see a game 5. Besides being a fan of the Angels, game 5 in the LDS is just a great thing to see. Would be nice to have a chance for 1986 revenge too.
68. Good grief, Aybar is up in this situation?
69. Wonder if Scioscia goes squeeze here.
70. Oh crud. He should have dived for the bag and he would have been safe.
71. If this were “A League of Their Own”, Willits would be safe.
72. That is just really painful. Sigh.
73. Ouch.
74. Beat L.A. of Anaheim! Beat L.A. of Anaheim!
75. Relevant definition:
A TAG is the action of a fielder in touching a base with his body while holding the
ball securely and firmly in his hand or glove; or touching a runner with the ball, or with his
hand or glove holding the ball, while holding the ball securely and firmly in his hand or
glove.
76. b’ah
77. Third star: Varitek
Second star: Lester
First star: Lowrie
Series MVP: Lester
78. Well, good series, Red Sox. Your team was definitely better here. Hopefully we see a Sox-Dodgers series.
Tough to win 100 games and go out like this, but such are the playoffs.
79. Tough to lose without K-Rod on the mound.
80. The Angels losing a playoff series to the Red Sox without their top reliever on the mound is a tradition!
81. What an awful, awful series the Angels played.
82. Would have been more frustrating to lose with him on the mound. The way the Angels blew their chance in the top of the 9th, I’m OK with how this ended. Next year.
83. 75 Sure. Where the disagreement is going to come is: did Varitek have the ball securely at the time of the tag? And when did he lose it?
It looks like the ump got it right, but I don’t really know.
84. Yes, very poorly played series for the Angels. That’s frustrating. Lackey did great.
85. 80 Can people please stop telling me how brilliant Scioscia is?
86. Willits was definitely out. But he should have been safe because he should have hustled back earlier and dove for the bag. And of course, Aybar should have gotten the bunt down. Having Izturis out with an injury hurts, because he would have been better in that situation.
87. So how strange will it be to see Game 1 of the ALCS coming to you LIVE from Tropicana Field.
88. Awesome finish!! Wow, go Red Sox as they go on to meet the upstart Rays.
89. 85 Scioscia is a great manager. He gambled because his team needed a win on the road to stay alive, and it was a good decision. The pitching couldn’t hold out much longer. His team just failed to execute.
90. 87 Very strange. And everyone in the media will be rooting for a Sox-Dodgers series because Phillies-Rays will be uninteresting to most of the country.
91. The Red Sox are just on a great run. They’ve managed to build a great franchise. Hats off to them. No shame in losing, just shame in the way the Angels played in the field.
92. I think a Red Sox-Phillies series could be interesting. I hear that some Phillies fans have been waiting 93 years to get revenge!
93. 89 I’ll never, ever forgive that man for the 04 ALDS.
94. 93
But Jarrod Washburn was lights out!
For his own team.
95. 94 More importantly, he OMGTHREWWITHHISLEFTHAND
That game should have ended all the swooning over Scioscia
96. 89 He got arrogant, and refused to sit down Howie Kendricks when he was rusty/still not healthy.
He simply didn’t put his best lineup on the field, just like Lou Pinella didn’t do with the Cubs.
97. Random thought… Will TB be the first team to face both Soxes in the playoffs?
98. Also, I can’t listen to Chip Carray, so I might have missed this, but was K-Rod hurt or were we saving him for the save that never came?
99. To be fair, Scioscia was in a tough spot at 2b. His alternative was to put Rodriguez there, but he’s a rookie. He could have had Aybar move over if Izturis was healthy. He could have put Wood at SS, and moved Aybar over, but Wood is another rookie. Quinlan doesn’t hit righties. So really there wasn’t a lot of choice there.
100. Sigh.
101. Rodriguez was available. I think Scioscia just wanted to save him for one inning against the meat of the order or a possible save. Shields had pitched well in Game 3 and he pitched well in the 8th inning.
102. 101 He also got lit up in game one.
103. 102 K-Rod got lit up in game two, and he also gutted out two innings of relief work in game 3.
104. 103 Shields pitched two innings last night. K-Rod pitched one
105. Maybe the guy that made fun of your Red Sox hat was just being drunk and stupid, but with the White Sox and (especially) the Cubs losing, the baseball fans here in Chicago seem to be in an absolutely toxic mood. To be honest, I’m not terribly surprised that someone was rude to a Red Sox fan, even though I always hate to see what was likely a fellow Cubs or White Sox acting like such a jerk.
Just talking to various friends, they’re far more angry than ever before…it’s not like the shock and disappointment of the Cubs falling apart in 2003 or any other season that ended in elimination for one of the Chicago teams. If the Bears had a great season and then got absolutely slaughtered in their first playoff game, you might get some of the same general bitterness. And when that ticked-off fan gets drunk…
106. 105 : I totally hear that. I’m trying to tread very lightly lately with my Red Sox fandom as I make my way around Chicago. For the most part, the Bosox hat stays at home. My gravestone will read: “He Wasn’t Looking For Any Trouble.”