Yahoo! Sports

Wrapping things up

Dan Lamothe — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 13:50:06 PDT

How am I supposed to summarize nearly 200 games in a single passage? How do I explain what it's like to go from spending every spare second writing about one one team to ... having a break?

You'll have to excuse me if I'm a bit out of sorts today. After all, fueled only by beer, Chinese food and caffeinated beverages, I'm wrapping up a blogging marathon here and on Red Sox Monster that began last night immediately following the Boston Red Sox winning their second World Series in four years.

Obviously, there's no reason Red Sox fans should have to apologize for the victory. It was earned on the field, and it came at the expense of the Angels, Indians and Rockies, all teams that have a bright future and the possibility of winning a title next year with some retooling.

What do I hope this postseason showed, then? Well, there's a list of things, so let's jump right into it:

1) The Boston Red Sox are one group of tough hombres: I say this because lest we forget, it was but a few days ago that people were dancing on the team's grave as it stared at a 3-1 deficit against the Cleveland Indians. "This isn't 2004, stupid!" the blogosphere seemed to say to Boston fans. For the most part, we ignored it. And hoped. And wondered. And, well, things worked out, thanks to big-game veteran performances (Schilling, Beckett and JD Drew, to name a few), selfless acts (Tim Wakefield choosing to be left off the World Series roster) and the energy of a quintet of inexperienced players: Jon Lester, Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima. That shows all we need to know about the 2007 Red Sox.

2) The Red Sox showed baseball can still be fun: Perhaps I'm overstating my point, but in an era where steroid talk dominates and Alex Rodriguez can announce his decision to opt out of a contract during the World Series, I think this is important to mention. Like them or hate them, there is no denying the Red Sox have an element to them that brings us back to little league, when we mocked teammates, played hard and didn't take ourselves too seriously. FOX beat the musical pirate ship bullpen story to death during the World Series, but how many other teams still do stuff like that?

3) The Red Sox showed a team can still act with class toward one another: Say what you want about the jazz-hands antics of Manny Ramirez this postseason, the Red Sox showed they respect one another. Mike Lowell and Curt Schilling, for example, both deflected questions about their impending free agency last night, even when it came up repeatedly. Coco Crisp politely took a seat in the World Series, allowing wunderkind center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury to take his spot, even though it's probably on a permenant basis. And if you haven't seen the video of Mike Timlin publicly praising Tim Wakefield after the game last night ... well, maybe you'll go soft on this team with me for a minute.

Here's to the 2007 Boston Red Sox. Thanks to Yahoo! Sports for lending me this space for a week, and thanks to all of you for reading.

Now, if you'll excuse me. I need a break. I've got a petition on Mike Lowell's free agency to sign and a rolling rally to prepare for in spirit.

I might not be able to get there like I did in 2004, but I'm savoring this World Series win every bit as much as the last one.

Will Curt be back in Boston?

Dan Lamothe — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 10:58:28 PDT

Red Sox fans are perfectly clear that while most of the Boston Red Sox will remain intact through 2008, there are a few large question marks.

The first one, clearly, is Mike Lowell. World Series MVP or not, Lowell is a free agent, and his return is far from imminent. We can threaten to kidnap Theo Epstein all we want, but Red Sox fans have no idea how his situation will turn out, and that's terrifying.

The second one, however, is even more unclear: should Curt Schilling be back with the Red Sox in 2008, or not?

For all is his postseason bravado, Schilling finished 2007 with a 9-8 record and missed a substantial portion of the season to injury. Sure, you can make the case that he still has impeccable control and provides a veteran presence in the Red Sox club house. The Red Sox have many veterans, though, and young starters like Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester waiting in the wings for a shot at a full-time job.

The quick question: if Josh Beckett, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester are starters for the Red Sox next season, who's the odd man out? Schilling, or Tim Wakefield?

Schilling himself is obviously already aware of the situation. In his blog today, he makes what amounts to an Emmy speech, thanking everyone from God to the clubhouse attendants. Then, he says the following:

"I'll leave it at this. My personal situation will most certainly be talked about in the paper, on the radio and on TV. Many people will propose to know exactly what the Sox 'think' about me, and many more will claim to know what I am going to do, and what I want. They will claim to know what works best for whom, and who should say what to who, when. The only place that will be true is here. My thoughts are to post here once the process begins, and to keep anyone that cares about the situation informed via this blog."

Schilling goes on to say that "there will be no ill will" if he isn't back in Boston:

"If October 28, 2007, was the last time I ever wear this uniform, thank you. It was an honor and a privelage to be allowed to play here."

So ... classy farewell speech, or plea to return for one more season?

Brad Garrett is the ultimate buzzkill

Dan Lamothe — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 10:47:03 PDT

Baseball fans far and wide last night were "treated" to Brad Garrett, most famous for his role on Everybody Loves Raymond, taking a turn to introduce the Colorado Rockies lineup. Great. Terrific fun. But did you know Garrett's a huge buzzkill?

According to Inside Track, Garrett says Curt Schilling owes him $4,000 from a Las Vegas poker game, and he took last night as an opportunity to make it known:

"'You write this — I want my money," Garrett told the Track after reading the Colorado Rockies line-up for Fox Sports World Series broadcast.

"You tell Brad that he's the worst poker player," the pitching ace told the Track around the dugout. "But tell him I said hi."

"Willard, who plays a sportscaster in the faux TV news sitcom, put Garrett to shame while reading the Sox and Rockies line-ups.

"Of course, Brad had a whole lot of tricky names on the Rockies to deal with, like Troy Tulowitzki and Kazuo Matsui!

"Why couldn't I do Jacoby Ellsberg as one of my people?" Garrett asked. (Maybe because it's Jacoby Ellsbury and he plays for the Sox?)"

Ellsberg?!?!? Please, please tell me you're joking.

Cheer up, Rockies fans, the future is bright

Brandi Griffin — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 09:50:04 PDT

Okay, now that we have officially been slaughtered by the Red Sox, it's a good time to take a quick assessment of what the Rockies need to do to have more success next season. I say it's obviously our deity's fault and we need to follow Lisa Simpson's lead and turn to Buddhism, instead ... just kidding.

Anyway, the Sox beat us by having better bats, better starters and a better bullpen. So, uhm, that's a start, I guess, we just improve everything ...

Actually, it could be a bit easier than that. Our starters had two clunkers and two well-pitched games this series. One of the clunkers was by Jeff Francis, who is well beyond his previous career high for innings pitched. He was letting the ball elevate a lot more than he had in his previous two playoff spots, and for this reason I still feel he's still a playoff-worthy pitcher. Maybe not Game 1-worthy against the opponent's ace, but more often than not, he’s up to the challenge of starting in October.

As he showed throughout the playoffs, Ubaldo Jimenez is tantalizingly close to being a legit Game 1-type starter. With just a bit more command he should be there. Throw in the excellent job by Aaron Cook last night, and that leaves our Game 3 starter, Josh Fogg, as the only member of the rotation that doesn't seem to fit in October baseball. Fogg's a free agent, and we should thank him profusely for everything he did to get the Rockies to this point, and then let him go to an overpriced salary elsewhere. I think the Rockies will get either Jason Hirsh or Franklin Morales to step up to an October-worthy level of starting performance in 2008, but we should probably target one more decent starter this off season for an ability to eat innings and general depth.

The bullpen is in line for a major overhaul, but that's typical of most teams. Despite his shaky Series performance, Brian Fuentes has proven himself one of the game's top left-handed relievers and I don't know if it's a wise idea to trade him unless we get a very solid offer from another team. Outside of him, Ryan Speier, Taylor Buchholz and closer Manny Corpas, the rest of the pen will be leaving in free agency. The Rockies should have a couple of decent replacements on the farm in fireballers Darren Clarke and Juan Morillo, but just like with our starters, extra depth needs to be added just in case those two don't work out.

As for our offense, a good chunk of our misery has to be credited to the Sox' pitching and Jason Varitek's game calling. That said, there are a couple of players that were decent in 2007, but I want to see take a step forward offensively next season like Tulo and Ryan Spilborghs. With Spilly, I really don't think he's much more than a fourth outfielder to begin with, but Tulo had a much better second half than he showed in the postseason. I'm hoping a full year of that takes him to the level of the elite shortstops in the NL. I think Seth Smith should be a better choice for our DH vs. the AL and our top bat off the bench next season. A few of his hits of late have been Texas Leaguers, but he's got a quick line drive swing, and more selectivity than Spilborghs.

Next, I don't think we can get to the Red Sox' level on offense without much more production out of either our catcher or centerfield slots in the lineup. I'm hoping in 2008 catcher Chris Iannetta develops into the potential he showed in the minors, moving Torrealba -- or whoever replaces him this off season -- into a backup role. Willy Taveras is just a speedy, defense-first place holder in center. Expecting more offense out of him just doesn't make much sense. The Rockies have one guy who might have Ellsbury-type potential in the minors in Dexter Fowler, but Dex hasn't lived completely up to the hype yet and still seems a season away from contributing. In both his and Iannetta's case, some luck in development is going to have to take place for us to get to the next level next season. Would it be worth it to target Andruw Jones or Torii Hunter? I’m not sure about this yet, but I’m of the opinion that the club would receive more benefit from going out on a limb to sign someone like Aaron Rowand than they would by staying pat. It’s a luxury we’ll probably do without, however, as a starting pitcher will take precedence.

Second base might be more tricky -- which happens to be the name of Kaz Matsui's batting music -- but re-signing the free agent Kaz should be a big priority. He and Colorado fit together (check out his home/road splits), and neither will be as good next season should he leave.

At the end of the day, I think we need to add four or five more wins to this year's team to have a more legitimate chance at a title next year. We'll still be behind the Sox in quality at that point, but the talent gap will have closed to give us a better shot at the upset and we should be as good as many of the top AL clubs. I think we could make up a chunk of that ground just by not having the lame production off the bench we had at the start of 2007 -- in the forms of Steve Finley and John Mabry -- and by enjoying the fruits of full seasons from Jimenez and Morales. One more quality starter, whether via free agency or trade, a back-up catcher who can also be a decent Plan B if Iannetta doesn't mature, and re-signing Matsui at second base seem to me to be the team's three biggest needs heading into the offseason.

At any rate, moving forward from here sure as heck beats where we've had to move forward from for the last decade. It's nice to finally have a bright future for the Rockies.

How sweet it is: Your championship blogger roundup

Dan Lamothe — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 08:12:27 PDT

How do we know that the times have changed since 2004, when the Boston Red Sox won the World Series for the first time in 86 years? One sign is the way sports blogging has exploded, especially with the Red Sox. By my count, there are no fewer than 20 independent Red Sox blogs out there, and a good 10-12 of them update nearly every day. That's a lot of options, and it's something for which this Red Sox fan is faithful.

Without further ado, then, here are celebratory snippets from around the Web, and a thanks to everyone who has been reading here at Yahoo! this week. And yes, I just thanked you. After the emotional end to the 2004 series, it just seems like the right thing to say.

Lester, Sox bring another World Series trophy to Boston: "After Jason Varitek jumped into Papelbon's arms when the final strike hit his mitt, I just had to kind of laugh. Remember the last time Varitek leaped into a pitcher's arms during the playoffs? It was 2004 and our then favorite closer, Keith Foulke. How times change, right?" (Over the Monster)

Feel it again: "And howzabout a little love for Terry Francona. I've happily lobbed hot coals at the guy's nuts for four seasons now, but I appreciate everything he's done to steer the ship and stick to the game plan. He's 8-0 in managing World Series games, has very likely seen DeMarlo Hale without pants and lived to tell about it, and will be leading your American League All-Stars in 2008 at Yankee Stadium. At this point, if news got out that he was secretly banging Jessica Biel would you be surprised? 'Cause I wouldn't." (Surviving Grady)

Of men and baseball, this game we play: "I would never claim that the Red Sox fly under the radar. That's a preposterous assumption and one you'll never hear me make. But I made the point a while back that if the Sox won this World Series, it would introduce the new guys to the world on a huge stage and their careers would begin in the brightest possible light. And we could say "Look at them! They're our rookies! We made them!" And we did. And we can." (Basegirl)

Can you believe it? "There is so much to process. So much to write about, so much to say and do over the next few days. Tonight, however, just the simple facts about this team that have been read out over the airwaves or otherwise come up in the wake of the World Series win will do." (Cursed to First)

Even the reanimated corpse of John Henry is smiling tonight: "There's a lot to say, about WORLD SERIES MVP MIKEY LOWELL, and the Jon Lester storybook ending, and the many years of my life I lost in the eighth inning, and the B train I took home, which was full of drunk college kids who alternated between chanting "Let's go Red Sox!" and "Ex-press to Ken-more!" so loudly that the train shook, but for now: Jonathan Papelbon strikes out Seth Smith to end the game, pick up a save and win the World Series. Could you have scripted it any better if you'd tried?" (Papel-Blog)

THEY DID IT!!!! "This team won the division. They swept the LDS. They came back after being down 3-1 in the LCS to win and they swept a white-hot Colorado team to win the World Series. There are no loopholes. There are no goats. There are only rookies and veterans and fans who never gave up hope even after finishing third in the division last year." (Red Sox Chick)

Head in the clouds: "A lot of times, I'll do a post, and the time of day will reflect when I started writing it, as opposed to when I finished. I always go to change it to the ending time, but if it's, say, 2:02 AM, I might change it to 2:04, in honor of 2004. Eventually I started changing them so anything close to an :04 was changed to exactly :04. At some point recently, I finished a post and it was six minutes after the hour or something, and I went to change it. But I thought, Wait. We have to win this year. So I made it say :07. Ever since then, if I had to change it, I'd change it to a time ending in 7 or :07. Now, in 2007, we have our 7th championship." (A Red Sox Fan From Pinstripe Territory)

BOSTON RED SOX: 2007 WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!! "It seems fitting that this season ends with a victory for Jon Lester and a World Series ring for JD Drew as well. For Lester, who triumphed over a far more trying opponent this past year, this has to have been a monumentally exhilirating experience capped with a moment of immeasurable joy. And for Drew, who battled public sentiment but also the stresses of caring for a sick child, this has to be redeeming." (Yanksfan vs. Soxfan)

Also of note: Soxaholix's World Series champion cartoon, Joy of Sox's front page newspaper roundup and Red Sox Stat's Guys media criticism of the awfulness that was Buck/McCarver last night. Because really, they were. Awful, that is.

What's not to love about these wacky Red Sox?

Dan Lamothe — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 00:08:29 PDT

As I'm writing this, there is no doubt that the Red Sox locker room is a complete mess. The goggles have been handed out like happy meal toys, and the champagne is no doubt dripping from the ceiling.

What makes these guys so much fun? It's hard to explain, but for months now, baseball fans have been given a regular dosage of Red Sox insanity.

Forget the playoffs, where even the most hermitted of hermits must have seen Jonathan Papelbon doing the jig. The Red Sox have been a source of comedy all season, whether it's Julian Tavarez petting Manny Ramirez's head, Jerry Remy playing air guitar or the team breaking into the Okajima Dance Party.

There's also the team's willingness to let players take prototypical roles for the sake of keeping loose, whether it's Mike Timlin becoming the admiral of a fake pirate ship, Papelbon taking on an alter-ego or Josh Beckett inspiring such fear and respect that he ended up with a new nickname.

There's also the fact that they didn't just say they appreciated the fans, they showed it, partying hard with them to the point where this photo gallery is now legendary. Who can't appreciate that?

Listen, I understand there are people outside New England who wish the Red Sox didn't spend so much money. People who think Boston's fans take things a bit overboard and lose concept of what it's like to have their lives revolve around anything else other than baseball.

For a minute, though, can we all at least agree that the 2007 Boston Red Sox are a damn fun bunch, whether you're rooting for them or not? That it's tough to dispute it's a team filled with cartoon characters who can be worth a laugh a minute?

Good. Glad we have that settled. Now, back to your regularly scheduled champagne bath.

Congratulations to the Red Sox

Brandi Griffin — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 21:42:01 PDT

And to all the fans of Red Sox Nation. You've got a fantastic team that played like champions from the onset of this series. I wish the Rockies could have given you more of a run, but now's your moment to enjoy your second title of this century.

I've got to process the hurt of another crushing defeat, so analysis comes later. In the meantime, just make sure not to leave too many champagne stains in the visitors dugout at Coors. Oh, and Jacoby Ellsbury, may you never set foot in Coors Field again.

World Champions!

Dan Lamothe — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 21:28:20 PDT

They did it!

I'm sorry, I'll try and get some perspective. For now, though the only kind of thoughts I can string together is "AAAAAAHHH DID IT AGAIN PAPELBON NUTS AAAAH!!!!"

I'll be back shortly, but for now, I had to get that out of the way. For the record, Jonathan Papelbon had the following to say when reminded that Josh Beckett promised he would dance with Papelbon if the Red Sox won the World Series:

"I'm going to hold him to that, believe me."

Perfect. And with all-around good guy Mike Lowell winning the Series MVP? Speechless.

Fanning at altitude: Rockies fans are growing up

Brandi Griffin — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 19:01:28 PDT

Rockies fans get a bum rap, I think.

I've been to baseball games across the country in places where fan bases are reportedly somehow better for baseball -- St. Louis, New York (both teams), Boston, Chicago (NL), Detroit, Atlanta and Cincinnati, to be specific, Western clubs unfairly never seem to make the lists of best fans, and while the environment is different in Denver, there was a youthful exuberance that made last night truly unique and special and certainly good for baseball.

The East Coast stadiums I've been to have loud, boisterous fans that rightfully take pride in their glorious histories and have a sacramental feel to their cheering; everybody seemingly knows the points in the game where you have to stand and shout. Frankly, they are also insular and barely know their opponents, but their understanding of the game and their own team is deep and impressive.

Midwestern fans typically show a more expansive knowledge of baseball, and their fans are less rigid in their protocols for cheering. Not every two-strike count calls for a standing ovation to urge on the pitcher, for instance, but they can get every bit as loud and enthusiastic for their team and sometimes stay that way for an impressive and considerable duration of time.

Colorado has developed a unique fan character. Rockies fans get more jumpy than anywhere I've been to, and very buoyant. The games can get the feel of a rock concert if it's a packed house like it has been since the Arizona series. Don't get me wrong, the scoreboard cheerleading that shouldn't exist anywhere ("Make Some Noise" and "Wave Those Towels") shouldn't exist at Coors, either. It's unnecessary, as the fans are perfectly willing to break out into spontaneous or not-so-spontaneous bursts of noise on their own. Prime examples are the "Go Rockies" call and response appropriated from Broncos games but unique to baseball (kind of like the Braves' tomahawk chop), or the rhythmic "Tulo!" cheer whenever our shortstop comes to the plate (this is kept on beat by the stadium organ, but we were doing it unassisted and got the shuttle bus rocking with it on the way from the parking lot).

I'm not saying any of these fans are superior to others, I am recommending that everyone experience as many of these parks and fan experiences as possible.

The beginning of the end? Your Game 4 Thread

Dan Lamothe — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 17:14:13 PDT

Does it end tonight, or not?

That's obviously the question weighing on everyone tonight, as the Boston Red Sox and Colorado Rockies meet for Game 4 of the World Series. As it has been widely covered, the game also features the compelling matchup of Jon Lester and Aaron Cook, pitchers who overcame life-threatening health conditions.

Consider this your Game 4 comment thread. Like last night, I'll be checking in throughout the game under the name of my blog, Red Sox Monster. Debate is encouraged, but let's keep it light and welcoming for fans of both teams.

Don't feel guilty about enjoying Lester vs. Cook

Dan Lamothe — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 15:00:49 PDT

I'll be up front here: I'm rooting for a sweep tonight.

It's not because I insist that the Red Sox dominate this series from start to finish – although I'm OK with that. And it's not because I don't want to see Josh Beckett own the opposition again Monday night – Lord knows I could watch that all week.

With Jon Lester taking the mound for the Red Sox in Game 4, though, I want to see it end on his watch. I want to see him close out the series, the perfect ending to a season in which he came back from cancer, but struggled with his control and consistency. I want to see his season end the way he deserves.

That isn't to say I don't appreciate the back story of Aaron Cook, the Rockies' starting pitcher tonight. Like any other interested baseball fan, I'm aware that he struggled through a bout with blood clots in 2004, and had what was considered an extremely serious medical condition.

What we have here tonight, then, is something baseball fans crave: A chance to admire athletes who have been humanized by their personal afflictions.

Should we feel guilty about that? Should we be complaining when Fox ramps up their back stories, trotting out the obligatory segments on the two pitchers overcoming life-threatening situations? Should we take a step back when Lester says, "I don't think there's anything special about that," as he did this past week?

I say no, and here's why.

We've all had family and friends suffer through cancer, heart attacks and other serious health problems. We all know the pain those ailments can cause, and when they take hold, warding death off becomes the most important thing for the person afflicted and for his or her closest friends.

When they hit a professional athlete we're already cheering for, then, it's shocking. Young, healthy and famous, they're supposed to be immune to the things we don't want to think about. After all, if they can strike a top athlete, what's to stop them from finding us?

As the member of a family that's been hit by cancer numerous times, I'll be rooting for Jon Lester tonight. And I'll be rooting for him for many more reasons than his affiliation with the Red Sox.

Sucker for drama? So be it. Give 'em hell, Jon.

Aaron Cook, we need you

Brandi Griffin — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 13:58:27 PDT

Sometimes I wish the English language was more expansive so I could describe stuff better. For example, Saturday night at Coors Field, the atmosphere was electric, the crowd was pumped and kept its energy for much of the game (until Brian Fuentes took us out in the eighth) and the whole experience was one of the sweetest moments of my life. At the same time, the Rockies lost, making me a very bitter person. If only we had some word like "sweetbitter" to describe situations like that.

I just don't like losing. I might have mentioned this before, but I doubt you understand the degree. Seriously, I don't like losing -- a lot. When I'm stuck on Free Cell solitaire on my computer, I will 86 the program from task management just so it won't show up as a loss in my statistics. I'm on an 812-game winning streak. Yeah, I'm that bad. Yet for the first time in my life, losing is going to show up as one of the happiest days in memory.

All right, that's dumb and trite, I admit. It will also show up on my list of "what might have been" moments in life. Like the time I thought that guy would like me if I mailed him a big heart card with us Photoshopped together. Just not the result I expected.

Maybe it's just having to wake up at 4:30 after a loss that ends at midnight (a four-hour, 19-minute game!) that makes me particularly surly. Saturday's loss puts the Rockies on the brink of elimination in this World Series, and it's getting close to reflecting on that nebulous void we've been trying to fend off called the offseason. I want a win desperately. I don't want the rest of the National League to feel that we're an inferior representative for it. I'll post more on my trip, the Coors Field experience and my thoughts on the team. In the meantime, go Rockies! Aaron Cook, please, we need a miracle tonight.

Blogger roundup: Game 3 fallout

Dan Lamothe — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 10:25:49 PDT

Well, I imagine our intrepid Rox Girl is stuck in a snow bank somewhere this morning, repeatedly saying this: "Elcoby Jellsbury and Pustin Dedroia? HOW!?!?! They're so young!!"

Then, she probably takes a swig of Rocky Mountain moonshine from a flask, and a nice man carrying all of his possessions in a shopping cart tells her to cheer up.

Crude? Maybe, but Red Sox fans everywhere are on the edge of euphoria again this morning, and dagummit, they know it. You don't take a 3-0 lead in a seven-game series without confidence, especially when you have the potential perfect ending to a long year for Jon "Cancer Ain't No Thang" Lester. And, if that doesn't work, there's Josh Beckett going in Game 5. And he hates people celebrating on his watch.

I could prattle on, but I'd prefer to get to what bloggers from both sides are saying this morning. Understandably, a number of Rockies bloggers (ahem) are rather quiet, but we'll start with Colorado's Rockie Mountain Rooters:

Sunday Morning Rockpile: What's Going On?: Not much, it seems. Hawpe strikes out eight times in the series; Fuentes can't keep the game close; and, after neither side of the game showed up in the first contest, one side disappeared in each of the following games. That must mean both will show up tonight, right? Thinking about that is better than reading crap about better words of wisdom for the Rockies than the ones they already have. ( Purple Row)

A Night of Mixed Emotions: It was almost surreal wasn't it? The Fox pregame show at Coors Field. Joe Suck and Tim McCarver calling a baseball game in Denver. Carrie Underwood. The giant American flag covering more ground in the outfield than five outfielders could. Nothing says special occasion better than that. Of course I did say there were mixed emotions. The other side of the coin was the Boston Red Sox once again imposing their overwhelming will on a seemingly overmatched Rockies squad. I don't think there's any shame in admitting the obvious. From Beckett's first fastball in Game 1 to Papelbon's final bat breaker in Game 3, it's been Boston having its way. ( Bugs & Cranks)

Rockies Failed to Test Ortiz's 'D': For all the trees sacrificed and cyberspace highway traffic jammed over David Ortiz's suspect defense, the Rockies didn't exploit the Red Sox first baseman. They didn't attempt a bunt, making him test his tender right knee. He didn't move much at all, and in fact showed soft hands when fielding a Matt Holliday groundball in the fourth inning. ( Denver Post Blog)

.... And that's darn near it. I may be missing something, but the reaction to Game 3 has been verrrrry muted in the Rockies blogosphere. As for the Red Sox:

Striking Distance: I should be asleep. I didn't get into bed until 3 this morning. It's Sunday and the Pats game doesn't start until 4:15. There is absolutely no good reason I should be awake right now. Except that this morning is the morning the cat has decided that I absolutely cannot sleep past 8 o'clock. He attempted to get me out of bed by pushing his food dish all over my hardwood floors, meowing incessantly, and inexplicably running back and forth across my apartment. And when that didn't work, he stood on my chest and meowed directly into my face, to, I assume, talk abut how awesome Jacboy Ellsbury is. On that, we agree. ( Basegirl)

Jacoby Ellsbury: The Love Affair Begins: Goodbye, Coco. It's been good having you -- I mean that. You've been a cheerful presence and a defensive beast in center field. But you have to know as well as the rest of us that your time here has passed. Tonight Jacoby Ellsbury became the stuff of instant legend. 4-for-5 and 2 RBI and solid defense as a rookie in a World Series game, and as Kristen put it, "free tacos to boot." ( Cursed to First)

Who Died and Made You Jacoby Ellsbury?: Honestly, with all this pre-game talk of humidors and sea level and mountain air, part of me was convinced that our biggest concern was going to be Red Sox players just drifting off into the atmosphere, untethered by gravity. But it was nice to see that even within carvernous Coors Field, the Sox just kept rolling, handing out the ass-kickage and spurred on by Jacoby and Dustin Pedroia -- the one-two punch that will from this day forward be referred to by me as "Ellsbury 'n' Elf" -- leading the charge. ( Surviving Grady)

Oh, and for the record, Mr. Kevin Youkilis is not getting ahead of himself and Manny Ramirez doesn't want to eat his cake before his birthday. So, there's that.

Tonight, Game 4. Just don't blame Kelly regardless what happens, OK?

Homegrown rookies rule the day

Dan Lamothe — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 23:10:32 PDT

For most of the season, anti-Red Sox vitriol has emanated from all corners of Major League Baseball. "They're just like the Yankees!" people say. "They're a money-making machine!"

Funny, then, that the two key figures in Boston's 10-5 Game 3 win last night were homegrown rookies, Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia. The homegrown midgets were everywhere in Game 3, finishing a combined 7-for-10 with four RBI, four doubles and three runs.

Hitting at the top of the lineup together for the first time in the World Series, the pair produced seemingly every time the Red Sox needed it. And when Matt Holliday got the Rockies back into the game with an impressive three-run bomb off Hideki Okajima, the pop guns at the top of Boston's lineup responded again, pairing with Julio Lugo and Coco Crisp for a three-run rally in the eighth inning. Game, set, match, Boston.

For Red Sox fans, Ellsbury's performance was exactly what they had dancing in their heads when the began calling for him to start over Coco Crisp during the American League Championship Series. It's plain as day: With world-class speed, a sound batting eye and some power, he's a key part of the Red Sox's future. Sadly for the Rockies, he again showed that future has arrived.

Key things to note? While Pedroia is a leading candidate for the 2007 American League Rookie of the Year award, Ellsbury still qualifies for the 2008 award, since he had only 116 regular season at-bats in Boston. Can't wait for the gripes on that one to begin.

Must win for the Rockies? Your Game 3 open thread

Dan Lamothe — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 17:58:42 PDT

Since I've been left to my own devices tonight, I'll be be checking in throughout Game 3, which starts around 8:30 p.m.

Rockies and Sox fans alike, consider this your invitation to banter about the game, Daisuke Matsuzaka's facial expressions and whether or not Matt Holliday is still waiting for that pickoff throw to come over yet. You'll find me below commenting with the name of my blog, Red Sox Monster.

Papelbonian Dance Fever takes off

Dan Lamothe — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 11:46:04 PDT

You know, I was talking with Lizzy from Babes Love Baseball earlier today, and we came up with a conclusion: People don't give Jonathan Papelbon enough credit for his dancing skills.

What? You scoff? Perhaps you don't realize how difficult Papelbonian dance moves are. It takes skilllz, man.

For those of you intimidated by the dance, though, fear not. There is help available, as the MetroWest Daily News in Framingham, Mass., pointed out:

Experts aren't sure if it's a two-step, a clog dance or the Highland fling. Heading into the World Series, no one cares. Whatever the name of the dance, the fun-loving right-hander fired up the Red Sox Nation and has taken the Papelbon dance craze to a frantic fever pitch.

Tonight, Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Natick plans to show Red Sox fans the art of the Papelbon dance. Nancy Kelley Dance Studio, also in Natick, is offering to teach the entire Red Sox team the dance.

"Get the whole team to come to the studio and learn a good kick line to present to their fans when they win the World Series," said Nancy Kelley, owner, dancer, and founder of Nancy Kelley Dance Studio. "And when they dance, the stage should be the top of the dugout."

Kelley thinks Papelbon danced the Highland fling, which she finds appropriate. "After the Scots won a battle, they would do the Highland fling," she said.

The story ran Thursday, but it doesn't appear to have received the kind of attention one would expect. This is BIG, man! Teaching slobby baseball fans (like me) how to dance is hard! Haven't you seen the videos, like this and this and this?

Ode to Funky Okajima

Dan Lamothe — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 08:16:51 PDT

Rockies fans can complain all they want about the Boston Red Sox getting too much attention. Doesn't bother me, really. I understand the criticism, especially when there are Sox fans (in pink shirts! argh!) professing ignorance to pretty basic stuff in videos like this.

Truth of the matter is, though, a fair argument can be made that one of Boston's pitchers flew right under the radar for most of the season, even after sneaking onto the All-Star team.

Today, though, I aim to remedy that situation. Because while you may have heard of the "Okajima Oki-Doki," you've probably never heard this new tribute to Darkman.

Ladies and gentlemen, it's the ""Funky Okajima!"

Forget the odds

Brandi Griffin — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 07:36:04 PDT

“How do you like that, calling me a scrawny little nine-pound weakling, when it’s perfectly obvious I’m a scrawny 10-pound weakling.” -- Daffy Duck

According to Accuscore, the Rockies have only an 8.8% chance of coming back and winning this World Series. The people who come up with these numbers have done so with enough data in the books that the stack of papers would feel at home in the mountains looming over Denver. Okay, maybe that’s hyperbole, but they’ve got a lot of info that gives them the confidence to back up this assertion. Of course, there’s one little tiny catch in that this isn’t even close to the most difficult odds that the Rockies have had to overcome this year, and just under 9% to me feels like a comfortable shoe. Come on. Give us a real challenge. Not even cracking a sweat here.

On September 16, 2007 the Colorado Rockies had about a 1% chance of making the playoffs according to the best projection models out there. Three days and three wins later, it was still less than 2%. In fact, despite not losing at all that week we didn’t crack the 10% threshold until sweeping the Padres in a series at PETCO on September 23rd. After playing for the final two weeks of the season under the gun, living on edge for each and every game, and still making it, a couple of days at less than 10% feels like a day at the beach. Sort of like Venice Beach, actually, and Boston’s the guy with too big muscles striking a pose in his Speedo. Ewww. You’re about to see some real hotness Red Sox.

A long night’s journey into the park

Brandi Griffin — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 16:32:59 PDT

1:00 a.m. (EST) I e-mailed my last post to Yahoo! after the Rockies loss. Down 0-2. I’ve decided life in the World Series is no longer worth blogging about.

5:00 a.m. Wake, kick cat. What possessed me to allow such an annoying beast into my house? Shower. Feed cat.

5:40 a.m. Is there any form of humanity lower than taxi drivers? Just shut up already. Nobody wants to hear this babble about how you sang back-up for Marvin Gaye. Well, maybe NPR. Tell them, not me. It’s coming out of your tip buster.

6:00 a.m. Arrive at airport. Accidentally hand cabbie a five instead of a one. What? Et tu, Karma? Does everybody have it out for me this morning? Karma must be another frickin’ BoSox fan.

6:15 a.m. Old guy has been standing in front of ticket kiosk for five minutes and a line has formed behind him. Does he actually need to use the kiosk? No, he’s just standing there, I hope he rots in the security check. Line finally starts moving.

6:30 a.m. Security checkpoint, behind two little girls who don’t understand how the process works. Get a move on twerps. Urchins. Swear to have tubes tied at earliest convenience.

6:45 a.m. Nuns. Who needs them? All helping the needy like it’s some sort of skill. Try hitting 90 mph high heat sister, now that’s a skill.

6:47 a.m. First sip of coffee. Terrible tasting but as the caffeine gets blood flowing to my head, I’m suddenly over wracked with burdensome guilt. What kind of monster am I? Did I actually kick my cat this morning?

7:00 a.m. Board first leg of trip to Denver, heading to Minneapolis. I get the window seat in a plane about the size of a Volkswagen. Over the next five minutes, 40 or so more people climb aboard but so far, none by me. Finally a break ...

7:06 a.m. 280 lb. man in cowboy hat climbs aboard. Only two seats left. O please, baby Rockies Jesus, don’t let him be sitting next to me.

7:07 a.m. 280 lb. man does, in fact, sit by me. At least I can’t smell BO underneath all the old man cologne he’s wearing.

7:20 a.m. The guy’s actually nice, and I’m sure if I weren’t in a setting where I turn my head into his armpit to talk to him, I’d be more congenial. He’s going to do something with cattle in Montana. I feel for the horse.

7:30 a.m. (CST) Arrive in Minneapolis. Have second cup of coffee. I’m really feeling guilty about kicking my cat now. Eat a Cinnabon.

9:00 a.m. Board flight from Minneapolis to Denver.

9:20 a.m. This plane’s been on the runway for a while now …

9:35 a.m. “This is your captain speaking, we’re experiencing a minor glitch with our computer. We hope to be taking off in about 20 minutes once we clear this up. Sorry for the delay.”

9:55 a.m. “Sorry folks for keeping you in your seats, we’re still trying to resolve the issue. We hope to be on our way in about ten more minutes."

10:05 a.m. ….

10:10 a.m. “Folks, we’ve decided to just switch out to a new computer. The tech people are here to install it as we speak. Sorry for the delay.”

10:30 a.m. Realize that the plane must have been using the same computer the Rockies did for their ticket sales earlier this week. It all makes sense now. I feel strangely enlightened.

11:05 a.m. “Folks we’re finally ready to take-off. We hope you enjoy your flight and choose to always fly with us. Thank you for choosing … ” He fills in the blank his way, I fill it in mine.

1:00 p.m. (MST) Get baggage from DIA, head straight to Coors.

1:30 p.m. Kiss bricks, profusely. Security comes, tell them I was just looking for my contact lens on the wall. I don’t think they believe me, so I go to the team shop to buy some gear.

2:15 p.m. Sign my first born child to the credit card company. Ha. Too bad they didn’t read the 6:30 am entry. Suckas.

3:15 p.m. Finish Nachos at the Sports Column by the stadium. Maybe life is worth blogging about. Head to my hotel to start.

Blogger roundup: Paps puppets! Get your Paps puppets!

Dan Lamothe — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 10:26:24 PDT

Some of you have observed in the comments section today that Miss Rox Girl has been conspicuously silent. In all fairness, it should be noted that she's flying to Denver today for Game 3 of the series, which is tomorrow night.

What that means in the interim, of course, is that Rockies fans are stuck with me talking about how Jonathan Papelbon and Hideki Okajima stole your lunch money by beating Colorado on a night where they did almost everything right. (Seriously. I believe this. And Ubaldo Jimenez? Wow.)

Without further ado, then, here's a look at what bloggers on both sides have to say today, beginning with the Greatest Puppet of All-Time.

-- Jonathan Papelbon: Now Available in Fully-Poseable Puppet Form: "First things first, could we please get some props for those dudes who constructed their own Papel-Bot marionette last night, complete with moving legs for instant "Riverdance" action? As we speak, there are kids wasting precious time in shop classes making bird houses and end tables and beat-down sticks, but what's the real value? Get those kids collaborating on a full line of Red Sox-themed signs and puppets, though, and I guarantee you'll cut juvenile delinquency in half. Who's got time for mugging the elderly when there are wooden David Ortiz figures to be carved?" (Surviving Grady)

-- Any Way You Want It: "This one ... this one was not easy. This one had that postseason feel to it. That "this could go completely to s--t at any second" feel. This is something I'm used to. But Schilling did what he's capable of doing and, once he got it together after a slow start, pitched a beautiful game. Of course, the Sox would be nowhere this season, or this postseason, without their bullpen, Manny Delcarmen Bullpen Band and all. Okajima, in particular, has pitched more than I often think is strictly wise, but has risen to the challenge every time. And just think, this is the guy we got to keep Matsuzaka company." (Basegirl)

-- Everything's Coming Up Roses: "Terry Francona and the management team look like geniuses (genii? Why do some words change like that but others don't? Like anus - shouldn't it be ani? I wonder about these things) right now. They rested Okajima towards the end of the season and now he's become the amazing, lock-down closer we came to expect during the first half of the season. They stuck with Dustin Pedroia during his horrible early season slump and he's going to be Rookie of the Year and one of their postseason MVPs. They stuck with JD Drew through his whole bad season and now he has 11 RBI in 12 postseason games." (Red Sox Stats Guy)

And now, let's smell what the Rooooooox are cookin':

-- Friday Morning Rockpile: Barbarians and Nuts: "Matt Holliday and the Rockies weren't Arminius and his Germanic tribes to Manny Ramirez and the Red Sox' Romans at Teutoberg Forest in Game 1 of the series. After last night, someone on this team needs to be General McAuliffe and tell the Red Sox, "NUTS!" Give up and let the Red Sox win the next two? "NUTS!" Gabe's got it right, Josh Fogg is the guy we want on the mound Saturday. Again, to the Red Sox, I say, "NUTS!" (Purple Row)

-- Rox Fall 2-1 as Bats Continue Slumber: "The Rockies had plenty of opportunities to get back to Coors Field with a split in hand. They had the leadoff man aboard five times in the six innings that Boston starter Curt Schilling started in his tenure on the mound. With runners at second and third with one out in the first inning and Todd Helton coming to the plate, the Rox could have made a major statement early. But Helton had to settle for an RBI groundout, and the Rockies would score no more." (Up in the Rockies)

-- An Unfamiliar Position: "Is it just me, or is anyone else already tired of the Red Sox bullpens' whole "Stomp" routine. The announcers said it was a ritual when there was an offensive rally in the works. Since when is a runner on first with two outs a rally? It's like the Braves' tomahawk chop, it loses it's appeal when overused and becomes annoying. At least we won't have to witness it for the next two games and hopefully three." (Diamond in the Rox)

Oh, a few last treats. If you're a Boston fan, you'll probably appreciate this time lapse video of the Prudential Building's soxiness, which BostonSportZ passed along.

It might also be worth assessing Jimmy Kimmel's PSA to Red Sox Nation and letting your heart be warmed by this CNN video that Miss Red Sox Monster herself sent this morning. I swear, it hit me right in that cockle region Denis Leary always used to mention.

Matty being Manny?

Dan Lamothe — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 07:43:24 PDT

Let's set the scene, here.

It's an important game of the World Series, and the trailing team's left fielder and MVP candidate rips a scorching line drive, putting him on first base in a game his team trails 2-1. The hit makes him 4-for-4 on the day, and gives his teammates hope, since it puts him on ahead of some of the other big bats in the team's lineup.

Then, it happens. Brain fart. The MVP candidate is picked off first.

Is it me ... or does that sound like a certain player on the Boston Red Sox we have grown to know and love?

Double standard? I'm not saying ... I'm just saying.

El Cinco Ocho finally hits the national stage

Dan Lamothe — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 01:32:04 PDT

Jonathan Papelbon: Darling of the blogs.

That seems to be the consensus, even among those heathens who insist the Boston Red Sox are the second coming of the gremlin running around in George Steinbrenner's head.

Why?

He's wacky!

He's zany!

He says stupid stuff! And he doesn't care!

Take, for example, this rumor, which became wildly popular yesterday in the blogosphere. Now, maybe it's me, but if this wasn't a story about someone baseball fans in general have come to adore for being completely out of his tree, there would be at least some backlash. After all, it does strike me as something that upset at least some fans, considering there are real naked people involved in the photographs mentioned.

By and large, though, the rumor -- which still hasn't been verified, by the way -- has been chalked up to Paps being Paps, much like the time he and the boys signed some dude's fake leg. "God bless America," said one commenter on Ballhype.com in response to the entry.

This whole thing leads to a pretty basic point: To a large portion of America, Papelbon's postseason greatness -- and antics -- are his first day-to-day introduction to baseball fans the world over. Because while sure, everybody knew Papelbon was dominant enough to make the All-Star team, how many Marlins fans were aware of his general off-field insanity -- especially if they didn't read blogs? How many Brewers fans would know that he regularly does stuff like invent a pitch called "the slutter?"

For a large portion of America, then, it would stand to reason that this week is Papelbon's coming out party. He has been placed on a national stage for the first extended period of time in his career, and he has responded brilliantly, pitching with brilliance while amazing with eccentricity.

I'm not really sure where I'm going with this, other than it'll be interesting to see if the exposure and his ability to grab the spotlight will lead to anything longterm. Aetna spokesman? Coca-Cola pitchman? Underwear model? This could quickly just become the World of El Cinco Ocho, and we'll all just be living in it.

I believe that's called a 'pitching clinic'

Dan Lamothe — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 22:34:10 PDT

Like my man Hannibal Smith always said: "I love it when a plan comes together."

More than anything else, that describes Game 2 of the World Series for the Boston Red Sox, who followed a blueprint last night that has worked countless times this season to perfection.

The plan, more or less:

1) Get solid, workmanlike performance out of starter.
2) Turn game over to capable middle relief crew, particularly the baffling Hideki Okajima (right).
3) Let the zany yet intense Jonathan Papelbon put a bow on things, usually with some form of roaring fist-pump.

Last night, that well-worn strategy came up roses again -- not that it should be any real surprise.

Okajima did finish this season with a 2.22 ERA, after all, and has now pitched 9 2/3 innings in the postseason without giving up a run. And Papelbon again showed why he's among the most dominant closers in baseball today (seriously, other than J.J. Putz, who else is there?), zipping 98-mph fastballs past Todd Helton and Brad Hawpe in the ninth inning on his way to a raucous four-out save.

To newcomers who haven't been watching the Red Sox all season, the game's low score might have come as a surprise after Boston's recent offensive outbursts.

Fact of the matter is, though, that the Red Sox played way more games like this in the regular season than they would have preferred. What got the Red Sox through it was the dominance of Papelbon, Okajima and a few select other relievers (none were named Eric Gagne), who anchored a pitching staff that finished with the second best ERA in the Major Leagues.

The bottom line, Rockies fans? Getting back in the series isn't going to be easy, even in the land of Coors.

Consider the Sox like a Ginsu knife, OK? They slice and dice in 10 different ways, and since there was only seven games in the series the last time I checked, I'm pretty sure y'all are in trouble.

Okay then, so now the Rockies can finally get comfortable

Brandi Griffin — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 22:04:58 PDT

Thank the baseball gods we're finally just two games from being done. This no-offense thing was getting excruciating. Now that we're under the gun again, maybe the team will finally loosen up a little. At least tonight we got half of the winning equation, holding Boston to just two runs is probably about as good as can be expected with the way the Red Sox are playing right now. U-ball was just about the same as he's been all post-season, mixing just enough brilliance with just enough control lacking rookie-ness to keep it close but also make things hard on the bullpen. We've just got to score more next time. Willy Taveras and Ryan Spilborghs are having the worst time of it, it seems to me, just not a lot of good contact from the top or bottom of our order.

I'm incredibly giddy right now despite being down 0-2. Saturday night will be my first World Series game, and my first opportunity to see my Rockies at Coors in a World Series game. It doesn't get any better than that unless one of you can guarantee a Rockies win. I'll be dispatching from Denver the next couple of days and hunting for the Rockies missing offense in LoDo.

I've got to get some sleep for the flight though, more from Denver tomorrow.

Jacoby Ellsbury = Taco Philanthropist

Dan Lamothe — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 19:36:39 PDT

Ladies, gentlemen and Royce Clayton, you may now get your taco on.

Jacoby Ellsbury, darling of female baseball fans everywhere, just pulled off the magical feat, ensuring we will all be able to enjoy our crispy-crunchy-cheesy-yada-yada goodness from 2-5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 30.

(Onlyatparticipatingvendorsbetweenthehoursofsuggestedoperationyadayada-
contrivedpromotion).

I should also note, I suppose, that Ellsbury got his stolen base in the bottom of the fourth inning in a 1-1 game, taking second after drawing a walk. So, while it's good to get this taco thing squared away, the game isn't doing much to help my blood pressure. Kind of like a beef taco, come to think of it.

Turning the tables on Boston for Game 2

Brandi Griffin — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 13:04:21 PDT

Alright, so enough with the humble pie already. Don't you Sox fans know how many calories are in that? I feel like I need a diet I've eaten so many slices today. At any rate, I just want to make sure all those reading this from Red Sox Nation that are convinced this series will end in a sweep are sure to post it in the comments before tonight's game.

ook_the_nuke and cwesquire are already on record from my last post, does anybody else wish to join them?

Tonight the Red Sox get their first taste of Ubaldo Jimenez. One hundred-mph fastballs only come out once or twice a game from him, so that's probably just an exaggeration if you've heard that he throws like that more often. Typically it's in the 97 to 99-mph range. He mixes that with a "changeup" that comes in about as fast as Jeff Francis throws his fastball, typically 89â90 mph, and if the Red Sox are going to get home runs off of him, they will likely come off of sitting on this pitch. Finally, he mixes in a slider that's too good to be called a "back door" one. It's more like a sneak through your bedroom window and snoop through your underwear drawer slider, and if you think that's perverted, just be thankful he's mostly scrapped his filthy curve.

This Sox lineup should be able to get to him, though. I mean, even pitcher Doug Davis got a hit off of him in the NLCS. So, really, how hard can he be? Plus, he walks a lot of people. Four in each of his last two games against the Dâbacks and Phillies. A patient team like Boston should be good for six or so, don't you think? How many hits should we give them, seven? eight? a Francisâesque 10?

You think I'm baiting you, don't you? You're right. I am. But rise to it. The Cubs clobbered Jimenez this season. Certainly Boston's better than the Cubs, right?

Let's go on to the Red Sox starter this evening, borderline Hall of Fame candidate Curt Schilling. Schilling used to throw almost as hard as Jimenez, but his velocity has dipped in recent years and he makes his living now being a very cerebral pitcher; mixing speeds, locations and types of pitches to gut out nine wins for the Sox this season. He also lost eight.

Let me just say that my feeling is that he's going to get hammered.

And just so you don't feel alone in putting your predictions down here, let me also say that my feeling is that Jimenez does what no other pitcher has this post season and strikes out at least six Red Sox. I worry that he might walk close to that many, but I don't think Boston has enough hitters who can damage him in the same way they damaged the softer-throwing Francis. I'm guessing the hitters that draw walks amount to little tonight for Boston. It's a completely reversed scenario tonight from Game 1, and the only way the Rockies don't walk out of here with a split is if they allow last night to effect them. I don't think it happens.

Go Rockies.

Putting it in perspective for Red Sox Nation

Dan Lamothe — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 11:34:09 PDT

With a little bit of time to reflect, it's time to repeat something: The Colorado Rockies are a really good baseball team.

First-timers wouldn't have known that watching last night's 13-1 debacle, of course, but the Rockies are still equipped with a deep lineup, good fielding and a stellar bullpen. That counts for something, and as a Red Sox fan, I want to make it clear that I am well aware of it heading into Game 2 tonight.

I bring this up because scanning the blogosphere this morning, it immediately became clear that we're getting a bit ahead of ourselves. Everyone from Surviving Grady to Basegirl is full of glee, and Barstool Sports even goes so far as to ask if the 2007 Rockies compare favorably with the 1985 New England Patriots (argh!!!), who were D.O.A. for Super Bowl XX.

Listen up, folks. I'll admit it: I went a bit overboard last night in this space celebrating the meat grinder awesomeness of Boston's lineup in Game 1. If that chafed anyone's underpants region ... well, I apologize.

It's important to note that we have two competing forces at work for the rest of the series: the inexperience of the Rockies starters and history, which says that torching the opposing team in Game 1 of the World Series has no correlation to actually winning the whole enchilada (or is ... taco?).

In a blog entry this morning, Kevin Youkilis says he doesn't think the Rockies looked rusty -- an interesting observation that makes me think I was watching a different game.

Still, if Sox fans have their way, things will continue to play out according to plan. Big Curtis Montague Schilling will throw zeros tonight, and the Rockies will return to the land of softball league beer down 2-0. That's not too much to ask, is it?

How do you clear a rock pile blast zone?

Brandi Griffin — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:38:14 PDT

Admittedly, it's difficult for me to write after sustaining a blow like the Colorado Rockies did last night. I couldn't imagine how it must be for the players themselves who are searching for the resolve needed to come back.

The historical precedent of teams getting blown out in the first game of the World Series has to give them some heart. In 1959, the White Sox pounded the Dodgers 11-0 in the first game of the World Series, only to lose four of the next five. More recently, in 1996, the Braves crushed the Yankees 12-1 before also losing in six games. Coincidentally, this was the last World Series win by a team with a rookie shortstop, one Derek Jeter, who happens to be the idol of the Rockies' rookie phenom Troy Tulowitzki.

Tulo was probably the brightest spot of a cold, dark and rainy night, his two doubles a sign that he's ready to break out of the postseason slump. In typical fashion -- both for him and for Josh Beckett -- one was on a first-pitch fastball out over the plate to drive in Garrett Atkins for our only run, and the other came after Beckett fell behind with two balls to start the at-bat.

Here are some takes from a few of my favorite Rockies bloggers, and yes, there are more than one:

• Bugs and Cranks suggest we're playing a little rope a dope with the Red Sox. I sure hope so.

• Rox Head hopes the team's embarrassment from last night's performance inspires them. That would be nice too.

• Dan says to stay calm ...

• ... while Hilary's just feeling some serious pain. Ouch.

I knew the Rockies staff was young, but...

Dan Lamothe — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 08:28:02 PDT

Diapers??? I never would have guessed that.

Apparently, though, at least one Colorado Rockies fan has decided to show solidarity with his team by dressing in purple body paint and a diaper. And as you can see in the video, it's every bit as disturbing as you might imagine.

After witnessing it, there are only a few things that come to mind:

1) Jimi Hendrix is rolling over in his grave, dude. When he was talking about Purple Haze, I sure as heck don't think that's what he had in mind.

2) Diapers should have a weight limit. This video's like a runaway bakery truck ... the rolls be going everrrrrywhere.

3) I was deeply troubled for a minute because I felt like I had seen something eerily similar before. Then, I remembered ...

Dan Lamothe writes about the Boston Red Sox year-round on his blog, Red Sox Monster.

Rockies Nation, you just got serrrrrrrved

Dan Lamothe — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 23:07:37 PDT

You know, it wasn't too long ago that the 2007 Boston Red Sox were left for dead. Even Deadspin editor Will Leitch piled on last week, saying the Sox looked done after their Game 4 loss in the American League Championship Series.

"Boston's gonna be fine; as a friend told us last night, if you could build a Major League Baseball franchise from scratch, they'd look a lot like the Red Sox," Leitch wrote. "But that team, that next team, is in the future."

One week later, that future has apparently arrived.

As a Red Sox fan, watching last night's ridiculous 13-1 win over the Colorado Barneys was a joy to behold. It marked a continuation of the suddenly-loose-again Red Sox taking what the opposition gave them -- which in this case, was everything but the kitchen cabinets.

Given the fanfare that Jeff Francis has received recently from pundits like Tim Kurkjian, the merry go-round of baserunners last night was at least a little stunning. After 17 hits, 13 runs, eight walks and a partridge in a pear tree, though, it should be perfectly clear that the Sox weren't doing anything supernatural in the last three games of the Indians series. They were merely -- finally! -- playing up to their potential, with Manny Ramirez (3 for 4, two runs, two RBI) and David Ortiz (3 for 5, two RBI) again leading them.

The predictable thing, of course, is that baseball fans not affiliated with the Red Sox will continue to rally en masse against them before Game 2. They'll call for the eeeevil Boston Red Sox to "get what they have coming to them," and pray their meat grinder lineup succumbs to spritely young men like Ubaldo Jimenez, who gets the start Thursday for the Rockies.

Of course, I'm not helping this anti-Sox stuff by stirring up trouble and posting videos like this to mock Rockies fans. Dirty job, but somebody's gotta do it. *grin*

Dan Lamothe writes about the Boston Red Sox year-round on his blog, Red Sox Monster.

Put a Rock in a hard place ...

By Brandi Griffin — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 21:36:40 PDT

… and apparently it crumbles. Wow, no one saw that coming. Just kidding, people. Sheesh. You take everything too seriously.

No, Josh Beckett is just as worthy of the devotion Dan and other Red Sox fans give him. He didn't need tonight to prove it, but you can add another trophy kill to the pile. He did indeed adjust to Rockies hitters. He had a lot more early 1-0 counts than in the ALDS and ALCS, but it didn't matter, he was confident and pitched with authority in one-, two-, and even three-ball counts. The only way the Rockies were going to have success was if they were able to get hard contact early and often, and when Beckett struck out the side in the first inning, you kind of knew the imperative was on Jeff Francis to deliver because Josh was dealing.

Ouch.

That… (ee!)

did… (oof!)

not… (ugh!)

happen.

From Dustin Pedroia's leadoff blast to the brutal two-out rallies that killed us in seemingly every inning thereafter - particularly that brutal 34-minute fifth where we were begging for the mercy rule to be invoked - to the final emancipating out, we were outmatched.

The Red Sox and their fans are used to rolling over their opponents these last four games, so the challenge for the Rockies will be to see how they pick up the pieces from this entirely new feeling of losing - let alone taking the kind of bludgeoning we took tonight -- for the rest of the series. After a loss like this, there's not much more you can do than tip your cap to Boston. But you know what? The extra runs don't carry over and the Red Sox still have to get three more to win the series.

Bill Mazeroski and the 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates got their tails handed to them in three of the seven games against the New York Yankees, but still hung on for tough wins in the other four contests.

This series isn't over yet. Ubaldo Jimenez takes his turn against Curt Schilling tomorrow. More on that in the morning, though, because right now I feel like I need to salve some bruises.

Game 1: Rox on Fox? Yes, versus Sox

Brandi Griffin — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 16:20:09 PDT

One of the reasons not many people have heard about who these Colorado Rockies are is because that they have been ignored by the network who chooses to showcase what games to show nationally on Saturday afternoons. With the Rockies' play-in game versus the Padres, the NLDS and the NLCS being cable-only affairs, tonight marks the first time this season that the Rockies will actually appear on broadcast television. What a way to make a debut, huh?

The New York Sun's Tim Marchman, after a couple of articles that were overly dismissive of the Rockies, came back with a more thoughtful, even-handed article this morning that finally caught what he had been missing about the Rockies' remarkable run to and through the postseason:

I realized that among the many Rockies virtues I'd neglected was their sheer classic style. Holliday and Helton drive the offense but what drives the team is pitching and defense, purely and simply.

Pitching and defense, perhaps surprising to many, really has been the engine that drove us this far. Starting tonight they have to try and find a way for it to carry them one final step further against perhaps the one team most capable of bashing through their "classic style." The Rockies, and tonight's starter Jeff Francis, can't be afraid of pitching inside to Red Sox hitters. They've got to keep the ball down, and they've got to keep the Red Sox guessing.

Josh Beckett isn't the only ace the Rockies have faced on their path to get here. In fact, over the course of the 2007 season and the playoffs they have gone 19 13 in games where they squared up against a starter with one of the lowest 10 ERA's in either league. No other team in baseball has close to as many wins in these situations. The list of pitchers beat includes Jake Peavy, Brandon Webb, Erik Bedard and Beckett himself. Say all you want that October changes everything, but it won't change the fact that the Rockies will not be afraid on this stage tonight, and you can ask anybody who has played them in the last month if they buy into the Red Sox as overwhelming favorite line. Heck, ask Jon Papelbon.

Go Rockies!

Brandi Griffin writes about the Colorado Rockies under the name Rox Girl at Purple Row.

Pregame ode to Josh Beckett (get the tissues)

Dan Lamothe — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 15:47:40 PDT

I touched on it earlier today here, but perhaps I didn't make myself clear: I love me some Josh Beckett.

I love his soul patch. I love his sneer. I love his bark, and the way he terminates batters like an angry officer at the Department of Motor Vehicles. STAMP. FAILED batter. You dig?

Without further ado, then, I'd like to introduce this video, which comes to us via the wonderment of YouTube. If it gets a little awkward in here, I ... uh ... apologize.

Bring on Game 1. Barney and Friends are goin' down, brother.

Parrots, nuts and cats: Not your usual Sox blog roundup

Dan Lamothe — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 12:24:42 PDT

Sick of the World Series, already? Not a fan of the Boston Red Sox and Colorado Rockies? Well, hopefully this will help.

Below, you'll find links to 10 things you may not have known about the 2007 World Series, and the Red Sox, in particular. I do not know if any hypotheses can be drawn from these, but leave your thoughts in the comments section, would you?

• We'll start off with a biggie: The Red Sox want their parrot back. No questions asked, OK? Just quit messing with their established pirate mojo.

• If you want more proof that women find even the scariest-looking athletes attractive, look no further than this.

• The World Series shouldn't start on a weekday, says our man Red from Surviving Grady. "That's great for hobos and inmates, but what about the working man?"

• You may have heard that Dave Roberts will be throwing out the opening pitch at Fenway Park tonight. If you knew that a blogger had named their cat "Rocky Dave Roberts Markakat," though, it's probably a safe bet that you're a Sox fan.

• Sarah, one of the wiseacre women at Babes Love Baseball, has penned a piece suggesting that Red Sox fans are "pretty meticulous about their nuts." Can't say I should argue, but given the whole humidor thing, I've got a question: Is it safe to say the Rockies are meticulous about their balls, too?

• Baseballs become tender when placed in a saucepan.

• In case you were wondering, Johnny Pesky is still the man.

• I'm still asking a basic question: What do the Blues Brothers think of the Rockies being on "a mission from God"?

• Memo to FOX: The Red Sox ended the "curse" in 2004. Might want to check on that.

• I had not heard this until now: There is a Rockies fan out there who is 107 years old. Whatever. We've done better before.

On that note, I'm ready for Game 1 and the impending victory of Josh Beckett over the Colorado Rockies. Like they have a chance, really. They wear purple.

Dan Lamothe writes about the Boston Red Sox year-round on his blog, Red Sox Monster.

Francis vs. the Monstah: How our ace can contain the Red Sox lineup

Brandi Griffin — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 12:12:20 PDT

OK, so earlier I went over in excruciating detail how Colorado Rockies hitters might be successful against Josh Beckett, it boils down to making good contact with the first pitch if it's in the strike zone, or otherwise seeing if you can work into a hitter's count. Now I want to look at the flip side of the coin, how Jeff Francis might best be able to contain the vaunted Boston Red Sox offense.

First of all, Francis has some advantage in that David Ortiz and J.D. Drew become lesser threats against left-handers. Of course, Big Papi seemed to forget this against C.C. Sabathia in the championship series, so we can only hope his memory is jogged. That said, Francis also has a trait of coolness under pressure, forged by many seasons of pitching in Coors Field and presumably the frozen tundra of his Canadian home, which will help him work in the constant traffic that comes with facing the Red Sox. Note the downward progression in batting average for Francis' opponents as the pressure rises:

Bases clear: .286
Men on: .266
Runners in Scoring Position: .253
Bases Loaded: .250

In 65 at bats with a runner on third in 2007, opposing hitters only got 12 hits, or an average of .184. If you compare that to his opponent tonight, the opposition is 19-for-61 (.311) with a runner on third against the talented Mr. Beckett, and that could play a key role in a short series between two solid-hitting clubs.

So the key to victory for Francis is to continue to maintain his cool under pressure. As he did the first time he faced Boston, he can probably get away with allowing singles and a couple of walks. I really don't know how you avoid baserunners against this lineup, but he's got to avoid leaving the ball up where Red Sox hitters can drive it for extra bases. The Rockies defense will be good enough to get to most of the contact, but he shouldn't expect to induce the same kind of weak swings early in the count we got when we needed them in the Arizona series. Counts will go deep, and the game could drag.

For this reason, I think the Rockies bullpen should get plenty of work while they're in Fenway even if we play with the lead, so look for Clint Hurdle to try and create small advantages with frequent changes to mix the varieties of pitches Boston sees. Winning's not going to come easy tonight or in Game 5, so the team has to maximize every possible advantage it may have for success.

Let's go Rockies.

Brandi Griffin writes about the Colorado Rockies under the name Rox Girl at Purple Row.

Aye aye, captain, your faithful salute thee

By Dan Lamothe — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 08:47:20 PDT

If there is one thing that makes Boston Red Sox fans calm about the 2007 World Series, it's Josh Beckett.

How can we not be after watching him tear through the Angels and Indians to the tune of three earned runs and 26 strikeouts in 23 innings this postseason? From Maine to New Mexico, Red Sox fans have to come rely on Beckett postseason starts as a joy to behold, and there won't be any apologizing for that, Jack.

Listen, I'm fully aware the big fella with the funny soul patch can be a surly fellow. I've said as much throughout the season, poking fun at Beckett in blog entries like this, this and this. I mean, seriously, the dude drinks with Ja-Rule? Comedy gold.

Thing is, though, I'm not apologizing for it. I don't much care if Beckett and Old Man Lofton got into a catfight during the Indians series, or if Beckett swears on national television. Not when he's letting it all hang out, terminating Indians and Angels with extreme prejudice.

Irrational? Absolutely. And that's the beauty of it. So long as he's spinning gems, Beckett is our Commander, and we are his brigade. It is what it is, man.

Beating Beckett

Brandi Griffin — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 08:32:20 PDT

As the NLCS was getting underway, I wrote that should the Colorado Rockies beat Brandon Webb in Game 1, that then the Arizona Diamondbacks would be "in serious trouble for the rest of the series." It wasn't prophetic, it was simply a recognition that Arizona lacked the qualities of a team capable of scrambling back from a deficit. Impatience at the plate isn't the best of traits to begin with, but when combined with pressing to make up ground in a short series against a pitch-to-contact staff, it could be disastrous. As the sweep slipped closer to completion, the Diamondbacks' sense of urgency at the plate became more palpable. This was particularly true whenever they would get runners aboard, as they wound up with just four hits in 36 at bats with runners in scoring position. Swing for the fences, come up with a grounder to short.

Boston's an entirely different beast, patient and disciplined. They are capable of beating any of Colorado's starters regardless of circumstance, and probably should be expected to most of the time. If the Rockies want to win the World Series, they will need to beat Josh Beckett at least once. I have a hard time seeing how they can win four of the other five against this lineup. So, that said, how does a team go about beating this demi god Josh Beckett?

Well first, it's clear that you don't beat him with the free pass. If you are going to beat Beckett, you have to do it with solid contact. In his seven losses this season, he gave up six walks compared to 63 hits, including eight home runs.

While that doesn't mean you should go to the plate hacking every time -- good pitch recognition is essential - it should be noted that the first pitch of a plate appearance with Beckett was the second most productive for opposing batters via contact this season behind only the 2 1 count. By strict on-base plus slugging, .992 on a 3 1 count ranks between the two (.947 at 0 0, 1.289 at 2 1), but relative to the rest of MLB, Beckett's ability to limit damage in this count to essentially walks only is part of what makes him so special. I really can't count it as a weakness.

Ah. That gargantuan OPS at 2 1 probably jumps out at you. If you should be so lucky to get into this count with Beckett, consider yourself truly blessed. Twenty-six batters were able to put the ball in play against him this year in this situation and 12 of them got hits, including five for extra bases. Honestly, that's too small a sample to derive too much meaning from, albeit too much success to completely ignore.

For the Rockies in particular, though, the first-pitch success against Beckett might be more meaningful and could help explain how they beat him in their head-to-head face off this season. Matt Holliday put up an outrageous .470/.479/.974 line this season on 0 0 counts. Troy Tulowitzki wasn't half bad himself, hitting .400/.393/.691 when he put the ball in play on the first pitch. Likely DH Ryan Spilborghs went .513/.525/.821 in fewer at-bats.

At the very least, this kind of success should force Beckett to adjust his typical gameplan against a good portion of the Rockies lineup and could create more of those favorable behind-in-the-count situations for Colorado hitters. Is it enough to throw him off? That's a very sketchy proposition given how he's performed in the postseason, but two keys to look for tonight that things might be going the Rockies' way would be hard contact on first-pitch swings or early 1 0 counts.

Brandi Griffin writes about the Colorado Rockies under the name Rox Girl at Purple Row.

Stay cool, Boston

Dan Lamothe — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 00:29:53 PDT

There's a name that hasn't come up much this week, and for that, we should all be thankful.

The name: Victoria E. Snelgrove.

Snelgrove, you may remember, was killed following the Boston Red Sox' historic comeback in the 2004 American League championship series. In the aftermath of the win, thousands gathered outside Fenway in what became a near-riot. Boston police eventually shot pepper-pellets into the crowd, and Snelgrove, 21, was hit in the left eye. She died hours later.

At the time, people in Massachusetts could not turn on the television without seeing the photograph of a smiling Snelgrove. She was mourned as a victim in an incident that fell on a portion of the crowd for losing their minds and the police for failing to prepare adequately for a possible riot. In the aftermath, none of the officers involved faced charges, but several were suspended or demoted, according to this article.

It is this backdrop -- along with a history of sports-related riots or near-riots on college campuses all over New England -- that police, fans and elected officials were facing as the Red Sox again rallied to win an ALCS last weekend, winning three straight games. Just about everyone knew what the stakes were.

And then amazingly, peace was maintained.

In Boston, 26 people were arrested for disturbing the peace and other similar charges, but nothing major happened -- to the point where a judge assigned a five-page essay as punishment for many of them.

At the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, another hot-spot for sports-related trouble in the last few years, no arrests were reported -- a far cry from a night of vandalism and violence I remember witnessing as a student reporter in 2003 and 2004.

Obviously, the peace can't be attributed to anyone source. Police did their job, fans and students maintained sanity and public officials voiced loudly and proactively that there would be consequences if there were repeat performances.

Still, with things remaining quiet, someone oughta say, "Nice job, folks. Way to stay cool."

So, here it is: Nice job, folks. Way to stay cool.

It's the least we can do to honor Victoria's memory, no?

Dan Lamothe writes about the Boston Red Sox year-round on his blog, Red Sox Monster.

And leading off for the Rockies...

Brandi Griffin — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 21:58:20 PDT

"Oh, good. For a minute there I thought we were in trouble." -- Butch Cassidy

Hi, my name is Brandi Griffin, aka Rox Girl from Purple Row, and for my first impression on Rox and Sox Blogtoberfest, I would like to do "Red Sox Blogger":

Oh look at me, poor little hated Red Sox Nation... woe... woe... woe... my team's $143 million payroll and multimedia conglomerate and NASCAR racing team will never catch up to the Yankees... Sigh... Theo Epstein rocks.

Pretty good, huh? I think I can go on the road with this.

Stop being so emo, Dan. Own up to your New Evil Empire status. Embrace it. Feel the dark side surge through or whatever it is that little green guy says. What? It wasn't the little green guy? Oh yeah, the old wrinkly guy. Sorry, I get them confused sometimes. Just not a fan of the genre. Anyway, Dan, face it: The Boston Red Sox are the bad guys right now. The Colorado Rockies, my Colorado Rockies, are the good guys. The hopelessly outgunned Good Guys, perhaps, but that's how good Westerns get made. You can't have a team of destiny without impossible odds and a worthy nemesis for that team to overcome. Butch and Sundance against an army of Bolivians with pink "B" monogrammed visors. David versus a ghastly green-jerseyed Goliath. The team is full of some warped doppelgangers sprung out of a mirror and come to torment the Rockies. Kevin Youkilis is bizarro Todd Helton. Devil goateed Josh Beckett is bizarro Jeff Francis. Mike Lowell's eyebrows are Josh Fogg's bizarro sideburns. Manny? Just bizarre.

Okay, so admittedly, everybody loves Big Papi, but you know somewhere behind that big cuddly teddy bear exterior lies something sinister. I just can't figure out what yet. Anyway, my point is, while rooting for the Red Sox should only be done if you've lost your moral compass or already root for other evils, rooting for the Rockies is easy.

The Rockies are playing for a widow, they are playing for the memory of # 64 and giving hope to kids with cancer. They're working class heroes, surprised as anyone that they've made it this far. They've climbed up the steps in Philadelphia, alternated their training in hot and cold environments in Arizona and Colorado, and now they have to go up against some strange Neil Diamond singing Apollo Creed for the heavyweight title. Sure there's been some incredible luck involved, but that's part of what makes this story so compelling.

How far can this run go? Only four more wins is all we need. By the way, you didn't see LeFors out there, did you?

Brandi Griffin writes about the Colorado Rockies under the name Rox Girl at Purple Row.

Batting leadoff for the Sox...

Dan Lamothe — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 21:03:19 PDT

Like the great Jay-Z once said: "Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to reintroduce myself."

My name is Dan Lamothe, and I'll be guiding the ship here at Rox and Sox Blogtoberfest for Red Sox fans across the nation. It's a privilege I do not take lightly, which means you can count on the same type of wackjob videos, wiseacre analysis and mild paranoia that made my blog, Red Sox Monster, popular this season.

A little background about myself: I'm a lifelong Red Sox fan from Massachusetts, but I am not -- I repeat, not -- from the Boston area. I actually grew up in Chicopee, Mass., nearly 90 miles from Fenway Park -- something that meant pretty much any childhood trip to Boston included a stop at Fenway Park to see Mo Vaughn and the boys play.

Growing up in Western Massachusetts also means I didn't really get my introduction to the average Bostonian Red Sox fan until I got to the University of Massachusetts around 2000. Yeah, the "Good Will Hunting" accent amazed me, too, but it beats the craptastic alternatives.

A few things to note about Red Sox Nation (*ducks brick thrown for calling it that*):

• Listen, I get that 90 percent of all baseball fans not from New England hate my favorite team to the point of irrationality -- even when they work for the New York Times. I get that, OK? Let's move on to more productive things, like figuring out how Mark Cuban is still dancing with the stars.

• If you hadn't heard, a load of Sox fans are embarrassed about "Fever Pitch," pink hats and similarly themed gaggeriffic merchandise. Sorry, had to say it. It's in the contract.

• Red Sox fans remain deeply conflicted about the signing of JD Drew, which confirmed that the Red Sox are truly a big-market team outbidding various American League Central ballclubs for superstars. Wait, what's that? He hit a grand slam last weekend? My bust. Nevermind.

• More than likely, our favorite team's closer is far cooler, crazier and more interesting than yours. Now that we have that out of the way, I hope we all can be friends.

I will be back regularly throughout the World Series, weighing in on everything from roster decisions to the likelihood Kevin Youkilis and Todd Helton and their prominent whiskers were separated at birth. You dig?

Dan Lamothe writes about the Boston Red Sox year-round on his blog, Red Sox Monster.