(I am very much delinquent in publishing this entry and the couple that follow it. I do apologize - I got kinda busy with school and never had the time to devote to completing them. Nevertheless, here they are...)
When Mookie Wilson's grounder down the first base line rolled through Bill Buckner's legs during game 6 of the 1986 World Series, the error broke the spirit of Red Sox fans everywhere, especially in Boston. They had suffered heartbreaking defeats previously, but that moment defined what Dan Shaughnessy named "the Curse of the Bambino." For the next 18 years, no matter how good the Red Sox team looked on paper, no matter how good they played during the season, the fans were unable to believe that their team would triumph.
One would think that the World Series victory in 2004 and the historic comeback down 0-3 to the New York Yankees would have eliminated any essence of the curse, any semblance of doubt among their fans that the Red Sox were a team capable of victory, capable of overcoming extreme adversity. However, while watching game 5 of the 2008 ALCS at CitySide Bar and Grille in Brighton, MA, I noticed that this wasn't the case. With the Red Sox trailing in the 7th inning, the crowds at the bar and at Fenway (noticeable on the television broadcast) were strangely silent and dismal.
But with Dustin Pedroia at bat and fouling off pitches, something happened. Fans at Fenway started to cheer on the pint-sized second baseman as the crowd became alive once again. The not-so-sober somber patrons at the bar began to perk up and feed off of the Fenway fans' excitement. A couple clutch hits by David Ortiz and J.D. Drew later, and the Red Sox completed an improbable comeback. Suddenly Red Sox fans across Boston and across the United States exuded confidence in their team's ability to win two games in Tampa Bay and earn a birth into their third World Series in five years.
Obviously you know by now that didn't happen. But on that night, October 16, 2008, being among the many fans watching the game on TV in a local Boston bar was an unforgettable experience. Those few hours I spent there encapsulated for me the experience of being a Red Sox fan since the tricky ball trickled through the legs of an unfortunate individual. It was as close to a Boston baptism as I imagine I'll receive - though the recent winter weather has me rethinking that last statement.
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