15 mins that shook the world

The most important half time talk ever....

2005 redux

After watching Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS, it was time to revisit the other top sporting moment of my life...

Necessary Inconvenience

Most of us commute to work in some form or another. I alternate taking the Tube (the subway for North Americans) and cycling. For years I endured a relatively long train journey on overground train into London, with its inevitable issues and complete lack of punctuality.

As seasoned commuters will testify, delays will and do happen, but the worst thing is being kept in the dark. Nothing makes you feel more insignificant than waiting forever without no information whatsoever why you are waiting, or some generic "sorry for the delay" - when you "know" they're not really sorry.

For many years, from the early Yawkey days through the Clemens "led" 80s, the Red Sox had a more than tension filled relationship both within the team and externally with fans and the local media. As much as we love Yawkey way, the man the street is named after was a bigot and a drunkard who surrounded himself with similar people. Fans had to endure the smallest and second oldest stadium in the country, with horrible facilities. For many years fans were treated with a sense of "you should be honoured that we let you come to Fenway".

Clearly this has changed significantly since the Henry group took ownership, and the restorations they have done to Fenway in some aspects are nothing short of remarkable considering the limitations a 97 year old stadium would create on any attempts of modernisation.

The Henry group also immediately changed the relationship with the local fan base and media. Led by former VP of Public Affairs Dr. Charles Steinberg, who became Theo Epstein's mentor when TE began in baseball as an intern with the Baltimore Orioles (and who bizarrely also was the Orioles team dentist), led the Red Sox on a blitzkrieg of public relations and with a few notable exceptions in the press, generally turned a very tension filled relationship with the surrounding elements in Boston into a much more amiable situation.

Steinberg and the Henry group broke the ice with several former players alienated by the Yawkey trust and improved relations with fans both outside and inside the now continuously improving Fenway Park.

With John Henry even being on Twitter, one could possibly even go so far to say that no other franchise in sports is so accessible to the fans as the Sox.

So why did my recent trip to Boston leave a little to be desired?

As the Girl and I travelled up through Connecticut on the Amtrak, the forecast was somewhat unclear. Rain was peltering the train windows, but the weathermen and women told us that it should clear up by the evening in the New England area.

Once in Boston, we eagerly made our way first to Cask & Flagon for some reminiscing, and then wandered to the Yawkey Way Store (for some "necessary" merchandise), the premium beer vendor (for a Smithwick's) and the Grille (for a sausage with peppers and onion) before taking our seats in the rightfield bleachers. There was a mist

in the air, but with every possible offering to the weather gods, the game did in fact start on time.....and lasted for a total of 0 innings...

Jon Lester fired a fastball...at the backstop in anger after having the game delayed 3 batters into the top of the first.

The big screen above the outfield bleachers posted a non-specific statement about "inclement weather" and we were "entertained" by a soundless tv image of first the Rangers game (until they were rained out) and then a Seattle game (I think).

At this point I was still so happy about being at Fenway I wasn't too worried. Hey, it was Friday evening, I was with the Girl, I had a Sam Adams in my hand and we were wandering around the concourse (and later another trip to the Yawkey Way Store) waiting for the rain to subside.

But it didn't....

So we then waited for the inevitable official announcement of the cancellation of the game, thinking that they would add a day game to the Saturday's scheduled evening game, thus allowing us to re-use our tickets.

But they didn't....

Still the same non-descript message on the big screen, now displaying to only a handful of brave souls still in their seats (all but two under the grand stand roof).

After a 1h45min delay, the announcement came just before 10pm that the game was off. And re-scheduled for noon on Sunday. Precisely 2 hours after my flight back to the UK was scheduled to take off. Grumbling about "why-didn't-they-call-it-earlier-so-they-could-play-tomorrow" we wandered off to C&F again for some food and some more beer.

Still, it was Friday evening in the Fens, I was with the Girl, I had a Sam Adams in my hand, so I'd certainly had worse days.

We still had another chance to go the Saturday game, and my inside tip allowed me to get face value grandstand tickets behind the Red Sox dugout at face value, but we had to take a $100 loss on re-selling the now Sunday game tickets - oh, well.

Saturday was miserable and grey, and we spent most of it strolling around Back Bay eating and drinking, looking forward to Joshua take the mound and stem his recent generosity with the longball. After beginning the evening at C&F again, we took our seats in section 20 and as the earlier torrential downpour had diminished to a fine mist, we felt confident that the game would start on time.

But it didn't....

Despite any rain whatsoever, with the tarp still on the field 15 mins before supposed game start, we all knew what was coming.

"We apologise, but the start of the game has been delayed due to inclement weather in the area. We thank you for your patience."

So, we sat around, fiddling our thumbs in the clear evening sky for 90 mins, when the grounds team suddenly came out to prepare the field.....just as the rain actually started again.

So the tarp went back on for 10mins. And then back off again.

And then we were kindly informed that the game would start 40 mins later, at 9.15pm, 2 hours and 5 mins behind schedule.

Finally....

And then we had glorious baseball at last. Beckett pounded the Rays batters with fastballs and confounded them with kneebuckling curves, allowing 1 hit in the first 4 innings. Once the Red Sox bats chased Rays' starter out of the game while batting around the order and scoring 8 runs in the third, this game was over either way. Youk hit a monster homer over left centre in the 4th before the game was put on delay yet again after 5 innings and 2 hours of baseball just before 11pm, and was ultimately called a complete 5 inning game just under an hour later.

So why am I a bit miffed? Sure, I'd be lying if I didn't admit that paying $250 for 2 hours of baseball over two nights (and probably another $100 or so spent at the stadium) was annoying.

But ultimately rain happens. As Nuke Laloosh once said:

Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains.

What could have made the evening more endurable would have been a more detailed stream of information from the Management instead of the generic non-info we got - especially when we sat for more than 90mins looking at a rain free sky before the game started. Add those 90 mins to the playing time and we easily would have had a complete 9 inning game. Although I don't want to be a cynic, a part of me struggles with the notion that for every minute the fans stay at the stadium before leaving once the game is called or cancelled, the Sox and concession owners make another small fortune on $7.85 beers and $6.50 sausages.

As we all know in our private lives; communication is key. The Red Sox should have known better in their communication, and on this occasion they failed. I don't think they are returning to the days of treating the fans as a necessary inconvenience, but they need to up their game if they want to continue with their streak of sold out games.

And buy a better weatherforecasting system than Meteorlogix.

The way it was meant to be...

$10 box seats.

$4 beers.

$20 caps.

Constant promotions and competitions involving the audience and especially engaging the kids.

And several former (and hopeful to be future) major leaguers.

That's the way baseball really should be played and enjoyed. Players hustling every ball as they know this might be the last chance they have to get to the majors. Fans being able to take their family to the game on a regular basis without a need for a lottery win.

An evening at Long Island Ducks Citibank field is...well, I can't find a more eloquent word than "fun". Estimated by Hall of Fame catcher and Red Sox heartbreaker Gary Carter, who is trying to make it to the show as a manager now by taking on the LI Ducks in the independent Atlantic League, as equivalent to AA minor league ball, the Ducks are looking for their 2nd championship since the creation of the team 10 years ago.

Whilst some teams such as the Newark Bears focus on former Major Leaguers such as former Red Sox Keith Foulke and Carl "CHB" Everett, the Ducks roster consists mainly of former players from minor league affiliates, including several LI locals.

Peanuts, base hits, beer and a mascot called Quacker Jack. It's simply brilliant entertainment for your buck.

City of Fatherly Love

I so want to believe that I would have the composure to do what this guy did at last night's Phillies game... (apologies for the commercial before the clip - courtesy of ESPN)

Truly a display of good parenting :)