Honestly, how does one begin to write about Game 5. You need to see it. Actually, you need to have experienced it live as it was happening. You need to have hit rock bottom as a fan of the 2008 Boston Red Sox (for me, that was around the time Papelbon came in and gave up a bomb up the monster), then experienced slowly watching the impossible happen. The experience of watching Pedroia break the ice by knocking in a run; watching Big Papi return from the dead (hopefully for good); JD Drew rip open his postseason uniform to reveal a superhero costume when it matters most; and Coco Crisp have the at bat of his life.
I write many an uneven post about the Red Sox (and plenty of other things on other blogs) and this is bound to be yet another wandering assortment of thinking. That’s mainly because I’ve woken up for two mornings in a row still blissfully amazed that I get to watch another Red Sox playoff game Saturday night.
Game 5 will be THE moment of the 2008 postseason
Remember the ending of ‘Tin Cup’? Kevin Costner walks off the fairway after taking about 200 strokes to finish off the 18th hole, losing the U.S. Open, but finishing with something people will never forget. Then he has the “Oh no, I just lost the US Open” and his girlfriend explains that none of that really matters. What people will remember 50 years from now will be how he finally holed out on the 18th.
Thats what game 5 will be like. The Sox may not win the World Series. They may not even win the next game. The phillies and rays may play a 7 game world series. But it won’t matter. Decades from now, when people look back on the 2008 playoffs, the highlight will be a 60 second reel of the Sox clawing back and winning game 5
Where does this rank in all time Red Sox playoff games?
Can’t help but think about this. Is this better than any of the 2004 comeback games against the Yankees? Gonna sit on that for a while and write about it this winter.
Remember thoughts during game 5
I didn’t change the channel, but I did the “I’m going to divert my attention and defuse my anger by doing other things while watching the game” thing. For example, I did the dishes.
But here’s what I remember from the last 3 inning of game 5.
Papelbon gives up a double: "That’s the dagger.”
Thoughts strayed to how sox resign Varitek. Can we get Teixera and what we do with Youk if we did. The TBS announcers were in full “What do the Red Sox do in the off season” mode so it was pretty hard to not look to the winter hot stove season.
Pedroia knocks in a run: “Great, they got a run. It won’t be a total embarrament”
Ortiz hits a 3 run HR, sox down 7-4: “This (a comeback) can’t possibly happen, can it?”
Drew hits a homer, sox within one: “Holy crap. REALLY wish Paps hadn’t given up a 2 run homer. OK, if they tie it up, I’m doing a shot”
Kotsay hits a double: “Shot of bourbon in scoring position”
Crisp having a 12 pitch AB: “Just draw a walk, Coco. That will bring up Pedoria and NO WAY does he fail in this situation”
Crisp ties it up with a single: “SHOTS!”
Drew wins it: “That’s unbelievable. I’ve seen a lot of stuff over the years with the Red Sox and that comeback was as amazing as anything else”
Finals words from Pedroia
Walking off the field, back into the clubhouse…”That game was fucking sick.”
