Triunfo

(The following was originally posted in the Boston Herald on October 4th, 2008.)

In baseball, as in many sports, the difference between a playoff team and a non playoff team is often one player. In the case of the 2008 Red Sox, it was one mid-July acquisition who turned a weakness into a strength. Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein paid a heavy price on July 19th, but the AL East title would not have been won without that move.

As the Red Sox entered the month of July, the AL East was up for grabs. But the bullpen, which had been perceived as a strength in April, was in disarray. Closer Jonathan Papelbon was still in top form, but every Sox reliever who hadn't slaughtered 4402 innocent ducks in the winter prior to the 2007 season was struggling. Mike Timlin (3468 slaughtered ducks) seemed ready to start hunting ducks full-time. Julian Tavarez had been DFA'd by Boston and Milwaukee. Tavarez was last seen by Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara in June, aimlessly wandering the jungles of Tanzania.

Projected setup man Hideki Okajima appeared to be suffering from a sophomore jinx. It later came to light that Okajima had been having difficulty sleeping. This sleeping disorder was likely the result of the cool May night during which Okajima had awoken to find Daisuke Matsuzaka standing over him. Dressed as the purple Teletubbie. Craig Hansen had overcome sleeping problems of his own, but had not been able to overcome his AAA-quality repertoire.

Most troubling of all was the story of Manny Delcarmen. Delcarmen was placed on the 60-Day DL on July 11th, as a result of injuries sustained defending a Fenway Park concessions worker from a giant rat. The heroic tale of "Delcarmen the Defender" was an inspiring one, at least until it was discovered to be a complete fabrication. A YouTube clip showed Delcarmen sustain his injury while shooting a Milli Vanilli video. Jonathan Papelbon attributed Delcarmen's lip-synching-related injury to a "total lack of rhythm."

But, at 1pm on July 19th, Epstein announced the acquisition of the player who would save the Red Sox' 2008 season. The player cost was high, as top prospects Ryan Kalish and Michael Bowden were dealt. The payroll cost was high, as the Sox had to pay $5 million in salary, and guarantee $3 million in bonuses, for three months of pitching. Kalish and Bowden may go on to become productive MLBers, perhaps even All-Stars. However, without stabilizing their bullpen, the Sox would not have been a playoff team in 2008. Eric Serge Gagne had saved their season.

The Return of the Schill

(The following was originally published in the Boston Globe, on October 25th, 2008.)

Forget about the Bloody Sock. Curt Schilling has a new legacy.

Schilling continued his miraculous return from injury, with three scoreless innings in his first appearance since the 2007 World Series. Schilling, in relief of Red Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka (131 pitches in five innings) held the Phillies to a single baserunner in a dominating performance. Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon finished off the Phillies in the 9th, sending the Series to Philadelphia even at a game apiece.

When Schilling had surgery on June 23, it appeared likely that his career was over. Even the most optimistic estimates had him at least a year away from a possible return to the MLB level.
Schilling's intermittent blog postings gave no indication as to the extent of his rehabilitation efforts. Rather, he seemed more focused on his post-career plans, as well as informing his readers of their need to vote for Presidential Candidate John McCain. When Schilling announced he was ready to return to action, for the ALCS against Detroit, Red Sox Management did not share his optimism. They chose to put reliever Chris Smith on the roster, instead. That decision did not sit well with Schilling, and his vitriolic response reverberated around the blogosphere. If Smith hadn't pitched the final twelve innings in Game 7 against Detroit, the disenchanted veteran might have been left off the roster for The Fall Classic, as well.

But any remaining animosity between Schilling and the Sox dissipated into the Fenway night, as Schilling retired Phillie-after-Phillie. He improved his postseason record to 11-2, and helped prevent the Sox from falling behind 2-0 in the Series. What's next for Schilling? We'll see, when the Series resumes in Philadelphia. But, if he can top tonight's performance, Cooperstown is going to have to make room for a whole Schilling Wing.