Last night saw the first Sox/Yankees game of the season. Big news. Also, it saw the Johnny Damon, now in pinstripes, playing against his old team. Even bigger news. But all of that was overshadowed by one of the most exciting/unusual outside-the-game moments I've seen in baseball.
Tim Wakefield is a knuckleball pitcher, and knuckleballs are really hard to catch. The new catcher was having fits trying to hold onto the pitches. It was starting to be a real problem. So yesterday, the Red Sox re-acquired Wake's catcher from last year: Doug Mirabelli.
Problem: Mirabelli was in San Diego when the deal went through. And Wakefield was pitching that night. Thus the mad dash.
Doug jumped on a plane and flew across the country (and three time zones), landing at Logan Airport at 6:48. The game was scheduled for a 7:05 start. A police cruiser was waiting (here's where the tax dollars come in), traffic was stopped, and Doug flew through the streets at maximum speeds (the radio guys said 100 mph, but I don't know if they were being literal or not). Doug's uniform was in the vehicle, and he arrived at Fenway all suited up, and ready to catch Wakefield, a little after 7:00. How dramatic!
The Red Sox beat the Yankees 7-3, and Doug didn't allow any passed balls.
[Bonus info: Veritek was going to catch if Doug didn't make it in time, and the back-up pitcher (in case anything happened to Veritek) was going to be Alex Cora. Cora is a utility infielder. He said he hadn't played catcher since he was 14 years old. But he wasn't worried. Instead he gamely pointed out that that was what 'utility' meant! I thought that was so cool!]
This morning the radio guys were arguing about whether Mirabelli should have had the police escort. Feel free to leave opinions on the matter if you so desire (I'm sure you can't guess where I stand).
13 comments:
No money is too much money when it comes to getting someone in there who will help Our Boys beat the baddies in the first RS/Y game of the season!
(All that said from someone who doesn't pay taxes in MA, so what do I care?? :)
Sounds like a very good use of tax dollars! Go Red Sox!
Isn't that why taxes in Taxachusetts are so high? They should have plenty to spare for such necessary occasions! Of course it was a good use of THEIR tax dollars.
On another tack...what might that police cruiser have been doing instead? I mean, surely they used someone already on duty, already getting paid, not someone extra. So if he was escorting a player instead of setting up a speed trap, it was definitely the right move.
How better to build community spirit among the populace than a stunt like that---of course it's a good use of tax dollars!!!
My dad spent the time allotted for devotions describing the game and Doug Mirabelli's quick trip to the game. Hurray for our beloved Sox.
Just remember this when our nation goes bankrupt :-)
I could say that whatever THEY like to spend on our beloved Sox is fine with me, but that might be a bit repetitious.:)
Hey Ryu,
Ol' 'Lanche sez if there ain't no baseball we might s'well go bankrupt cuz the whole nation will already have gone to the dogs...
Thumbs up for officers of the law who know their priorities!!!!
I can't understand this obsession with the Red Sox that seems to energize all my New England friends. They seem so normal otherwise...
{ducking for cover}
"Utility pitcher"?
Fascinating!
And humble guy.
Hee hee hee - no need to duck, John:) Baseball is just part of the fiber of our lives, I guess. Ya, it could be considered a little abnormal when compared to the rest of the nation:)
RED SOX v YANKEES TONIGHT!!!
(feels surge of adrenaline)
Anything to beat the Yankees.
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