Believe

I miss my Father everyday but on days like I today I want to pick up the phone so badly and call him, his love of team sports translated to me and my little sister and I wanted to share this moment with him. I was like 57% (according to an online survey) of red Sox fans who turned off their television in the 7Th inning of last nights game and went to bed. I will even admit I was OK with the loss. 'You can's win em' all, right?' I was not excited or happy that we were going to pack it in for the season after only a 5 game series but we have won two titles in three years and hell, the poor Rays have never won! Although I am a Red Sox fan, I have always loved an underdog (which we were for so many years...)

So I woke up this morning, glanced over at my hooded Blue Sox sweatshirt and thought to myself "not today". I was famous for throwing on a red sox shirt a day after a loss but today was different. I was mad at Ortiz, not for not producing home runs but for not producing ANYTHING. I was mad at Ellsbury, the fastest guy on the bench being nothing but a bench warmer and I was mad at our pitching staff for getting worked. We have superstar pitchers who were playing games of home run derby for the past week. I had found peace in leaving baseball behind until spring training and I chose a Celtics t-shirt and grey pullover this morning and headed off to work...

I thought the radio was lying. How do you come back from a 7-0 deficit in the 7Th inning? I just assumed when I say Papelbaun on the mound in the 7Th it was to say goodbye to the season. He had been clutch all season and the fans deserved to see him one more time...Little did I know that was just the beginning of the game for the Boston Red Sox.....God the regrets I have for turning that television off....

My Dad watched the Bruins (pre-hockey strike) and I remember attending my first Sox game with my Dad and two sisters. My Dad tried to pay a guy to give him the fly ball he cought only feet from us. The guy refused and I knew my Dad was disappointed but honestly, I didn't care - being there was enough... Being part of the action and spirit was so thrilling to me.

Their is something about being a part of a team. Either as a die hard fan or a player. Being part of a special chemistry that happens when things are on and the magic that happens with big victories like last night. Even if we do not win this series and move on magic happened last night. Sox players made their fans believe in them again rallying back 8-7 in only two innings.

So what am I saying? I am saying that it is nice to believe in the simple things like team spirit. To be a part of a miracle like last nights game. I think one of the many things I learned from my Dad as a player and sports fan is believe in the magic that can happen with team sports, believe in team work, believe even when the cards are stacked against you... just believe...