Red Sox Beat Math in Impossible Collapse
EmailMath says this should have never happened. Not to mention common decency. This really stinks. For the purposes of this blog, I will lay out exactly how much it stinks, and then I will talk about whiskers on kittens.
Forget for a moment the most horrible, no good, very bad five minute period last night where the Red Sox were one strike away from winning before blowing it — only to have to watch as the Tampa Bay Rays capped an unreal come back from seven runs down with a walk-off home run.
Forget that — or at least try.
Because at the beginning of September the Red Sox had a nine game lead in the race for the playoffs. For those of you not into sports, that’s a lot. At the beginning of the month, the stats website coolstandings.com estimated there was a 99.6 percent chance the Red Sox would make the playoffs. For those not good at math, that’s a lot. But somehow they lost 20 games this month; they didn’t win two games in a row all month.
- ABC News/ John Berman
They didn’t just beat themselves, they beat math. And that is almost impossible … an impossibly crazy collapse. How crazy? It’s like a death star getting blown up in “Star Wars” level of collapse. It’s a Brad and Jennifer level collapse. It’s like the ball going through Buckner’s legs collapse.
Okay — that made me feel even worse. Not to mention the Sox have the third highest payroll in baseball: 161 million dollars! So yes, it stings. It really, really stings. It makes me not like a lot of people. I am mad at everyone from Tampa for going to the playoffs instead of us. I am mad at everyone in Baltimore for deciding they just had to beat us these last few games when their season was already over. And I am mad at New York, because it is New York, and I have to live here, and New York fans have darkness in their souls. Trust me, they do. I have multiple sources on that.
So I am mad at all those people, probably more than 20 million of you. And then I am mad at 25 or so guys in Boston, mostly because the 3.5 hours I spend every night watching you was not in any way uplifting. If I wanted that kind of gut-wrenching torment I would have watched “Sophie’s Choice” 27 times. Or maybe that 24 times, and “Old Yeller” three times.
So as bad is it is, how do we get through this? This is the “news you can use” section of this blog: when things are truly, unimaginably depressing and unfair, I always look for inspiration to Julie Andrews. Because Ms. Andrews tells us that when the dog bites, or the bee stings, or when your team loses 20 games in a month, the way to survive is to “remember your favorite things.” And then, Julie Andrews says, we won’t feel so bad.
So what is my favorite thing? Well, there was that time in 2004 when the Red Sox were playing the Yankees and losing 3-0 in a seven game series. And you’ll remember that no baseball team had ever before — or since — come back from 3-0 to win. But the Red Sox did. And that makes me smile. And I own the DVD so I can watch it again and again and again. I also like cheese.
Which brings me to another point: everyone who somehow thinks Boston fans are going to slip into some catatonic state of depression requiring months of therapy … it is just not going to happen. It would have happened before 2004, but not now. I am not saying this isn’t awful. It’s terrible, and I will not read a sports section of a newspaper or watch highlights for six months. But that is healthy. And I’m not saying that I am not depressed, because I am, I am just not pathologically depressed.
Raindrops on roses, and whiskers on kittens.
Click Here to Read John Berman’s Advice to Red Sox Fans Reeling from the Loss
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I am a huge Yankees fan. I attended a college in Southern New England and being tormented by Boston fans for 4 years, I must say their loss last night filled me with some sort of demonic glee. I know it’s wrong and am ashamed of stooping to that level. However, as I sit here and feel a slight ache in my heart for all of my college cronies, I realize the 2011 playoffs will be unusual. When it comes down to it, AT LEAST (if I do my important made-up calculations correctly…) 50% of the playoff magic and excitement has been eliminated along with the Red Sox last night. As a New York or a Boston fan, a lot of the thrill comes from those big rival games – as much as we all pretend we don’t care. I don’t know about you, but as much as I will be cheering, errr — yelling, at my television rather, during the 2011 postseason, I will secretly be missing an integral piece of the fall baseball puzzle – my hated rivals, the Boston Red Sox.
Posted by: Laura | September 29, 2011, 2:41 am 2:41 am
Huge Yankees fan. They could have easily won the game last night if Girardi kept all the starters in the game. They probably would have added even more runs. But he didn’t have to, which was the right move. By putting all the bench players in the game, both the offense (more so) and the defense (slightly) suffered. At that point, you have a major league team (Tampa) playing against a Double-A team (Yankees). Not that I like to see the Yankees lose, but it really didn’t matter to them. And helping to eliminate Boston is icing on the cake, even though Boston did it to themselves.
Posted by: Bob | September 29, 2011, 6:44 am 6:44 am
I’m from Missouri so I’ll be rooting for the Cardinals but I remember a story back in (I believe) 79 or 80 where in a spring training game the Mets beat the Yanks 22-0 and Mr. Steinbrenner said “They (Yankee players) were out till 2:30AM and I know this because I saw them. We can’t go back to New York having the people think that the Mets are better than we are”. Just a little bit of fun. And Sox fans, sorry your team blew it. Maybe next year.
Posted by: howdymo1 | September 29, 2011, 8:43 am 8:43 am
The Sox players are paid so much they don’t care about post season victory. It all about money,not pride.
Posted by: JIM | September 29, 2011, 8:50 am 8:50 am
Yeah, you should only be mad at your team…..they are obviously not September players! But it did bring me great satisfaction knowing they were rooting for New York the last three days! :-)
Posted by: manda81305 | September 29, 2011, 8:58 am 8:58 am
We’re lovin’ Hunter Pence in Philly!! Go PHILLIES!!
Posted by: dundermifflin | September 29, 2011, 9:04 am 9:04 am
- Yankees threw the game, didn’t want to play the Red Sox, who have had their number most of the year.
- If you were a true Red Sox fan, and old enough, you would know that this historic collapse is just “the good ole days”. It ain’t math, it’s “Red Sox Math”.
Posted by: Steve From NH | September 29, 2011, 9:06 am 9:06 am
As an NY Mets fan who has lived through Countless meltdowns in the stretch, I truly sympathize!!
Posted by: kay | September 29, 2011, 9:06 am 9:06 am
Yankees fan too – sorry. I kept checking the Yankee score last night and I’m thinking if the Yankees are smart – they’ll let Tampa win because regardless of how Boston is playing the rest of the teams, they have the Yankees’ number, particularly this season, and both Boston and the Yankees are post-season teams so once they get there, September is forgotten. I just hope we don’t have to spend the whole winter hearing about all of the catastrophic and totally “out of their hands” events that led to this downfall. Because unfortunately, Boston can’t just lose like other teams, they just “don’t get it done” – there is always an “evil” scenario that confounded their season.
Posted by: Paula | September 29, 2011, 9:06 am 9:06 am
My comment was deleted? Really? You’re that upset that I tell you to relax because it’s just a game? Well, it IS just a game. Not a single ball, strike, out, or fly ball matters in the great grand scheme of life. In fact, as evidenced by your article, it actually distracts and deflects resources and millions of dollars that could be better spent on feeding the hungry than filling the bank accounts of rich ball players and even richer team owners. You think this matters enough to make the TOP STROY on ABCNews? Your priorities are sadly misplaced….
Posted by: WorkingClass | September 29, 2011, 9:14 am 9:14 am
This happens every year, they choke. No one to blame but the players, they blow it a lot. If I was management I would be a little more frugal with what I am paying players since they don’t perform up to what they are getting paid.
Posted by: Gene | September 29, 2011, 9:17 am 9:17 am
And none of that matters because the TIGERS are going to win it all this year! They finished the season 30-9. If they continue to play exactly like they have played for the last 6 weeks, they WILL win the World Series. The Sox just got out before the pain for the rest of the league begins……………..
Posted by: Searambler | September 29, 2011, 9:40 am 9:40 am
This is not news. Making this the headline story on abcnews makes abc news look like a joke.
Posted by: Why | September 29, 2011, 9:48 am 9:48 am
WaaaaWaaa!! Booo-Hooo!!! WaaaaaaaaWaaaaaaaa!!! Blah Blah!!! 2004!!! Waaaaaaaaaaaa!!! Big BOSTON CRYBABIES!!!! SO GLAD THEY LOST AND ARE DONE FOR THE YEAR!!! COULDN’T OF HAPPENED TO A BETTER BUNCH OF SORE LOSING CRYBABIES!!!! RED SOXS SUCK!! RED SOX SUCK!!! GO YANKEES!!!!!!!!!!!! OR GO RAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Kenny | September 29, 2011, 9:50 am 9:50 am
Oh well, we’re used to Red Sox heartbreak here in NE. We’ve got two other championship teams to watch, one starts tomorrow night and the other will crush the Raiders on Sunday. :)
Posted by: NHGal | September 29, 2011, 9:57 am 9:57 am
I looked out the window this morning and didn’t see the nukes flying. I didn’t see the four horesmen racing down the LIE. Oh they lost. Crisis. Anybody want some cheese with their whine. Bunch of over paid prima donnas. Doesn’t matter if it’s the Yankees, Mets, Boston or any pro team over hyped nonsense. Want a real game. Go to central park on the weekend and watch the guys and gals that play there. They play through injuries, they buy their own gear, and they play for fun.
Posted by: glenn | September 29, 2011, 9:58 am 9:58 am
Kenny – All class
Posted by: NHGal | September 29, 2011, 10:00 am 10:00 am
All I can say is GO CARDINALS!!!!!
Posted by: Wondering | September 29, 2011, 10:17 am 10:17 am
Bwahahahahahahahaha! Maybe this will quiet the Mass. crowd for a day or 2.
Posted by: BK.70 | September 29, 2011, 10:21 am 10:21 am
I’m a Brewers’ fan, and even I know the Phillies are going to win it all. Unlike Boston, we take losing with dignity. Oh well. I still got my Packers and Badgers!
Posted by: BK.70 | September 29, 2011, 10:23 am 10:23 am
BK.70….HAHAHA You should be so lucky. I think we have 2 other teams to be excited about now…no rest for a town with all sport champions!! Bwahahahahah
Posted by: NHGal | September 29, 2011, 10:27 am 10:27 am
NHGAL, can’t believe Wisconson doesn’t have a hockey team considering UW puts out a competitive team year in and year out. I don’t care for hockey though.
Posted by: BK.70 | September 29, 2011, 10:37 am 10:37 am
Fat fingered Wisconsin.
Posted by: BK.70 | September 29, 2011, 10:38 am 10:38 am
Yahooooo What a night, The Boston Fans can say all they want but they are the most hated team outside Boston. Hpw much more $$$ can you toss ay a bunch of lossers.
Posted by: Phil | September 29, 2011, 11:39 am 11:39 am
So sick of Boston Fans saying we have 2 championship teams to watch this year. When did the patriots win the superbowl last again? 2005? You have one championship team this year in the Bruins. Get over yourselves. I love seeing how quickly the Boston fans turn on their teams.
Posted by: Zoot | September 29, 2011, 1:03 pm 1:03 pm
eat Boston AND New York! GO TIGERS!
Posted by: Big D in the D | September 29, 2011, 1:26 pm 1:26 pm
“Oh well. I still got my Packers and Badgers!”
Badgers?!?!? We don’t need no stinkin’ Badgers! LOL! (Says a true green Spartan…)
Posted by: Searambler | September 29, 2011, 1:53 pm 1:53 pm
The Curse lives!!!!!
You have no one but the team to blame and be mad at. They are the only ones responsible for losing 20 of 27 in the month of September.. Give credit to Tampa for not falling into the same crevice of denial that Red Sox fans and possibly teammates had. While one side denied to believe it was theoretically impossible to get bumped out of the playoffs the other refused to believe it was over. One team fought the battle defeated statistics marking a notch in history while the other rolled over and claimed the worst defeat in the regular season. A congratulations to Baltimore for doing their jobs and playing to the best of their abilities despite the repercussions on their opponent.
Posted by: jack | September 29, 2011, 1:56 pm 1:56 pm
As a life long Red Sox fan 50 yrs old we are accustomed to losing the big games more than we are winning them. I was mentally preparing myself for this outcome all month. In 1975 they lost to the Reds in 7 games, maybe one of the best world series ever. Still they lost. In 1978 1 game playoff to the Yankee’s Buckey Dent home run. In 1986 one out away from beating the Mets to win the world series. My point is this is nothing new for us. Disapointment has been common over the years. I was born into being a Red Sox fan Sprinfield Ma. it stays with you throughout your whole life, bad times and good times. I talk to alot of different people throughout the country and have a great deal of respect for anyone from anywhere that is a true fan to their team. Including Yankee fans after all we feel the same way, just about a different team. I always said if the Red Sox won a world series in my lifetime I’d be happy. When they won I saw tears of joy from our family and friends that lived through all those tough years. Also saddness for the ones we had lost over the years that never saw them win the world series. Maybe its a good thing they didn’t see the collapse of 2011. Red Sox Fan Forever. FL
Posted by: Mike Old School Red Sox Fan | September 29, 2011, 4:08 pm 4:08 pm
Sad to say, nobody gives any credence to the Tampa Bay Rays. I guess there are only teams to be interested in, no matter how good or bad they are. Good luck to my Tampa Bay Rays.
Posted by: Terry | September 29, 2011, 8:59 pm 8:59 pm