posted 10-12-2003 12:26 PM            

Photo from Saturday's game.

posted 10-14-2003 08:01 AM            

Way to go Wakefield! How does he throw those things? They don't spin, they have no speed and look like I should be able to hit them, yet....

GO BO SOX

posted 10-14-2003 11:33 PM            

Alou probably would have made that catch but it was in the stands - not fan
interference. The fan was escorted from the game by security guards for his own protection. They even provided him with a different jacket.
In post game interviews the ball players didn't fault the fan. They said 99% of the fans would have done the same thing. If I was sitting there I would have ducked.

You have to give credit to the Marlins - what a come back. They really stunned the Cubs and the fans as well.

It is a fun diversion - any suggestions for November?

BTW - One funny headline in tomorrows
paper -

"THE FISH THAT EIGHT THE CUBS"

posted 10-15-2003 02:00 AM            

Here's the skinny on the Cubs/Marlins, click link for whole story..
http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/fla/news/fla_gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20031014&content_id=578843&vkey=ds2003game&fext=.jsp

10/14/2003 9:20 PM ET
Box score >
Go Fish! Crazy eights roll a seventh
Marlins force Game 7 with a remarkable, 8-3, NLCS win
By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com

Todd Hollandsworth scores during Florida's eight-run eigth inning Tuesday. (Amy Sancetta/AP)



Game 6 wrapup: Marlins 8, Cubs 3

CHICAGO -- Refusing to lose, the Marlins staged a remarkable, improbable rally that stunned the Cubs, 8-3, Tuesday night in Game 6 by evening the best-of-seven series at Wrigley Field.
A shocked crowd of 39,577 that was anxious to celebrate the Cubs reaching the World Series for the first time since 1945 witnessed one of the most unusual comebacks in postseason history.

Down 3-0 with one out in the eighth, the Marlins pieced together yet another unbelievable rally, scoring eight runs in the inning, aided by a fan deflecting a foul ball away from left fielder Moises Alou, and a crucial error by shortstop Alex Gonzalez.

"We were supposed to just fall over and play dead," Marlins manager Jack McKeon said. "I told you [media], these guys, they are tough. They are going to battle you all the way. We didn't come to play one game. We came in to make it the seven-game series. ... Our guys are resilient. They don't quit. You've got to love them for that."

posted 10-15-2003 06:15 AM            

10/14/2003 10:38 PM ET
Sox have been here before
By John Schlegel / MLB.com



John Burkett will make the Game 6 start at Yankee Stadium. (John Froschauer/AP)



BOSTON -- After all the ups and downs and unexpected curves in the American League Championship Series thus far, we're down to an elimination game.
Game 6 of a seven-game series is always one of those, and Wednesday's Game 6 has the Yankees holding the double-edged advantage of not only holding a 3-2 lead over the Red Sox but also heading back home to Yankee Stadium for the conclusion of the series.

Then again, the Red Sox have shown already during this postseason that being against the wall isn't something they can't handle.

"Boston will be ready," Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter said after New York's 4-2 victory in Game 5 at Fenway Park. "This isn't their first elimination game -- they played three of them against Oakland. We know this series isn't over."

The Red Sox not only played three elimination games against the A's in the Division Series, but they won all three, including Game 5 at Oakland. This is a team that has risen to these heights by being able to "Cowboy Up" under any circumstances, and this is their stiffest test to date.

Home, road, neutral ground doesn't matter right now to the Red Sox. Winning not just one but two games does.

"When you have to win two against a ballclub like that, it doesn't really matter where you're playing," Red Sox manager Grady Little said. "We know we've got our work cut out for us and we'll go do the best we can.

"I tell you what, these guys have been enjoyable to watch all season long. We've had our back to the wall in the last series and we've got it here again."

With that situation in mind, the Red Sox are still planning on going with veteran right-hander John Burkett -- their fourth starting option -- in the critical Game 6. He'll be matched against Yankees ace lefty Andy Pettitte, who got the victory in Game 2 at Yankee Stadium.

Burkett will have a whole lot of backup, very likely including two-time winner Tim Wakefield, if things don't get off on the right foot.

About the only one he won't have backing him up will be ace Pedro Martinez, who will be held out for a possible Game 7 start on his normal four days' rest.

"We will be fully loaded in the bullpen tomorrow, but don't expect to see Pedro," Little said. "We are in a position right now where we've got to win two games. Pedro will get one of those, but it won't be any time tomorrow."

posted 10-15-2003 11:57 PM            

So, the Yankees and the Sox are neck and neck huh? Thursday night will be REAL interesting! Wonder if they’ll behave – things just might get all heated again!

posted 10-16-2003 12:24 AM            

Cubs vs Sox would have been a great series.

posted 10-16-2003 10:22 PM            

The play of the night was on the Sox side - where the second baseman (name?) threw to first for the out on his knee – whoa!

posted 10-17-2003 06:50 AM            

2nd Baseman is Todd Walker. Yeah, it was a wild ride. I'm a bit disappointed because the Red Sox has had the best team this year in ages, we really had a shot. Oh well, time to get back to waking people up to the New World Order.

posted 10-17-2003 08:34 PM            

Out in short right field was star shortstop Nomar Garciaparra kicking a soccer ball around with his fiancee, Mia Hamm.

The fact that Garciaparra and Hamm looked more like two joyful kids trying to put off dinner than a pair of high-profile soon-to-be-newlyweds was a good tone for the day.

If only all the distraught fans could have seen the uplifting scene.

Sure, New England was in a state of mourning. How could it not be after the Red Sox, with a three-run lead and a mere five outs away from advancing to the World Series, suffered the most gut-wrenching of defeats to the Yankees?

It was a season that thrilled Red Sox fans like no other in recent memory. Therefore, there should be memories that go well beyond those five outs that never came.

Like the fact that the Red Sox staved off elimination four times in a span of 12 days just to stay alive for Game 7 of the American League Championship Series.

Or how about that offense that scoffed at late-inning deficits all year along, right through Game 6 of the ALCS?

Don't forget the bullpen, and the way they shined on the bright stage of October after struggling all year long.

There were first-year players like Todd Walker, David Ortiz, Kevin Millar and Bill Mueller who set a new tone in the clubhouse and became beloved by the Boston fans.

And there were the old stalwarts, Nomar Garciaparra, Pedro Martinez and Manny Ramirez, filling up the highlight reels for yet another season.

Not to mention the old reliables (Jason Varitek, Johnny Damon, Trot Nixon, Derek Lowe and Tim Wakefield) coming up in the clutch so many times.

Todd Walker / 2B

Height: 6'0"
Weight: 181
Bats/Throws: L/R

More info:
Player page
Stats
Splits
Hit chart
redsox.com

"It's hard to get upset," said Walker. "We battled all year long. We left our hearts out there and came up on the short end of it. The guys in this clubhouse are so great."

This team, with imperfect parts, mixed so well. They made it to the doorstep of the team's first World Series since 1986.

"When I think back on this club, I'm really going to think about how these guys came together as a team, how hard they played, how much fun they had playing, how they supported one another more than any baseball players I've ever seen," said general manager Theo Epstein. "And in my mind, that changed the tone of the franchise in a really positive way. When we talk about clubhouse chemistry and what we expect out of our players and our ballclub, and the attitude we expect, there's a really high standard now. That will characterize Red Sox teams from here forward and you can thank the guys in the clubhouse for that."

The fact this team had so much joy playing together perhaps explains how they were able to stave off elimination four times, and came oh-so-close to doing it a fifth time.

It was simple. This team didn't want to go home.

"We had a great year," said Wakefield, the veteran knuckleballer who was standing on the Yankee Stadium mound when it all came to a crashing halt. "I know it's a cliche. Everybody says it. But we have a lot to be proud of. We entertained a lot of people this year. We excited the whole city of Boston for a long, long time."

The offense set Major League records in extra-base hits, total bases and slugging percentage. They also added team records in home runs and sacrifice flies.

But there's a difference between stats, and putting up stats when they count.

The Red Sox did both, pulling out 25 victories (including postseason) in their last at-bat.

While the offense picked up the pitching so many times during the regular season, the arms rose to the occasion brilliantly in October as the bats began to slump.

"There was a lot of joy to remember this season," said Red Sox president/CEO Larry Lucchino. "I think Red Sox Nation will be proud, and is proud of this team, and will remember it for a long time."

Sure, there will be some sting when you think of how it ended. That's unavoidable.

Nomar Garciaparra / SS
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 180
Bats/Throws: R/R

More info:
Player page
Stats
Hit chart
Red Sox site

"It will always be with all of us," Epstein said. "But there are two ways to go through life. You can sit there and dwell on it, and wake up in the middle of the night screaming, 'Five more outs.' I'm not going to do that. There's a choice to sit and dwell on it in perpetuity or to have it inspire you to work harder and root harder and go get it done next year. And when it happens, it will be that much sweeter."

When it was over, there was a clubhouse filled with tears.

"All I know," said Garciaparra, "is that I'm going to go home tonight and say my prayers and thank God for giving me the opportunity to play with each and every one of these guys."

For the front office, manager, coaches and players, Friday was sad because the thrill ride was over.

posted 10-22-2003 10:23 PM            

Another excellent game! I am WAY not disappointed this year - even though tonight’s win goes to the Marlins. Talk about neck and neck.

It’s now tied – Yankees 2 wins, Marlins 2 wins.

I think this series will go all the way!

posted 10-23-2003 12:33 PM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by FLKook:
Up past your bed time again Jersey? Me too. It's been a heckuva year for baseball. It doens't get any better than this.

---

posted 10-23-2003 09:29 PM            

Well, at least it ended at a decent hour. On to NY!

posted 10-26-2003 07:27 AM            

Second to none: Marlins win it all!
MVP Beckett blanks Yanks, 2-0, in Game 6 clincher
By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com

Josh Beckett tags Jorge Posada for the final out of the World Series. (Elise Amendola/AP)



Get your World Series championship stuff online or by calling 1-800-643-9042

Game 6 wrapup: Marlins 2, Yankees 0
NEW YORK -- Throughout their improbable playoff run, the Marlins dealt with Barry Bonds, curses and goat and ghost stories, not to mention a matchup with the most storied franchise in professional sports.

No matter how daunting the task, the Marlins remained focused on the here and now while allowing others to talk about all the lore at Yankee Stadium.

Few exemplified the Marlins' disbelief in ghost stories better than 23-year-old Josh Beckett.

While superstitious never to touch the white line on his way to and from the mound, Beckett symbolized the Marlins' toughness and quiet confidence.

The Spring, Texas, native, who idolizes Roger Clemens and Nolan Ryan, moved into elite company.

Beckett tossed a complete-game, five-hit shutout, striking out nine while literally carrying the Marlins to a 2-0 blanking of the Yankees in Game 6 of the World Series before a silenced crowd of 55,773 at Yankee Stadium.

Beckett's masterpiece completed an improbable season for the Marlins, which culminated with the second World Series title in the franchise's 11 seasons.

"I am elated," said manager Jack McKeon, the 72-year-old cigar-smoking grandfather of nine who took over the club on May 11, with the team mired in a 16-22 record. "I didn't have any idea that we would win in the playoffs or win the Wild Card. I had no idea we would get to the World Series and I had no idea we would win the World Series.

"But being with these guys and seeing the attitude and the determination, the desire -- we were on a mission."

Josh Beckett / P
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 190
Bats/Throws: R/R

While the Marlins were champs in 1997, that team was built to win it all. These Marlins rose from the ashes, going from 10-games under .500 on May 22 to winning the Wild Card race.

The brash Beckett was angered throughout the playoffs for what he believed was a lack of respect for the franchise. He heard about the curse of the goat against the Cubs. And at Yankee Stadium, he was repeatedly asked about standing up to the weight of Yankee tradition.

"That ticked me off," said Beckett, voted the World Series Most Valuable Player. "Nobody thought we could do it. All I know is we're going to get World Series rings on Opening Day next season."

Reaching the playoffs was taxing enough, but the road to the World Series title was more grueling and draining. The Marlins had to get by Bonds and Co., the Giants, in the Division Series. Then, after trailing 3-1 to the Cubs, again the Marlins came through in a mind-boggling manner, beating Mark Prior and Kerry Wood in back-to-back victories at Wrigley Field. Now, this, upending the Yankees in the House that Ruth built.

Working on three days' rest for the first time in his career, Beckett tossed the second complete game of his career. Ironically, both were in the playoffs.

In Game 5 of the NLCS, the hard-throwing right-hander tossed a two-hitter, striking out 11 Cubs. That outing set the tone for the club's rally against the Cubs.

The Marlins then came back from a 2-1 deficit to upset the heavily favored Yankees by taking three straight.

Beckett becomes the first pitcher since Twins hurler Jack Morris in 1991 to toss a complete-game shutout in the deciding World Series game. And he logged his first complete-game shutout in the Fall Classic since Randy Johnson did it to the Yankees in Game 2 of 2001.

"I told him after the eighth inning, I ain't taking you out of the game unless you tell me to take you out of the game," Marlins pitching coach Wayne Rosenthal said. "I thought to myself, nobody was going to get on in the ninth."

They beat Andy Pettitte, who was outstanding himself, giving up two runs -- one earned -- on six hits in seven innings.

Unable to manage much off Pettitte through five innings, the Marlins were able to scratch out a run in the fifth on Luis Castillo's RBI single to right.

Luis Castillo / 2B
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 185
Bats/Throws: S/R

More info:
Player page
Stats
Hit chart
Marlins site

Mired in an 0-for-14 slump, Castillo battled from an 0-2 count before slapping a 2-2 pitch into right field. Karim Garcia charged and made a strong throw home, but Alex Gonzalez maneuvered a nifty slide, wiggling away from catcher Jorge Posada's swipe tag. Gonzalez brushed the fingers of his left hand across the plate, giving the Marlins a 1-0 lead.

"He left me home plate open," Gonzalez said. "I knew the play was going to be close. But he left home plate open. I waited for him to try to touch me, and then got my hand in there."

Based on how the playoffs have gone, it was fitting that the slumping Castillo would produce the only run Beckett needed.

Unlikely heroes have repeatedly stepped up. In Game 4, it was Gonzalez's walk-off home run in the 12th inning that tied the Series. The slick-fielding shortstop was batting .094 in the playoffs when he went deep, evening the Series at 2-2.

A two-time All-Star, Castillo had been getting down on himself.

"I was feeling down because I had gone a lot time without getting a hit," Castillo said. "I was trying to look for a good pitch to hit. I kept fouling off until I got a good pitch. I looked into the dugout, and Jack was yelling, 'Let's go, my man.' "

The Marlins' run came with two outs on three consecutive singles. Gonzalez and Juan Pierre each singled to center, setting up Castillo's opposite-field hit.

Castillo, who was 3-for-23 in the World Series at the time of the single, had not had a hit since singling in the ninth inning of Game 2 against Pettitte.

"This is a great feeling because everybody had written us off," Pierre said. "It's a great feeling the way we did it because nobody excepted this. We did it without all the fanfare. We came out of nowhere and did it."

In the fifth, Pettitte threw 35 pitches. The veteran left-hander, who held the Marlins to an unearned run in 8 2/3 innings in Game 2, worked out of the jam by striking out Miguel Cabrera with the bases loaded.

An error by Derek Jeter on Jeff Conine's routine grounder to short set up an unearned run by the Marlins in the sixth inning.

Jeter bobbled the slow grounder. Mike Lowell walked and Derrek Lee bunted back to Pettitte, who threw to second for a force out. With Conine on third and Lee on first, Juan Encarnacion battled with two strikes. On a 2-2 pitch, Encarnacion drove a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Conine.

Juan Encarnacion / OF
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 160
Bats/Throws: R/R

More info:
Stats
Splits
Hit chart
Marlins site

"Pettitte pitched good, but we made some adjustments," Encarnacion said. "I was able to get a pitch to hit in the air."

For the game, the Yankees had runners in scoring position four times, but Beckett repeatedly worked out of trouble.

In the seventh, Posada led off with an opposite-field double to left. But Beckett got Jason Giambi to ground out to third before striking out Garcia looking on a full-count curveball. The threat ended with pinch-hitter Ruben Sierra striking out swinging.

Beckett had another opportunity to buckle in the eighth after Alfonso Soriano swatted a first-pitch fastball to left for a leadoff single. Beckett then fell behind Jeter, 3-1, before getting the shortstop to fly out to center.

Beckett worked out of the inning by getting Nick Johnson to ground into a 4-6-3 double play.

A perfectionist, Beckett griped in the dugout that he hung a changeup that Johnson hit hard to Castillo at second, starting the double play.

"Josh was complaining about hanging the pitch, and [Carl] Pavano told him, 'What are you complaining about? You got him to hit into a double play.' " Rosenthal said.

After the eighth, McKeon went up to catcher Ivan Rodriguez to see how Beckett was doing. In that inning, Dontrelle Willis and Ugueth Urbina were warming up in the bullpen.

Rodriguez told the manager, "Don't take him out."

McKeon replied, "Don't worry. I'm not. Those two guys up were for show."

Beckett worked a swift ninth, eventually ending the game by tagging out Posada after scooping up a chopped grounder down the first-base line.

Once the tag was applied, Rodriguez flung his facemask skyward, and the celebration began.

"I have a lot of confidence in Beckett," said McKeon, who opened himself up for second guessing by working the youngster on three days' rest. "He's got that mystique. With him, every time out, you feel you are going to win. He talked the talk. And he walked the walk."