BOSTON – Yankee fans won’t like to hear this – and Joe Torre, the ex-Cardinal, and Alex Rodriguez say they’re not watching this World Series – but this really is what a Fall Classic is all about: Cardinals versus Red Sox, two classic franchises, two classic baseball cities.
This is the World Series the way baseball used to be.
“These organizations are two class organizations and have been for so many years,” Red Sox outfielder and Yankee-killing pinch-runner Dave Roberts explained yesterday. “When baseball players talk about cities that they’d like to play in with the great fans, St. Louis and Boston are at the top of the list, always. The fans in St. Louis are knowledgeable, they understand the game, they love their team and they always support their team, the same thing with Red Sox fans.”
And you’ll notice there is no teal in this World Series. Classic uniforms and classic teams.
Noted trendsetter Kevin Millar, “Let the hunt for Red October begin.”
The hunt begins tonight at Fenway Park, another classic. Of course, the Red Sox haven’t had their own Red October since 1918 and The Babe.
This battle of Redbirds and Red Sox is a rematch of the 1967 World Series, a true classic. Standing on the field watching the Red Sox work out yesterday in a light rain was Fox broadcaster Tim McCarver, who played for the Cards in that ’67 Series.
McCarver remembers waking up and reading a Boston Globe headline that said “Lonborg and Champagne.”
“We didn’t like that,” McCarver, who caught Bob Gibson, said of that reference to Sox pitcher Jim Lonborg. “That upset us. We thought that was rather presumptuous and Gibby was really ticked off.”
Gibson won Games 1, 4 and 7 – and he was pitching with a leg that had been broken in July. In those three games the Red Sox scored all of three runs. Gibson struck out 26 in his 27 innings of complete-game dominance over Yaz’ Red Sox.
This was before there was daily talk about the Curse of the Bambino, so Gibson got all the credit for shutting down the Red Sox. Back then, they played the World Series in the daytime. “You couldn’t see real well,” McCarver said. “Because the fans were wearing white shirts and there was no batter’s eye (background). It’s tough enough to hit Bob Gibson when you could see, but really tough when everything was coming out of the white shirts.
“We never heard about the Curse,” McCarver said. “As far as we knew, it didn’t exist.”
As for the magic of Fenway, the Cardinals and Gibson didn’t want to hear anything about that. When Gibson first took a look around the ballpark, he said, “Where’s the upper deck? Where are all the seats?”
More fans meant more money for the player’s share. “Our winner’s share that year was $7,100,” McCarver said.
These teams also met in 1946, where Johnny Pesky was accused of holding the ball too long, allowing Enos Slaughter to score on his “mad dash.”
After the mad dash the Red Sox made to knock out the Yankees, winning the final four games of the ALCS, who knows what crazy things will happen this Series – especially with both teams’ pitching torn up?
“The way it unfolded for us in our clubhouse is truly amazing,” Sox Game 1 starter Tim Wakefield said of the victory over the Yankees.
Said catcher Jason Varitek, “I don’t think we’re done yet.”
These Red Sox will not be considered a true classic, unless they find a way to beat the Cardinals.
Projected Game 1 lineups
Cards
Mike Matheny C
Albert Pujols 1B
Tony Womack2B
Edgar Renteria SS
Scott Rolen 3B
Reggie Sanders LF
Jim Edmonds CF
Larry Walker RF
John Mabry DH
Woody Williams RHP
Red Sox
Doug Mirabelli C
Kevin Millar 1B
Mark Bellhorn 2B
Orlando Cabrera SS
Bill Mueller 3B
Manny Ramirez LF
Johnny Damon CF
Trot Nixon RF
David Ortiz DH
Tim Wakefield RHP
WEATHER
Tonight
Game 1
Partly cloudy
47 degrees
10% chance
of rain
Staff picks
Mark Hale: Sox in 6
Kevin Kernan: Sox in 5
George King: Sox in 6
Michael Morrissey: Cards in 7
Joel Sherman: Sox in 6
Mike Vaccaro: Cards in 6
