Cleveland is Rocking, Boston is Reeling
What started as a dream October for fans of America’s darlings: the New York Yankees, and Chicago Cubs, has given way to broken hearts and shocked disbelief; and if the Cleveland Indians pull off another stunner in getting by the Boston Red Sox , a television executive's nightmare is just around the corner, which could pit two small market underdogs in the Fall Classic.
It was just last year, when 2 other small market clubs, the St Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers squared off, drawing a mere 10.1 percent of the 111.4 million U.S. television households, an all-time low for a World Series.
For the 3rd game in a row, the Indians tore through Boston’s pitching staff, exploding for 7 runs in the 5th, in a 7-3 win, and sending another Boston starter, this time Tim Wakefield, into the dugout for an early shower before the 7th inning stretch.
The Sox did give a brief scare to the 44,008 fans gathered at Jacobs Field, when Kevin Youkilis, David Ortiz, and Manny Ramirez banged consecutive solo shots off Paul Byrd and Jensen Lewis to cut the lead to 4, but they got no further.
The Indians are no strangers to back- to-back to- back home runs, and still live to tell about it.
In the 1997 division series with the New York Yankees, Tim Raines, Derek Jeter and Paul O'Neill smacked consecutive home runs off the Tribe pitching, a first for post season play. The defending world champions won the battle, but lost the war, when the Tribe stunned the Yankees, eventually advancing to the World Series against the Florida Marlins , their second appearance in 3 years. So the successive spanks might have been a sign of good things to come for the Central Division champs.
With so much uncertainty surrounding the durability of Tim Wakefield, still on the mend from a shoulder injury, Sox fans breathed a sigh of relief watching the 41 year-old veteran, one of the last true knuckleballers in the game, silence Cleveland’s bats without much effort through the first 4 frames. But when Casey Blake drove Wakefield’s 56th pitch, deep into the night in the 5th, the flood gates opened, 7 runs worth, and again Boston found themselves beaten down by young talented explosive club, who are treating this series like they fully expect to win.
But the Tribe still has one more hurdle before advancing to the World Series; and it’s a monstrous one, when 20-game winner Josh Beckett takes to the hill against C.C. Sabathia in Game 5 on Thursday night...
Even with a commanding three-games-to-one lead, Cleveland is staying clear of raising the pennant flag just yet; they lived through too many disasters, having their spirits towering, only to have it come crashing down: the Drive, the Fumble, the Shot, Blown Saves in World Series , you name it, Clevelanders are in their customary ``I’ll believe it when I see it’’ mode, having not celebrated a major sports title since December 27, 1964, when the Cleveland Browns stunned the Baltimore Colts; while a World Series flag hasn't been raised since 1948.
-Bill Lucey
billlucey@bellsouth.net
It was just last year, when 2 other small market clubs, the St Louis Cardinals and Detroit Tigers squared off, drawing a mere 10.1 percent of the 111.4 million U.S. television households, an all-time low for a World Series.
For the 3rd game in a row, the Indians tore through Boston’s pitching staff, exploding for 7 runs in the 5th, in a 7-3 win, and sending another Boston starter, this time Tim Wakefield, into the dugout for an early shower before the 7th inning stretch.
The Sox did give a brief scare to the 44,008 fans gathered at Jacobs Field, when Kevin Youkilis, David Ortiz, and Manny Ramirez banged consecutive solo shots off Paul Byrd and Jensen Lewis to cut the lead to 4, but they got no further.
The Indians are no strangers to back- to-back to- back home runs, and still live to tell about it.
In the 1997 division series with the New York Yankees, Tim Raines, Derek Jeter and Paul O'Neill smacked consecutive home runs off the Tribe pitching, a first for post season play. The defending world champions won the battle, but lost the war, when the Tribe stunned the Yankees, eventually advancing to the World Series against the Florida Marlins , their second appearance in 3 years. So the successive spanks might have been a sign of good things to come for the Central Division champs.
With so much uncertainty surrounding the durability of Tim Wakefield, still on the mend from a shoulder injury, Sox fans breathed a sigh of relief watching the 41 year-old veteran, one of the last true knuckleballers in the game, silence Cleveland’s bats without much effort through the first 4 frames. But when Casey Blake drove Wakefield’s 56th pitch, deep into the night in the 5th, the flood gates opened, 7 runs worth, and again Boston found themselves beaten down by young talented explosive club, who are treating this series like they fully expect to win.
But the Tribe still has one more hurdle before advancing to the World Series; and it’s a monstrous one, when 20-game winner Josh Beckett takes to the hill against C.C. Sabathia in Game 5 on Thursday night...
Even with a commanding three-games-to-one lead, Cleveland is staying clear of raising the pennant flag just yet; they lived through too many disasters, having their spirits towering, only to have it come crashing down: the Drive, the Fumble, the Shot, Blown Saves in World Series , you name it, Clevelanders are in their customary ``I’ll believe it when I see it’’ mode, having not celebrated a major sports title since December 27, 1964, when the Cleveland Browns stunned the Baltimore Colts; while a World Series flag hasn't been raised since 1948.
-Bill Lucey
billlucey@bellsouth.net
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