Post by Papi's Gift on Oct 29, 2019 16:09:22 GMT -5
I joined the list on October 18, but misunderstood the relationship between user name and screen name. I intended the screen name to be Papi's Gift, but it came through as my user name, namely my initials, WAS. I didn't notice until now (rookie mistake), so I just made the change to the intended screen name. I thought that in the spirit of people like philsbosoxfan whose signature says "Was Left Coast Bosox Fan (LCBF)," I could add a signature saying "Was WAS," but thought better of it.
In any event, my whole first post was intended to explain the screen name, and if you read it, you must have been mystified trying to figure out what it had to do with WAS, so I'll post it again. The point was to explain "Papi's Gift," and I posted it on October 18 in the "David Ortiz shot in the DR" thread. If you read it then and there, please forgive the repetition and ignore what follows. Here's' where the screen name comes from as explained a week and a half ago:
___________________________________________________
I’ve been following this site for years and finally decided that this is the day to join—-the 15th anniversary of one of the most important days in Red Sox history.
As my first post, let me explain my screen name. I can’t find the post inviting new members to introduce themselves or I would have posted this in that thread. It’s probably just as appropriate here, at a time when Papi is back in the saddle and on TV.
On October 17, 2004, with the Yankees up 3 games to none and leading the Sox by a run in the top of the 9th, the count on Kevin Millar was 1-1 when the clock turned midnight. As you all know, what happened next is a central part of Red Sox lore: 3 straight balls, from the best closer ever, to walk Millar, followed by the Roberts steal, the single by Mueller to tie the score, and then Papi’s 12th-inning HR. All in the early hours of October 18. As Joe Buck called it, “We’ll see you later tonight.”
Because of a rain out earlier in the series and in order to keep games 6 and 7 on the Saturday-Sunday schedule, MLB cancelled the travel day after game 5. As a concession to the players to give them a little more travel time, game 5 was rescheduled to a 5:00 start time, so that even though that day’s 14-inning game went almost 6 hours, Papi’s walk off single still came shortly before midnight. Again on October 18.
I woke up the next day to an email from my oldest son saying I should never expect any more birthday gifts from him, since he could never match what Papi had just given me. Yes, my birthday is October 18, and Ortiz helped me celebrate with 2 walk off hits on the same day, a day that in a real sense changed the history of the franchise. I think of his “gift” every year on my birthday.
And as a PS, I now have several other happy Red Sox memories to recall on my birthday. In 2007, October 18 was the day the Sox had their backs to the wall, down 3 games to 1, when Josh Becket struck out 11 Indians and allowed 1 run over 8 innings to outpitch C.C. Sabathia and send the series back to Boston.
And last year, when David Price stopped the Astros in game 5 to win the pennant with help from the Martinez and Devers home runs, it was again October 18. The next morning, I woke up to another email from that same son, sharing the joy-—plus one from his son who was 7 in 2004 and 21 last year. Neither one thought to mention that Benny’s do-or-die catch to end game 4 also came after midnight, again on October 18, so that, like the series ending game 5 win against Verlander, it also fell on my birthday.
In any event, Beckett, Benintendi, Price, Martinez, Devers—they all play Robin to Papi’s Batman in my annual birthday celebration; hence the screen name.
Happy to have finally joined you.
In any event, my whole first post was intended to explain the screen name, and if you read it, you must have been mystified trying to figure out what it had to do with WAS, so I'll post it again. The point was to explain "Papi's Gift," and I posted it on October 18 in the "David Ortiz shot in the DR" thread. If you read it then and there, please forgive the repetition and ignore what follows. Here's' where the screen name comes from as explained a week and a half ago:
___________________________________________________
I’ve been following this site for years and finally decided that this is the day to join—-the 15th anniversary of one of the most important days in Red Sox history.
As my first post, let me explain my screen name. I can’t find the post inviting new members to introduce themselves or I would have posted this in that thread. It’s probably just as appropriate here, at a time when Papi is back in the saddle and on TV.
On October 17, 2004, with the Yankees up 3 games to none and leading the Sox by a run in the top of the 9th, the count on Kevin Millar was 1-1 when the clock turned midnight. As you all know, what happened next is a central part of Red Sox lore: 3 straight balls, from the best closer ever, to walk Millar, followed by the Roberts steal, the single by Mueller to tie the score, and then Papi’s 12th-inning HR. All in the early hours of October 18. As Joe Buck called it, “We’ll see you later tonight.”
Because of a rain out earlier in the series and in order to keep games 6 and 7 on the Saturday-Sunday schedule, MLB cancelled the travel day after game 5. As a concession to the players to give them a little more travel time, game 5 was rescheduled to a 5:00 start time, so that even though that day’s 14-inning game went almost 6 hours, Papi’s walk off single still came shortly before midnight. Again on October 18.
I woke up the next day to an email from my oldest son saying I should never expect any more birthday gifts from him, since he could never match what Papi had just given me. Yes, my birthday is October 18, and Ortiz helped me celebrate with 2 walk off hits on the same day, a day that in a real sense changed the history of the franchise. I think of his “gift” every year on my birthday.
And as a PS, I now have several other happy Red Sox memories to recall on my birthday. In 2007, October 18 was the day the Sox had their backs to the wall, down 3 games to 1, when Josh Becket struck out 11 Indians and allowed 1 run over 8 innings to outpitch C.C. Sabathia and send the series back to Boston.
And last year, when David Price stopped the Astros in game 5 to win the pennant with help from the Martinez and Devers home runs, it was again October 18. The next morning, I woke up to another email from that same son, sharing the joy-—plus one from his son who was 7 in 2004 and 21 last year. Neither one thought to mention that Benny’s do-or-die catch to end game 4 also came after midnight, again on October 18, so that, like the series ending game 5 win against Verlander, it also fell on my birthday.
In any event, Beckett, Benintendi, Price, Martinez, Devers—they all play Robin to Papi’s Batman in my annual birthday celebration; hence the screen name.
Happy to have finally joined you.