October is perhaps the best month on the calendar. New Englander's stop sweating and experience their 31 days of fall. Oscar contenders begin filling the local multiplexes. Sam Adam's re-relases Octoberfest. It marks the beginning of the year's longest period between mandatory visits to synogauge. And Larry David is screaming obscenities and shouting racial slurs at everyone from surgeon's to pharmacists. But nowhere is this month more significant than in the world of sports. The N.F.L. season is in full swing, B.C.S. rankings become more conclusive, the N.B.A. pre-season has fans drooling, and the M.L.B. finds it's champion. Here then is a toast to the hero's and donkeys of October, 2007, Beantown style.
(A)lex Rodriguez, who after years of struggle finally managed to make headlines in the playoffs. Could this guy be more self-centered? Of all the athletes I never want to see in a Boston uniform, A-Rod has always been a top 5 guy since the bush-league slap on Bronson Arroyo. After Sunday, he stands alone at the top of the list.
(B)ill Belichick, the mastermind and "cheater" behind the N.F.L.'s dominant franchise. The early season controversy seems to be about the best thing that could've happened to the typically emotionless coach. The defense has been dominant, while the offense has been unstoppable, never more so than in last week's 52-7 thrashing of the hapless Washington Redskins. I mean, 52-7? That's a Madden 2000 score!
(C)harles Barkley, for providing a year's worth of quotes in a single evening on Conan O'Brien. The best: "Guys who play football, they were guys who wasn't good enough to play basketball." The runnerup, while describing the 1986 Celtics: "They were probably, other than the Lakers, the second best team I ever played against, but they was not pretty people."
(D)ustin Pedroia, who should be a unanimous pick for A.L. Rookie of the Year. Years of searching for a second baseman are officially over, despite the fact that Pedroia couldn't beat Cecil Fielder in a foot-race. It's always great to root for the little guy.
(E)agles of Boston College. They are playing so well that for the first time ever, about 20% of New England residents are showing a steady interest in the B.C.S. Defying the naysayers week after week, would it still surprise you if this bunch took down Ohio St. or LSU? (Ok, it still would, but we can hope).
(F)rancona (Terry), the single most underrated manager in the game. The man exhibits more class than anyone, while simultaneously regulating Schilling's ego and Manny's unstable cranium. With 2 world series rings in 4 years, Tito has proven that it's time for the morons clogging up WEEI's phone lines to shut up and take a hike.
(G)eneral manager Theo Epstein, for showing guts and savvy time and time again in spite of being kicked in the nuts repeatedly by on-air personalities and fans. Theo is the man who traded 2-time batting champ Nomar Garciaparra and brought in Orlando Cabrera, Dave Roberts, and that first baseman who ran away with the 2004 world series ball as if he won the series. Theo is the guy who had the foresight to hold off throwing millions at aging stars Pedro Martinez and Johnny Damon who were nearing the end of their primes. Theo is the G.M. who sent Hanley Ramirez to the N.L. in exchange for the team's best regular season player (Mike Lowell) and their best post-season player (Josh Beckett). Theo has earned the right to stroll into Abe and Louies in ripped jeans and a tee-shirt at 8pm on a Saturday night and say "Give me the entire back room, 3 bottles of wine, the grilled swordfish and the filet mignon, and makes sure it's on the house." That's the kind of respect that you earn by winning.
(H)ideki Okajima, because his name is fun to say, and because he turned out to be a better pitcher in 2007 than his heavily hyped brother from another mother, Dice-K, who to be fair had a pretty good season. But Okajima was sensational in the early-going, proving to be a reliable middle-reliever while posting a phenomenal 2.22 e.r.a.
(I)nsects of Cleveland, who God sent down to Jacobs Field in the 8th inning of game 2 of the A.L.C.S. to swarm and attack all Yankee fielders and pithcers who dared try and get in the way of the Red Sox winning the world series. I bet Jeter is still rubbing afterbite all over himself. Too bad Clemens wasn't on the mound.
(J)osh Beckett, who won 20 regular season games as the ace of the Red Sox pitching staff. But his legend expanded in the playoffs, when he went 4-0 while saving the bullpen in his 30 innings of work. He victimized an assortment of Angels, Indians, and Rockies with 35 strikeouts, while lowering his career playoff e.r.a to 1.73. Now hurry up and get to Abe and Louies, because Theo's waiting for you.
(K)evin Garnett, for finally turning Boston into a 3 team sports town again (sorry Bruins). On the cover of every sports magazine in the country, KG is the new centerpiece of a team that just may be good enough to reach the N.B.A. finals. Nobody is happier about this than captain Paul Pierce, who now has the option of passing in the closing seconds rather than shooting fall-away jumpers over triple teams.
(L)ester (Jon), who's success must make even the most cynical of grouches smile. It was quite a year for the 23 year old, who overcame the struggle of his life by besting cancer, then for an encore threw 5 2/3 innings of 3 hit, shutout ball and picked up the victory in the world series clinching game 4. The Rockies' Garrett Atkins said it best, ". . . . His whole story is amazing. If you had to get beat by someone you have to be happy for that guy."
(M)att Ryan, the senior quarterback of an Eagle's squad that is making a legitimate run at the national title game. Showing strong leadership and poise under pressure, the Heisman candidate is the best B.C. quarterback since Doug Flutie.
(N)umber 6, or the amount of former Celtics now playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Kevin McHale must've seen something he liked about Boston's roster of misfits over the past 5 years. Certainly Sebastian Telfair brings a positive influence to the clubhouse, while Theo Ratliff will provide durability. The number would actually be 7, but McHale just acquired wiggling machine Antoine Walker from Miami in exchange for Ricky Davis and Mark Blount.
(O)rtiz and Ramirez, no first names needed. Yes, I am cheating including both of them here because I ran out of letters. No, it doesn't matter because 29 managers approach them as a 2-headed monster, each of whom must be planned for with the other in mind. Though not either's finest statistical season, there is no 3-4 combination in the majors that strikes such fear into opposing pithcers and fans. Manny's already punched his ticket to Cooperstown. Papi just needs to stay healthy.
(P)apelbon (Jonathan), whose competitive nature and undeterred focus have made him so good we may one day be telling our grandchildren about watching the most dominant closer of all-time. He throws like Ricky Vaughn and dances like Elaine Benes. We'll let the second part slide, because he's one of the most charasmatic athletes to come through this city in years.
(Q)uote machine Curt Schilling, who has probably pitched his final game as a member of the Red Sox. He is brash and arrogant with an opinion on everything, but few are better prepared. He doesn't make excuses and he always come to compete. At the end of the day, a team with Schilling, among the most clutch post-season pitchers in history, is better off than a team without him.
(R)ay Allen, whose arrival paved the way for an even bigger fish (Garnett) to land in Boston. It's been fairly quiet around Allen, which is just fine for the 7-time all-star, who has always been a team guy first, superstar second. Few players were genuinely excited about playing for the Celtics in June and July. Fewer still can shoot the ball like the former Jesus Shuttlesworth.
(S)tojakovic (Peja), the former Sacramento King 3-point shooting phenom, whose game has diminished to the point that he was recently described by a friend of mine as "fantasy herpes," while drafting teams for the upcoming fantasy basketball season. With a foundation of KG and Pierce, as well as Bosh, Boozer, and T-Mac, "McHaleRocks" is looking like a winner.
(T)om Brady, who is inching closer and closer to turning Boston's all-time fab four (Ted Williams, Bill Russell, Bobby Orr, & Larry Bird) into a fab five. His numbers (30 touchdown passes and only 2 interceptions) have been astounding in leading the Patriots to an undefeated 1st half of the season. Barring injury, Brady is likely to shatter multiple single-season records.
(U)nbelievably good fortune, which seems to carry over from season to season, team to team. Once the initial euphoria caused by Boston's most recent champion wears off, local fans will need to sit down, take a deep breath, and let it all sink in. Because it doesn't get much better than this.
(V)rabel (Mike), the powerful linebacker in his 7th season with the Patriots, has somehow turned into the team's best tight end. He has 8 offensive touchdowns under Belichick, and a combined 11 yards receiving! Are you paying attention coaches? The man has averaged 1.4 yards per catch. He goes into the game with the Pats on the 1 or 2 yard line and somehow everyone becomes perplexed when the whistle blows and Vrabel's holding the ball in the endzone. One of football's greatest unexplained mysteries that this continues to work.
(W)akefield (Tim), for proving his value time and time. The longest tenured member of the Red Sox (I was 14 when I first saw him pitch at Fenway), he does whatever the team needs, whether it's going 8 innings from the get-go, bailing out struggling pitchers in relief, sitting out the world series, or leading the pack in community service hours. I bet he'd even sell hot-dogs on off-days if they asked him to. You're the man Tim and if anyone says otherwise, throw a ball at their head and laugh aloud when it hits their balls.
(X)-Factor Randy Moss, who I confess has turned me. Moss used to be on my annual shit-list of athletes who got by on natural talent, but never seemed to go all-out for the losing squads they didn't care about (Vince Carter is still a charter member). But Moss seems reborn in New England, is producing at a higher level than anyone, and genuinely seems happy and motivated. He's a huge reason the Patriots haven't won a game by fewer than 17 points.
(Y)ouk. Kevin Youkilis worked as hard as anyone in 2007, consistently providing game-changing hits, while playing nearly flawless at first base. He didn't commit a single error all year, making it tough to justify sitting him for games 3 and 4 in Colorodo. But he didn't complain. He just chugged champagne.
(Z)elasko (Jeanne), for the most pathetic and insensitive post-game reporting this side of Jim Gray. Seriously, would anyone have blamed free-agent to be Mike Lowell for cracking her skull with his M.V.P. trophy? Let the guy enjoy the moment without having to endure idiotic questions like, "Is your heart still in Boston?" just minutes after having swept the Rockies on baseball's greatest stage. I suspect his heart will always be in Boston, regardless of where he chooses to play in 2008.
Congratulations to the 2007 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox. May you continue your winning ways, and may the Yankees not win another title until 2086. See you Friday night at the Garden and Sunday in Indianapolis.
