There was a point in September 2024 when it was plausible that all five of the teams I watched play baseball live this year, were going to make the play-offs. Four of them did, three of those are now out. I’m desperately hoping that my presence at one of their games means the same fate awaits the last one standing.
After spending most of 2023 focused on my cancer treatment and recovery, we pledged as a family to make the most of all the opportunities that come our way. It’s not an unusual pledge to make for those who have a brush with mortality, and in common with lots of people in that position, more travelling was one of our goals.
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Having loved it on our last visit in 2002, my wife and I promised ourselves we’d return to New York City for a milestone event. Our silver wedding anniversary (Covid), my fiftieth birthday (my mental health), and her fiftieth birthday (my cancer) had already passed without making it.
So getting through treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma and into remission seemed like a great chance to make up for those missed opportunities.
I was tasked with scheduling and booking and, wouldn’t you know it, somehow, a few extra days in Boston found their way into the itinerary. I sold it to my wife and daughter on the basis of whale watching, Cape Cod, great seafood, and a scenic train journey into NYC. But they both knew it was just an excuse to go to Fenway and watch the Red Sox play the Padres.
And then, in a total non-coincidence, I managed to work it so that I could attend Red Sox at Yankees the following week.
My baseball binge was rounded out by my usual trip to the London Series to see the Mets and Phillies.
Against the Padres, as is seemingly the way with the Red Sox every time I watch them play live, they found a uniquely annoying and/or bizarre way to lose. In 2003 it was John Burkett giving up seven runs in less than one inning. At the 2019 London Series it was the Yankees’ murderers’ row of hitters vs Rick Porcello and a crap bullpen. In 2024, the Red Sox managed to keep the Padres’ scoring to one inning, but they conceded nine runs. At least we got to pay tribute to the returning Xander Bogaerts.
And so to New York to see if I could finally see my team win. I did, but I didn’t.
In the ninth, the Yankees held the lead they only got because of the Red Sox’ spectacularly terrible infield defence – a feature of the team for the last few seasons. There’d been a rain delay (NB: ‘new’ Yankee Stadium leaks like a sieve), so it was late, my family were already back at the hotel after going to a show, and I didn’t fancy getting caught in the rush for the train.
Rafael Devers was the first man up and struck out. So with the unpromising lineup of Connor Wong, Dom Smith and Masataka Yoshida to follow, I left.
So of course, within minutes of me leaving, Yoshida hit a game-tying dinger. And of course, Cedanne Rafaela hit a game-winning homer in extras.
Which made for a very entertaining subway ride amongst the Yankee hordes following on their phones, but leaves me wondering, have I now seen the Red Sox win? Or does the fact that they only won after I’d left the building confirm my jinx status?
Regardless, it was the last week of September before the deeply-flawed Red Sox meekly surrendered their playoff chances, and became the first of the five to fall.
The Padres were next, seemingly at times forgetting how to hit against a gossamer-thin Dodgers pitching staff.
The Phillies followed, ignominiously, to their great rivals, the Mets; a team which had trailed them by double-digit games at times during the regular season but who were inspired by a purple blob, and the pop star antics of an infielder the Red Sox moved on from a decade ago.
The Mets themselves fell only after stretching out that miraculous second-half of the season to force a Game 6 against the Dodgers in the NLCS.
And now, only the New York f***ing Yankees, led by Aaron f***ing Boone remain and I’m desperate for them to suffer the same fate as all the others on my list.
In an ideal world, Dave Roberts would once again be the spark that initiates a Yankees choke from three games up to a Series defeat – it would be a fitting celebration of the twenty-year anniversary of the last time he and they did it. And if that could be augmented by Mookie Betts winning the MVP and Alex Verdugo going 0 for the Series just to hammer home to John Henry and Co how utterly stupid that trade was, so much the better.
Featured image of Aaron Boone by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
Article by Craig Richmond. You can follow Craig on Twitter X @craigare
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