2003?

For whatever reason, I recently watched game 5 of the 2003 AL Playoff series between the Sox and Oakland A's. The Sox won the game, 4-3, as Derek Lowe struck out the last two batters he faced (the final one with the bases loaded) to complete Boston's comeback from an 0-2 deficit, repeating their feat of 4 years earlier against Cleveland.

An interesting game to watch, particularly to be reminded of the many players who have moved on. Todd Walker? Damian Jackson? Others, of course, were cornerstones of the 2004 team -- Manny, Mueller, Millar, Varitek, Nixon and David Ortiz. (An interesting episode occurs during the broadcast when Fox analyst Steve Lyons suggests -- with a straight face -- that the A's should walk Manny to get to Ortiz).

Naturally, I knew who won the game and (pretty much) recalled how it had ended, but over five years most of the details had escaped me. I had forgotten completely about the Damon - Jackson collision in center field, for example. Most ironic, however, was the decision of He Who Must Not Be Named to leave Pedro Martinez in the game to start the eighth inning with a 4-2 lead. Two batters later, it was 4-3, and the Sox turned to Alan Embree and then Mike Timlin to finish out the inning with no further damage. Ironic (and all the more confounding) in terms of what would happen about ten days later. I may never forgive Grady Little...