September 1, 2002

HISTORY HELPS OAKLAND BUT KILLS THE RED SOX

      There is a graveyard of hope at the heart of the city of Boston.  Each year the Red Sox field a team that not only has to be better than every other team, but the team also has to fight against a history of abject and heartbreaking failure.  That weight, the size of an African elephant, they shoulder grows each year and makes it appear as if a miracle will need to take place for the city of Boston to ever taste the satisfaction and the sweetness of a World Series championship.  The city has been on the brink of desperation, standing on the edge of a precipice, many times in the nearly ninety-year drought as the team struggles to end the torment.  Few opportunities have resulted, though they did come to within one strike of victory in 1986 only to watch the dream slowly fade away. To Boston baseball fans the gods are definitely against them.  The Red Sox have had their heroes--Ted Williams and Carl Yaztremski are on many lists of the greatest players of all-time.  Both are revered in the city of Boston not only for their outstanding play but also because each played his entire career in the city.  But having played only for Boston each player finished his hall-of- fame career without winning a championship.   Fortunately, the city, its history, and the fans willingness to create gods among baseball players, are enough to tempt young players into staying in Boston.  It is reasonable to assume that Nomar Garciaparra, the latest in the city’s history of great players as gods, is doomed to spend his career winning batting titles and awards, but never winning a championship.

       The Oakland Athletics bear very little resemblance to the Red Sox.  They also have a lengthy history, the original team played in Philadelphia around the same time as the original Red Sox.  The Athletics not only have a fair share of championships in their history but because of a couple of franchise moves do not have such a lengthy bond with one city.  Philadelphia begat Kansas City, and then the Athletics followed the Dodgers to the undiscovered gold mine of California where they created a new successful history in Oakland.  Thirty years ago the Oakland Athletics were baseball’s best team, and a team that made history winning three consecutive World Series.  Ten years ago the Oakland Athletice were baseball’s best team again and, despite failures in two World Series where they were upset by far inferior teams, managed to win one earth-shaking championship.  If this Oakland Athletic team were able to stay together they could become baseball’s best team—but baseball’s economics being what they are it is unlikely that this team will have the opportunity to stay together.  

       While Oakland struggled to begin this season—they had a hard time coming to grips with the loss of their best player to economics—the Red Sox got off to a flying start, just like they did last year.  The pitching was solid, the hitting was clutch, and the Red Sox ran off an impressive display of road wins; they led the Yankees and had the best record in baseball for more than a month.  The team even was initially able to compensate for the loss of Manny Ramirez, but the nearly two months it took Manny to return was too long for the team.  The hitters couldn’t overcome the loss of his bat.  The pitchers began to tire in the heavy summer heat.   Like a heavy object dropped from above the Red Sox plummeted in the standings, like they did last year.  The Yankees are a team that boasts a star at each position, and their depth proved too great.  They caught and passed the Red Sox.  So too did the wild-card contenders.  With Oakland streaking to the top of the Western Division, and with Anaheim and Seattle playing much better Boston’s playoff hopes began to look dim.  As September arrived once again it looked as if a miracle was needed in Boston.  It will be another quiet winter in Boston.

       Oakland, a team that is free of any historical weight, can actually feed off the success of its past.  Unlike Boston, Oakland merely needs to face the challenges of a particular season without having the added pressure of having to deal with the failures of the teams from the past.  When the pitching settled down, and the hitters learned that Jason Giambi could be replaced the team took off.  The big three starters-- Mulder, Hudson and Zito--give the team a chance to win each time they start, and the fourth man-- Corey Lidle-- was nearly unhittable for an entire month.  Miguel Tejada moved to the forefront of MVP candidates.  Tejada-- who no longer plays in the shadow of another big three, A-Rod, Jeter and Garciaparra—won consecutive games with home runs to keep the streak alive.  The only concern in Oakland these days is that the team may have peaked too early—the Yankees and the playoffs are still on the horizon.

       The Curse of the Bambino has become a self-fulfilling prophecy in Boston.  For years Babe Ruth and the Yankees were the best team and made the Red Sox look foolish for having sent him away.  But as the years went on the Yankee continued to be strong, and continued to push the Red Sox into the role of bridesmaid.  By now Boston baseball fans expect failure, and the Yankees fly 25 championship banners in their faces. 

     What is even more galling to Red Sox fans is the successes of the newer teams.  Arizona won last year, in their fifth season of existence.  Florida, a team not yet ten years old, has a championship.  Toronto, born 25 years ago, boasts two championships, and Oakland, in a little more than thirty years, has won four.  As long as the Cubs and the White Sox continue to sputter along in mediocrity the Red Sox will have company in baseball’s hall of losers, but while the Chicago teams spend most of their time near the basement and give their fans little hope of a championship, Boston fields a team each year they believe will compete for a championship.  And for ninety years that team has failed.  Somehow, someway the Red Sox will find a way to lose, and will find a way to break their fans hearts.  It is an ignominy that is passed on from generation to generation.