After 86 years of chasing a World Series title and turning three generations of fans into doomsayers, the Boston Red Sox did not care how orderly everything unfolded while winning it. The Red Sox, baseball's happy hobos, only cared that they had finally won it.
The unkempt and unbelievable Red Sox notched the sweet victory that had eluded them since 1918 by burying the St. Louis Cardinals, 3-0, and sweeping the World Series in four games.
There is finally joy, everlasting joy, for the wary fans who wondered if this season would end as miserably as all the rest.
Sure, there were pockmarks that covered this series. Sure, the Cardinals seemed as if they started snoozing after the first game. But the Red Sox were concerned with achieving history, not doing it in classic fashion with a taut, seven-game drama.
For Boston, this series was a masterpiece.
"Someone told me that this would be bigger than the [US] Revolution," John Henry, the Red Sox principal owner, said. "Is that true?"
Boston's World Series title is forever, an heirloom, something to hold and treasure. For too many aching seasons, from Babe to Bucky to Buckner to Boone, the Red Sox watched the Yankees win, spray the champagne and have a parade.
Not anymore. Book the parade in Boston this time.
"No more of those Yankee Stadium 1918 chants," Derek Lowe said. "Finally."
Lowe, who probably threw his final pitches as a member of the Red Sox, continued his postseason renaissance by tossing seven scoreless innings.
After being banished to the bullpen, Lowe wound up winning the clincher by stifling the Cardinals on three hits. He also won the decisive game in the American League Championship Series and the clincher in the Division Series. It was a nifty potential epitaph for the soon-to-be free agent.
The tremendous trio of Lowe, Curt Schilling and Pedro Martinez combined to overwhelm St. Louis. The Cardinals managed three runs and 13 hits over the last three games, looking more confused with each game and never figuring out any of the starters.
Also See Story:
Boston Red Sox reclaim World Series
GET TO SAFETY: Authorities were scrambling to evacuate nearly 700 people in Hualien County to prepare for overflow from a natural dam formed by a previous typhoon Typhoon Podul yesterday intensified and accelerated as it neared Taiwan, with the impact expected to be felt overnight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, while the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration announced that schools and government offices in most areas of southern and eastern Taiwan would be closed today. The affected regions are Tainan, Kaohsiung and Chiayi City, and Yunlin, Chiayi, Pingtung, Hualien and Taitung counties, as well as the outlying Penghu County. As of 10pm last night, the storm was about 370km east-southeast of Taitung County, moving west-northwest at 27kph, CWA data showed. With a radius of 120km, Podul is carrying maximum sustained
Tropical Storm Podul strengthened into a typhoon at 8pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with a sea warning to be issued late last night or early this morning. As of 8pm, the typhoon was 1,020km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving west at 23kph. The storm carried maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts reaching 155kph, the CWA said. Based on the tropical storm’s trajectory, a land warning could be issued any time from midday today, it added. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said Podul is a fast-moving storm that is forecast to bring its heaviest rainfall and strongest
TRAJECTORY: The severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday, and would influence the nation to varying degrees, a forecaster said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it would likely issue a sea warning for Tropical Storm Podul tomorrow morning and a land warning that evening at the earliest. CWA forecaster Lin Ting-yi (林定宜) said the severe tropical storm is predicted to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday and Thursday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving west at 21kph and packing sustained winds of 108kph and gusts of up to 136.8kph, the CWA said. Lin said that the tropical storm was about 1,710km east of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, with two possible trajectories over the next one
TALKS CONTINUE: Although an agreement has not been reached with Washington, lowering the tariff from 32 percent to 20 percent is still progress, the vice premier said Taiwan would strive for a better US tariff rate in negotiations, with the goal being not just lowering the current 20-percent tariff rate, but also securing an exemption from tariff stacking, Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君) said yesterday. Cheng made the remarks at a news conference at the Executive Yuan explaining the new US tariffs and the government’s plans for supporting affected industries. US President Donald Trump on July 31 announced a new tariff rate of 20 percent on Taiwan’s exports to the US starting on Thursday last week, and the Office of Trade Negotiations on Friday confirmed that it
RSS