Red Sox Nation Alive and Well

The Red Sox Nation is cheerful this season, as their heroes have made it into the series yet again. It seems that there's hope now that the Curse of the Bambino has been broken. For those too young to remember it though, and those who are new to the Red Sox Nation, where did the curse start? What is the Curse of the Bambino anyway? Let me enlighten you a bit.

I grew up on Cape Cod, I grew up in a family of raving lunatics-by that I mean die-hard Red Sox fans. Not being much of a sports fanatic myself, I didn't really fit in, and I surely didn't understand it all. I didn't dare ask though. You don't speak ill of the Sox, and you certainly don't mention the Curse in my house! I had to find out on my own. Here's what I found out.

The "Curse of the Bambino" didn't actually have a name until about 1986, when Bill Buckner's catastrophic error brought the phrase into the New England lexicon. Until then, the decades of frustration and humiliation (usually of course, at the hands of the Yankees) seemed like just another fact of life for Red Sox Nation. Still, Sox fans never waivered, and having an actual name for this losing drought, for the first time since 1918, it took on a life all its own.

The curse of course, dates back to the sale of Babe Ruth to the Yankees in January of 1920. At that time Harry Frazee, the current owner, desperately needed the money to pay the mortgage on Fenway Park. After this, he became known as "Hairbreadth Harry" and was hung in effigy throughout the area. Some people even erected "For Sale" signs at other Boston landmarks. As things turned out, Babe Ruth's heroics transformed the Yankees into the biggest dynasty in all sports and that legacy still extends to the Yanks, who claim the most world championships of any American pro team. The Sox, however, didn't win a title from the time of the Ruth sale, until 2004, 86 years later.

While many people are resistant to believe in such things as curses, the evidence is overwhelming. New York has had a strange hold over Boston for over eight decades. There were many events that added to this curse, beyond the sale of Babe Ruth. The sale of Babe Ruth was just the beginning. Frazee tore apart his franchise by selling many other great players to the Yankees, which helped them to produce one championship after another during the 1920s and 1930s. Such players as Carl Mays and Sam Jones, Joe Dugan, Herb Pennock, and George Pipgras were all sent to New York over the next few years. This is a trend that continued for many years, into the 1970s with Sparky Lyle, and continuing with Roger Clemens, who won two World Series rings with the Yanks, after of course launching his famous career in Beantown.

1978 was one of the most painful years in New England history, when the Red Sox had as much as a 14 game lead in mid-summer, but of course, it couldn't last. A series of injuries and a hot streak for New York narrowed the gap between the teams. Then the Yanks came to Fenway Park for a four game series. The rest is infamous. The Yankees swept the Sox, and then with twenty games remaining, both teams were 86 - 56. The season continued with both teams neck and neck, and forced a one game playoff. Then came the Bucky Dent game. His three run homer helped to lead the Yankees to their 100^th win during their 163^rd game. Then of course, there is the case of Bill 'E' Buckner. I will tell you, that I called my mother to get a little insight on this one. She hung up on me as soon as I said the name. I cannot repeat what my mother (a die-hard faithful member of Red Sox Nation, 3^rd generation) tells me is his proper name-Bill 'E' [bleeping] Buckner. The Yankees didn't inflict this torture, but the New York link was undeniable. It was game six of the 1986 World Series, and they had the lead in the tenth inning. Buckner made a move (or missed a ball rather) that would forever tie his name to feelings of anger and dismay among Red Sox Nation members. During this crucial moment, he missed a ground ball-it went right between his legs. This is the year that the curse got its name.

The years weren't completely without their moments. The Red Sox had a brief moment of glory in 1999, during one of the most anticipated games in Boston history. Boston and New York played a postseason game and Roger Clemens (the traitor) was pitching for the Yankees against Pedro Martinez. Martinez smoked The Rocket that game. Unfortunately, that was their only victory in the series that year. This sort of history continued for years, until 2004.

During the 2004 World Series, the Red Sox became the first team in history to win a seven game postseason after being down 3-0. Victory was made sweeter by winning against the Yankees. They went on to win the championship that year, bringing the pennant back to Fenway Park, and burying forever the Curse of the Bambino.