Regular season ends SOX continued from 7 parison to the legendary 1927 Yankees' Murders Row lineup. Right in the middle of the Cardinals lineup were three MVP candidates, Albert Pujols, Scott Rolen, and Jim Edmonds, who all had over 30 homeruns and 100 rbis. In the fall classic, these three were shut down by the Sox pitching staff. While Pujols batted over .400, he had no homeruns or rbis. Rolen and Edmonds, in the World Series, had one hit and one rbi com bined. Numbers like that from the heart of your lineup will not get you wins. So, now the curse of the Bambino is finally over. But man, can that guy hold a grudge or what? Since trading away George Herman Ruth in 1920, Capital Times Herb Smith, Staff Reporter Week #lO Baltimore @ New York Jets Baltimore Minnesota @ Green Bay Mirth By Bill Howe Staff Reporter wahl4B@psu.edu With blood shot eyes and "vurps" that taste of cheap champagne, I will attempt to relay to you how it feels to have my beloved Red Sox win their first World Series Championship in 86 years. This is not an account coming from someone who just hitched his wagon to the Sox in the post season. No, this is from some one who was born into it. Someone who realizes it was not all Bill Buckner's fault, but it was the relief pitcher that couldn't strike anybody out that put Buckner in that situation. See, my dad was born in Sudbury, Mass., and my grand father's house was a short walk through the woods to Babe Ruth's house. It is claimed in my family's lore that he and the Babe were known to have a scotch together once in awhile. Whatever the case, my dad loved to tell tall tales that his father had told him of some of Ruth's parties and other shenanigans. When my dad was in grade school, he often played hooky with his dad to take the train into Boston to see the Sox at Fenway. "Now Spike, don't tell your mom. This is our secret." I'm sure she knew. My dad loved Ted Williams... Teddy Ballgame...and I grew to love him too just from my dad's accounts. "Ya' know he hit a homerun his last time at bat...Ya' know he was a fighter ace during the war...Ya' know he was the world's greatest fly fisherman!" Ya' know I cried when Teddy the Red Sox until this season, were cursed with no title. To put into perspective how long the Red Sox faithful have waited for this title, here are some facts: In 1918, the last year the Sox were champions, the commander and-chief of the United States was Woodrow Wilson. Although we don't know if women wanted Wilson as president because they couldn't vote the last time the Sox were crowned. Americans didn't have too much time for baseball the last time the Sox won the title because we were busy fighting World War I. Baseball was definitely the nation's pastime in 1918, partly because the NFL or NBA hadn't been created yet. Fans of the Red Sox couldn't watch the pre game on television because tel- Minnesota Pittsburgh @ Cleveland Pittsburgh Philadelphia @ Dallas Philadelphia Week #ll Atlanta @ New York Giants Giants Detroit @ Minnesota Minnesota Washington @ Philadelphia Philadelphia New England @ Kansas City New England of a Nation Bill noire celebrates after his beloved Red Sox ruin the World Series Championship In '75, we watched together as the "Big Red Machine" from Cincinnati broke our hearts. I was only 11 and had no concept of what was in store for me. To be a Red Sox fan was to become accustomed to disap pointment. For a while during the eighties, it seemed we were always getting beat by the Oakland A's. "Eckersley used to pitch for the Sox ya' know!" my father would lament. But 'B6 seemed different. The Sox had "Oil Can" Boyd, Wade Boggs, Tony "Horse" and "Scoot." Surely we would beat the "lucky to be there" Mets! Billy "bleepin" Buckner! We were sOOOO close. in surprise evision was still 20 years away from being invented. The fans could always mail other fans about the game. After all, in 1918, stamps cost just three cents. A famous politician from Massachusetts, John F. Kennedy probably didn't remem ber that last championship victo ry because he was in diapers. So baseball closes another chapter and the players head home for a nice winter break. But February will be here in no time and players will be report ing to Florida and Arizona for spring training. Baseball fans should thank their lucky stars that they were able to witness history being made. As for the poor Cubs and White Sox, there's always next year. Just ask Boston how true that is. staff picks big winners in NFL Christian Torres, Staff Reporter Week #lO Baltimore @ New York Jets New York Minnesota @ Green Bay Photo by Kelly Nagurny In the nineties, the Blue Jays and Yankees just wouldn't let us play. My dad would die from can cer at age 69, never to see his beloved Red Sox win it all. My daughter came home from school a month ago and told me she picked the Red Sox to win the World Series in her social studies class and that the win ners got a milkshake and a prize. I didn't know whether to be proud or fearful of the tradition that continues in our family. She's only ten and didn't watch any games with me, but she was aware of how close she was get ting to that milkshake. Honey, here's to hoping there are many more milkshakes to come. News Green Bay Pittsburgh @ Cleveland Cleveland Philadelphia @ Dallas Philadelphia Week #ll Atlanta @ New York Giants Giants Detroit @ Minnesota Minnesota Washington @ Philadelphia Philadelphia New England @ Kansas City Kansas City By The Associated Press NEW YORK - The NHL lockout forced the cancellation of this season's All-Star game, sched uled to be held in Atlanta in February. The announcement that the mid season showcase would not be held came on the 49th day of the lockout, imposed by commis sioner Gary Bettman after the collective bargaining agreement expired on Sept. 15. The NHL and the players associ ation haven't met since Sept. 9 and have no plans to return to the bargaining table. In a statement, the NHL said the earliest Atlanta can hold All-Star weekend is 2008 since the 2006 game has already been awarded to the Phoenix Coyotes and plans for the 2007 game are near completion. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)- Nashville Predators center Sergei Zholtok died in Belarus of an apparent heart ailment. He was 31. Zholtok left the game between Riga 2000, the club he was play ing for during the NHL lockout, and Dinamo Minsk about five minutes befofe it ended. He went back to the locker room where he collapsed and died, Riga 2000 president Viesturs Kozioles told The Associated Press in Riga, Latvia. Paramedics at the arena tried to revive him but were unsuccess ful. BASEBALL NEW YORK (AP)-Carl Pavano Sports in brief Nat Melnicove, Staff Reporter Week #lO Baltimore @ New York Jets New York Minnesota @ Green Bay became a free agent after meet ing with Florida Marlins' man agement and telling the team he wanted to test the market. A 28-year-old right-hander who went a career-best 18-8 with a 3.00 ERA this season, Pavano is likely to be among the most cov eted free agents. Other free-agent pitchers include Pedro Martinez, Brad Radke, Russ Ortiz, Eric Milton, Matt Morris, Derek Lowe and Kevin Millwood. Players can start negotiating money terms with all teams starting Nov. 12. HOUSTON (AP)-Phil Garner will remain the manager of the Houston Astros. Garner told The Associated Press he was offi cially retained by the Astros, hired just two days after Tim Purpura replaced Gerry Hunsicker as the franchise's' general manager. Garner, 55, took over on an interim basis after Jimy Williams was fired during the All-Star Break and guided the Astros within a victory of their first World Series berth. NEW YORK (AP)-Willie Randolph was hired by the New York Mets to take over as man ager. A six-time All-Star who was a coach with the New York Yankees for the past 11 years, Randolph replaces Art Howe, fired at the end of the season. Randolph met earlier in the day with new general manager Omar Minaya, who also had second interviews with the other final ists, Texas hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo and former Houston The Capital Times Green Bay Pittsburgh @ Cleveland Cleveland Philadelphia @ Dallas Philadelphia Week #ll Atlanta @ New York Giants New York Detroit @ Minnesota Minnesota Washington @ Philadelphia Philadelphia New England @ Kansas City New England and Anaheim manager Terry Collins. BASKETBALL EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -Despite being bothered by a strained left hamstring, Shaquille O'Neal was in the starting lineup for the Miami Heat in their open er against the New Jersey Nets. O'Neal sat out practice for four consecutive days after aggravat ing the injury, which has ham pered him throughout the pre season. He estimated himself to be about 70-75 percent of full strength. O'Neal scored 16 points in just 21 minutes in Miami's 100-77 victory. NEW YORK (AP)-Detroit for ward Antonio McDyess was fined $5,000 by the NBA, a day after being ejected for kicking a basketball into the stands during the Pistons' season-opening 87- 79 win over Houston. FOOTBALL DAVIE, Fla. (AP)-Miami Dolphins linebacker Junior Seau will miss the rest of the season with a torn pectoral muscle that will require surgery. The Dolphins placed him on injured reserve. Eddie Moore, a second round draft pick in 2003, will replace Seau and make his first NFL start Sunday against Arizona. Seau, 35, planned to undergo the first major operation of his career Thursday in his home town of San Diego. He has missed only nine games in his career.
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