Still love those Sox

It’s almost May. The Red Sox are 13-7. They’re trailing the first place Toronto Blue Jays by one game. Both teams are tied in the loss column. Toronto’s magic number is 141. Boston leads the Chicago White Sox by 2 ½ games in the Wild Card. Boston’s magic number is 140. The Red Sox have won nine of their last 10.

I am so sick of the bandwagon-jumping yahoos who have decided the Red Sox are their team now. It started innocently enough in 2004 when Edgar Renteria bounced a pitch to Keith Foulke. Foulke took a few steps and flipped the ball to Doug Mientkewicz. The Red Sox won the World Series. No one had been able to say that in 86 years.

It happened again in 2007. This time it was the Colorado Rockies instead of the St. Louis Cardinals. The bandwagon was packed to start with. Now it is overflowing with pink hat-donning frontrunners who couldn’t tell Kevin Millar from Kevin Romine. People who didn’t know the Green Monster didn’t always have seats on it. People who thought centerfielder Johnny Damon was wrong to take the money from the New York Yankees but forget how the Red Sox acquired left fielder Manny Ramirez.

The Red Sox have turned into a trendy pick for people who love to follow what’s popular. It’s been this way for years. It’s not like the way it was back then. It’s not like the way it was when the Boston media picked the Red Sox to finish first in the division every year and maybe even pick them to go to the World Series while the rest of the country picked them to finish closer to the middle of the pack.

This team is different, from the front office to the 25th man. This is a franchise that is well-scouted. Prospects don’t get away (Jeff Bagwell). Money is wisely spent (Jack Clark and Matt Young) and, sorry, Nomar Garciaparra, but people want to play here.

I understand people love a winner and this is what happens when a team has two world championships in five playoff appearances in one decade but this is getting ridiculous. Now you can actually pay membership dues to Red Sox Nation? Heck, Hank Steinbrenner, son of Yankee owner George Steinbrenner was offered a membership for FREE and Hank turned it down. Can you believe it? That was actually news.

I’ve been a Red Sox fan for over 20 years. I actually remember when Roger Clemens pitched for Boston and the biggest controversy was him having to carry his own bag instead of what he was allegedly putting into his body. I had no idea who Curt Schilling was when the Red Sox traded him and I didn’t even care because we got Mike Boddicker in return. Those were the days. I could sit down in front of the television and not have to yell at Wally to get out of the way of the game.

That was then. That was when John McNamara couldn’t handle the players and 25 players needed 25 cabs. That was when Joe Morgan used his magic twice in three years to lead the Red Sox to the playoffs against the mighty Oakland A’s. Butch Hobson got ignored by Clemens during Spring Training. Kevin Kennedy had an okay pitching staff. Jimy Williams talked about frog’s booties. Joe Kerrigan gave up the ship and Grady Little… well, you know.

This is now. Tickets cost more. Going to see the Olde Towne Team has always been an event. Now you have streets being shut down to prove it. Fenway Park now sells out for baseball games and concerts.

But I guess that’s the price of winning. In order to have the good, you have to put up with a few of the bad. There will always be a few bad. You’ll always have people talking about the Yankees when they’re five games behind The Red Sox and the Red Sox aren’t even in first place. You’ll have fans wonder about the Tampa Bay Rays and how they got to where they were. (Scouting and drafting. Just like Boston). You’ll always have people railing for players because they’re playing for the Red Sox. When that happens, you can throw the numbers out.

In the meantime, I will watch my team like I have been since I was nine years old. I will enjoy the winning while it lasts and wait for my nephew to be old enough to ask, “Who said, ‘The price goes up every day?’”

Peabody Charity Making a Difference

The recession is being felt by people all over the country and, unfortunately, the charities are no different.

Making a Difference in Peabody (MDP) has been in operation since 2002. It has been working hard to help those who are in need. MDP helps by providing turkeys for the Holidays and helping with rent assistance. Like other charities, MDP depends on contributions from private citizens and groups like the Peabody Fire Department. The Peabody Fire Department raised money for MDP with a football game against Lynn Fire Department in March. Lynn won 12-8, scoring a touchdown with less than two minutes in the game. The Peabody Fire Department will present a check to MDP at a dinner at Toscana's on Bourbon Street in Peabody on June 18. Tickets to the event can be purchased for $15 per person by calling (978) 317-4388. The event is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. and will run until 7:00.

MDP is run by Scott Frasca, who has been working hard with a team of volunteers to make sure needs are being met.

"We are working harder to keep with the potential downfall in donations," Frasca said. "We're seeking other sources of funding.You can't rely on your traditional sources. You can't relay on the way things are or were."

MDP gets donations by, picking up the phone," according to Frasca. Many of the board members have been working for MDP since the foundation's inception.

Right now, rent and electricity are the biggest things MDP is dealing with.

Frasca is undaunted by the tasks that are set before him and his team of volunteers.

"To prevent failure, you have to work hard to succeed," Frasca said. There's a group of people who are working hard."

The game was organized by both departments and the North Shore Flag Football League (NSFFL).

Have at It

I know this is short notice, but if you're looking for something to do tonight, check out Have at It tonight at the Chit Chat in Haverhill.