Is it only the beginning?

October 20, 2007|Bob Ryan, Globe Columnist

You gotta start somewhere, and it's always nice when you can call on a certified, gold-plated, All-American stud to get you in motion.

"He's got It," declares Mike Lowell. "There's a much different feeling when he's on the mound."

Josh Beckett has got It, all right, but this is 2007, and he is no 21st-century Iron Man McGinnity. Alas, Red Sox fans, he won't be starting tonight or, if Game 7 materializes, tomorrow evening, either. But don't rule out the possibility of him putting on the white Stetson, mounting a white stallion, and galloping in from the bullpen tomorrow, just as he did four years ago in a Florida Marlins uniform to help nail down a Game 7 against the Cubs.

"Well, we'll delve into that later," he said in the afterglow of Thursday night's eight-inning, five-hit, 11-strikeout dispatch of the Indians. "Obviously, I'm preparing myself for them to ask me that, and as of right now, yeah, I think that would be something I could do."

We in Boston are all about history, good and bad, and now is probably a good time to remind jittery fans that the Red Sox as an organization are familiar with successful extrications from 3-1 series deficits, and even a historic climb out of a 3-0 hole three short years ago. Key players such as Manny Ramírez, David Ortiz, Jason Varitek, and, yes, Curt Schilling are around to tell that particular tale, and as a kicker, Messrs. Beckett and Lowell have their own bedtime fable to relate.

Gather round, ye folk of South Florida, whilst we recount the gallant escapades of our beloved '03 Marlins, who, with the aid of a mysterious creature known as The Bartman, smote the mighty Cubs.

Ever the pragmatist, Lowell offers this sober thought, however. "Just because we've been there," he says, "doesn't mean we're going to do it. You still have to do your job."

Right. Almost forgot. No matter how much fans may flatter themselves, raucous patrons cannot simply will teams to victory. History doesn't automatically translate into duplicate results. Dave Henderson's not walking out of that dugout. This bunch of Red Sox will have to continue the task that was begun with Thursday's 7-1 triumph in The Jake.

Kevin Youkilis sums up what happened in Game 5 from a hitting viewpoint.

"Everyone had the same approach," he points out. "No one looked unconfident in their abilities, and guys went out there and just went pitch to pitch and at-bat to at-bat, and I think that was the biggest success. Everyone just went out there and played the moment."

Bo-ring, but the gospel truth. That's how these guys have been trained to act. Players can't think in historic or apocalyptic terms. Players must go back to basics. Get yourself a - here it comes - quality at-bat, and see what happens.