October 9, 2003

Not Your Father’s Red Sox

That’s the title of this Mike Vaccaro column. People are starting to realize that the makeup of this team is very different.

No, this resounding 5-2 victory in Game 1 of the AL Division Series amplified everything we’ve believed about these Red Sox all season long, everything that Yankees fans have feared about them. It isn’t just that they are resilient. It isn’t just that they are relentless. It isn’t even the joie de vivre they bring to the ballpark with them every day.
“I think what you saw out there was a loosey-goosey team,” said reliever Mike Timlin, who completely locked down the Yankees bats in the eighth inning, before anyone could ever conjure an image of any bullpen adventures. “You can’t be at your best if you’re going to think about what kind of big spot you’re in. You just have to play, man. That’s what we’ve done all year long. No reason to stop now.”
What these Red Sox do best of all is stand up to history, stand up to tradition, stand up to the conventional wisdom that has held so many past teams hostage. There is nothing at all conventional about them, in fact, which is a large part of their charm.

The big difference to me is that these guys like each other.