ALLEN ROLAND'S
SUNDAY REFLECTIONS 10/19/03
THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO
As any Boston Red Sox fan knows ~ the " Curse of the
Bambino " is not the stuff of fiction or an old wifes tale
but , instead, a living brooding dark cloud of mischief
that rises up and causes a Red Sox player or manager
to double clutch , be distracted or not think clearly at
a crucial time ~ particularly when playing the New York
Yankees and , of course, always in the World Series.
It all started in 1918 when Harry Frazier , owner of the
Boston Red Sox , sold Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees , after
winning the World Series ~ for $ 300,000 .
The $ 300,000 was to finance a broadway show which was
to star his mistress . The Show folded in a week and Boston
has never won a World Series since ~ hence, " the Curse
of the Bambino " .
Ruth " the Bambino " went on to lead the Yankees to
fame and glory while Boston beantowners simmered in
eternal grief ~ many times coming so close to breaking the
curse but never succeeding.
Since I am a native of Boston ~ I remember my grief when
Johnny Pesky double clutched on a relay throw in the
seventh game of the World Series with the St louis
Cardinals and Enos Slaughter scored , all the way from
first, with the winning run.
I also remember Joe Dimaggio dismantling the Red Sox
in a playoff series ~ which, of course, resulted in the
Yankees going to the World Series.
And , of course, Bucky Dent of the Yankees doing the
same thing at a later date ~ which, of course, resulted
in the Yankees going to the World Series.
But the curse was never more obvious then in the 6th
game of the World Series with the New York Mets when
Bill Buckner let a weak ground ball go through his legs
which , of course ,eventually resulted with the New York Mets
winning the world Series.
But this was 2003 and the Red Sox were an offensive
machine from top to bottom .
Yes, this was the year the Red Sox would not only beat
the Yankees but beat " the Curse " as well.
My son Michael is an avid Red Sox fan and when it became
apparent that the Red Sox would meet the Yankees in the
playoffs to decide who would go to the World Series ~ I
warned him about " the Curse " but he would hear none
of it .
" Dad , it's just a silly stupid superstition ~ it means nothing,"
he scoffed , " This is a game of ballplayers and the Red Sox are
going to beat the Yankees ."
I saw myself , for a moment , at a younger more innocent age
and smiled knowingly ~ for I knew " The Curse " was bigger
than any ballplayer.
My son and I were in constant contact last week as the
Red Sox and Yankees battled each other to a decisive
seventh and final game .
I found myself tapping into old deeply entrenched feelings
of Red Sox euphoria but in the back of mind was the awareness
of " the Curse of the Bambino ".
Having left New England in my early 20's for California and
a five year stint as a Navy Carrier pilot ~ my heart now
belonged to the San Francisco Giants although I was
almost swept up in Red Sox fever by my sons excitement.
We were on the phone together when the Yankees came
to bat in the eighth inning trailing 5 - 2. Pedro Martinez
was pitching a masterpiece for Boston but his pitch count was
well over 100. The Yankees were on the ropes !
Jeter doubled and Bernie Williams singled making it now a
5 - 3 ballgame and it was obvious that Martinez was tiring ~ in that
five of the last seven Yankee batters had hit safely.
Alan Embree , a left hander , was warmed up in the bullpen
and the obvious move was to bring him in and pitch to the
left handed Yankee batter ~ Hideki Matsui .
Grady Little , the Red Sox manager , went to the mound
to make the change and then unexplicably left Martinez
in the ballgame ~ Little went brain dead !
It was here that " the Curse of the Bambino " made its
presence felt ~ or as Jeter told Aaron Boone earlier in
the game ~ " the ghosts will show up eventually ".
Matsui stung a run scoring double and Posada flared
a single to center ~ game tied 5 - 5.
The game was as good as over then ~ for you could
actually see the weight of " The Curse " settle in , like
an ominous dark cloud, on the Red Sox dugout.
Two innings later Aaron Boone hits a homerun
which, of course , resulted in the Yankees going to the
World Series.
My son was beside himself in anguish about this sudden
reversal of fortune for the Red Sox ~ and I was most
empathetic but far less upset ~ for I realized that Michael
had only experienced his first , of what may be many
encounters, with the Curse of the Bambino .
And , of course, Grady Little now joins Johnny Pesky
and Bill Buckner as celebrated victims of the very same
curse ~ which lives eternally in baseball folklore.
But to truly understand the tribal suffering of Red Sox fans ~
you must see Clint Eastwood's brilliant film MYSTIC RIVER which
takes place in working-class Boston and accurately
portrays the pervading angst and anguish of a community
whose faith has been continually damaged ~ Sean Penn
and Tim Robbins deserve Academy Awards for their roles.
My son will survive this loss and so will Red Sox fans
everywhere ~ for the " Curse of the Bambino " is an
integral and magical component of our national pastime.
As for the World Series this year ~ The Curse only applies to
the Red Sox and the Yankees will fall to the fleet footed
Marlins who have the best catcher in Baseball ~ who also
doubles as a field manager ~ Pudge Rodriguez .
Allen L Roland
1:10:45 PM 
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