A total eclipse of the moon happens about once every 100 years. Folklore calls the October full moon the “Blood Moon” or “Hunter?s Moon” for the hunters who tracked and killed their prey by autumn moonlight. Last Tuesday the Boston Red Sox won the World Series for the first time in 86 years, sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in front of the red illumination of a total eclipse at Busch Stadium. The two seem to be a perfect match.The team that made history did so in commanding fashion. The Red Sox never trailed this postseason after tying game five against the Yankees in the eighth inning. What was the special ingredient that made this club the one destined to break the curse? Was it 30-year-old GM Theo Epstein? Was it Terry Francona?s player?s manager approach to a clubhouse often described as a frat house? Was it the heroic pitching of former Phillie and camera loving Curt Schilling on one leg? Was it the clutch slugging of David Ortiz?
Or was it the strange story of teenager Lee Gavin who stood up to catch a slicing Manny Ramirez foul ball in front of the right field foul pole at Fenway and caught it with his face? Gavin gashed his lip, lost two teeth and was taken away in an ambulence.
The same night the Yankees lost 22-0 to the Cleveland Indians. It turned out that Gavin lives in a farmhouse on Dutton Road in Sudbry, Mass., the house where Babe Ruth lived.
Philly favorite Scott Rolen went hitless in the series. Combined, Rolen and Jim Edmonds, who batted .301 during the regular season, only had an infield single in their 30 at bats. “I?m so proud to be on the greatest team in Red Sox history.
I?m so proud to be a part of the team that finally did it,” said Schilling on the award podium after the game four victory. In his game two start Schilling pitched a six-inning shutout with just four hits.
“This is such an emotional lift for people in New England and all over the world,” said Epstein. “I hope they enjoy it. I hope they do something good with it. I hope they go vote Tuesday and make the world a better place.”
Johnny Damon opened the game with a homerun to right and the Sox never looked back. In the third, Trot Nixon doubled to deep center scoring David Ortiz and Jason Varitek.
It wasn?t much of a game after that. All the talk of the curse went away with the moon. No more talk of Jonny Pesky, no more Bill Buckner, and no more Babe Ruth. Edgar Renteria hit a short hopper to Keith Foulke.
Foulke flipped it to Mientkiewicz to end the game, capping the sweep.
Red Sox Nation can finally rejoice. It?s been so long and there?s been so much complaining, I don?t think they?ll know what to do with themselves.
The “curse” is over. World Series won after 1918: Yankees-26, Red Sox-1.