TRIBUTE

"Red Sox fans have longed to hear it!"

There were the mobs of people in Faneuil Hall and Kenmore Square after game 4 (myself included). There was the rolling rally through the Boston streets lined with 3 million rabid elated fans. And finally, just a few minutes ago the Red Sox and their fans paid one last tribute to the 2004 World Series champions in a chilling ring presentation and banner raising ceremony at Fenway Park.

It started with the BSO playing a dramatic piece while banners honoring the previous Red Sox championships were dropped over the Green Monster. After the 1918 banner settled close to the center field triangle an enormous, wall encompassing banner was unfurled and laid flat covering the others, it's ensignia said "WORLD SERIES 2004 CHAMPIONS".

Then, introduced by Don Orsillo and Joe Castiglione, armed servicemen injured in Iraq or Afghanistan brought the long awaited rings from left field to a table set up in front of the Red Sox dugout, where they were received by John Henry, Tom Warner, and Larry Lucchino. The players, coaches, and staff with no introduction other than their name and picture on the big screen one by one came out of the dugout, hugged Henry, Warner and Lucchino, shook hands with those who went before them, and took their place at the end of the line. With each player's emergence from the shadows the crowd roared.

Some players received special recognition from the Fenway faithful. The first to recieve a louder than usual ovation was Trot Nixon, but his reception was quickly outdone by the reaction for Jason Varitek. However, the loudest ovation, save one was without question given to Derek Lowe, who flew in from Arizona to be a part of the ring ceremony. As he climbed the dugout stairs his old picture from his Red Sox introductions was flashed on the big screen and the walls of fenway shook as he walked to the table in jeans and a button down, covered by a Red Sox jersey bearing his old number. When he tipped his cap the ovation grew still and by his third cap removal the roar was deafening. It gave me the chills, I cannot even imagine what it did for him.

Others that were greeted with great noise were Dave Roberts, also in from the west coast for the ceremony, and obviously Curt Schilling, who was among the last players presented, and who seemed, more than the rest to really soak in the atmosphere, turning and looking around and acknowleding the crowd, imprinting the moment in his mind.

But the last man to emerge from the clubhouse received a din that will never again be heard within Fenway unless they play a victorious game 7 on that field. Johnny Pesky had to be helped up the stairs by two young women I can only presume are his grandchildren, but once he reached flat ground a spring returned to that step that I imagine could only be provided by an opportunity to sport a championship ring for the first time. As the crowd cheered Pesky hugged each and every Red Sox player, coach, and staff member. The camera followed closely (maybe a little too closely) as Pesky reached Curtis Leskanic and uttered perhaps the highlight of the day in a gruff elderly voice, "Leskanic you son of a bitch!" He then reached up and ruffled the heavily gelled hair of Mark Malaska.

Pesky is a legend and today was his day as much as it was Damon's or Schilling's. He played in another era when players were with a team for their entire career. Ever since that career ended he has been with the organization constantly in various capacities. The man loves the Red Sox and is perhaps the oldest, loyalest, and longest tenured member of that organization and too see the tears in his eyes as he and Fred Lynn raised the flag to the top of the center field flagpole as over a dozen Red Sox greats of old watched brings home exactly the magnitude and importance of this championship.

The flag raising was accompanied by a song sung by a "Baseball Balladeer" (their words) which mainly consisted of this line, "They won it for (insert Red Sox great who never won it here)." Among the names listed, Ted Williams (twice), Fred Lynn, Bobby Doyle, Bill Buckner, ("It's okay! It's okay!" Yes, he really sang that) Jerry Remy, Yaz, Dewy, Greenwell, Eckersly and many others.

The ceremonies finally drew to a close with the first pitch thrown out by some of Boston's greatest champions in the three other major sports Richard Seymour, Tedy Bruschi, Bill Russel, and Bobby Orr.

Don Orsillo closed the proceedings by saying that we now have to "turn the page" on this Red Sox championship and begin the 2005 home season. But let us never forget what was accomplished, what was vanquished, and what it meant.

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Now please allow me to deviate from this sentimentalism and poke some fun at what went on this afternoon. I loved this ceremony, but if you were just a casual sports fan tuning in to see the spectacle you would have thought that Red Sox nation had lost its collective mind. They drew this thing out for over an hour, while their most hated and most recently defeated rivals sat in their dugout and watched, almost bemused by the grandeur of it all. Joe Torre sat on the top step of the dugout, with A-Rod close by and a host of other players, all standing quietly, and in the background you could see Brian Cashman, looking petrified that George might suddenly call and tell him he's fired for allowing this to happen on his watch.

After all was said and done with the ring and banner ceremony the Red Sox did an odd thing. They announed the entirety of the Yankee team, including coaches, bat boys, and the traveling secretary. What the point of this was I cannot even begin to speculate, but it did result in about 5 minutes of straight booing with two breaks.

The first break came early when the fans in attendance seemed to show that maybe something has changed in our mentality. After the bat boys and the traveling secretary the first introductee was Joe Torre who received a nice round of applause. Was this the sign of a kinder gentler Red Sox nation, or just that maybe we've developed enough class now to appreciate a fellow class act? I don't know, but as I sat there fearing a classless "Yankees suck! Yankees suck!" chant during the ring presentation I never imagined that the faithful would show a such an appropriate degree of respect.

Of course A-Rod and Jeter were booed, but Yankee fans boo Ramirez, Damon, and Ortiz, so that's expected. What may have been the funniest moment in the entire day came when Mariano Rivera was introduced and greeted with a loud long cheer based of course on his recent struggles. To his credit Rivera handled it like a pro, and actually tipped his cap to the Red Sox fans, much to the delight of his already chuckling Yankee teammates.

All in all it seemed as though the edge that comes with the Yankees and the Sox was off, just for a moment, as if both teams and Sox fans took a deep breath and gave just one respectful nod to the other side. By watching the ceremony the Yankees seemed to be saying that the Red Sox had earned their time by beating them and that they were content to sit patiently and wait for another chance at redemption. And Red Sox fans by cheering Torre said that they can recognize the class and ability of one of the greats, even if he does wear pin-stripes.

This was a great day for the Red Sox, and for Red Sox fans, and we will be able to look back on this day as a fitting tribute and a fitting end to one of the great sports stories of our or any generation.