Now I Can Die in Peace

1. The Impossibility of the Impossible Dream: A Fan's Journey

You could call me a love child of the Impossible Dream. You really could.

A Family Affair. The author's connection to the Red Sox is deeply rooted in his family history, with his parents falling in love during the "Impossible Dream" season of 1967. This personal connection highlights how sports can become intertwined with our lives and identities.

• The author's father, a Brooklyn Dodgers fan, switched allegiances after their move to Los Angeles.
• The author's parents met at Boston College during the 1967 season.
• The author's father passed down the "Red Sox gene" to him.

Bandwagon Jumpers. The author explores the concept of bandwagon fans, establishing rules for sports fandom, emphasizing loyalty, and condemning those who switch allegiances based on team performance.

• Rule No. 1: No sports bigamy – you must choose one team per sport.
• Rule No. 2: Support your local team, regardless of their performance.
• Rule No. 3: Don't jump off the bandwagon during down cycles.
• Rule No. 4: Don't root for teams like the Yankees, Cowboys, or Lakers without a valid reason.
• Rule No. 5: Don't switch allegiances because of a spouse.
• Rule No. 6: You're stuck with your team for life, unless certain conditions apply.

The Curse. The author's early experiences with the Red Sox were marked by a sense of doom, fueled by the team's history of failure and the pervasive "Curse of the Bambino." This early exposure to the team's tragic history shaped his perspective as a fan.

• The author learned about the Red Sox's history of failure from Al Hirshberg's book, "What's the Matter With the Red Sox?"
• The author's first Red Sox memories come from the 1974 season.
• The author's first few Fenway trips happened in 1975.

2. Rejuvenation: The Dawn of Hope and the Pedro Era

Finally—finally!—the Sox were targeting young stars entering their primes over proven stars who had already peaked.

The Duquette Era. The arrival of Dan Duquette as general manager marked a shift in the Red Sox's approach, focusing on building a strong farm system and acquiring young talent. This change in strategy was a welcome departure from the team's previous reliance on aging veterans.

• Duquette's plan: Overhaul the minor league system, strengthen scouting, avoid long-term deals for aging veterans, and gamble on low-risk, high-reward players.
• Duquette understood that big-market teams could stockpile prospects for trades.
• Duquette's moves helped the team make the playoffs in 1995.

The Pedro Trade. The acquisition of Pedro Martinez in 1997 was a pivotal moment, signaling a new era of hope and excitement for Red Sox fans. This trade was the most important in franchise history, not just for Pedro's pitching, but for the change in philosophy.

• The Red Sox traded two prized pitching prospects for Martinez.
• The trade was a bold statement after the Clemens fiasco.
• The team was cautiously excited at best, unsure if they would re-sign Pedro.

A New Perspective. The author's columns during this period reflected a shift in his own perspective, moving from cartoonish hostility to a more fan-centric approach. He learned to love sports again, and his writing began to resonate with a wider audience.

• The author's columns became more fan-centric, focusing on relatable topics.
• The author started building a loyal readership.
• The author found himself enjoying sports again.

3. The Enigma of Nomar: A Star's Connection with the Fans

There's a guy who cares about us.

Nomar's Impact. Nomar Garciaparra's arrival in Boston brought a new level of excitement and hope to the team. His talent, work ethic, and genuine connection with the fans made him a beloved figure in the city.

• Nomar's clutch hits, breathtaking plays, and smiles resonated with fans.
• Nomar's gesture of applauding the fans after a playoff loss was particularly meaningful.
• Nomar was seen as a potential candidate for the Boston Sports Pantheon.

The Fan-Athlete Relationship. The author explores the complex relationship between fans and athletes, emphasizing the importance of mutual respect and appreciation. He argues that athletes need to give something back to the fans who support them.

• Fans are like dogs: They need to be fed, walked, and have their heads rubbed.
• Athletes need to show that they care about their fans.
• The author remembers every athlete who ever let him down.

The Pantheon. The author introduces the concept of the Boston Sports Pantheon, a rarefied group of athletes who have achieved a special status in the city's history. He suggests that Nomar has the potential to join this elite group.

• The Pantheon includes Larry Bird, Bobby Orr, Ted Williams, Bill Russell, John Havlicek, Bob Cousy, and Red Auerbach.
• Nomar's gesture of applauding the fans after a playoff loss was particularly meaningful.
• Nomar's talent and connection with the fans made him a potential Pantheon member.

4. The Rollercoaster of Expectations: From Hope to Disappointment

Rooting for the Red Sox wasn't much fun after that.

The 1978 Playoff Loss. The author recounts the devastating 1978 playoff loss to the Yankees, a moment that solidified his understanding of the Red Sox's history of heartbreak. This game remains the biggest Boston game ever and will never be topped.

• The game was a one-game playoff to decide the AL East winner.
• Bucky Dent's home run was a defining moment of the game.
• The loss was a traumatic experience for the author and other Red Sox fans.

The Dismantling of the Team. Following the 1978 season, the Red Sox ownership began dismantling the team, trading away popular stars like Lee, Tiant, Fisk, Burleson, and Lynn. This period was marked by a sense of unhappiness and a lack of commitment from the ownership.

• The team stopped spending money on free agents.
• Five popular stars were pushed out of town.
• The team was dismantled, and the window of opportunity closed.

The Unhappy Years. The author describes the years following the dismantling of the team as a profoundly unhappy time to support the Red Sox. He found himself watching more and more of the Mets, wondering if he was crossing the line.

• The team was kind of competitive, but not really.
• The author found himself watching more and more of the Mets.
• The team turned off a large percentage of their fan base.

5. The Curse and the Quest: A Fan's Struggle with History

Maybe I was only six, but this book had a profound effect on me. Was my team doomed? Sure seemed like it.

The Weight of History. The author's early exposure to the Red Sox's history of failure, as detailed in Al Hirshberg's book, had a profound effect on him. He began to see his team as doomed, a franchise cursed to always fall short.

• The author learned about the team's history of selling Babe Ruth, boneheaded front-office decisions, and reluctance to sign black players.
• The author learned about the team's history of bad luck.
• The author's life was never the same after reading Hirshberg's book.

The 1978 Playoff Loss. The author recounts the devastating 1978 playoff loss to the Yankees, a moment that solidified his understanding of the Red Sox's history of heartbreak. This game remains the biggest Boston game ever and will never be topped.

• The game was a one-game playoff to decide the AL East winner.
• Bucky Dent's home run was a defining moment of the game.
• The loss was a traumatic experience for the author and other Red Sox fans.

The Curse of the Bambino. The author discusses the pervasive "Curse of the Bambino," a concept that has been used to explain the Red Sox's long history of failure. He acknowledges the power of this narrative, but also expresses a desire to move beyond it.

• The author learned about the curse from Dan Shaughnessy's book.
• The curse became a popular narrative in national media.
• The author felt brainwashed by curse-related rhetoric.

6. The Power of a Team: The 2004 Red Sox and Their Fans

Following Clemens's 20K game, the next eight years featured everything you could want from a baseball team.

The Clemens Game. The author highlights Roger Clemens's 20-strikeout game in 1986 as a turning point for the franchise, a moment that sparked a period of success and excitement. This game also marked the beginning of the end of the team's losing ways.

• Clemens's performance turned the franchise's fortunes around.
• Everything that led to the 2004 World Series started that day.
• There were fewer than 14,000 spectators at Fenway that night.

The 1986-1990 Era. The author describes the eight years following Clemens's 20K game as a period that featured everything you could want from a baseball team: playoff appearances, likable stars, and a front office that wasn't afraid to spend money.

• The team made three playoff appearances.
• The team had likable stars and veterans.
• The team's front office was not afraid to spend money.

The Curse Continues. Despite the team's success, the author notes that this period also featured the most scarring moment in franchise history (Game Six of the '86 World Series), as well as the release of Dan Shaughnessy's "The Curse of the Bambino."

• The team suffered the most scarring moment in franchise history (Game Six of the '86 World Series).
• The first generation of post-Babe Red Sox fans was passing away without seeing the team win a World Series.
• The symbolism was clear to everyone: Someday, that could be me.

7. The Other Side of the Coin: The Yankees and the Rivalry

There's nothing worse than a bandwagon jumper.

The Yankees as Villains. The author establishes the Yankees as the Red Sox's arch-rivals, a team that represents everything that Boston fans despise. He argues that the Yankees are like child molesters in the sports world, the lowlifes who crossed the line.

• The author establishes rules for sports fans, and the Yankees violate all of them.
• The author questions any Red Sox fan who would marry a Yankee fan.
• The author questions any Red Sox fan who would root for the Yankees.

The Rules of Fandom. The author outlines a series of rules for sports fans, emphasizing loyalty, local pride, and a disdain for bandwagon jumpers. These rules highlight the importance of authenticity and commitment in sports fandom.

• Rule No. 1: No sports bigamy.
• Rule No. 2: Support your local team.
• Rule No. 3: Don't jump off the bandwagon.
• Rule No. 4: Don't root for the Yankees, Cowboys, Braves, Raiders, Steelers, Celtics, Lakers, Bulls, Canadiens, and/or Oilers without a valid reason.
• Rule No. 5: Don't switch allegiances because of a spouse.
• Rule No. 6: You're stuck with your team for life, unless certain conditions apply.

The Yankees' Success. The author acknowledges the Yankees' success, but argues that it's often achieved through unfair means, such as buying up the best players and exploiting their financial advantages. He also notes that many Yankee fans are bandwagon jumpers who lack a genuine connection to the team.

• The author questions any Red Sox fan who would marry a Yankee fan.
• The author questions any Red Sox fan who would root for the Yankees.
• The author argues that Yankee fans are bandwagon jumpers who lack a genuine connection to the team.

8. The Weight of History: The Burden of Being a Red Sox Fan

Rooting for the Red Sox wasn't much fun after that.

The 1978 Playoff Loss. The author recounts the devastating 1978 playoff loss to the Yankees, a moment that solidified his understanding of the Red Sox's history of heartbreak. This game remains the biggest Boston game ever and will never be topped.

• The game was a one-game playoff to decide the AL East winner.
• Bucky Dent's home run was a defining moment of the game.
• The loss was a traumatic experience for the author and other Red Sox fans.

The Dismantling of the Team. Following the 1978 season, the Red Sox ownership began dismantling the team, trading away popular stars like Lee, Tiant, Fisk, Burleson, and Lynn. This period was marked by a sense of unhappiness and a lack of commitment from the ownership.

• The team stopped spending money on free agents.
• Five popular stars were pushed out of town.
• The team was dismantled, and the window of opportunity closed.

The Unhappy Years. The author describes the years following the dismantling of the team as a profoundly unhappy time to support the Red Sox. He found himself watching more and more of the Mets, wondering if he was crossing the line.

• The team was kind of competitive, but not really.
• The author found himself watching more and more of the Mets.
• The team turned off a large percentage of their fan base.

9. The Great Escape: A Championship and a New Beginning

Since this book combined those two dreams, I jumped at the opportunity to tinker with many of these columns.

The Writing Career. The author's writing career began with a weekly column for his college newspaper, eventually leading him to write about sports for a living. He earned his master's degree and spent three years as a high school sports reporter and editorial assistant for the Boston Herald.

• The author earned his master's from Boston University in 1993.
• The author spent three years as a high school sports reporter and editorial assistant for the Boston Herald.
• The author's life and the Red Sox intersected again in 1994.

The Freelance Years. Frustrated with his newspaper experience, the author launched an ill-fated freelance career, bartending to make ends meet. This period was marked by a sense of being lost and disenchanted.

• The author was frustrated with his newspaper experience.
• The author launched an ill-fated freelance career.
• The author started bartending to make ends meet.

The Website. In 1997, the author launched his own website, "Boston's Sports Guy," which eventually led to his career at ESPN.com. This website allowed him to find his voice as a columnist and reconnect with his love of sports.

• The author launched his own website in 1997.
• The author learned to write from a fan's perspective.
• The author learned to love sports again.

10. The Enduring Power of Hope: A Fan's Unwavering Faith

As Manny Ramirez would say, it was destination.

The 2004 World Series. The author emphasizes that this book isn't just about the Red Sox, but about a kid who fell out of love with baseball, slowly found himself sucked back in, and then battled the demons that came with supporting a star-crossed franchise.

• The book is about a kid who fell out of love with baseball, then fell back in.
• The book is about a kid who battled the demons that came with supporting a star-crossed franchise.
• The book would have happened whether the Red Sox won the World Series or not.

The Journey. The author describes the journey of a Red Sox fan as a constant battle against disappointment and heartbreak, but also a journey filled with hope and the possibility of redemption. He emphasizes that the Red Sox are more than just a baseball team; they're a part of the fabric of New England.

• The author's life and the Red Sox intersected again in 1994.
• The author remained bitter until the Sox started winning again.
• The author's life and the Red Sox intersected again in 1994.

The Dream. The author concludes by stating that the book combined two lifelong dreams: writing sports columns for a living and seeing his favorite team win the World Series. He acknowledges that the resulting overexposure of the Red Sox after the 2004 season would have embarrassed even the Hilton sisters, but he still wanted to share his story.

• The author fulfilled two lifelong dreams: writing sports columns for a living and seeing his favorite team win the World Series.
• The author jumped at the opportunity to tinker with many of his old columns.
• The author's ultimate goal was to make his columns better and crisper.

Last updated: February 3, 2025