8802040992
DETROIT FREE PRESS
880814
Sunday, August 14, 1988
METRO FINAL
1E
MITCH ALBOM
SEE ALSO METRO EDITION 1E
Copyright (c) 1988, Detroit Free Press
GHOSTS FROM GARDEN STILL HAUNTING DETROIT
BOSTON -- Aha! I know what's going on here. Not long after Saturday's
game -- when Fenway Park had emptied and the Red Sox had clobbered the Tigers
for their 24th straight home victory -- I heard the telltale clue.
Giggling.
"We did it again," the leprechauns chuckled from somewhere inside the
stadium, maybe behind the right field bleachers. "We still got it. Heh-heh."
Here is the big secret. Here is the story behind this incredible Red
Sox win streak. The ghosts from Boston Garden, who usually spin their magic
for their beloved Boston Celtics, have moved across town and taken a summer
job: They have stopped with the lay-up and the free throws; they have started
with the RBI.
"One home run for Dewey Evans" they said Saturday from somewhere, maybe
behind the Red Sox bullpen. "And one for Mike Greenwell and . . . oh, what
the heck? Another one for Dewey."
They are scooping out the magic like ladles full of soup. How else do
you explain it? These same Red Sox, who were more of a flop on the road than
the Tiny Tim Show, are once again giant killers back in Fenway. They scored
more runs in Saturday's 16-4 rout than they scored in five games in Detroit
last weekend.
Last weekend, Doyle Alexander stymied them. This time: Goodby, Doyle.
Last weekend, Jeff Robinson held them scoreless for nine innings. This time:
Goodby, Jeff.
"And a double for Rich Gedman, and a triple for Dewey and . . . what the
heck. Another double for Gedman. That'll be fun."
What did that little girl say in "Poltergeist II?"
They're baaack.
Would it ever end?
What a pain for Detroit fans. Did you watch Saturday's game? Did you see
that eighth inning? Seven runs on what? A million hits? The Red Sox batted
around and began batting around again. The Tigers used Don Heinkel and Paul
Gibson and Mike Henneman and the runs would not stop. Long? It was long. NBC
was worried about pre-empting "Saturday Night Live." And this was a day game.
"And a double for Greenwell and a triple for Dewey," the ghosts giggled
from somewhere, maybe in the nets above the left field wall. "And, let's see.
A double for Spike Owen. There's something different."
A double for Spike Owen? Twelve total bases for Evans? Todd Benzinger.
What about Todd Benzinger? The guy struck out four times and reached base
twice anyhow -- on wild pitch third strikes. Since when does that happen?
Unless . . . well, you know.
"We were hitting the ball like I couldn't believe it," admitted Boston
manager Joe Morgan. "We got it into the alleys time and time again."
Sure. What do you think? That stuff just happens? In back- to-back
games? After a 2-7 road trip? Maybe Morgan hasn't been around long enough to
remember Larry Bird and that pass with five seconds left. Maybe he missed
Kevin McHale's three pointer. Havlicek stole the ball! Does that ring a bell,
Joe? Havlicek stole the ball?
The alleys. The net. You name it, Boston put it there. Nineteen hits.
Sixteen runs. Evans, who had been 0-for-22 before returning to Fenway, hit his
second homer Saturday out of the stadium and onto Lansdowne street. It
probably hit the Tigers bus and cracked a window.
This was a little funny, no? This was a little . . . odd? Sixteen runs?
With the the Tigers hottest pitcher on the mound? Tom Brookens makes an error?
Rich Gedman drives in runs? Spike Owen?
I'm telling you. There are little green fingerprints all over this
scorecard.
"Tee-hee," came the sound from somewhere, maybe the light stands out in
center field. "Is this fun, or what?"
Maybe it's summer school
Maybe they got bored. Maybe the Garden is too hot in August. Maybe as
punishment for the Celtics defeat they were sent to work the long hot season
at Fenway, sort of like a truant kid who has to go to summer school.
Whatever. It's them. Unless you find it merely coincidental that the Red
Sox embarked on this record-setting home win streak in late June -- just a few
days after the NBA season ended? Not that I'm superstitious or anything.
"It definitely looks good for us," said Greenwell (four hits) after the
game, which moved Boston within 2 1/2 games of the division-leading Tigers.
"If we keep playing at this level, we'll be hard to beat."
"But what about this stadium?" someone asked. "Why are you so different
here?"
"I don't know," he said, smiling. "If I did I'd bottle it and take it
on the road."
Sure, sure. They can say "I don't know" all they want. They can credit
home cooking and home field and home faces. The folks from Detroit know
better. We have seen this before. We have beaten it before. And if we have to
endure it again . . . well, so be it.
"Four hits for Dewey, four hits for Greenwell," they laugh from
somewhere, maybe behind the Marlboro sign in right field.
Twenty-four games in a row. The Boston playersshrug. The Boston players
smile sheepishly. But they're notfooling us. We know what's out there,
somewhere, dancing around a fire, singing evil songs. The leprechauns are
wearing Red Sox now. They know it. We know it. Something's got to be done
about it.
Ohhhh . . . Isiah?
COLUMN; HUMOR;BASEBALL;BASKETBALL;COMPARISON;DTIGERS;BOSTON
RED SOX;SERIES;LOSS;LEPRECHAUN;Detroit Tigers