The Hunt for a Red October

CBN.com - As soon as the Chicago Cubs clinched their first divisional title since 1989 earlier this month, my thought process, like so many other dyed in the wool baseball fans began to script the ultimate October. If you are a long suffering Boston Red Sox fan like I am you know exactly what I am talking about.

It goes something like this: The Red Sox defeat the Oakland A's in the American League Divisional Series, then slug it out with the arch enemy New York Yankees in the American League Championship series, and finally, they topple the equally long suffering Cubs for World Series gold. Then the world would probably come to an end

Of course I say this in jest but consider the following facts extracted directly from the hallowed halls of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.

The Red Sox have not won a World Series since 1918 when Babe Ruth still wore a red letter B on his hat rather than the more familiar NY that made him a national folk hero. Meanwhile, the Cubbies have not been victorious in a Fall Classic since 1908. During that span, the Yankees have hoisted 26 World Series trophies to the sky. The Red Sox and Cubs combined have won zero. The only item they have hoisted in World Series play is their duffel bag in the losers locker room. So, unless you are between the ages of 90 and 100, you have never celebrated a Red Sox or Cubs World Series championship.

Until this year (see Steven Bartman) Cubs fans seem to have taken their big game ineptness in stride. On the other hand, we Red Sox fans drip with envy each and every October. Oh sure, Boston has had its chances including a literal hand wringing heartbreaker just four nights ago. They have played and lost the World Series on four separate occasions. Complicating matters further, the Red Sox have suffered through several miserable play-off miscues. Anyone remember the ball rolling through Bill Buckner's legs in 1986? Have you heard of Bucky Dent? This year we can add New York Yankee third baseman Aaron Boone's 11th hour/11th inning home run waltz off tired knuckleballer Tim Wakefield to the long, long list of postseason breakdowns.

For my part, I have always been cautiously optimistic regarding Bostons attempt to claim a World Series crown. My wishful thinking dates back to the first time my father took me to a Red Sox game in May of 1975. All of my heroes that I religiously listened to night after night on the radio with my father were there ... Rico Petrocelli, Carlton Fisk, Rick Burleson, Jim Rice, and Fred Lynn just to name a few. Little did I know but this team, the first collection of talent I ever followed, would go all the way to play in one of the most famous World Series ever played. I will never forget my father and I dancing around our living room in the wee hours of a cold New England morning celebrating Fisk's theatric extra inning home run against Cincinnati's Big Red Machine.

Based on these fond memories, I have always tried to point to the positive qualities that each year's edition of the Beantown Backbreakers possess. For example, this year's squad set major league single season records for total bases, slugging percentage, extra base hits, and hit a team record 238 home runs. In fact, it was the best in Major League Baseball. Unfortunately, with the exception of Game Six of this year's American League Championship series, the Red Sox mighty offense looked a little thin. Actually, it was downright anemic but that is a whole other article waiting to be written.

For the record, despite seven play-off appearances since 1975, my father still calls them "bums". A weekly telephone conversation does not pass without my Dad uttering some derivative of the aforementioned four letter word as we discuss the fortunes of our favorite team. The conversation usually goes something like this:

Chris: So, Dad how is your garden doing? I hear you guys have received a lot of rain this week.

Dad: Yeah, we had some heavy downpours the last few days. But enough about that. Did you see the game last night? I don't know why they pay Pedro Martinez so much money. He can't pitch his way out of a wet paper bag. And that catcher, Jason Varitek, they should just get rid of him.

Chris: But Dad, just last week you were remarking what a great player Varitek was. What changed your mind? And by the way, Pedro leads the major leagues in just about every pitching category this year.

It is at this point that my mother, who knows virtually nothing about baseball, usually interjects.

Mom: How is Carl Yastrzemski doing this year?

Chris: (gently) Mom, he retired 20 years ago.

Dad: (interrupting) I'm sure he could still help them more than Varitek ever could. The man can't throw the ball down to second base without it bouncing three or four times. He is certainly no Carlton Fisk.

This year, the road to glory ultimately proved to be no different than the previous 10 times they qualified for postseason play. Despite the near mythical prospect of facing the Cubs in a battle of two teams seemingly incapable of obtaining baseballs ultimate prize, the Red Sox bowed out with a whimper rather than a roar.

Just five outs away from a date with the Florida Marlins to play in this year's Fall Classic, Boston self-destructed into a heap of angst riddled apathy ... again! Leading 5-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning, a tiring Martinez yielded four consecutive hits including a game tying two run double from Jorge Posada. Even though the game was tied with an inning to go, the tremendous shift in momentum was almost more than hardened Red Sox fans could bear. Just as our hearts began to soften to the idea that this year's team could actually defeat the team labeled "the evil empire" by owner John Henry, the dream of playing for Boston's first world championship in 85 years had all but slipped from our grasp. What seemed to be so tangible through the first seven plus innings was now all but intangible. Following three innings of near pitching perfection from Yankee closer Mariano Rivera, Boone, who had entered the game in the eighth inning as pinch runner, turned on the first pitch he saw, driving it deep into the New York night. What made his triumphant home run even more devastating was the fact that he had collected only three measly hits in 17 previous ALCS at bats (.176 average).

It was over. It was time to start the "wait till next year" mantra again for the 85th year in a row.

Within minutes, my father was on the phone with me, lamenting, "They broke our hearts again. I'm not going to watch them next year. That's it. Im done!" It is at this point that I reminded him that he has made this statement to me following each of Boston's seven play-off exits in my 28 years as a fan.

I would love to see Boston win a World Series in my father's lifetime. While this certainly would be a wonderful moment for he and I to share, I realize that everything, even winning World Series championships, happens in God's timing.

Beyond the hype and hoopla of sporting events, many of us struggle on a daily basis with wanting something to take place in our lives but not wanting to wait for God. This can be a cause of great frustration. Because we must live and act within a framework of time, we cannot always understand why things happen when they do or why they fail to happen when we think they should.

In

Solomon points out in this passage that God has a plan for all people. Although we may face many problems that seem to contradict God's plan, these should not be barriers from keeping us from believing in Him.

Only God who is infinite can know the outcome of all things; from baseball games to problem solving to whom we encounter in our daily lives. The secret to peace with God is to discover, accept, and appreciate His perfect timing.

Who knows, it might mean a World Series championship for the Boston Red Sox some year. But like everything else in life it can only happen in God's timing.

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Portions from The Transformer, study Bible used in this article.