Subtraction is Our Friend

Good news- “We’re Both Right”, one of my favorite podcasts, is due to return in the next several weeks. It is a comedy podcast, with some light discussion of current events along with movie and music reviews. It’s hard to describe, really-you’ll have to listen to it to really understand what it’s like.

It is October 17, as has been noted, and that makes it five years to the day from October 17, 2003, the day Aaron Boone drove a stake through the heart of Red Sox Nation with an 11th inning homer that sent the Yankees into the World Series, where current Red Sox Josh Beckett took them by the throat and threw them back out again while pitching for his previous team, the Florida Marlins. Let me set the scene for those of you who aren’t mentally ill like me-the Red Sox had extended the American League Championship into extra innings, facing elimination. Good Old Tim Wakefield, who had mystified the Yankees thus far in the Series with his knuckleball, comes on in relief to blank them again, inning after inning. Wakefield can effectively pitch forever, while the Yankees have to wheel in more conventional pitchers.

Clearly, a situation that resounds to the Red Sox’ advantage, as Wakefield is having no trouble mowing down the Yanks. It seems like a Boston victory is imminent…until Aaron Boone, ARod’s predecessor at third for the Bombers, bombs a home run into the left field stands to win the game and send Boston home for the winter. I remember clearly sitting there, open mouthed, as Boone rounds the bases and the crowd goes bananas. It was early in the morning, my having just turned (subtraction is our friend!) 32.