If These Walls Could Talk

by Jerry Remy

  I don’t know if the Dodgers felt that heat at Fenway but the Red Sox won Game 1 anyway, 8–4. This was a good game. The Dodgers cut the Red Sox lead to 5–4 with shortstop Manny Machado’s sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh. But in the bottom of the seventh, Eduardo Nunez belted a three-run homer off lefty Alex Wood that pretty much sealed it. Talk about clutch. Nunez, in my opinion, didn’t get enough credit for putting the finishing touches on that win. Since the Red Sox had acquired Nunez in a trade deadline deal in July of 2017, he had produced some big hits and was a very useful player.

  Game 2 was a well-pitched game by David Price, who got a couple of great defensive plays from Rafael Devers at third base and Andrew Benintendi in left field. Devers’ play occurred in the sixth, robbing Chris Taylor of a hit. Benintendi made a leaping catch near the left-field scoreboard to rob Brian Dozier in the fifth with the Dodgers up 2–1. The Red Sox broke this open when five straight hitters reached base with two outs in the fifth inning. J.D. Martinez provided the big hit, a two-run single.

  Most people had to rewatch Game 3 at Dodgers Stadium two nights after, because it went 18 innings, and who was up? It was like 3:30 in the morning back in Boston when the Red Sox lost a heartbreaking game 3–2 when Max Muncy homered in the bottom of the 18th off Nathan Eovaldi.

  This was a like a Rocky–Apollo Creed heavyweight fight. Who would be the last man standing? But while many thought the loss would demoralize the Red Sox, it actually lifted them up. After all, Eovaldi, in defeat, came out of that game as an all-time Red Sox hero. While Alex Cora had to carefully navigate the game with his pitching staff, Eovaldi wound up throwing 97 pitches and pitched six innings in relief in one of the gutsiest performances you’ll ever see. Eovaldi had had two Tommy John surgeries, and you wondered whether such a stressful performance would get him hurt, but it turned out to be one of the most inspirational pitching performances you’ll ever see.

  The game itself was remarkable. The game saw 46 players. There were 561 pitches thrown by 18 pitchers. There were a combined 34 strikeouts, which was a postseason record. It was certainly a must-win situation for the Dodgers, but boy did they have to work to get it. I felt so bad for Eovaldi, who was pitching on short rest and pitched his heart out. Every inning Cora would ask him if he was okay. And when the 18th rolled around, Cora asked Eovaldi once more if he was okay, and Eovaldi said that he wanted to finish off the inning. Well, it didn’t work out, but the way he was throwing, hitting 100 mph with that power arm, prior to Muncy going deep, the Dodgers couldn’t make any substantial contact.

  And the next day, Eovaldi walked into Cora’s office and told him that he could pitch that night again if needed.

  The Red Sox could have gone one way or the other. They could have folded from fatigue and been down as a team, or they could band together and be inspired by Eovaldi. They chose to be inspired.

  But Game 4 didn’t start well for the Red Sox. Rich Hill, a native of Milton, Massachusetts, pitched the game of his life. He was up 4–0 in the seventh inning with one out and one on when Dodgers manager Dave Roberts left the dugout. As it turned out there was much confusion about Roberts’ visit. Hill thought Roberts was coming to take him out of the game, so he handed the ball to Roberts. But Roberts’ version is he wasn’t coming to take him out, just to see if his pitcher was okay. Hill had thrown 91 pitches, which he thought meant he was coming out. Roberts made the move to Scott Alexander because he felt that by Hill giving him the ball, it meant he was done.

  It’s funny that Roberts is the man credited most with the Red Sox winning the 2004 World Series with his incredible steal of second base in Game 4 of the ALCS against the Yankees in 2004 with Boston down 0–3 and on the brink of elimination.

  The move to remove Hill proved to be a massive break for the Red Sox. They were now in the Dodgers bullpen, which didn’t pitch well in the series. The Red Sox scored eight earned runs off their relievers and pulled off a win that looked so improbable for almost seven innings. Steve Pearce hit one of his three homers in the final two games to lead the assault.

  Up 3–1, the Sox came into Game 5 with all of the momentum. The David Price–Clayton Kershaw matchup was quickly slanted toward Price, who redeemed himself in a big way with Red Sox fans. Pearce homered off Kershaw in the first inning after Andrew Benintendi singled to give Boston a quick 2–0 lead. Price went on to allow only three hits over seven innings. Pearce hit a second homer in the eighth inning and won the MVP of the series.

  What was amazing was how well the Red Sox played on the road in the postseason; they outscored their opponents 56–23 in the three series. Red Sox owner John Henry declared after the game, “This is the greatest Red Sox team ever!” And it’s a statement I can’t disagree with. What they did was so impressive, so dominant. After winning 108 regular season games, they went 11–3 in the postseason. They clinched all three playoff series on the road against the Yankees, Astros, and Dodgers.

  As my old broadcast partner Ned Martin often said, “Mercy!” To have recovered enough from my cancer treatments to watch it all unfold in the postseason and watch it happen made me one happy man.

  10. My All-Time Favorite Players

  I’ve been around a lot of players both as a player and broadcaster, but there are players I’ve covered as a broadcaster who I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. I’ve commented a lot about Pedro Martinez, Roger Clemens, and Jason Varitek, so they are on the list, no doubt. Here are some of the others who I came to enjoy as personal favorites, in no particular order.

  David Ortiz

  The best clutch hitter in Red Sox history. He won championships with his swings. To think, he didn’t even have the starting job when he first got to Boston in 2003. Jeremy Giambi was the DH but after a while Ortiz’s presence was too much to ignore. For a guy Theo Epstein picked up off the scrap heap, he was a force. He will be a Hall of Famer. He’ll go down as one of the greatest Red Sox players ever. He had a profound effect on Red Sox teams as a leader. He’d take a guy aside and let him know what was on his mind. He had the complete respect of his teammates.

  Mo Vaughn

  I loved watching Mo’s power uppercut swing. He hit some mammoth homers. He was another player who had the flair for the dramatic. With that left-handed swing he could hit the ball the other way and therefore was really suited for Fenway Park. He was very smart. He was a very underrated defensive first baseman. It was sad when he left as a free agent and signed with the Angels and then got traded to the Mets. He was a guy who was a fan favorite and should have spent his entire career in Boston.

  Dustin Pedroia

  I must admit, I blew it with this one. When I first saw him come up I saw this little guy with this big swing and he had a really bad first month. Then, well, he proved the world wrong. He became the second-greatest second baseman in Red Sox history behind Bobby Doerr. He became Rookie of the Year and MVP of the league. He played every play 100 percent. Now we can watch his comeback from the knee surgery he had. I would never bet against him again.

  Nomar Garciaparra

  Nomar was generally liked and respected by all the fans. My regret for Nomar is I wish he could have enjoyed his time as a player more in Boston. He was a great hitter and had such fast hands. His actions reminded me of Paul Molitor. He didn’t care for the media attention in Boston, which I think weighed heavily on him at times. But his talent was something that you never forget.

  Wade Boggs

  I had the good fortune to not only play with Wade but cover him as well. I remember when he first came up from Pawtucket, we thought, “Okay, there’s got to be a way he’s going to be pitched and it’s going to be tough for him.” That never happened. He was a great hitter from Day One. The other thing was his defense. When he first came up he wasn’t that good. But I don’t think I ever saw a guy work harder on his defense to the point where he became a Gold Glove third baseman. That came with the Yankees, but he was good with the Red S
ox as well. It’s no surprise he’s a first ballot Hall of Famer.

  Mike Lowell

  What a great guy. He was 100 percent pure genuine. He was an excellent third baseman and he was the MVP of the 2007 World Series. He was a really good hitter. The Red Sox got criticized for trading Hanley Ramirez to the Marlins for Lowell and Josh Beckett. Imagine, Lowell was the “throw-in” in that deal. The Marlins just needed the Red Sox to pick up his contract, which called for $9 million per year in ’06 and ’07. Mike hit .400 in 15 at-bats in the World Series sweep against the Colorado Rockies. That was after hitting .324 and knocking in 120 runs in the regular season.

  Manny Ramirez

  Manny was entertaining and probably one of the best right-handed hitters I have ever seen. People thought Manny just went through the motions, but that was hardly the case. He worked very hard at hitting. He was a hitting savant, much like J.D. Martinez. Manny didn’t care much about playing left field, but he wasn’t horrible out there. His antics would crack us up. The play we still talk about to this day was the one where Johnny Damon was trying to throw to the cutoff man and Manny made a dive for the ball and caught it. It was classic Manny. Things didn’t end well for him and eventually he was caught for PEDs. Too bad, because his numbers—555 homers, 1,831 RBIs, and a .996 OPS—certainly warrant his induction into the Hall of Fame.

  Curt Schilling

  Big-game pitcher. Just look at that postseason record: 11–2, 2.23 ERA. He was the guy you felt most comfortable giving the ball to. What he did to pitch in the “Bloody Sock” game was above and beyond. A couple of things about Curt. I remember being on the air talking about his split-fingered pitch and I actually showed the audience the grip. He must have been watching in the clubhouse, because he called me the next day and said, “If I gripped the ball like you described, it would land over the Green Monster.” He proceeded to tell me that the grip was wrong because it needed to be along certain seams of the ball. The other thing he always said was there’s no such thing as a waste pitch. Even on 0-2. He said every pitch had a purpose and that’s the way he approached it.

  Jonathan Papelbon

  Nothing bothered him. Nothing. He had the perfect closer mentality, which I think is why he was so successful. Looking back, his personality was similar to Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski’s: loves to have fun and seems to not have a care in the world but also very talented.

  Craig Kimbrel

  I love his makeup. He has that 97-mph fastball and a breaking ball that makes hitters buckle. I admire him for playing the season knowing his infant daughter was facing multiple heart surgeries. That can’t be easy. Kimbrel is one of the best closers in baseball.

  Mookie Betts

  A five-tool player and really probably the most talented player I’ve ever been around. Earlier I wrote about Nomar’s fast hands. Mookie’s hands are even faster. Here’s a guy who was a second baseman for most of his life but then his only path to the big leagues was to play right field. Well, it’s not that easy, but he managed to become the best outfielder in baseball in a very short time. Power, speed, defense, hitting for average—you name it, he can do it. He’s still not in the prime of his career and he has already won the American League MVP. I’m not sure there’s ever been a greater athlete in Boston.

  Xander Bogaerts

  So smooth. He just glides through the field. Believe me, I’m not comparing him to Joe DiMaggio because that would be unfair, but Joe D. would also glide all over the field. Xander does things with such grace and ease. Fred Lynn was like that. Xander had his breakthrough year in 2018 when, in my opinion, he put together the offense, the power we know he has, and his defense was excellent. I feel very comfortable with him as our shortstop.

  Xander Bogaerts and Mookie Betts should be part of the Red Sox’s foundation for years to come. (AP Images)

  J.D. Martinez

  Like I said, he has similar traits to Manny Ramirez and Jim Rice. He’s a great hitter. It’s not often you see that combination of pure hitting and power. Manny and Jimmy had that. And certainly J.D. has it. He has lived up to everything he was advertised as before he got here and more. The fact that he helped so many of his teammates, including Mookie, is a tribute to his team-first attitude. He was the primary DH, but he also played very well in the outfield. Nobody is saying he’s as good as Andrew Benintendi, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Mookie, but he could play outfield for most teams full time and I know he likes being a complete player.

  Jackie Bradley Jr.

  One of the nicest people I’ve ever met, and I don’t think I’ll ever see anyone who can play center field like he does. I played with Lynn, who was outstanding, but JBJ has something special going on. The balls he gets to are mind-boggling. It’s as if he has a GPS in his body and he knows where the ball is going to go. His reads are amazing. He’s just outstanding. His catches are a highlight video. Sometimes he defies gravity. I do believe JBJ will become a complete player. He was always a very good minor league hitter. He had a really good season in 2016 when he was named to the All-Star team. I’m so happy he finally won his first Gold Glove in 2018, which has been long overdue.

  Tim Wakefield

  Tim won 200 games, 186 with the Red Sox, and pitched until he was 45 years old. I can’t tell you how much he contributed to the Red Sox team when he joined them in 1995 after Dan Duquette saved him from the scrap heap. He immediately went on an amazing run and you had to scratch your head and wonder how the Pirates could have just released him. He went on a 14–1 run when he first joined the Red Sox on May 27, 1995. He saved the Red Sox rotation. He went on to serve many roles and even became the Red Sox closer in 1999. He was also one of the most charitable players I’ve ever known. A great person, who so many times in his 17 years with the Red Sox saved the day.

  11. The Memorable Highs and Lows

  That September 28, 2011, night at Camden Yards was pretty surreal. The Red Sox were playing the Orioles and they had to win the game or Tampa Bay had to lose its game against the Yankees for Boston to make the playoffs.

  It was looking pretty good for us taking a one-run lead into the ninth inning against Baltimore, and then one out away from a 3–2 victory.

  But closer Jonathan Papelbon gave up three straight hits and we lost 4–3. It wasn’t over as a Rays loss to the Yankees would have backed the Red Sox into the postseason. But that didn’t happen either.

  Rays third baseman Evan Longoria saw to that. Moments after the Red Sox had lost, Longoria homered in the 12th inning to give the Rays an 8–7 win, erasing a 7-0 deficit.

  The Red Sox had led the Rays by nine games on September 4.

  How they lost the final game was also shocking because Carl Crawford, who had signed a seven-year, $142 million deal as a free agent, failed to catch a sinking liner off the bat of Robert Andino, sending Nolan Reimold home with the winning run.

  “I knew I couldn’t dive for it, had to get under it,” Crawford said. “I think the ball tipped my glove. I don’t think I’ve ever been part of something like this. It will go down as one of the worst collapses in history.”

  All of a sudden, you’re sitting there stunned. Instead of heading off to the playoffs, you’re heading home. We couldn’t believe it. Don Orsillo and I were just watching this with our mouths open, saying, “This is actually over?” And then we have to do the postgame wrap up. I think Orsillo and I both looked like we had died.

  The team was prepared to play Texas to start the playoffs. But that wasn’t to be. So obviously we headed back to the hotel. I ended up flying home the next day, still trying to digest one of the more stunning collapses in Red Sox history.

  You just figured this team, given all of its talent, would make the playoffs. It was kind of like coming back from the morgue. Even the next morning I woke up in disbelief that the season was over.

  The one thing that sticks out in my mind was the way that Baltimore was celebrating
on the field. It was like they had accomplished something—they had beaten the Red Sox in a very big game. They didn’t have much of a year that year and we know how much Buck Showalter loves beating the Red Sox. And he was just standing there watching his team celebrate, thinking it was something to build on hopefully for the next year.

  The whole month of September was terrible. The Red Sox finished 7–20. Just awful. Along the way you just felt they weren’t going to win many games, but I never felt like they were going to miss the playoffs. I thought they had a good enough club to get in there, and if they did, they could do some damage.

  This was a team that had very good players. Jacoby Ellsbury hit 32 home runs and knocked in 105 runs. Adrian Gonzalez had a big year in his first season with the Red Sox: 117 RBIs, 27 homers, a .338 average. Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, and David Ortiz all had very good seasons. Jon Lester and Josh Beckett were very good in the rotation. Papelbon saved 31 games. There’s no reason this team couldn’t have gone far.

  Baseball’s a different animal than the other sports. It’s every day, so you figure every day you go out there, you’re going to win. And even though the team was slumping, there didn’t appear to be any panic that I could see. Maybe Terry Francona was feeling it, I don’t know. But it just seemed like the season was rolling on and you were going to turn this thing around and win the amount of games you had to win and get into the playoffs. This was about as low as you could get for me with the exception of losing the one-game playoff game like we did in 1978.

  From a broadcaster’s perspective, this is the most shock I had ever experienced about a game and a result.

  Then on the flip side of that, you had Joe Morgan’s Magic, which was really a fun time. It was early in my broadcasting career and those 1988 Red Sox had underachieved for much of the first half of the season, 43–42 at the time John McNamara was fired on July 15.