5, 6: I’ve heard the same about the rumors of the corked bat and have decided it is inarguable fact.

7: I remember. Poor Bob Stanley’s got his fingerprints all over the two worst games in Red Sox history.

8: Yeah, actually I was thinking of 2007, baby! Since 2004 the team has been searching for a new identity; for ’05 and ’06 they were not the Idiots anymore and they weren’t anything else, either. Now with new veteran leaders like Lowell and new hungry young guys like Beckett, Youkilis, Pedroia, and Papelbon, they’ve got an identity all their own. The Yankees are still coming on, but at least the Sox have (for the moment anyway) stopped plummeting. Saturday’s game probably highlighted the White Sox shortcomings more than the Red Sox strengths, but the hometown squad’s ability to pepretually clog the bases with walks and hits was on full display. An 11-2 thumping! I was a happy customer to say the least.

Torrez was 6’5″ and Dent was 5’11″. The Yankees likely would have pinch-hit for Dent, but they had a real shortage of infielders. Randolph was out, hurt. Brian Doyle played 2b, and was already pinch-hit for with Jim Spencer (right before Dent came up), and Chicken Stanley was to play 2b. With Dent coming to the plate, the towering Torrez must have been very confident. Previously in his career, Dent was 4 for 20 (.200) in his matchups against Torrez, with no homers. Even Doyle hit above Dent in the 8-spot that day.

3rd inning: Dent is behind a Torrez offering but manages to fly to right. Sox 1-0.

5th inning: Man on second, and Dent grounds out to short. Sox 1-0.

7th inning: Dent looks aweful fouling off a pitch which drills his foot. He hobbles around but stays in the game. Dent points towards the top of the Green Moster. Fenway fans crack up-laughing. And, then…….BANG…….