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Sunday, April 06, 2025

DHL Dan CCXLVII - Break Out The Bell Bottoms

That's right, folks - let's take a trip back to the disco era!
Red Sox turning back time to the memorable 1975 season and the best World Series ever, and other thoughts

Picked-up pieces while thinking about the magical Red Sox summer of 1975 …

It forever ranks with the most unforgettable seasons in New England sports lore, sculpting memories that still reside in the minds of Boston baseball’s greatest generation.

Aging Boomers who prayed at the altar of Ted, celebrated the Impossible Dream, and made it to the Promised Land in 2004, have fond recollections of the summer of ‘75 and the greatest World Series ever played.

Early Friday afternoon, before the Red Sox’ 13-9 win over the Cardinals, those gods of ’75 gathered at Fenway for the Red Sox home opener. It was a day to celebrate the Man We Call Yaz, Dewey, Rico, Gold Dust Twins Jim Rice and Freddie Lynn, Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk, and the late, great Luis Tiant, who controlled Sox Nation’s hearts and tears all those years ago.

Back in the day, they wore two-toned, red-and-blue caps and won 95 regular-season games. They swept the three-time defending Series champion A’s in the ALCS, then took the 108-win, Big Red Machine to a seventh game in a Series that temporarily rescued baseball. In a hot Boston summer pepped with busing-stoked racial tension, the colorful and talented Sox gave us daily thrills and a common cause.
Check out the picture - jerry Remy with the porn moustache!

Assume The Position

With the first serious losing streak for the 2025 Boston Red Sox, you can count on Shank to write a column about it:
After just one series, Red Sox find themselves in a familiar position

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Red Sox are in sole possession of last place in the American League East.

Imagine.

After the legit full-throttle winter which saw newly-urgent ownership open the vault and Craig Bres-Lowball trading prospects and handing out one-year contracts like candy . . . after the earth-shattering acquisition of veteran leader/winner/Fenway wrecking ball Alex Bregman . . . after newfound love from pundits across Baseball America (some see the Red Sox playing in the 2025 World Series!) . . . the Sox are back where they’ve lived for much of the post-Mookie era:

Sole possession of last place in the American League East.

Admittedly, this is knee-jerk nonsense, wild hyperbole, and social-media-level overreaction.
Exactly what Shank has made a career out of doing.