The Real Deal

I had an amazing time last night. It kind of revamped my dwindling interest in the Sox. My seats were sooo good -- they were by right field, in foul territory, and three rows from the front! I actually took pictures this time too, and I will post them as soon as I can. Just to warn you though, they aren't that good because my camera's zoom is terrible.
Anyways, I got to see a spectacular catch by the beautiful Gabe Kapler (I had such a great view of him too!), and a terrific diving double play by Dustin Pedroia in his Fenway debut.
But you saw all that too. I have something better to tell you. I know the real story behind why we won.
I was sitting next to two drunk college guys all game. One of them decided he hated Alex Rios, so the entire game he was heckling him (remember, right field, third row, so we were really close to him!). Mostly just bellowing mockingly "AL-ex RI-os" and some obscene comments and mother insults thrown in every few minutes. Everyone in our section got pretty annoyed with his yelling (though I was actually talking to him and his friend most of the game), and I'm positive Alex Rios heard every word he yelled. We were that close. I'd say twenty feet.
About the fifth inning, Alex Rios started glancing over. This just pumped up our drunk friend even more, and he would start jabbing his finger towards him and yelling "Hey, why are you looking over here? The game's that way!" followed by several slurred "AL-ex RI-os"es. By the seventh inning Rios must have been wicked frustrated. Dustin Pedroia got on base and Alex Cora came up to bat. The drunk guy, having drunk more than a few beers, was getting louder and more obnoxious and more obscene by the inning, and Alex Rios' glances toward our seats were becoming more and more frequent. He looked pissed, too. Right in the middle of one of Drunky's chants, Alex Cora hit a fly ball to right field. I KNOW Alex Rios wasn't concentrating 100% on the game. He couldn't have been. He ran for the ball, and to our whole section's utter delight, he bounced it into the stands for a 2-run homer! Our section went insane. Those who had been yelling at the drunk guy were high-fiving him. Everyone knew that he was totally the one who just got us 2 runs. We all joined in in the guy's chants and I yelled "Thank you Alex!"
I think the drunk guy definately ruined Alex's concentration, but I also think when that ball was hit he wanted to make a spectacular catch and shut the heckler up. Maybe he was trying too hard to show the guy that he didn't care and wasn't listening.
I think what was so awesome about that was, if only a little, maybe we just helped our team out. Maybe we, the fans, actually had something to do with the game. Maybe we just won a game for Red Sox Nation. The fans -- WE won the game! And that was amazing. Because people always say "Why do you care so much? You're only watching, you're not playing. It's not going to make a difference if you turn off the TV."
Well, we did just make a difference.
Here's what Rios said about the play:
"The ball jumped off my glove, and when I tried to catch it with my bare hand I just pushed it away," Rios said. "I mean, I don't know. I don't know what to say. It felt like -- I don't know. It was kind of a reaction play. When I dropped it, I just tried to catch it so quickly with my bare hand that I pushed it away."
Well, he didn't admit that the fan got to him, but what major leaguer would admit that a fan got in the way of their concentration? He totally wasn't concentrating at that moment.
I'm assuming that Mike Lowell was named player of the game.
But the real player of the game was the drunk guy next to me. And I bet he doesn't remember a thing.