Pulled Back In

Date: Wednesday, August 22, 2001
From: Kevin Hench
Subject:  Pulled Back In

Do we dare?

Sox win.  Yanks lose.  A's lose.  Pedro pitching Sunday.

Well, do we?  We had settled into a nice little glass-half-shattered fatalism
about this season that was making it easier to endure the endless tide of
misfortune (Manny now may be out as long as 10 days), but now they are
tugging at us.  With a band of backups and guys playing out of position, the
Townies had one inning above a whisper tonight and it was enough as Belli
(anyone got anything better?) started and capped our eight-run third inning
with a walk and grand slam.  Coney was sharp, Guapo steady, Pulse atrocious
and Urbina dominant against the reigning AL homer champ.  Lansing made a
ridiculously good barehanded play at short.  Everyone contributed but Carl,
in other words, a perfect win.

So do we dare try to turn the ship around once more and believe?  Just to be
safe, I'll wait until we've taken five of seven from the Yankees before I
choose to believe we have a shot.  It's just more relaxing this way.

---

Had a nice exchange with new millionaire Michael Garciaparra, who seems as
humble and gracious as his big bro.  I told him just to go out and be his own
man, but that he'd better hit the weights, which made his girlfriend (or
sister, or cousin) laugh.

Ben Affleck, fresh from his rehab stint, took in the game behind the first
base dugout.

Can't make the third game Wednesday, but looking forward to meeting Gordon
Edes at the National Sports Grill on Thursday.  Hope he's up for a very late
night because we may be taking him on a very special excursion to a very
special place.