Book Review of “Now I Can Die in Peace” — (24/52)
Sportswriter Bill Simmons offers his unique perspective on the 2004 curse-breaking, World Series-winning Boston Red Sox
More than anything, Bill Simmons’ 2006 book “Now I Can Die in Peace” solidifies his and other Bostonians’ journeys to come to terms with loving and supporting a baseball team that, at times, did not deserve their love and admiration. When the Red Sox finally won a World Series in 2004, they made baseball headlines by ending an 86-year-old drought in the process. So, what changed in 2004 that eventually curtailed “the Curse” and allowed the Red Sox to eventually triumph?
Four things changed for the better: Ownership, management, players, and confidence.
“Sometimes you just need to move forward — not backward or sideways — before you can change your own destiny.”
— Bill Simmons in “Now I Can Die in Peace” (Page 41)
In December of 2001, John W. Henry and the Fenway Sports Group (who are also majority owners of Liverpool F.C. in England) became the new majority owners of the Boston Red Sox. Their arrival spelled an era of change from the previous owners, who had done everything imaginable and more to piss off the loyal Red Sox fanbase.
Then, in 2002, the Sox ditched their mercurial GM Dan Duquette for the cerebral and visionary Theo Epstein. The young Epstein’s arrival to the GM role made the Red Sox more cohesive and he played an integral role in shipping off club legend and fan favorite Nomar Garciaparra to the Chicago Cubs (the move was especially tough to pull off since Nomar was still in his prime and it was difficult to ascertain if he was still the player he once was — after his trade to the Cubs, Nomar never regained his superstar form and bounced from team-to-team before retiring in 2009).
The third aspect that allowed the Red Sox to triumph came down to the players. The Nomar Garciaparra trade was a boon for the Sox since he was a brooding figure in the club house and, as a result, was actively bringing down the morale of the rest of the players. Getting rid of him allowed Orlando Cabrera to come in. Cabrera took over Nomar’s shortstop position and put in a career year both offensively and defensively in the latter half of the 2004 season. The Sox also got some much-needed pitching help after signing veteran ace Curt Schilling. The rest of the Red Sox, consisting of David “Big Papi” Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Derek Lowe, Tim Wakefield, Johnny Damon, among others, combined to form a tight-knit group of misfits and outsiders.
The fourth and final aspect that put the Red Sox over the edge in 2004 was confidence. In the 2003, the Red Sox went all seven games with their hated rivals the New York Yankees in the ALCS (the final hurdle that the Sox needed to clear for a World Series birth). Unfortunately, due to an Aaron Boone walk-off homer in extra-innings, the Sox came within inches of a World Series appearance. While the loss hurt, and Simmons details his and the fellow Red Sox fans across the nation’s reactions perfectly to such a close call, the Sox knew that the Yankees had given absolutely everything they had to get past that Boston team. Next time would be different for Boston.
And, indeed it was. The 2004 ALCS also went seven games, but the Red Sox did not relent and ultimately pulled off a historic come-from-behind series win after being down 3–0 to the Yankees. Having beaten the “Evil Empire” called the Yankees, the Sox cruised to a World Series title by easily sweeping Albert Pujols and the St. Louis Cardinals.
Simmons’ book serves as an anthology of the five or six years leading up to the historic 2004 win. Over the course of 351 pages, Simmons takes the reader through the trials and tribulations of being a Red Sox fan. From the disappointing and heart-wrenching close calls to the few moments of pure euphoria (lifting the World Series trophy (finally) in 2004), the book provides a compelling argument as any out there as to why we choose to follow sports in general.
Sure, many aspects of sports are deplorable. In recent times, teams have been increasingly threatening their cities for financial aid, via taxpayers’ hard-earned money, in building/renovating their arenas. Additionally, a study of Chicago sports found that the city’s teams had absolutely no effect whatsoever for the Windy City’s economy. If anything, they actually hurt the economy.
To make matters worse, some of the players we love and follow from our favorite teams are self-absorbed, megalomaniacal, and uncaring jerks who only care about their own concerns. Yet, we cheer for them at every free throw and every at-bat. Why on Earth do we engage in these behaviors that, quite honestly, don’t make reasonable sense to begin with?
Because sports is irrational. And, following sports is our own quest to make something patently irrational come as close to rational as possible.
There are many times throughout “Now I Can Die in Peace” when Bill Simmons actively wonders what it’d be like to walk away from the Red Sox and only support the other Boston teams. Fenway Park, before the new ownership group came in during Dec. 2001, was an absolute filthy place to watch baseball games, which, combined with the fact that top dollar was paid to obtain those seats, makes the vitriol of Simmons and other Sox fans towards the previous ownership justifiable. The managers that came in, from Grady Little to Terry Francona, were all caricatures of what a truly great manager should be. And, the players, notably Carl Everett and Nomar Garciaparra, were moody and did not return even a tenth of the love they received back to the fans.
Any, yet, despite all of those nonsensical circumstances, Simmons keeps coming back and supporting his childhood team. And, the effort pays off for him in 2004 when things finally click and the Sox win the World Series.
I guess that’s what sports does: it makes us keep supporting until we have no more to give, then we get slapped right across the face from our favorite team or favorite player, only to be on the verge of abandoning our fan-hood and returning to more reasonable aspects of life.
Then, your team does the unthinkable and wins the World Series or the Stanley Cup or the Super Bowl or the NBA title.
And, we’re back to square one!
Sources
Simmons, Bill. Now I Can Die in Peace: How ESPN’s Sports Guy Found Salvation, with a Little Help from Nomar, Pedro, Shawshank and the 2004 Red Sox. New York: ESPN, 2005. Print.
Notes
This is the TWENTY-FOURTH book review (out of 52 in total eventually) that is a part of my 2015 Book Reading Challenge.
If you enjoyed this book review, then please hit the green “Recommend” button below — thanks in advance!
