In his 'Year In Review' column, the
Providence Journal's Tim Britton singles out the April 21st humiliation at the hands of the Evil Ones (
15-9 loss on the 100th Anniversary of Fenway Park) as the
Worst Moment Of 2012. We could not agree more. I and my 16-year old son attended that game—known affectionately as the
Centennial Slaughter—and were suitably awed by the pomp and circumstance of the day (see us in the "Where's Waldo-style" pic). The Carmine Hose were up 9-0 through five and every Sox fan was smugly searching out fans of The Evil Empire to mock their pathetic nine. 'Don't come to our 100-year-old jewel and expect to leave unscathed', we seemed to be saying. To paraphrase Lowell's late great
Ed McMahon, "Wrong, obstructed-view breath!" Back came the Evil Ones—one in the sixth; seven in the seventh; six in the eighth; one in the ninth. The 15-9 drubbing was so humiliating that it evoked this memorable quote from newly-minted manager Bobby Valentine: "I think we've hit bottom. If this isn't bottom, we have to find some new ends of the earth." New GM BenCher simply stated, "the pitching has to improve". You think? The Sox bullpen ERA shot up to 8.44 after the game, and those of us with our Centennial Souvenirs skulked back to our cars and trolleys, thinking we
had hit bottom. Silly us.
