And the Dodgers hired him later on to be their manager.When he said he didn't pay attention to the pitch count and went by his gut I wanted to punch him through the screen.
It's funny, the quotes from Werner and Henry about ten minutes in just dumping on Grady actually made me feel some sympathy. Here we are, in a documentary celebrating the greatest comeback in baseball history and the greatest achievement of this ownership group (the group who hired Grady, by the way), and you're going to take these shots at the former manager, when that loss is just as big a part of the story as Schilling, Foulke, Francona, et al?21 years later and my white hot hatred of Grady Little is just as passionate.
The idea that he's incredulous about the idea that he made a mistake is ridiculous. And while Timlin in the 8th and Williamson in the 9th is what he should have done, there's a part of me that can justify keeping Pedro in there to start the 8th. Obviously it's different knowing what we know now in 2024 about third time through the order and pitch counts, but I can see how in Grady's head the bullpen was the same bullpen that struggled to start the year, even though they were good in the postseason. I can understand the idea of "Well, I'm going to go with my ace." What I can't defend at all is how Embree wasn't put in to face Matsui, if not Bernie. That he was allowed to stay in after those two and face Posada borders on criminal.What a fucking asshole. How hard is it to show a little contrition? Not that it matters anymore, but still.
This also was with what was a pretty bad middle infield defense if I recall correctly. Nomar had definitely lost a major step and Todd Walker was pretty bad.Just to make everyone mad again:
Timlin thru game 6: 8.1 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 10 K, 0 R
Embree thru game 6: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 0 BB, 1 K, 0 R
SWill thru game 6: 8.0 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 14 K, 1 R
Combined: 22.2 IP, 8 K, 3 BB, 25 K, 1 R
He really, really does. I had forgotten just how biased he was until hearing him babble in those clips. Everything he says is from a pro-Yankee/anti-Sox perspective.McCarver still sucks.
In particular, the sequence of Tek sharing a moment with Wake on the field after winning Game 7, then talking about what Wake meant to him got me.Man, I wasn't prepared for how hard I'd be hit by seeing Wake and hearing the guys talk about him. Fuck.
Bald. Faced. Liar. It's so obvious.I don't know why he agreed to participate if he was just going to stick to his transparent bullshit. He even tried the "hindsight" line, juxtaposed against all the TV and radio people saying in real time they can't believe he's not taking Pedro out. They should find an excuse to invite him to Fenway so he can be fired again.I just paused the doc to come online and say that. I cannot stand that he is in this documentary.
With respect to #2 - I agree with all of that. They didn't touch on the Bellhorn home run in Game 1 of the WS either and that one was pretty damn important. We got off to a big lead and the Cardinals came back to tie it and I definitely remember having a feeling of "Oh here we go again" even though it was only Game 1. We never trailed the rest of the series after Bellhorn's HR.Three things that jumped out at me:
1) Wake. The footage of him after 2003 was heartbreaking and watching Tek choke up had my eyes dusty.
2) So much time was spent on the lead up to the comeback, and not enough time, in my opinion, on the comeback itself. I wish Foulke's Game 6 was in there. He gave the rest of his career for that title. They glossed over some of the big moments in Games 5, 6 and 7, the Trot Nixon at bat, Bellhorn's home run, Pedro coming into Game 7, and although they touched on it, those last two innings of Game 6 with the reversed call, the riot police on the field, the balls raining down on the players, and then Foulke pitching with nothing left may have been the most dramatic two innings of the series.
3) Schilling looks like shit. I wonder if he's sick.
When Little went out to the mound in the 8th inning, 6 of the last 9 runners reached base on Pedro. If a guy is going by his gut, you should be taking him out. Period.Watched it all in one sitting last night because I just couldn't turn it off. Even the hard parts (and there were quiet a few). I never got the vitriol against Grady...yeah he eff'd up but like PedroisGod said above I can actually understand wanting to stay with your Ace...up to a point...but man, Grady really comes across an an A-Hole in this thing so he can go screw himself. Thank God for Tito. Seriously...THANK YOU God!
My 18 y/o son is a die hard Red Sox fan but he doesn't fully understand the "before" (for him the Sox have always been winners...how great is that statement!) but this is gonna help him understand his old man a little better. Amazing job capturing the "essence" of what it felt like to be a Sox fan "before". I like the "after" much much better.
Thank you. I've been saying that since that game that Pokey's catch was better and harder.With respect to #2 - I agree with all of that. They didn't touch on the Bellhorn home run in Game 1 of the WS either and that one was pretty damn important. We got off to a big lead and the Cardinals came back to tie it and I definitely remember having a feeling of "Oh here we go again" even though it was only Game 1. We never trailed the rest of the series after Bellhorn's HR.
I was surprised to see that Manny didn't participate. I don't think there's any bad blood there because he was there for the reunion and has been appearing in the videos the Sox have been putting out on YouTube, but Manny's absence was notable.
With respect to #3 - my buddy sent me the same thing. He looks really old for only being 57. I know he had cancer back in 2014 and lost a ton of weight. I'm sure that took a pretty big toll on his body.
There were other things that I consider noteworthy that didn't really get a mention, such as the comeback against the A's in 2003. That series gave us all a feeling of "Could this really be the year?" and I think the way they came back against the A's and how incredible those games were really built up our hopes and really added to the crushing feeling when it all ended a couple weeks later.
As well, it would have been funny if when talking about the Jeter play in the July 1, 2004 game if they mentioned that Pokey made a better catch in the same game and didn't have to superman dive into the stands to complete it.
Given time constraints, I can understand why a bunch of stuff had to get cut out. Most of us would have been happy to see this go 5+ hours, though I'm sure Netflix wouldn't have been.
And don't forget the ground rule double that Clark hit that almost hit the side in game 5. That would have scored Sierra easily and the Sox probably would have lost.21 years later and my white hot hatred of Grady Little is just as passionate. Really fun watch- wish they could have spent a little more time on the foulke/Clark ab in game 6 and dlowe in game 7, but these are minor nits.
9. Millar going on Sportscenter and saying he'd rather have A-Rod on the team, when Nomar and Manny were still on the team.To me a lot of things are different about my Red Sox watching experience from pre2004 to post 2004. I think the coverage now adays is so much less, so much softer, less antagonistic.
One of the major takeaways for me from this documentary is just what an absolutely incredible job Tito did with this team. Just incredible. So much for him to have to deal with on a daily basis, and he gets heated up before the season barely gets going,
He is a first time RS manager with not a great managing track record and he has to deal with,
1. A very hurt and emotional Nomar, who arrives with a questionable injury and then many believe an intentionally slow recovery.
2. Schill vs Pedro
3. Pedro’s contract year
4. Arod negotiations
5. Pedro disappearing from clubhouse on opening day,
6. Manny wanting to be traded, and then skipping a game with Yankees to hang out at Yankees hotel bar with Yankees player.
7. Pissy Ortiz the first month of season.
8. Yanks 3-0 lead.
Unlike today, this team was FIERCELY covered. Everyone of these individual items was like a 2 week murder trial. Debated endlessly, it’s going to sink the team.
Tito weathering this in his first year here was remarkable.
Yes good article.This is a good summary from the guys at Over The Monster. It was a free read for me, so shouldn't be behind any paywall. I hope you enjoy.
https://www.overthemonster.com/2024/10/24/24278446/34-stray-thoughts-about-the-2004-red-sox-documentary-on-netflix-world-series-alcs-yankees
I wonder if it wasn't so much his gut but that he was scared the pen wouldn't hold it and he would be blamed for pulling Pedro. Not that scared is any better than stupid. The pen was rolling, btw.When Little went out to the mound in the 8th inning, 6 of the last 9 runners reached base on Pedro. If a guy is going by his gut, you should be taking him out. Period.
It was obvious the moment simply got too big for him. And his stubborn hillbilly kicked in. Timlin and Embree were both ready to go. After the popup in the 8th for the first out, that was the time to yank him on a high note. With the bases empty. The end.I wonder if it wasn't so much his gut but that he was scared the pen wouldn't hold it and he would be blamed for pulling Pedro. Not that scared is any better than stupid. The pen was rolling, btw.
I think that was 100% it. The guy had been in a panic about the bullpen from the first game of the season when the "closer by committee" approach that he clearly didn't understand didn't work out. He rode Kim into the ground once he made him the closer because he trusted no one else. And with Kim unavailable, he couldn't bring himself to trust the other guys in the pen despite their lights-out performance in the post-season.I wonder if it wasn't so much his gut but that he was scared the pen wouldn't hold it and he would be blamed for pulling Pedro. Not that scared is any better than stupid. The pen was rolling, btw.