World Series 2018--Red Sox vs. Dodgers

JimD

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 29, 2001
8,681
Tom Verducci's article on the series


"
  • An epic, 18-inning loss in Game 3 could have spelled the end for baseball's winningest team. Instead, it revealed the true greatness of the Red Sox, who resolutely pulled together and claimed their fourth World Series title in 15 years. "


https://www.si.com/mlb/2018/10/30/boston-red-sox-season-ages-ends-world-series-title-game-5
Phenomenal read.

I know it's hopelessly old school in the iPhone era, but I can't wait to add the SI commemorative issue to my collection.
 

timlinin8th

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 6, 2009
1,521
There's an interesting (well, maybe only interesting to me, being a lighting designer) section in George Will's book on baseball (which I highly recommend) about how the challenge in lighting a baseball field is that the lights need to be focused not just on the field of play, but also high enough in the air to light a pop fly all the way to its apex, and done so evenly so that there are no dead spots where a ball in flight could disappear.

From a lighting perspective, the challenge at twilight is when the background sky is brighter than the amount of light that is in the volume of space over the field. That light level over the filed is provided, in theory by both the sun and the artificial lights. But at certain times of day, the artificial lights don't have a prayer to be brighter than the sky.
It was mentioned during the broadcast (so I have no idea if its accurate or not) that at dusk in Dodger Stadium because of the cooling temps the air gets a bit of a haze to it for a short while, so from field level looking up a player is seeing the stadium lighting shining perpendicular to the haze and reflecting off it so it appears like a white transparent film. Seemed to make sense to me when I heard it.
 

Saints Rest

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
It was mentioned during the broadcast (so I have no idea if its accurate or not) that at dusk in Dodger Stadium because of the cooling temps the air gets a bit of a haze to it for a short while, so from field level looking up a player is seeing the stadium lighting shining perpendicular to the haze and reflecting off it so it appears like a white transparent film. Seemed to make sense to me when I heard it.
I can't imagine a scenario where that is true. The issue is almost certainly the background (i.e. the sky) being too bright compared to the foreground (i.e. where the ball flies).
One can make a wall of haze pretty much opaque by lighting the haze while not lighting anything behind it. (Magicians and stage designers use these tricks all the time).
The reason the haze starts to look opaque is because all those droplets of moisture have density and reflect the light in all directions. But if you think about it, the ball is an even bigger "drop" and would be just as bright as the surrounding drops, unless the haze was as thick as a cloud (think cumulus, not cirrus).
 

Skiponzo

Member
SoSH Member
Tom Verducci's article on the series


"
  • An epic, 18-inning loss in Game 3 could have spelled the end for baseball's winningest team. Instead, it revealed the true greatness of the Red Sox, who resolutely pulled together and claimed their fourth World Series title in 15 years. "


https://www.si.com/mlb/2018/10/30/boston-red-sox-season-ages-ends-world-series-title-game-5
WOW! What a terrific article by Tom. Really, you should all read that piece. God do I love this team.
 

CantKeepmedown

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
2,581
Portland, ME
That Verducci article gave me chills. I really enjoyed this section, talking about the difference between how the Dodgers and Sox dealt with their pitchers, specifically Eovaldi.

And yet there he was, throwing 97 pitches in his third relief appearance in four days. The Dodgers were amazed, and not necessarily in admiration.


We don’t do that over here to our guys,” one Dodger decision-maker said. Indeed, Los Angeles made Pedro Baez unavailable in Game 4 after he pitched in each of the first three games. Without Baez, every one of the six relievers Roberts brought into the game gave up a run—the first time such a long run of decisions ever turned so badly in a World Series game.

Conversely, a Red Sox staffer, noting Baez’s day off, remarked, “They had Baez down? In the World Series? When our guys want to come out of the bullpen every day?”
 

timlinin8th

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 6, 2009
1,521
35 years old, veteran, well traveled. Would most likely be described as the ubiquitous "journeyman" ball player. Born in Massachusetts, Red Sox fan all his life.

Now a World Series MVP, world champion for his boyhood favorites. Cover boy for Sports Illustrated. Sometimes dreams do come true. Good for him. Good for all of us.

Wow.
Minor detail: he was born and raised in Lakeland, FL. His dad was originally a MA native which is where he got his lifelong Red Sox and Patriots fandom from. Doesn't lessen the story one bit.

(I'd also add in that he turned down being drafted by the Sox originally because he wanted another shot with his South Carolina college team who had played and lost in the championship that year and they didn't even make it back, which led into the journeyman career only to end up with a Sox WS Championship anyways adds to the story).
 

Spelunker

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 17, 2005
11,884

Spelunker

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 17, 2005
11,884
Same - the part about every Sox player giving Eovaldi a hug one-by-one after Game 3 is something straight out of a movie.
Never mind this part. It's straight out of Rudy.

A short while later, as Cora unwound from the game, he looked up to see a line outside his office. There stood Price, Porcello and Sale, whose combined contracts are worth $332 million. They all told him they were ready to pitch the next game.
 

snowmanny

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 8, 2005
15,672
Truly.
We've all read roughly similar tales about other teams, but to read it about a team I follow to the minutae.....
It is a great read. And you know, in those hours after Game 3 many of us were furious at Kinsler, concerned the entire pitching staff was a mess, worried the entire series and season might suddenly go in the wrong direction. Meanwhile, in LA, the Red Sox were just getting stronger.
 

Koufax

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
5,936
As the risk of adding nothing to the discourse, yet it was excellent. The focus on Eovaldi, rather than Kinsler, was right on and it is what we should remember when these guys come back in 20 years, balding and perhaps chubby, for reunions and old timers' games.
 

dhappy42

Straw Man
Oct 27, 2013
15,725
Michigan
Tom Verducci's article on the series


"
  • An epic, 18-inning loss in Game 3 could have spelled the end for baseball's winningest team. Instead, it revealed the true greatness of the Red Sox, who resolutely pulled together and claimed their fourth World Series title in 15 years. "


https://www.si.com/mlb/2018/10/30/boston-red-sox-season-ages-ends-world-series-title-game-5
Wow. That’s a great story. Masterfully written. The post Game 3 clubhouse scene actually brought tears to my eyes. I haven’t cried about baseball since 1986 and that was for a completely different reason. This was much better. What a team. What a season. What a team.
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

Found no thrill on Blueberry Hill
SoSH Member
Sep 9, 2008
42,297
AZ
The part where Eovaldi walks up to Cora at breakfast the next morning and says, "I'm good to go tonight" is the best.
 

SoxFanInPdx

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
3,246
Portland, OR
Was able to make it down to LA for Games 4 and 5. I can say now that it is the greatest Red Sox team I've seen. This year has been hell for me personally, but this team was one of the few bright spots for me to watch. Very thankful for this site as well.
 

ledsox

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 14, 2005
398
I just saw on MLB Now that Sale is the 2nd pitcher ever to K the last 3 batters in a WS. Romo in 2012 was the first.

But the Sox are the first to K the last 6 batters. Kelly-Sale!