A Rivalry Story: Red Sox v.

Yankees

A Film Treatment / Short Story

By Samuel M. Redlich

Copyright © 2009 by Samuel M. Redlich. All Rights Reserved

ACT I

New York City in the unspecified future, hovercraft taxi

cabs whizz by and through the high rise corridors.
Holographic soft drink and beer advertisements abound.
Signs of technological innovation are everywhere. This is
definitely the future. The Manhattan skyline is majestic.
All five boroughs are alive. In the Bronx, Yankee stadium
is filled and buzzing. In Boston, bars are packed and the
Prudential is aglow with a giant “B”. In home after home,
from New England to New York, and everywhere in between and
beyond, including the giant screen in Times Square - the
big game is getting underway: Red Sox v. Yankees.

In one high-rise in Manhattan, on the 87th floor, a

GRANDFATHER is with a GRANDDAUGHTER, she is no more than 3
or 4 years old, snuggled together on the couch in front of
the television, watching the game. The granddaughter has
many questions, yet she is very sleepy and dozes off.

Soon enough the granddaughter is being whisked off to

bedtime. As the grandfather gently lets her down on to her
bed, she awakens. “Grandpa JACOB, tell me a story”. She
really needs to just go to bed, but the grandfather is
helplessly happy to oblige – After a short pause to think,
the grandfather says “How about I tell you the story about
the greatest baseball game ever played, between the Boston
Red Sox and the New York Yankees”. The granddaughter perks
up and looks at the grandfather with keen interest – she is
eager to hear more.

It’s an idyllic spring day - Middletown, Connecticut in the

present. Beyond the yard behind the navy blue and red
shuttered colonial at 55 Fidrych Lane, and inside a small
red with white trim barn, DR. DANIEL HAMMERSTEIN,
theoretical physicist, works feverishly on another one of
his “inventions”. Sports radio fills the air as Daniel
communicates a mix of mutters, mumbles, and cursing – he is
deeply engaged in the task at hand. The setup in the barn

Copyright © 2009 Samuel M. Redlich. All Rights Reserved.

is peculiar - part laboratory, part gadget central, and
part shrine to the Boston Red Sox.

“Just one last try, HANK”, Daniel mumbles to himself, as he

snaps a picture of a hamster that is crawling about his
desk. He quickly connects his camera to his computer,
presses a few buttons and out of his printer comes a copy
of the picture he just took. He places the picture of Hank
on a small platform on the left side of a strange dual
cylinder translucent spherical contraption and computes
away on his computer, finally hitting “send”. A few seconds
later, on the right side of the contraption sparks emerge,
then a puff of smoke, finally giving way to what appears to
be the wiggling tail of a hamster. Yet as soon as the tail
appears, it flickers in and out of visibility, and quickly
disappears all together.

Disappointed, Daniel slinks back into his chair only to be

startled as his cell phone rings, and so he ignores it. His
cell phone rings again and this time he checks the number
and answers it. It is his ex-wife calling to tell him that
he is late. “Darn it, I’ll be right there”. Daniel is
supposed to be picking up his son JAKE – this is the
weekend they are going to the Baseball Hall of Fame in
Cooperstown, NY. Daniel hurriedly gathers himself, puts on
his Boston Red Sox cap, grabs a big duffle bag, and rushes
out of the laboratory.

Moments later, Daniel arrives at his ex-wife, VICTORIA’S

and picks up Jake.

Daniel and Jake are on their way to Cooperstown, New York

to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame. Both are avid baseball
fans, Daniel a lifelong Red Sox fan and Jake, a staunch yet
neophyte the New York Yankees.

Meanwhile, In New York City, MLB COMMISSIONER is meeting

with the MLB ownership committee. Red Sox and Yankee
representatives are at each other’s throat, blaming each
other for problems that MLB is facing, such as reduced
revenue, lower merchandise sales, decreased attendance, and
television ratings. The other owners blame both the Red Sox
and the Yankees. Baseball needs to win fans back over! How?

Back on the road, Jake keeps mostly to himself, listening

to music and playing his favorite video game – “Rivalry:

Copyright © 2009 Samuel M. Redlich. All Rights Reserved.

Red Sox v. Yankees”. Daniel drives and tries to engage
Jake, but he is unsuccessful.

Finally, Daniel asks “ Whose Winning Son? And Jake answers

“Yankees, Dad” with a look of bewilderment and incredulity
attached. Daniel responds “Not every time, Son” and after a
loud pause Jake admits “not every time , Dad”

The distance between father and son is shortening.

At the Baseball Hall of Fame, Jake is in awe of all the

great players and the stories about them. They come upon
the Babe Ruth exhibit and Daniel explains to him that he
once played for the Red Sox – as a pitcher. “The Red Sox?”
Jake can’t believe it.

There he is, the man about to sell Babe Ruth, HARRY FRAZEE
– at his desk, on the phone while his assistant paces about
the room. It’s rainy outside, dark and dreary inside.
Frazee agrees to sell Ruth - “best thing about Boston is
the train ride back to New York”, He chuckles and then
hangs up the phone. Turns to his assistant, $125,000! – not
bad, not bad at all, and proceeds to light up a cigar. His
assistant, ED BARROW shakes his head and is visibly
bothered. He says “if I may sir, I think you’ve made a
mistake”.

Jake simply cannot fathom how a player of his status who

could pitch and hit could be sold – Jake says “Man that was
a mistake. Thank God, I am a Yankee Fan” he says playfully
to his Dad – who in return pats Jake a few times on the
back, as they move through the Hall of Fame.

The conversation turns to “Greatest Red Sox” and soon

enough, Daniel and Jake come upon the exhibit for Ted
Williams. Daniel tells Jake that Ted was “The greatest
hitter that ever lived”. Jake responds sarcastically, he is
a Yankee fan after all. But it doesn’t take long for Jake
to be captivated by Daniel’s stories about The Splendid
Splinter. As they move on to lunch and then a stroll
through downtown Cooperstown, Jake wants to know everything
about Teddy Ballgame – and Daniel tells him many stories,
filling him with awe. Jake is starting to become impressed
with how much his Dad knows about baseball. Jake, having
let down his guard, asks his Dad about the divorce and his
mother’s impending re-marriage. Does it feel weird coming

Copyright © 2009 Samuel M. Redlich. All Rights Reserved.

to the house that you used to live at? “Well, I suppose it
did for awhile…”

Later that night Daniel and Jake settle in at a small motel

on the outskirts of Cooperstown. Daniel is in the bathroom
brushing his teeth while Jake lay sprawled on the single
queen mattress – he is fighting to stay awake, as they
continue to banter about baseball, reliving the great day
they have had together, fiddling with various sports
memorabilia items, reading the backs of baseball cards.
”Dad, did you know that Mario Mendoza…” Jake is losing his
battle to stay awake. ESPN SportCenter is on the T.V. Just
before he drifts off Jake wonders aloud “What if we could
bring all the greatest players back, ya know Mantle,
Gehrig, Williams, Jimmie Foxx. The greats could play each
other – figure out the greatest team once and for all. That
would be the coolest thing ever”. Daniel, his mouth filled
with toothpaste, toothbrush still in hand, looks into the
bathroom mirror and says to himself, “Yeah – that would be
cool” and then continues to brush his teeth. From the look
in his eyes, Daniel is up to something.

Around 9:00 a.m. the next Saturday morning Jake bikes over
to his Dad’s house and lets himself in. Daniel and Jake
have plans to go to a baseball card show. While in the
kitchen grabbing a snack, Jake hears a sound coming from
the backyard. Cautiously, he decides to investigate. Jake
walks into the Barn and discovers a grown man in a vintage
Boston Red Sox home uniform– it’s none other than TED
WILLIAMS - Jake is stunned and speechless. His jaw drops,
he points to Ted, stuttering in shock. He points to his
father, who has emerged from behind a door, and says “you,
you unfroze Ted Williams” Daniel responds “no, no I did not
unfreeze Ted Williams”. Daniel says, still frantic, “Oh my
god – You cloned him. You cloned Ted Williams. How cool!”
Daniel, trying to calm Jakes excitement “Now, now Jake- I
didn’t clone him – It’s more like a time machine” Jake
responds, “a time machine? Daniel says “well, yeah, sorta -
I mean, it’s more like I borrowed him from a particular
time and place. Jake, confused, repeats “a time machine?”
Daniel hands Jake a 1954 Topps Ted Williams Card. “I did it
using this” – I mean, this and the machine. Also, I don’t
know exactly how it worked this time, but it worked. I
mean, I designed it to work, but it wasn’t working and
then, well, you see what happened” as he points to Ted.
Jake appears to be listening, but for sure he is just

Copyright © 2009 Samuel M. Redlich. All Rights Reserved.

standing there, silent, with his jaw wide open – without
anything to say.

All this time, Ted Williams, dressed in full home uniform

sits patiently as the father and son banter back and forth,
seemingly content to let it ride out.

The next thing you know Jake, Daniel, and Ted Williams are
all at the kitchen room table having cookies and milk as
Daniel tries to explain the science of what has happened to
Ted:

“The spatial aspects of time travel are almost universally

overlooked when we go gallivanting through temporal mayhem.
But I didn’t do that. See, the invention actually removes
the person in the photo, in this case a baseball card, from
the exact time and place when and where the picture was
being taken, placing the traveler in current time and
immediate space. The time traveler experiences the time
travel as lasting anywhere from a day to a day and a half
while they are here, if my calculations are correct, and
physically missing from their time for about ¼ of a second
– about the length of time it takes someone to bat an eye.
Thus we have actually transported someone from a particular
space and time to another. In Science terms, were using a
transversable wormwhole connecting two different points in
space-time”.

Daniel goes on further to explain to Ted and Jake that Ted

must absolutely not leave the house while Daniel goes back
to the barn/lab to figure out how this all happened so that
he could send him back. “we don’t really know the affects
of all this – really, the best thing is to try and reverse
the process” Jake argues that “you said it only lasts a a
day or so and it’s the weekend – so why don’t we just let
it be – have some fun – I could use some help with my
hitting”. Daniel is not amused by Jake and heads off to the
barn to figure things out – admonishing Jake with a stern
look and adding “and no phone calls or the internet”. Jake
murmurs “and to think I was beginning to think you were
cool, Dad”.

So Daniel goes to the barn/lab while Ted entertains Jake

with stories about baseball, being a fighter pilot,
fishing, and of course, babes.

Copyright © 2009 Samuel M. Redlich. All Rights Reserved.

About fifteen minutes later, Jake excuses himself to go use
the bathroom. Daniel is still in the barn and Ted is on the
couch watching fishing on television. While in the
bathroom, Jake uses his cell phone to make a call “Hey
Kenny, you’ve got to get over here – your not gonna
believes this”.

Soon enough, Kenny arrives at Daniel’s house and to his

utter shock and amazement is introduced to Ted Williams.
After a few minutes, Kenny’s amazement turns to excitement
as he starts rolling off different money making schemes
that can be put into play using Ted. Just as Jake tries to
explain to Kenny that he can’t tell anyone – Daniel comes
in from the barn. Daniel is upset to see Kenny there,
further compounding the stress over not having yet found a
solution to the problem. After further scolding Jake and
telling Kenny that he must keep mum, Daniel tells everyone
that he “must run to the hardware store to pick up some
things – I have some ideas, but I need a few things first
so that I can try them out”. Before leaving, Daniel further
warns the kids to not leave the house – that he is
serious”.

With Daniel out, and against Ted’s advice, Kenny easily

convinces Jake to show him the “machine”. Jake is hesitant
– but not hesitant enough. They make there way back to the
barn, Ted in tow.

In the barn, Jake and Kenny are checking out the “invention
/ contraption”. Jake tells Kenny what happened by motioning
to the machine. “so this is it” “yeah, so”…Kenny responds,
Kenny’s focus is instead drawn upon the shoebox of vintage
baseball cards in the corner. Kenny says “it’s all Red Sox
and Yankees” “and nice ones” “holy crap” “this box has got
to be worth thousands” he continues to go through cards,
saying some names close to under his breathe, then to Jake:
“so all it takes is a baseball card, huh? “ Jake: well, I
don’t- - Cut off by Kenny, who says “here, try this one –
as a 1941 Joe DiMaggio sits firmly between his right hand
thumb and index finger, protected by Plexiglas. At that
very second, Jake and Kenny hear some movement in another
section of the barn and start to panic, fumbling all about
until the 1941 Joe Dimaggio card somehow gets tossed up
onto the invention’s platform just as the cat which created
the commotion runs on by “the button” – turning it on.

Copyright © 2009 Samuel M. Redlich. All Rights Reserved.

ACT II

The clock says it’s around noon while Daniel, Jake, Kenny,
Ted, and now, JOE DIMAGGIO are all together at the dining
room table talking and eating lunch. Daniel rails into Jake
and Kenny about what they did. Of course, Jake returns the
argument since it was Daniel that started all this. Daniel
appears exasperated by it all – but unwilling to give up in
his attempt to find out how it happened as well as a way to
send the players back.

After lunch, everybody is antsy – Daniel is pacing – he

needs to go back to the barn and work, but also needs to be
assured that no trouble will occur while he is out of
sight. Jake and Kenny are itching to go outside and play.
Daniel offers to let them the boys play in the yard
provided that Ted and Joe stay inside. The boys agree and
go out to play.

It’s no time at all before Ted, Joe, Jake, and Kenny are
playing catch and pepper in the backyard.

About twenty minutes later, Daniel comes out from the barn
– obviously disappointed to see the players out there, but
needing to get back to work, warns everyone to “just keep
it down – we do not want to draw attention. I repeat: we do
not want to draw attention”. Daniel is not happy and he
huffs and puffs himself back into the barn. The players and
the boys are doing there best to not laugh and quickly get
back to the fun.

Unable to contain their competitive natures, Ted + Joe

finally succumb to an argument over who could hit the ball
the furthest down the street. The argument turns to a
challenge and Joe steps up first – who hits the ball far
down the street – landing in some distant neighbors yard.
Ted steps into his “batting practice” pitch by Joe and
drive it deep – and headed for where Joe’s ball landed.
Instead, it travels further – into the next house down –
via a now shattered kitchen window. Yikes!

Daniel is immersed at the task at hand but then hears a

smashing sound come from outside. He decides to
investigate. Daniel says “That’s enough of the backyard
home run derby” –“I’ve almost got it – I am real close.
Guys, please – just go inside.” Everyone agrees.

Copyright © 2009 Samuel M. Redlich. All Rights Reserved.

Just as he is ushering the guys into the house, MR.
DALRYMPLE is there at the backyard fence – a baseball
serving as a meatball in his spaghetti – his head red like
a tomato. Daniel turns to Mr. Dalrymple, apologizing for
his window and offering to pay the damages. Mr.Dalrymple is
slightly satisfied, but then begins to prod – “what’s with
the men in the baseball uniforms?” Daniel ignores the
question “ I really gotta go, get back to work Mr.
Dalrymple” – and he heads back to the barn. Mr. Dalrymple
appears more suspicious - and after he sees Daniel enter
the barn he pulls out a camera phone and aims it through
the back porch window – zooming in on Ted and Joe and then
snapping away before leaving.

So about an hour later, Ted, Joe, Jake, are inside playing

video games when Daniel, beaming with pride and emanating
bravado comes rushes into the house, arms flailing,
announcing “I got it – I got it. Ted and Joe in the barn –
now!”.

So then everybody is in the barn. Daniel is working

diligently on a few finishing touches – getting the
contraption ready for use. “Okay guys, Ted, Joe – I just
need to adjust a few things right here and then it will be
ready. Jake, Kenny just give me some room. Ted, Joe, Ted,
Joe? – you guys just stay back there for a moment. This is
just gonna take a second”.

As Daniel is tightening this and tweaking that, Jake and

Kenny are looking on while Ted and Joe are fiddling with
Daniel’s vintage baseball cards, commenting on the various
players they come upon.

Before you can say “time shift”, Ted and Joe bring over the
box of vintage baseball cards to where Daniel is. Daniel
looks up at Ted “it will just be a second – I am almost
done. Time to do this”. Ted , holding out a 19xx Jimmie
Foxx, says to Daniel “try this one”. Daniel responds,
confusingly and dismissively, “why would I – no, were
sending you back, I’m sending you back – this was a
mistake, I shouldn’t have done it. You have to go back –
now”. Joe then immediately steps forward, and with a
genuine 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle suggestively in his hand,
calmly says to Daniel, “we’d prefer to play ball”.

Before you can say batter up, the barn is overflowing with
the greatest Yankees and Red Sox players– Mantle, Foxx,

Copyright © 2009 Samuel M. Redlich. All Rights Reserved.

Gehrig, Young, Ford, Fisk, and on and on until the backyard
is filled with about 50 players, 25 Red Sox 25 Yankees.

Daniel, completely overwhelmed, exasperatedly says aloud

“What are we going to do now? And Babe Ruth, just across
from him, dressed finely in his Yankee home pinstripes
responds confidently “Well, play ball, of course”. Everyone
cheers – except Daniel.

But then Chaos ensues. Red Sox versus Yankees arguing and
scuffling in the backyard. Thurman versus Fisk. Before you
know it an all out brawl erupts. A veritable powder keg
ready to blow.

Kenny is using his phone to call the Red Sox – they call
him a crank hang up. He calls the Yankees – they call him a
weirdo and hang up. Not seeming deterred, Kenny dials again
“Hello, ESPN – yeah, aren’t you like only 20 minutes away
from Middletown?”

Kenny continues his opportunism – charging admission to the

kids in the neighborhood who have started to gather.
Several of the kids have camera phones and are using them.

No sooner said then done, an ESPN Truck pulls out of its

parking lot, tires screeching, at full speed – going for
the story. “I can’t believe we let some kid with You Tube
beat us to this story..”

The crowd continues to swell.

Jake uses his cell phone to make a call “Mom, come to Dad’s
right away. No, everything’s fine, but I can’t talk. I need
you to come right away. You have got to see this. You have
got to see what Dad did – it is so cool”.

Jake’s mom shows up at Daniel’s house, worried, she is

bewildered to find a carnival atmosphere – neighbors, town
folk, police and media everywhere.

ESPN has arrived. More media continues to flood into the

scene. Social Media websites – Facebook, Twitter, etc… are
all abuzz with rumors and innuendo.

The chaos in the backyard continues when all of a sudden

Victoria grabs the closest thing she can to make noise – a
pair of metal BBQ thongs – and begins to bang on the BBQ

Copyright © 2009 Samuel M. Redlich. All Rights Reserved.

saying “How about some BBQ before the big game?” – and
instantly, the chaos and tension turns to cheers and chants
of “Woo–Hoo, BBQ. Woo–Hoo,BBQ. Woo-Hoo, BBQ.” - BBQ it is.

Sure enough, with the BBQ grill fired up, everything seems
under control and everybody is having a good ole’ time.
Victoria is in charge and CHARLES – the boyfriend, is
helping organize feeding everyone while Jake, Kenny, and
the Gang act as “food runners”.

Meanwhile, an emergency teleconference is underway amongst

the MLB owners. Red Sox and Yankee officials are brought to
task for dropping the ball on Kenny’s phone calls and thus
letting this get out of hand. MLB is taking control! The
Red Sox and Yankee officials are too busy arguing over
everything and anything and too busy to address the
commissioners concerns. The other owners want to know how
they will make money and start to argue about that.
Confusion abounds.

More media continues to descend upon Middletown. Throngs of

Red Sox, Yankees, and MLB officials arrive. Loads of Yankee
and Red Sox fans start to fill the town.

Various news agencies are reporting that the game will be

played right here in Middletown – tomorrow at 7:30 at the
community college field. The media fuels the fire.
Interviews and more interviews, followed by analysis,
commentaries, etc, etc… Is the rumor true? The Red Sox
general manager says they don’t know – but that they would
support the idea. The Yankees general manager says the same
thing. Both the Red Sox and Yankees deny floating the
rumor. No word yet on what the MLB Commissioner has to say.

At the same time, the police are starting to contain the

crowd around the house and people are dispersing. The BBQ
is winding down and Daniel gets on the phone to make some
sort of sleeping arrangements for the players. He calls
CHADRA, who owns a Small Motel in Middletown to give the
players a place to stay. Chadra says that the players
should probably not stay in the same hotel and that he has
a cousin who runs another Small Motel about 15 minutes away
in Vernon, Ct. He suggests that he take in one team and his
cousin take in the other. Daniel is worried about the
stability of the players being so far from the geographical
coordinates, but sees no other option and thus agrees and
thanks Chadra.

Copyright © 2009 Samuel M. Redlich. All Rights Reserved.

By dusk, here they are, inexplicably, the greatest Yankees
and Red Sox players, in their prime, getting on buses in
Middletown, Connecticut – en route to their respective
hotels the night before the big game.

“What else is there to do in this town on a Saturday Night”

is heard coming from a player on one of the buses.

The rest of hat night in Middletown was like a big block

party. Yankee fans, Red Sox fans, Baseball fans, and just
people who like a party – turning out in droves in this
small New England town.

At around Midnight, The MLB commissioner helicopters in and

requests to meet with the players. After a while the
missing Babe Ruth is found, they have a meeting in which
the commissioner squashes all ideas about a one game,
winner take all affair to be played in Middletown, which
has gained a groundswell of support amongst fans
everywhere. The commissioner shows them a legal document
that says they are property of their respective teams and
that under the collective bargaining agreement all matters
such as this prospective game are within his authority and
his authority alone. He says that the owners are unable to
agree on how to not only share in the profits of this game,
but other, future games - featuring the greatest players
from each team competing against each other. The owners
continue to negotiate, but no signs of agreement can be
seen. He says he has no choice to at least put the game on
hold.

ESPN Breaking News: Chris Berman reports: “rumors of a game

tomorrow at 7:30 are greatly exaggerated. According to a
source in the commissioner’s office, the commissioner has
put any thoughts of any game temporarily on hold until the
owners can agree on the time and place as well as different
aspects of the financial arrangements. That according to
the commissioner’s office. Now, fans we turned to you
earlier and asked you to vote – 96% voted and said “Yes”
they want to see these greatest Red Sox and these Greatest
Yankees square up for a one game winner take all match, The
players themselves are itching to get at it, the coaches
are ready, and so is the town of Middletown, CT, so what
gives?”

Copyright © 2009 Samuel M. Redlich. All Rights Reserved.

Fans everywhere are outraged on the delay in scheduling a
game. The MLB commissioner calls on different owners again
and again – late into the night - but is unable to get them
to agree. The MLB commissioner’s office releases a
statement in the wee hours of the a.m. that no agreement
has been reached and that as of this time, no game is
scheduled.

Early the next morning it is evident that funny things are

starting to happen to the players– things like what
happened to Hank the Hamster- and they are getting
impatient. Daniel is worried. Back at home Jake and Kenny
are also getting impatient – so much so that they decide
they have had enough of waiting around for some adult to
make the game happen and so they decide to just put on the
game themselves.

The kids call Ted and Joe, who bring the idea to the other
players, and all the players love it! The players want to
play for the kids – in Middletown! Tonight!

Taking advantage of all the news outlets present, Jake and

Kenny Go on a media blitz – ESPN, CNN, Fox, et al –
promoting there case for the inaugural game of “The
Middletown Baseball League”. “with or without the approval
of the Red Sox, Yankees, MLB, or any of the other teams –
this game is going to happen:

TONIGHT!!!

Greatest Yankees v. The Greatest Red Sox

SUNDAY, AUGUST 31, 2010
7:30 P.M.
Doubleday Field, Middletown, CT…”

After hearing the kids’ pleas and under the weight of the
greatest players’ and public support, The Red Sox and
Yankees officials give their blessing to the kid’s
“Middletown Baseball League” idea. Owners of the other
teams quickly follow suit, and the Commissioner goes on
T.V. to sanction this evening’s inaugural game of the
“Middletown Baseball League”.

All seems well and settled in Middletown by two-o’clock on

Sunday. Everyone can just concentrate on getting ready for
the game.

Copyright © 2009 Samuel M. Redlich. All Rights Reserved.

Fast forward to 7:00 p.m. – just thirty minutes before game
time. All the preparations are set. Fans are streaming into
the community college baseball stadium. Players are seen
stretching, talking with media. A sense of anticipation
fills the air. Jake and Kenny are meeting and greeting like
celebrities - when all of a sudden it starts to pour cats
and dogs. The players immediately scatter to the dugouts as
the fans look for shelter anywhere they can find it. The
tarp is pulled out. We are experiencing a rain delay.

ACT III

It continues to rain and continues to rain and continues to

rain. Speculation that the game will be postponed starts to
circulate around 9:00 p.m. – The Yankees, The Red Sox, and
MLB all believe it is best to reschedule the game. Alas,
they don’t know that the players could start disappearing
at any moment – and so Jake, Kenny, and Daniel’s support
are adamant about waiting out the rain and getting the game
in “after all, a lot of people are here to see a baseball
game”. At about 2:30 a.m. the clouds clear a bit and the
moon shines down upon Middletown. Finally, we are ready to
“play ball”.

And so, amidst the dead of a late August night, under the
lights, the greatest game begins – and oh what a great game
it turns out to be.

After early inning dominance by the pitchers, the offenses

start to warm up and in the third inning an unlikely power
hitter provided the game’s first sparks:

“Runners on second and third, Berra and Lazzeri, two outs,

two balls, two strikes – the pitch to Rizzuto - - - there
goes a deep drive to left center field, Williams going
back, looking up – and it’s gone! A three run home run for
the Scooter – Phil Rizzuto, putting the Yankees up 3-0.”

The Red Sox didn’t wait long to respond, when in the top of
the forth, after a Cronin one out double, Dom DiMaggio,
brother of Joe, came to the plate –

“…the pitch by Hoyte – line drive, left side – fair ball

past third base, into the left corner, Cronin scores,
Dimaggio on second with a stand-up double, Yankees 3 Red
Sox 1”.

Copyright © 2009 Samuel M. Redlich. All Rights Reserved.

The Yankees had been patient with C.Y. Young and the walks,
which weren’t hurting him early in the game were
nonetheless piling up. In the bottom of the sixth, with the
Yankees still leading 3 – 1, Young again had trouble – this
time in the middle of the lineup – walking Gehrig and Ruth
only to face Mickey Mantle -

“and the pitch to Mantle – a short pop toward the second

basemen –into right field, Evans coming on – its gonna
drop, its gonna drop in for a base hit –Gehrig will score,
Ruth onto third base – the throw into third – it gets away!
It gets away! Berra is going to score, Mantle slides into
third base with a triple – 5 – 1 Yankees”.

Young stranded the runner at third and then Red Sox

responded in the top of the 7th -

“the 3-2 pitch by Gomez - - line drive into right field by

Jim Rice, Foxx will score from second, 5-2 Yankees..”

And again in the eighth -

“runners on the corners, the 3 -1 pitch to Fisk – base hit

up the middle, Boggs rounding third – the throw in to the
third baseman, Boggs will score, Doerr at second, Fisk is
at first – 5- 3 Yankees.

And finally, the top of the ninth –

“The Red Sox have been chipping away at this Yankee lead,
it is 5-3 Yankees and now the Red Sox have two runners –
Fisk on second base, via a walk and a passed ball, and
Boggs on first – having been hit by a pitch. There’s two
outs – and now its up to the Splendid Splinter, Ted
Williams - with a chance to tie things up with one swing of
the bat. There are two outs.

The count is 2 balls 2 strikes. This is Boston’s last

chance and Williams is Boston’s best hope.

The pitch on its way - - - and there goes a high fly ball
to right field, Winfield going back, going back, Winfield
looking up – and into the right field bleachers - - Ted
Williams with a three run home run to give the Boston Red
Sox a 6-5 lead over the New York Yankees. Oh My!”

Copyright © 2009 Samuel M. Redlich. All Rights Reserved.

However, in the bottom of the ninth, the Yankees call on
their heroes as well –

“Jeter, the runner on third, two outs, Gehrig the batter.

The pitch by Young, Gehrig hits a slow rolling ground ball
toward third base, Collins, the defensive replacement,
coming in, Jeter headed for home, Collins bobbles it – he
can’t get a grip – and Jeter is going to score and the
Yankees have tied it up, 6-6. Can you believe it!”

All this as the sun rises to greet a new day.

The run to tie was all the Yankees would get and things
settled down for awhile. Gomez, Guidry, and Catfish Hunter
having kept Boston at bay for the Yankees, while for the
Sox, Radatz and Parnell– in relief of C.Y. Young keeping
Red Sox Nation’s hopes alive.

But the earth would shake again in Middletown, Ct in the

top of the twelfth on this pitch from New Yankee reliever,
Herb Pennock –

“the 1-1 pitch to pinch hitter Tony Conigliario – there’s a

deep drive to center field – this is going to be gone, no
doubt about it, right off the bat, line drive home run off
the bat of Tony C., giving the Red Sox a 7-6 lead here in
the top of the twelfth”.

In the bottom of the twelfth, With the Red Sox now ahead 7-
6, the Yankees have Earle Combs on second base with a one
out double. Jeter has popped out and Babe Ruth is coming to
the plate.

“It appears that Parnell is signaling to the Red Sox dugout

– he’s pointing to his left shoulder – it’s his left
shoulder – he’s injured – it looks like he’s going to have
to leave this game –

It’s 10:00 a.m. Monday morning by now…

Players are starting to flicker in and out – time is

running out --

Red Sox player/manager Joe Cronin, exhausted asks bench

coach “who do we have left?” Bench coach pauses to look at
his lineup card and then responds yes – well, there’s #3–
he hasn’t pitched yet”. Cronin then says “Okay well #3 it

Copyright © 2009 Samuel M. Redlich. All Rights Reserved.

will be”. And so, out from behind the bullpen gate steps
#3, Red Sox pitcher Babe Ruth. The crowd goes silent until
it is completely silent – and then all that is heard is the
distant sound of a man yelling “It’s the Babe” - as if the
100,000 stunned fans didn’t notice.

Babe Ruth, young pitcher for the Boston Red Sox approaches
the pitchers mound, bulbs are flickering all about, the
players are stunned, the Sultan of Swat - Babe Ruth,
outfielder for the Yankees at–bat has a look of utter
confusion on his face – and then everything seems to slow
down – as if in slow motion.

Ruth gets to the mound, the catcher and the first base men
gather round. The third basemen stands close by, kicking
and arranging some dirt and listening in. The short stop
and the second baseman are talking to each other (second
basemen went over to short stop) through their respective
gloves. The umpire approaches and the meeting ends. Babe
gives a look to each of his infielders and then steps to
the rubber. The catcher adjusts his mask and then flashes
the sign. Babe shakes him off and then nods – agreeing to
the pitch called for.

And here’s the pitch: “There’s a deep, deep drive to left

field, Williams going back, going back, and leaping at the
wall - and the ball is…

We are “back to the future” and there they are: the

grandfather and granddaughter, granddaughter completely
captivated, having hung on each of her grandfather’s words,
“Grandpa Jacob, Grandpa Jacob, what happens next? Who won
the game? – then, after a short pause, the Grandpa looks at
his beloved granddaughter, and with a sweet smile and just
the slyest of grins, responds “well that depends upon who
you ask”.

THE END

Copyright © 2009 Samuel M. Redlich. All Rights Reserved.