THE "IDIOTS" REVERSE THE CURSE

October 14, 2004 ... No game scheduled ... All the baseball world yesterday learned that Curt Schilling's ankle bone is connected to Derek Lowe's pitching bone.  The Sox scratched Schilling from his scheduled start of the American League Championship Series against the Yankees, saying the 21-game winner's injured right ankle was too sore for him even to throw in the bullpen, and Derek Lowe will take his spot in the rotation.

Causing a bit of a stir outside Ciao Bella today, Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez had lunch with Mr. October himself, former Major League slugger Reggie Jackson. Spotted at Grill 23 & Bar in the Back Bay were Yanks pitcher and Worcester native Tanyon Sturtze with fellow Yankees pitcher Steve Karsay and slugger Jason Giambi, who are both on the mend and not on the active roster. At another table pitcher turned Fox announcer Al Leiter dined with a crew of friends, while at a third table sat Yankees star Derek Jeter's parents. So where was Jeter? The Yanks shortstop, catcher Jorge Posada, and outfielder Gary Sheffield stopped by Davio's in Park Square after their afternoon workout at Fenway.
 

October 15, 2004 ... Game postponed due to rain ... Sandbags were holding down the tarp, mud was everywhere, and rain was softly falling. Even worse, reports of downpours circulated, so there was little doubt Game 3 of the American League Championship Series would be played. Still, the players went through the motions, a splattering of Yankees playing catch in left field, several members of the Red Sox doing wind-sprints in right field. By 6:15 p.m., the gates had been opened and the fans slowly settled into place, their seats dampened, but not their spirits.

It was at 5:48 when the ace of the Red Sox staff sidestepped dozens of puddles on the tarpaulin - then caught his injured right ankle and nearly tripped on that first gingerly step onto the outfield turf. Schilling chuckled, then continued to the bullpen, throwing for nearly a half-hour in front of Red Sox officials. Hardly riveting stuff, but every second was witnessed by hundreds of media members, the storylines paper thin on a day more fit for ducks, or a round of golf in Ireland.

Keeping hope alive, Curt Schilling tested his injured right ankle with a new high-top cleat in a bullpen session that Red Sox manager Terry Francona described as encouraging. The Sox hope Schilling can find a way to pitch with his dislocated peroneal ankle tendon and help them if their American League Championship Series against the Yankees goes longer than five games. In this scenario, the Sox would win behind Derek Lowe in Game 5 and Pedro Martinez in Game 6, then send Schilling out for a winner- take-all seventh game.  Schilling was closely observed in tonight's session by a number of team officials, including general manager Theo Epstein, medical director Bill Morgan, pitching coach Dave Wallace, and assistant trainer Chris Correnti.