[The 2021 baseball season ends today, and we’ll find out if the Red Sox season ends with it, or whether they survive to play another day. In this concluding chapter of Truck Day to Duck we will re-live the most improbable season in recent Red Sox history. SB SM]
October 1
Government shuts down as lawmakers squabble.
Hernandez fiancee’s lawyer accuses DA of “abuse.”
Rays over Rangers 5-2 behind David Price in one game playoff (which is about the stupidest idea ever. If the goal is to involve more teams, why not pick the best 4 non-division winners and have them play a double elimination tournament?)
October 2
Tourist sites shuttered.
Pirates 6, Reds 2 to take wild card.
October 3
Lawyers for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev petition to have prison conditions eased. Currently jailed at Fort Devens.
L.L. Bean to make 100 pairs of custom booths from “upcycled” tarp that covers infield at Fenway. (Am I the only one who finds this offensive?)
Rays beat Indians/Francona to face Sox
October 4
Serial Dunkin’ outlaw on the loose! 19 robberies of Dunkin’ shops since March.
Bruins open season with 3-1 win.
October 5
Sox take opener from Rays 12-2.
Alexander Bradley arrested in Connecticut. Claims to have been shot in face by Hernandez in February. May have information about 2011 double slaying rumored to involve Hernandez.
Fight continues over who should be entitled to Bulger’s blood money.
Tweeter sales soar as investors confuse them with Twitter IPO.
October 6
David Ortiz loses two as Sox top Rays, 7-4. Relief trio of Breslow, Tazawa, and Uehara save it for Lackey.
October 7
Patriots lose to Bengals as Buchholtz prepares to take mound in Tampa.
No end in sight to government shut down says John “Boo-hoo” Boehner. (Marty Barrett was a pretty good second baseman for the Sox whose nickname also was “Boo-hoo.)
October 8
Koji (gasp!) allows game-winning walk-off as Rays prevail, 5-4.
October 9
School bus drivers go on strike in Boston, adding to confusion citywide.
“Not guilty” says Jared Remy in court.
Sox move on to ALC Championship series after beating Rays 3-1 behind Jake Peavy and relief staff. Craig Breslow has been one of the unsung heroes for Sox.
October 10
NO!! Hilltop Steak House to close. First Anthony’s Pier 4 now Frank Giuffrida’s Hilltop Steak House. This truly is the end of an era.
RIP Andy Pafko. Watched Bobby Thomson’s pennant-winning home run sail over his head. Moments like this are why we keep watching baseball.
A’s or Tigers. Who’s it going to be?
October 11 … October 12
It’s the Tigers.
October 13
Curt Schilling holds a yard sale, but he’ll be back on top some day.
Anibal Sanchez shuts down Sox in series opener, 1-0. Just misses no hit bid. How’d they let this guy get away?
October 14
Incredible day for Boston sports fans. In the afternoon watch Tom Brady throw a game-winning touchdown throw with five seconds left on the clock, then in the evening watch David Ortiz turn the season around with a game-tying grand slam. Salty wins it with a singal in the ninth, but it’s all about David.
October 15 … 16
Two more Dunkin’ stores hit.
Owners of boat where Tsaraev was captured have some very strange stories to tell.
Lackey, Napoli, and bullpen triumvirate lead Sox to 2-1 victory over Tigers.
October 17
Government default avoided (at least for a little while).
Tigers roar back against Peavy, Sox 7-3.
October 18
Lester, Bullpen fend off Tigers, 4-3. Sox lead series 3-2.
Bruins nip Tim Thomas 3-2 with last minute goal.
October 19
Annie Dookhan’s attorney argues for one year sentence. Prosecutor wants 7.
Stolen items from Hilltop Steak House showing up on eBay.
Dodgers fold like a card table. Cardinals move on to World Series with 9-0 win.
October 20
Victorino’s slam carries Red Sox into World Series. 5-2 final over Detroit.
October 21
Pats fall to Jets in OT, losing on dubious penalty call.
October 22-23-24
Mayoral candidates … legal nuances … casino chatter … sports blither … beards grow … let’s just get on with it.
Finally, Sox over Cardinals 8-1. Lester dominant. Ortiz homers. Cardinals sloppy.
October 25
Cardinals rally past Sox 4-2. Series heads to St. Louis
John Henry wraps up purchase of Boston Globe.
October 26
RIP Bill Sharman, Celtics Hall of Famer.
October 27
Cards win on disputed obstruction call in 9th. Cards win 5-4, take 2-1 Series lead.
Says Dan Shaughnessy “The Red Sox are in trouble.”
Intelligence assessment of Marathon bombing delayed by government shutdown.
October 28
Koji picks off pinch runner to end game. Second stunning ending in as many days. Big blow a three-run homer by Jonny Gomes.
October 29
Lester, Ross, Uehara key contributions in 3-1 Sox victory. Team heads back to Boston with two shots to win title.
Jared Remy murder trial set for October, 2014
Police recover stolen Hilltop cows.
One year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy
October 30
Officials question Miami Dolphins player on gun in Hernandez photo
October 31 (Happy Halloween)
RED SOX 6, CARDINALS 1!! Lackey, Uehara superb. Ortiz MVP.
November 3
Duck Day. Euphoric Red Sox fans salute their champions in traditional Duck Day parade.
Mike Napoli staggers into the night (and hopefully home to sleep it off), putting a final punctuation mark on Boston’s Amazing Summer of 2013!
Is Baseball the ones with the clubs or the nets?