2004 WS Celebration

jbupstate

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I can easily separate Schilling the ball player from Schilling the man. Not much different than the way I celebrate Ted Williams the player.
 

moondog80

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I can easily separate Schilling the ball player from Schilling the man.
Agree.

Moreover, not inviting him just makes Schill all the more insufferable.

Anyone who can't enjoy this because he's there, that's on them. I look forward to this.
 

Hyde Park Factor

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I think it does include Schilling and they're planning to let him lay in whatever bed he's made. I'd be willing to bet that the response from the fans will be mixed.

"Sorry, dude, we wanted you here...don't know what got into the fans..."
 

Max Power

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It's specifically described as including a celebration of the Wakefields, which is a little different than a standard 2004 team get together.
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
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They're also giving out Wake pins to everyone to attendance (and the schedule magnets). Not the lame bobblehead giveaways limited to just the first 7500 for other games.
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
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I hope Manny makes it. And Mirabelli.
And hope they invite Nomar too. And honestly any other Red Sock that played with Wake.

Obviously Tek will be there. 99% sure Papi and Pedro make it.

Will be a bittersweet day.
 

soxhop411

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I don't think anything speaks stronger about the Red Sox failure to address their issues than pulling out the 2004 card on opening day.
Strongly disagree here... This was going to happen during the home opening regardless of how the offseason went.... Tim was family to pretty much everyone in BOS
 

TomRicardo

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It's specifically described as including a celebration of the Wakefields, which is a little different than a standard 2004 team get together.
Holy shit I missed that. That is Macabre. You assume they do a tribute to Tim Wakefield but to advertise it in a desperate attempt to sell tickets? Sam Kennedy is a scumbag.

Edit - Normally a team would invite people to come to a tribute then later in the season build a trophy or have a charity event to bring the family in to honor the player.
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
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I don't like doing the 2 on the same day/game. The Wakefields should have the day/game to themselves.

Maybe do the 2004 stuff on Pats Day. Surely the players can hotel it for a week or something.
 

moondog80

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Holy shit I missed that. That is Macabre. You assume they do a tribute to Tim Wakefield but to advertise it in a desperate attempt to sell tickets? Sam Kennedy is a scumbag.
SOSH if they did this without telling anybody: "WHAT? They don't even let people know so they can make plans to be there? Sam Kennedy is a scumbag."


I don't like doing the 2 on the same day/game.

Maybe do the 2004 stuff on Pats Day. Surely the players can hotel it for a week or something.
I imagine the players would like to be there, and you don't want to ask them all to travel twice in one year.
 

Ale Xander

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SOSH if they did this without telling anybody: "WHAT? They don't even let people know so they can make plans to be there? Sam Kennedy is a scumbag."



I imagine the players would like to be there, and you don't want to ask them all to travel twice in one year.
Give them the top floor at the Hotel Commonwealth for a week or something. Or the Lenox or the Mandarin.
 

TomRicardo

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I know people love conspiracy theories, but couldn't it be as simple as the 20th anniversary?

EDIT--or what moondog said a minute sooner
Well they didn't do the 10 year anniversary on opening day 2014 because it was when they got their 2013 rings. In 2017 they didn't do a ten year anniversary for 2007 team opening day. They just had Tom Brady come out and throw the opening pitch. Last year they didn't do a 10 year anniversary for 2013 team. Ten year anniversaries are usually bigger than 20 year anniversaries.
 

Jim Ed Rice in HOF

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They were going to do a 20th anniversary thing for the '04 team, that's pretty much a given. They also lost a fixture of those teams in Wake which would seem pretty fucking bizarre if they held off on that until some random midweek game later in the month. You want as much participation from that team as possible I would imagine trying to schedule them to come in multiple times becomes a bit more of a logistical nightmare (and FFS, let's take the "put them up in a hotel" nonsense out of the equation, OK @Ale Xander?).
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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Jesus Christ some of you can be cynical negative fucks.

They were going to honor Wake on Opening Day regardless of ticket sales. They are going to honor the 2004 team multiple times over the course of the year. It only makes sense to do both at the same time.
 

moondog80

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Jesus Christ some of you can be cynical negative fucks.

They were going to honor Wake on Opening Day regardless of ticket sales. They are going to honor the 2004 team multiple times over the course of the year. It only makes sense to do both at the same time.
Yeah, but they weren't the highest bidder on Yamamoto.
 

GB5

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Aug 26, 2013
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As it relates to Schilling being there on a day to honor the Wakefield’s, it should be noted that Schilling was the one who dropped a dime publicly about Wake’s condition which had been previously private. Was very poorly received.
 

DennyDoyle'sBoil

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I thought this language in the tweet was interesting: "All members of the 2004 team are invited to the ceremony and participants will be announced before the home opener."

Kind of a pretty big indicator he's not coming, right? This is something you say when you have an indication that there will be no shows but you want to be on record that it's of their own choice and that everyone was invited.
 

loshjott

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I thought this language in the tweet was interesting: "All members of the 2004 team are invited to the ceremony and participants will be announced before the home opener."

Kind of a pretty big indicator he's not coming, right? This is something you say when you have an indication that there will be no shows but you want to be on record that it's of their own choice and that everyone was invited.
It could just mean they haven't gotten 24 confirmed "yeses" yet.
 

CR67dream

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There was always going to be a huge 20th anniversary celebration this year. Always. No matter what. As it should be. It's kind of a big deal. Opening Day makes perfect and total sense. Who cares what they did in other years?

The Wakefield thing is a necessary addition, you can't celebrate that team without acknowledging the heartbreaking losses that occurred just months ago. It's laughable to think it's a money grab or that Fenway won't be banged out on opening day. Good grief.
 

Ale Xander

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There was always going to be a huge 20th anniversary celebration this year. Always. No matter what. As it should be. It's kind of a big deal. Opening Day makes perfect and total sense. Who cares what they did in other years?

The Wakefield thing is a necessary addition, you can't celebrate that team without acknowledging the heartbreaking losses that occurred just months ago. It's laughable to think it's a money grab or that Fenway won't be banged out on opening day. Good grief.
When was the last time they had so many available/unsold seats for the home opener just 3 weeks before? 1994?
 

Petagine in a Bottle

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Wakefield died on the last day of the season, which I think complicates this. He needs to be honored- and honoring the 04 team before acknowledging the death of one it’s important members would be kind of odd. I dunno, these two things kind do have to happen together, don’t they? He’s the only significant member of that team no longer with us, and his absence is kind of an important part of the story, now.
 

bosox188

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I have my frustrations with the team's recent direction and the inconsistent offseason messaging, but I really hope we can avoid it spilling over into a celebration of the 2004 team. There's almost zero chance there was any cynical intent behind it, but even on the 0.0001% chance it was, fuck it we're there for those players (especially Wake) anyway. But like, there are 80 other games the Red Sox will be selling tickets for with the roster they've put together and the performance they get on the field. One game is a drop in the bucket and nobody in their right mind would think it's worth gaming an anniversary celebration for that.

I hope they invited more than 24 people.
Justice for Cesar Crespo!
 

DJnVa

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Another thread celebrating the first Sox title in 86 years turns tragic.
 

YTF

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I thought this language in the tweet was interesting: "All members of the 2004 team are invited to the ceremony and participants will be announced before the home opener."

Kind of a pretty big indicator he's not coming, right? This is something you say when you have an indication that there will be no shows but you want to be on record that it's of their own choice and that everyone was invited.
Not everyone in attendance will be a participant. Participant likely means speaker, presenter, etc... let's not overthink this.
 

Ale Xander

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Not everyone in attendance will be a participant. Participant likely means speaker, presenter, etc... let's not overthink this.
No, participant means they will be introduced for 3 seconds and their name will be on CF scoreboard and they’ll walk/run in from the outfield.
 

InstaFace

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There was always going to be a huge 20th anniversary celebration this year. Always. No matter what. As it should be. It's kind of a big deal. Opening Day makes perfect and total sense. Who cares what they did in other years?

The Wakefield thing is a necessary addition, you can't celebrate that team without acknowledging the heartbreaking losses that occurred just months ago. It's laughable to think it's a money grab or that Fenway won't be banged out on opening day. Good grief.
100% this. Could they have honored the 2004 team on some other random day of the season? Sure. Does it matter that they've chosen opening day? Not one bit.

And doing this gives most of his closest teammates a chance to honor Wakefield publicly too. I'm sure there will be speeches and stuff that they all want to be a part of. Combining them isn't inappropriate at all. It's a reminder of how fleeting our lives can be on this earth, and that for some lucky few like The 25 in 2004, the glory of their achievements can outlive them. A reminder to celebrate the wonderful things we've had in this life, baseball-wise at least, and to appreciate them all the more. It is a truly miserable, pitiable creature who can't view this event in that general vein, and has to come up with some reason to be upset about a memorial and a celebration of a triumph. Maybe the pakoras will be burnt, too!
 

Petagine in a Bottle

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100% this. Could they have honored the 2004 team on some other random day of the season? Sure. Does it matter that they've chosen opening day? Not one bit.

And doing this gives most of his closest teammates a chance to honor Wakefield publicly too. I'm sure there will be speeches and stuff that they all want to be a part of. Combining them isn't inappropriate at all. It's a reminder of how fleeting our lives can be on this earth, and that for some lucky few like The 25 in 2004, the glory of their achievements can outlive them. A reminder to celebrate the wonderful things we've had in this life, baseball-wise at least, and to appreciate them all the more. It is a truly miserable, pitiable creature who can't view this event in that general vein, and has to come up with some reason to be upset about a memorial and a celebration of a triumph. Maybe the pakoras will be burnt, too!
Totally. And anyone who goes to the event with the intent of booing Curt Schilling, well, that’s pretty lame too.
 

soxhop411

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There was always going to be a huge 20th anniversary celebration this year. Always. No matter what. As it should be. It's kind of a big deal. Opening Day makes perfect and total sense. Who cares what they did in other years?

The Wakefield thing is a necessary addition, you can't celebrate that team without acknowledging the heartbreaking losses that occurred just months ago. It's laughable to think it's a money grab or that Fenway won't be banged out on opening day. Good grief.
The type of conspiracy theory posted in this thread is something I would expect from WEEI or some idiot who calls into sports talk radio... Sad that its becoming the norm here...


Wakefield is literally Family especially since he was part of NESN after his Player career was finished
 
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Smiling Joe Hesketh

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As it relates to Schilling being there on a day to honor the Wakefield’s, it should be noted that Schilling was the one who dropped a dime publicly about Wake’s condition which had been previously private. Was very poorly received.
Yes, which is why I’m pretty appalled that they’re inviting him back for a ceremony where the Wakefields will be prominently remembered and featured.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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Yes, which is why I’m pretty appalled that they’re inviting him back for a ceremony where the Wakefields will be prominently remembered and featured.
I don't think it's the organization's place to not invite Schilling since he's a member of the 2004 team. If some (all?) of the players or family want to tell him to that he should stay home because of how he "outed" Wake's illness, I think that would be appropriate. In other words, I'd rather Schilling have to try to make guys like Timlin and Youk, or even the Wakefield children, out to be the bad guys if he's not welcomed at the park than to give him an easier scapegoat like the front office or ownership where he might come out looking sympathetic.
 

WestMassExpat

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I’d do the 20th party on the July 26 MFY game. Just two days after the Tek/A-Rod scuffle. When levee started to break.
 

joe dokes

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Jesus Christ some of you can be cynical negative fucks.

They were going to honor Wake on Opening Day regardless of ticket sales. They are going to honor the 2004 team multiple times over the course of the year. It only makes sense to do both at the same time.
But is John Henry too petty to invite Mookie?
 

joe dokes

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There was always going to be a huge 20th anniversary celebration this year. Always. No matter what. As it should be. It's kind of a big deal. Opening Day makes perfect and total sense. Who cares what they did in other years?

The Wakefield thing is a necessary addition, you can't celebrate that team without acknowledging the heartbreaking losses that occurred just months ago. It's laughable to think it's a money grab or that Fenway won't be banged out on opening day. Good grief.
Well said. Many of us have suffered a loss from a group that was second only to family. The next, post-funeral time you get together is the real reckoning. This is *exactly* the right time to have both. I am pretty sure the players will feel the same way. And since Wakefield was a cut above in terms of his closeness with the fans, it will be that way for fans as well. Some celebration and some collective mourning.
 

E5 Yaz

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Are they going to send Nomar off the field halfway through the ceremony?