NEW YORK -- It's on: The avenging saints of lost causes against the lords of the World Series rings, fighting to the last gasp to arrive first at baseball's pearly gates.
It's the Red Sox and Yankees -- again.
In the marquee matchup of the new millennium, the archenemies renew their storied rivalry tonight in the House That Ruth Built and the Sox aim to raze as Tim Wakefield carries the torch of New England's hopes against Gotham's Mike Mussina in Game 1 of the best-of-seven American League Championship Series.
The stakes are nothing less than everything Grady Little's renegades of resiliency have angled for since Day One: one clear shot to deliver the franchise's first world championship since 1918. The winner advances to the World Series against the Cubs or Marlins.
"I know a lot of people are talking about that, a lot of people are thinking about that," manager Grady Little said of the Sox returning to the World Series for the first time since 1986, this time against the Cubs, their championship-starved counterparts from the National League. "You never know. It could happen."
The Sox touched down shortly after dawn yesterday, climbing off a red-eye of joy after they surged back from the precipice of elimination (an 0-2 deficit in the best-of-five AL Division Series) and vanquished the A's in a rousing Game 5 clincher in Oakland. The comeback unfolded like a redux of the 1999 Division Series in which the Sox climbed out of an 0-2 sinkhole and stunned the Indians to capture a berth against the Steinbrenner Nine in the ALCS.
"It's been a whirlwind, the last 48 hours for us," Wakefield said. "But it's been an exciting time for us and hopefully we can carry the momentum into [tonight]."
The Sox, guided by Little and general manager Theo Epstein (both of whom joined Boston's buzz-cut brigade), last night were fashioning their final roster for the series to try to produce a sweeter outing against the Yankees than their predecessors achieved.
The '99 Sox lost in five games in the ALCS as Nomar Garciaparra's right wrist ached from a pitch that struck him in late September (he underwent surgery nearly 18 months later) and Pedro Martinez was unavailable until Game 3 because he pitched six innings of no-hit relief to help clinch the finale of the Division Series.
Once again, Martinez will not go until Game 3, when he faces Roger Clemens four years after they squared off in a Game 3 at Fenway Park. Martinez won the duel, 13-1, for Boston's only victory of the series. The difference this time, the Sox believe, is that both their pitching staff and lineup are deeper.
"I think the majority of the team has felt all along that if we could get over the hump of coming back against Oakland, hopefully it would be a little smoother from here on out," reliever Bronson Arroyo said after the Sox held a short workout in the Bronx.
Still, the Yankees enter the series as the favorites, largely because they were able to set their rotation to their liking with everyone rested. They are expected to send Mussina, Andy Pettitte, Clemens, and David Wells against Wakefield, Derek Lowe, Martinez, and John Burkett.
Little was unfazed by the notion that New York could have an edge in the matchups -- or be far better rested than the Sox, who played a hellacious bicoastal schedule.
"We're going to have two good teams on the field," he said, "and both of them are going to be ready to play." Wakefield may be no Martinez, but he should be stronger than Kent Mercker was when he started Game 1 against the Yankees in '99 on two days' rest. And the '99 Sox lineup was no match for this year's record-setting crew, which just happened to top the 1927 Yankees -- Murderers Row -- for the best slugging percentage (.491) of all time.
Replacing Mike Stanley as the DH will be MVP candidate David Ortiz, who hit .327 with six homers and 14 RBIs this year against the Yankees. Playing third base rather than John Valentin will be Bill Mueller, the AL batting champion. It will be Kevin Millar instead of Brian Daubach at first base, Todd Walker rather than Jose Offerman at second. Oh, and Manny Ramirez taking Troy O'Leary's place in left.
Mueller led Sox regulars in batting against the Yankees at .347, while Ortiz and Todd Walker (.311) also thrived. And no regulars struggled against the Yanks other than Millar (.197) and Jason Varitek (.216).
"It obviously did not surprise me that we are playing Boston," Yankee manager Joe Torre said, "because they are so good."
The Sox also could be handicapped by the loss of Johnny Damon, possibly for two or more games as he recovers from a concussion he suffered colliding with Damian Jackson in Monday's clincher against Oakland. Damon, who batted .316 as the team's catalyst in the Division Series, is expected to be replaced by Gabe Kapler (0 for 9 in the postseason).
The Yankees edged the Sox in the season series, 10-9, splitting 10 games in the Bronx and taking five of nine in the Fens. Seven of the games were decided by one or two runs.
"We played them tooth and nail," Torre said. "We had some games where we outscored them but we certainly don't plan on trying to beat them that way. We need to have our pitchers pitch well."
Sure, history has not been kind to the Sox. While they chase their first world championship since Woodrow Wilson occupied the White House, the Yankees are gunning for the 27th in franchise history and the fifth in seven years.
But the guys who wear the Boston colors this year know as well as anyone about their team's tortured history, particularly against the Yankees. And they are ready to grapple the ghosts.
"I know the Red Sox have had this feeling of being so close a few times," said Arroyo. "I hope this time it works out."
By Bob Hohler, Globe Staff.
This article appeared on Boston.Com on October 8, 2003
Copyright 2003 Globe Newspaper Company.