AUBURN - It's so close but Charlie Wride knows better. The Boston Red Sox may be just two wins away from their first World Series title in 86 years but Wride isn't celebrating yet.
Charlie Wride loves talking about the Red Sox on his front porch in Auburn. He's hoping this will be Boston's first World Series triumph since 1918. Chris Sciria / The Citizen
Wride, who is also the New York-Penn League's historian and a devoted employee of the Auburn Doubledays is a big fan of the Red Sox.
The Auburn native has rooted for the Old Towne Team for almost 40 years and has seen them blow leads and lose the Series to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1967, the Cincinnati Reds in 1975 and the worst of them all - the New York Mets in 1986.
The ball that went through Bill Buckner's legs was probably the toughest bad break to deal with.
"One of total disbelief, Buckner was a hero, the way he played hurt," Wride said.
Wride became a Red Sox fan in 1965 when a friend, Don Fazio played in the Red Sox organization. Fazio introduced Wride to Jerry Moses, who signed with the Red Sox as a "bonus baby," a player who signed a big contract and had to play in the majors after one season in the minors.
On a trip to Boston, Moses brought Wride into the Fenway Park clubhouse and on the field.
"He looks at me and says, 'grab a bat,' so he gets a bucket of balls and there he is on the mound at Fenway Park," Wride said. "There I am at home plate swinging, I would love to tell you I put two or three in the screen (behind the Green Monster, the fabled left-field wall). I would love to tell you I even foul-tipped one, if I did, I would be lying because I didn't do anything.
"All I succeeded in doing is bringing the temperature in back-bay Boston down around 10 degrees because I was swinging from my heels," Wride added with a laugh.
Of course it's never easy being a Red Sox fan in the heart of Yankee country.
"Walking around, I'm a target in Yankeeland," he said. "I've had people really give me a rib."
Wride has heard enough after the Red Sox blew a 14.5-game lead in 1978 and the Yankees won a one-game playoff to take the AL East.
Last year was pretty tough as Boston lost the pennant in the bottom of the 11th on an Aaron Boone home run.
"Over the years, it's been almost, almost, almost and it's never happened," Wride said.
Like any real Red Sox fan, Wride has hung in there, clinging to hope and this season, that faith was rewarded when the Red Sox became the first team in baseball history to overcome a 3-0 postseason deficit and finally beat the hated Yankees.
Did Wride think the Red Sox were going to pull off one of the greatest comebacks in sports history?
"I never thought they had a chance, talk about the "Impossible Dream, that was the "Impossible Dream," Wride said comparing the rally to nickname of the 1967 team that reached the World Series. "Sixty-seven was one thing, this was unreal, my wildest dream and frustration and fingernails have paid the price."
When the Red Sox actually did it, it was a feeling that Wride had waited years to experience.
"Euphoria. It was just outstanding. I never experienced anything like that in a looong time," he said. "I didn't care who they beat but there was a little icing on the cake to beat the Yankees."
So what will Wride do if the Red Sox win that long-awaited World Series title?
"Just enjoy and maybe eliminate some of the frustrations I've experienced over my lifetime," he said. "I'll give my wife (Marilyn) a big hug and kiss because she's suffered too. She's turned into a big Red Sox fan."
And would one World Series win be enough to satisfy those long years of waiting?
"Oh I would like to think this would be the start of the Red Sox empire," he said with a chuckle, "I would love to think they would be a dominant force in baseball."
Sports editor Chris Sciria can be reached at 253-5311, ext. 258 or citizensports@lee.net
The Auburn native has rooted for the Old Towne Team for almost 40 years and has seen them blow leads and lose the Series to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1967, the Cincinnati Reds in 1975 and the worst of them all - the New York Mets in 1986.
The ball that went through Bill Buckner's legs was probably the toughest bad break to deal with.
"One of total disbelief, Buckner was a hero, the way he played hurt," Wride said.
Wride became a Red Sox fan in 1965 when a friend, Don Fazio played in the Red Sox organization. Fazio introduced Wride to Jerry Moses, who signed with the Red Sox as a "bonus baby," a player who signed a big contract and had to play in the majors after one season in the minors.
On a trip to Boston, Moses brought Wride into the Fenway Park clubhouse and on the field.
"He looks at me and says, 'grab a bat,' so he gets a bucket of balls and there he is on the mound at Fenway Park," Wride said. "There I am at home plate swinging, I would love to tell you I put two or three in the screen (behind the Green Monster, the fabled left-field wall). I would love to tell you I even foul-tipped one, if I did, I would be lying because I didn't do anything.
"All I succeeded in doing is bringing the temperature in back-bay Boston down around 10 degrees because I was swinging from my heels," Wride added with a laugh.
Of course it's never easy being a Red Sox fan in the heart of Yankee country.
"Walking around, I'm a target in Yankeeland," he said. "I've had people really give me a rib."
Wride has heard enough after the Red Sox blew a 14.5-game lead in 1978 and the Yankees won a one-game playoff to take the AL East.
Last year was pretty tough as Boston lost the pennant in the bottom of the 11th on an Aaron Boone home run.
"Over the years, it's been almost, almost, almost and it's never happened," Wride said.
Like any real Red Sox fan, Wride has hung in there, clinging to hope and this season, that faith was rewarded when the Red Sox became the first team in baseball history to overcome a 3-0 postseason deficit and finally beat the hated Yankees.
Did Wride think the Red Sox were going to pull off one of the greatest comebacks in sports history?
"I never thought they had a chance, talk about the "Impossible Dream, that was the "Impossible Dream," Wride said comparing the rally to nickname of the 1967 team that reached the World Series. "Sixty-seven was one thing, this was unreal, my wildest dream and frustration and fingernails have paid the price."
When the Red Sox actually did it, it was a feeling that Wride had waited years to experience.
"Euphoria. It was just outstanding. I never experienced anything like that in a looong time," he said. "I didn't care who they beat but there was a little icing on the cake to beat the Yankees."
So what will Wride do if the Red Sox win that long-awaited World Series title?
"Just enjoy and maybe eliminate some of the frustrations I've experienced over my lifetime," he said. "I'll give my wife (Marilyn) a big hug and kiss because she's suffered too. She's turned into a big Red Sox fan."
And would one World Series win be enough to satisfy those long years of waiting?
"Oh I would like to think this would be the start of the Red Sox empire," he said with a chuckle, "I would love to think they would be a dominant force in baseball."
Sports editor Chris Sciria can be reached at 253-5311, ext. 258 or citizensports@lee.net
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