King Kaufman's Sports Daily

Red Sox Blame Game: Graffanino's the new Buckner. Plus: NHL returns. Where's the clutching?

Oct 6, 2005 | I'm not here to play the Blame Game, but let's talk about whose fault it was that the Boston Red Sox coughed up the remaining half of a 4-0 lead Wednesday in their Game 2 loss to the Chicago White Sox.

Was it Tony Graffanino, the second baseman already being labeled "the new Bill Buckner" for his error on a double-play ball that should have ended the fifth inning with Boston still leading 4-2?

Or was it David Wells, the pitcher who, one out later, hung a curveball to Tadahito Iguchi, who deposited the mistake into the left-field bleachers for a 5-4 lead that held up, giving Chicago a 2-0 lead with the series headed to Fenway Park for games Friday and, if necessary, Saturday.

In the other games Wednesday, the Los Angeles Angels beat the New York Yankees 5-3 to even up their series at 1-1, and the Houston Astros won their opener over the Atlanta Braves, 10-5.

Here's a hint about my vote in the Red Sox Blame Game, which, remember, I don't want to get involved in: I don't think Bill Buckner cost the Red Sox the 1986 World Series, or that Steve Bartman cost the Chicago Cubs the 2003 National League Championship Series, for that matter.

It pains me to say this a little bit because I've grown increasingly fond of David Wells over the last few years. His book had its amusing moments, he routinely thumbs his nose at authority figures and he idolizes Babe Ruth, a rare case of an athlete being aware the world existed before his own name started appearing in the newspapers.

And most importantly, he's one of four active players who are older than I am. He keeps me young.

But I have to point the finger, in a non-Blame Game-playing way, you understand, at Boomer. You can't hang that curveball to Tadahito Iguchi in that spot and let him beat you. You just can't.

But I have at least four or five fingers on each hand. There are plenty to go around. That's how baseball works. Almost nothing in baseball is one guy's fault. The New York Mets had already tied the Red Sox in Game 6 in '86 with Buckner doing nothing more than standing next to first base and thinking about how much his ankles hurt. The Cubs still might have beaten the Florida Marlins in '03 if Alex Gonzalez had fielded a routine grounder.

So my finger points at Graffanino too. This is the postseason and you're down 1-0 already. You have to make that play. You can't start scooping the ball toward second base before you have it, which is what Graffanino did. He got the yips, to use a hockey term, Wednesday being opening night in the NHL and all.

Next Page: Save a finger for Iguchi and the White Sox pen. Plus: Hockey's back. Hey, where's all the clutching and grabbing?

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