/Thanks for sending this.  Being up here in Canada, I don't get to see these 
kind of articles.  But, whether it is to be on this list is anyone's guess. 
We have how many people from Colorado on this list, Phil and
Sandi, Lelia and Tod, Vicki, and also Julie.  Did I miss anyone?
Vinny
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Stanley Haupt" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, October 22, 2007 6:05 PM
Subject: Sports News Rockies aAnd Sox


Red Sox Relax Before Facing Rockies in World Series on Wednesday
Canadian Press, 2007-10-22
By Howard Ulman, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS--
BOSTON - Fenway Park was quiet, the Red Sox clubhouse was dry and Jonathan 
Papelbon
was done with his Irish step dance.
The jubilation of Boston's pennant-clinching comeback was over. There was 
still one
more opponent to face, one that fashioned an incredible streak to reach the 
World
Series for the first time.
Monday's stillness was the calm before the swarm. The Colorado Rockies are 
coming
to town, taking a 21-1 surge into Game 1 Wednesday night.
They certainly should be fresh - perhaps too fresh.
After sweeping the Arizona Diamondbacks to win their first NL pennant, the 
Rockies
will play their first game in nine days. The Red Sox spent most of the time 
on the
field, rallying from a 3-1 American League Championship Series deficit and 
outscoring
the Cleveland Indians 30-5 in the last three games.
"We've played a lot of intense games, but we'd rather go in seeing live 
pitches in
a couple of days than nine days off," said Dustin Pedroia, who drove in five 
runs
in Sunday night's 11-2 clincher.
"They'll be ready. They've waited their whole lives to be in this situation, 
so I
don't think nine days of rest is going to affect their play at all," he 
said.
Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said it was worth the eight-day layoff just to 
see the
city galvanized by the Rockies' first World Series appearance.
"I've enjoyed watching the city embrace it," Hurdle said. "I've been able to 
go to
some places where we're able to be in the background and just watch the buzz 
from
other people. We've gone to places where we've been overly embraced, too.
"All the stories about the down time were appropriate. What will it do to 
the Rockies?
I understand that. But to watch the city - not to have us run right into the 
World
Series - has been really cool."
The weather is Boston for the first two games is supposed to be mild, with 
mostly
clear skies and temperatures in the low teens Celsius.
There's no snow in the forecast for the weekend games in Denver. 
Meteorologist Robert
Glancy of the National Weather Service said Monday that Games 3 and 4 should 
be played
in around seven-degree Celsius weather.
"We won't have to mess with rain or snow," Glancy said. "We're between 
storms. It
won't be bitterly cold. But stay tuned. Forecasts do change."
ALCS MVP Josh Beckett will pitch the opener against North Delta, B.C., 
native Jeff
Francis, who is 2-0 with a 2.13 ERA in his first post-season. Beckett is 3-0 
with
a 1.17 ERA in this year's playoffs and was the World Series MVP in 2003.
If Beckett is just as sharp Wednesday, Papelbon - a much better closer than 
dancer
- could finish up.
Papelbon put the wackiest touches on Boston's celebration when it clinched 
the AL
East. Standing near the mound in a shirt and shorts, he performed a wild 
dance, while
spraying champagne in all directions.
His repeat performance Sunday was more subdued.
"Papelbon put some clothes on this time," J.D. Drew said.
Just imagine his encore if the Red Sox win the World Series for the second 
time in
four years.
"I don't know," Drew said. "He looked like he worked on his dance a little 
bit between
the last time and last night. So we'll see. Maybe he's getting some 
lessons."
On Monday, there were stacks of bottled water on the clubhouse carpet 
instead of
the ice-filled champagne bins that were quickly emptied less than 12 hours 
earlier.
The plastic sheeting that protected the lockers was gone.
All seemed normal again as about half the team showed up for an optional 
workout.
That's the way of the Red Sox, a group that tries not to change its approach 
no matter
how extraordinary the situation.
"The mentality is always the same, every day. You play nine innings or 
whatever it
takes," manager Terry Francona said. "I don't think we try to complicate 
things.
That wouldn't be very intelligent. Sometimes this game is really difficult 
to play.
Sometimes you need to simplify it."
There is one difference Francona would love to see: a better performance 
than the
Red Sox had when they lost two of three games to Colorado at Fenway Park in 
June.
The Rockies won the rubber game behind Francis 7-1, and handed Beckett his 
first
loss of the season after nine wins.
Overall, the Rockies outscored Boston 20-5 in the series.
"They took it to us pretty good," Pedroia said. "So we're going to have to 
make some
adjustments, but I think we're two totally different teams since then."
The Red Sox stayed in first place the rest of the way. The Rockies' big 
streak forced
a one-game tiebreaker with San Diego, which they won in 13 innings.
"They had an incredible run to this point," said Curt Schilling, Boston's 
probable
Game 2 starter. "They're going to play us tough."
They will if their pitchers can tame the Red Sox hitters.
Boston hit .381 (40-for-105) in the last three games of the ALCS. No longer 
are David
Ortiz, Manny Ramirez and Mike Lowell the only threats.
The Red Sox have an edge in experience. They're also resilient. Seven 
players who
were on the ALCS team that rallied from a 3-0 deficit to beat the New York 
Yankees
in the 2004 ALCS were on the team that came back from a 3-1 hole against 
Cleveland.
What's the secret?
"You just try to relax and do what you did all year," Drew said. "I knew I 
didn't
want to walk off that field an LCS loser. I'd been in that place twice 
before so
it was nice to go home a winner and realize you've still got some more 
baseball to
play."
On that same field, the ALCS logo behind home plate had been replaced Monday 
by a
World Series emblem.
The Red Sox players were relaxed before their final push toward a title. 
Drew said
he would "go lay down and take a nap."
First, he took batting practice to prepare for the Rockies on Wednesday 
night when
the old ballpark will be rocking.