Happy at home
Sox players and owners partied into the wee hours yesterday as the team celebrated its second World Series title in four seasons. Their work on the field memorably finished for '07, the club commandeered The Palm restaurant and partied like - and with - rock stars.
Your hometown heroes were serenaded by surprise musical guest Maroon 5, whose lead singer, Adam Levine, did a fair impersonation of Freddie Mercury while covering "We Are the Champions." BoSox brass John Henry, Tom Werner, and Larry Lucchino were standing down front, watching with big smiles as their roster of world-beaters, including Josh Beckett, Curt Schilling, Jason Varitek, Dustin Pedroia, Series MVP Mike Lowell, Kevin Youkilis, and David Ortiz, loudly sang along.
Seems Maroon 5 made the scene quite by accident. In town for two shows at Denver's Filmore Auditorium, the band and crew were eating dinner at The Palm when a Sox official spied a BoSox ball cap in the bunch. One thing led to another, and by 1:30 a.m., the band had set up in a cramped corner and was playing an acoustic version of the anthemic Queen classic, followed by its own hit singles "This Love" and "Harder to Breathe." The band agreed to play for free on the condition that they could hang around afterward. A West Coast kid, Levine admitted to being an Oakland A's fan, but said he respected what the Red Sox had accomplished.
The place was so packed that after the band's impromptu jam, ballplayers were forced to chat with Levine et al. in the kitchen. Ortiz kept the raucous reception rolling by climbing atop a table and giving a rambling, expletive-filled shout-out to his teammates and Sox fans everywhere. "Nothing but love!" bellowed Big Papi.
With the exception of Manny Ramirez, virtually every member of the team stopped by, though some, like Coco Crisp and GM Theo Epstein, stayed only briefly. "This is crazy, man," said Crisp, squeezing out the door. The Palm was told to expect 200 people, but more than 500 showed up. Also there were several Sox limited partners, club consultant Joe Baerlein, and assorted front-office personnel, among them marketing man Nick Gregorian, who brought along A-list actress and family friend Renee Russo. "The Shield" star Michael Chiklis, who grew up in Andover, was chilling with Schilling and his wife, Shonda, who said Vic Mackey is her man: " 'The Shield' is my favorite show." After the Queen cover, Chiklis marveled: "My God. That was the perfect tune on the perfect night."
Truth be told, the party actually got started much earlier, not long after Jonathan Papelbon's final pitch. "All I can remember seeing is [Seth Smith] swinging and missing," the champagne-soaked closer told us on the field. "Then we were the champs."
As pitcher Mike Timlin sprayed bubbly on the throng gathered behind the dugout, Sox stage manager Dr. Charles Steinberg said there was nothing to do but watch. "You just let this one breathe," he said. "You don't touch it."
Theo's pregnant wife, Marie, twin brother, Paul, and parents, Ilene and Leslie, were all there watching with pride as the GM held the World Series trophy aloft. Again. "Even when it was 13-1, it was nerve-wracking," said Epstein's dad, holding a bag of coats and blankets used to brave the Colorado climate.
Diminishing the celebration just a bit was the surprise, late-game announcement by super agent Scott Boras that his costly client A-Rod will opt out of his contract with the Yankees. Not surprisingly, Sox officials were displeased with the timing. They got the word during the 7th inning and wondered aloud if Boras was trying to "step on [their] victory."
Fans made their feelings clear after the game, chanting "Don't Sign A-Rod!" But that's for another day. Former Globie Peter Gammons kept the focus on the '07 Sox. "The 2004 team was funny," he said. "But the 2007 team - they were fun."
Happy at home
Meanwhile back in Boston, Jonathan Papelbon's proud parents, John and Sheila, stood out among the cheering crowd Sunday, taking in the win at Game On! at Fenway Park. Also watching the final game at the hot spot were WCVB-TV's Natalie Jacobson and New England Revolution forward Taylor Twellman, whose team is in a playoff run of its own.Winding up on the box
Josh Beckett's place in Red Sox history is secure. And now, the pitcher and American League Championship Series MVP has something only six other Sox players have ever gotten: a Wheaties box. No. 19 is on the front of a special edition cereal box. (He's also on the back of the box with an image of Fenway Park.) TheSweep is sweet for Mezrich
The book party for Ben Mezrich's latest tome, "Rigged," went off at 33 Restaurant & Lounge as planned last night. (If the Series had gone to five games, he was going to reschedule the event.) Among those at the swanky signing were the book's subject John D'Agostino, "The Dante Club" author Matthew Pearl, and former Bruins defenseman Gord Kluzak.Nice to 'Bee' ya
Talk-show host Spike Feresten, who wrote for "Seinfeld" and "Late Night With David Letterman," caught up with his old boss Jerry Seinfeld (below left) Sunday at the Los Angeles premiere of "Bee Movie." A West Bridgewater native, Feresten co-wrote the animated flick that stars Seinfeld, Renee Zellweger, and Matthew Broderick. Feresten attended the screening with his wife, Erika, who is reportedly expecting their first child - a boy - this winter.Bruschi is a hit with young fan
Before the Patriots dispatched the Redskins Sunday, Tedy Bruschi made fan Jared Lacombe's wish come true. Lacombe, a 15-year-old leukemia patient from Winter Springs, Fla., requested to meet No. 54 through the Make-a-Wish Foundation. So the linebacker arranged for Jared to hang with the team during warm-ups and be in the tunnel as the Pats took the field. Bruschi had dinner with Jared after the game in the players' dining room at Gillette.Names can be reached at names@ globe.com or at 617-929-8253.
