Magical reminder of things past

Jeter calls on ghosts of historic stadium

By Kevin Paul Dupont, Globe Staff, 10/17/2003

NEW YORK -- It wasn't wisdom that Derek Jeter whispered in Aaron Boone's ear before the Yankee third baseman came to the plate last night in the 11th inning. Nor did the pinstriped shortstop offer his fellow infielder encouragement.

He simply gave him a reminder.

"I told him magical things happen here in the Stadium," said Jeter, standing in the middle of a champagne-drenched Yankee dressing room after the Bombers pinned a 6-5 loss on the Red Sox on Boone's homer to start the 11th. "And I told him ghosts come out in October."

Amid the craziness and the champagne spray, someone asked Jeter if he believed in curses.

"No," said the smiling Jeter, "but I believe in ghosts."

Portly pitcher David Wells bellowed with gusto, "The Babe is our side! The Curse is still alive!"

Indeed, to see the Red Sox lose hold of a 5-2 lead and lose yet again to the Yankees, and to one more time see their World Series dream vanish, it left even the least superstitious to wonder if somewhere George Herman Ruth was lighting a cigar and winking at the house that he built.

Late in the afternoon, Jason Giambi might have thought he was a bit cursed. He was among the thousands upon thousands who were stranded on the Cross Bronx Expressway due to flooding from a broken water main in nearby Washington Heights. Many motorists were stranded in their cars for three and four hours. The hours ticking by as he sat in his vehicle, Giambi was beginning to wonder if he would make it to the Stadium on time.

"Finally I had to call the clubhouse, and they sent a police escort up to get me -- otherwise I wasn't going to make it," said Giambi, who clocked a pair of homers off Sox starter Pedro Martinez. "Thank you, NYPD -- two homers!"

Giambi was dropped to the No. 7 spot in the batting order, manager Joe Torre looking to give him a little elbow room after he had struggled for most of the playoffs. Because he was caught in the traffic jam, Giambi didn't learn of the lineup shuffle until he arrived in the clubhouse and read the card. He said the move didn't bother him. The homers in his second and third at-bats confirmed his words.

"When I finally saw Joe, he said, `Look, you're going against Pedro, and we're going to drop you down,' " recalled Giambi. "Hey, that's OK, I ended up hitting the two homers -- that's what it's all about."

When the game went to extra innings, the Red Sox were left with few options but to hand the ball to knuckleballing Tim Wakefield, who gave up the winning homer to Boone. Meanwhile, the Yankees handed over the game to superb closer Mariano Rivera.

"The way he steps it up in the playoffs, I mean, it's unbelievable," said Giambi. "It's almost cartoon-like."

There was strong relief, too, from Mike Mussina, who, by his own calculations, had not pitched in a relief role since high school.

"You know, they'd call you in from shortstop and give you eight pitches to get ready," said Mussina.

Champagne foam filled the room. Boone stood in the thick of it, the bubbly covering his hat with a thick foam blanket that looked more like shaving cream than a preferred brut champagne.

"You know," said a seemingly stunned Boone, "I don't know what to tell you. Words don't describe how I feel. I mean . . . you know . . . let's just say it's unbelievable, and leave it right there."