Boston rallies around playoff-bound Red Sox
BOSTON --Jonathan Papelbon stole the show at a pre-playoffs rally Monday, telling Red Sox fans that he'll give an encore performance of his celebration dance if the team wins it all.
"If we win the World Series I'll dance all night long," the Red Sox closer told fans, whom he referred to as his "party people."
About 5,000 thousand diehards turned out for the three-hour rally two days before the American League East champion Red Sox begin the best-of-five Divisional Series against the AL West champion Los Angeles Angels.
Papelbon's champagne-soaked celebration dance on the Fenway Park field on Friday night after the team clinched the AL East title was shown several times on a large screen along with other season highlights.
Asked to describe the dance, Papelbon responded, "that's just a talent I have. I just listen to the voices inside my head."
Papelbon also may have provided the Angels some bulletin board material, when he confidently told fans that the team would "kick some a--."
Reliever Mike Timlin also expressed confidence going into the Angels series, saying "Time and time again, we've shown how to go out and play ball."
Timlin also did his best to explain Papelbon's head-turning dance steps.
"We do all we can to guide him in the right direction," Timlin joked, "but that's what happens when you don't have any guiderails. What are you going to do, that's our closer. He tears it up."
Pitcher Javier Lopez got a marriage proposal when fans in the crowd got the chance to ask questions of the players. A Quincy woman yelled "Lopez, will you marry me?" She didn't appear to get a response.
"These fans make it so special, that's the best thing about Boston. I'm just happy to be a part of it," said rookie outfield Jacoby Ellsbury.
Team owners John Henry and Tom Werner, along with club president Larry Lucchino and manager Terry Francona also attended the rally.
Henry played guitar with The Standells when they played their 1966 song "Dirty Water" -- which is played at Fenway Park after each Red Sox win.
Jay Connelly was more excited about seeing the Boston Red Sox brass than the ballplayers.
"These guys come in and all of a sudden we have a championship ring," Connelly said of the team's owners, led by Henry, who bought the Red Sox in 2002 and turned the cursed franchise into a World Series winner two years later.
On Wednesday night, Boston's Josh Beckett (20-7), who leads the major league in wins, starts the opener opposed John Lackey (19-9).
The "Rally Monday" event is sanctioned by Major League Baseball to promote the four Divisional Series. Similar rallies were planned in other cities whose teams are in the playoffs. They were not mandatory, however, and the New York Yankees didn't participate.
In Boston, Yankees fan Frank Iacono said teams should only celebrate winning a pennant or World Series.
"This is a high school football pep rally," the Gloucester resident and Providence, R.I., native said while scanning the plaza Monday. "All this is for zero."
The Red Sox held similar rallies at Fenway Park before the 2004 and 2005 playoff runs.
Monday's event also included a tribute to the 1967 Red Sox on the 40th anniversary of their win over Minnesota to capture the American League pennant.
