I cited two things that pulled a team together: the 2004 glove wash Jason Varitek gave A-Rod that pulled together a bunch of idiots and last year's marathon bombing.
The Varitek/A-Rod incident were significant in that Tek was protecting his pitcher. Bronson Arroyo had pegged A-Rod and rather than just take his base, he started it with Arroyo. Arroyo, to his credit, made a crack about A-Rod's salary and an obscene gesture (not aired on TV) that had A-Rod move towards the mound. That's when the Captain made it clear you don't mess with his teammates, his family.
Yesterday Jonny Gomes tied up the game at one point and when Escobar knocked in the Rays go-ahead run and mocked Gomes, well, let's just say don't be talking trash if you aren't willing to back it up. The Sox are (to put it mildly) in a slump and on edge. Kicking someone when they're down is always bad form but Escobar showed how classless he can truly be with his taunts. When Gomes took him up on the offer, Escobar ran like the coward he truly is. The "you and what army" guy until he realizes you do have an army behind you.
It may be the event that kicks the Sox into team mode, it may not. One thing that was clear in yesterday's bench clearer is that no matter how poorly they may be playing, the Sox are becoming a team. I remember the last to first 12 game winning streak back in '88. I also remember Bucky freakin' Dent and the meatball served up to him by Mike Torres. I'm used to it going either way. It's part of being a Red Sox fan but I do know this much is, and always has been, true: don't pick on a member of the team and expect to get away with it.
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