Many things have been said about the Red Sox and their players over the years. Most true, some false. Here are some falsehoods.

First, the Curse of the Bambino. What a bunch of malarkey! It was idiotic the first time I heard it, and it still is.

Next, the famous boot by Bill Buckner. Errors are part of the game. What angers me about Buckner is that he was still playing first base in the late innings of that game. In most of the other games during the playoffs and the series, Dave Stapleton was put in for defensive purposes. Why did Johnny Mac leave Buckner in during that game?

Finally, almost everyone blames the Steamer for a catastrophic wild pitch. That was not a wild pitch, it was a Rich Gedman passed ball. I have a VCR tape of the ’86 series, and I’ve gone over that pitch dozens of times in slow motion. That pitch was approximately 10 inches above the ground and about a foot inside to the left-handed batter. It appeared that Gedman set up on the outside corner, moved his glove a bit more to the outside and then brought it back in an attempt to catch the ball. That ball was catchable. The only way Stanley could be blamed for a bad pitch is if he crossed Gedman up.

I’ve been a Sox fan since 1947. Now, when I say, “Wait ’til next year,” I can say it in a positive way.

Bitsy Ionta, Dixfield

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