The Red Badge of Courage

Sock it to 'em: Not pretty, but Pilgrims take pair at Fenway, head to St. Louis up 2-0 in Series.

Now playing: "St. Louis Blues," by Louis Armstrong

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Today is the Feast of St. Crispin, of Agincourt fame, whose protection as patron of makers of boots hopefully will be invoked by Hose fielders.

This day is called the feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian:'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispin's day.'
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day: then shall our names.
Familiar in his mouth as household words
Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,
Be in their flowing cups freshly remember'd.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember'd;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

Listen to Branagh's rendering here and here.

And see a video clip here.

(Yips to Llama Butcher Steve)

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Sox Fever grips New England: Portland Press-Herald * Providence Journal * Manchester Union-Leader

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Babe Ruth's Ghost may still be around, clunking about a former bordello in Marlboro, Mass.

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Time Magazine on Red Sox Nation: Fans of the Boston Red Sox are defined by the magnificence of their misery. They can itemize their team's climactic agonies like the Stations of the Cross.

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The Globe's Bob Ryan gives the '67 Cardiac Kids their due:

If Red Sox management wanted to do it up right, they should have rounded up every living member of the 1967 team. Every last one of them should have been introduced to the crowd because they are the reason the 2004 team is where it is. They are the reason John W. Henry, Tom Werner & Co. are sitting on the mother lode right now. I wonder if these owners know that. Probably not. But they should.

Everything that is happening now with and for the Boston Red Sox is directly attributable to the accomplishments of the 1967 team. There would be no nightly sellouts, no phenomenally lucrative broadcast rights, and none of the other millions in ancillary income were it not for the "Impossible Dream" team that transfixed New England 37 years ago.

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For killing time on the off-day: A trove of vintage Astros audio and video clips contains footage of Yaz, Kaline and Killebrew batting in the 1971 All-Star Game at Detroit * USA Today offers audio clips of great World Series moments.