Why Not Us?: The 86-year Journey of the Boston Red Sox Fans From Unparalleled Suffering to the Promised Land of the 2004 World Series [Hardcover]

Leigh Montville (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 17, 2004

Generation after generation watched and hoped and prayed for victory. And generation after generation turned away frustrated and disappointed- 1946 (when the Sox lost the World Series in 7 games), '48 (lost a one game play-off to Cleveland), '49 (heartbreak to the Yankees), '67 (again, lost the Series in 7), '75 (and again, lost the Series in 7), Bucky in '78, Buckner in '86, Boone in 2003. Yet every spring the fans flocked back, hopeful again. The losing, the angst, the self-flagellation became so routine that it even developed marketing names. The suffering was called "The Curse of the Bambino". The sufferers were called "Red Sox Nation" - the ultimate underdogs. Would it ever end?

And then it did.

Why Not Us? is about what the Red Sox's amazing victory in the 2004 World Series meant to the fans. It's about how it felt to be a Red Sox fan - not only at 20 minutes to midnight on October 27, 2004, but decades before. Leigh Montville, best-selling author ofTed WilliamsandAt the Altar of Speed, has interviewed dozens of fans: friends, friends of friends, old sportswriters, ball-players, public figures, and plain folk. Here are their stories-bittersweet stories of passion and pain, eternal hope and crushing despair, the seemingly endless agony and the strange ecstasy of being a Red Sox fan.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School–The triumph of the Boston Red Sox in the autumn of the 2004 World Series leaped from the sports pages into the headlines. The longtime search of the Sox for that elusive victory had become part of our cultural consciousness: any mention of the long-suffering but ever-hopeful Red Sox Nation (as the fans are called) was understood throughout the U.S. Montville has brought together a treasure trove of stories, including his own, that give just the right sense of what it has meant to be a fan of this team. The similar themes never become tedious or repetitive: instead they work together to depict the Red Sox fan base. Even for those who do not care about the team or about baseball, this book offers wonderful insight into the passions that one develops in youth and about their importance in our lives.–Ted Westervelt, Library of Congress, Washington, DC
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Review

"Any true fan should enjoy the read, even while getting ready for next season." -- New York Daily News

"Captures the funny and often poignant tales of dozens of Hub fans..." -- Buffalo News

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: PublicAffairs (December 17, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1586483331
• ISBN-13: 978-1586483333
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,316,878 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tugs at the heartstrings, July 31, 2005

By 

Nathan Massicotte "Sox Fan" (Rocky Hill, CT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Why Not Us?: The 86-year Journey of the Boston Red Sox Fans From Unparalleled Suffering to the Promised Land of the 2004 World Series (Hardcover)

Much like the Sports Illustrated Sportsmen of the Year issue, this book is for the fans and about the fans. Montville tells his own story, that of his family, and that of hundreds of Sox fans. Touching stuff. Anyone who has rooted for the sox for 1 year or 100 years shares in this book and has a part to play in the story of the 2004 sox. You will definitely see yourself in the stories in this book. Whether it be the 8-year-old who cries for weeks after Nomar was traded, or the chapter of "Win it for..." this book is bound to have something for every one. Hard not to tear up! A+ book that captures the essence of being a Sox fan much better than Stephen King's "Faithful."

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Agony to Disbelief to Relief, October 5, 2006

By 

Donald Mitchell "Jesus Loves You!" (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 110,000 Helpful Votes Globally) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Why Not Us?: The 86-year Journey of the Boston Red Sox Fans From Unparalleled Suffering to the Promised Land of the 2004 World Series (Hardcover)

I have lived in Boston since 1964 and am about the same age as Leigh Montville. Over those years, I've loved his wonderful writing in the Boston Globe, Sports Illustrated and now in his books. I think he's done an important service in writing this book because in future years the unbelievable experience of having been a frustrated Red Sox fan all those years will be lost. Yet that perspective was a dominant one in the area for the 42 years I've been here. In a sense, you cannot understand New Englanders unless you appreciate their long suffering with the Red Sox. It's like the way we put up with the winters . . . assuming that spring will follow. Those who take the easy road just head to Florida. It seemed ironic that the Florida Marlins quickly captured the World Series after being founded while the Red Sox continued to toil below the top.

Anyone who has been a Red Sox fan should read this book. You'll discover dimensions of fan-ship that you never expected.

I also recommend that the book be shared with young fans who don't know anything about the Curse of the Bambino, Buckner's fielding or Pedro's last stint in 2003. If you do share the book with younger people, I suggest you write out or record your own fan experiences during the 86 year drought to help extend the heritage of your loyalty in the face of frustration.

The book describes from a number of perspectives how the Red Sox went from 1918 to 2004 without any World Championships . . . and explores those tantalizing moments when they came close in the last 40 years. Leigh Montville also recounts his own career and connection to the Red Sox . . . and his feelings as a fan. He also tells how the 2004 championship came together. From there, he launches off into a number of other perspectives as fans reflected on what the past had meant. One of the longest sections is of posts to the Sons of Sam Horn website. If you are like me, you'll feel a tear or two start to form as you read some of those posts. Mr. Montville then expands to include some of the most unlikely fans you'll ever meet. Anyone who has ever visited Fenway has probably entered one of the local taverns. Mr. Montville enters the Baseball Tavern on Brookline Avenue to give you the view from behind the counter. In The Victory Story, he picks up threads of important precursors to the victory. Perhaps the most interesting one is of the Epstein family.

To me the most important section was called "The Moral of the Story" where he opined about what our long relationship with the Red Sox says about us.

The book ends on a slightly delirious and funny note as Mr. Montville tells us about his taunting relationship with a Yankee fan . . . and what 2004 was like for him. That section includes his essay for the Globe's special memento edition.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you love the Red Sox..., May 6, 2005

By 

Ima Reader "Austen fan" (Vermont) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Why Not Us?: The 86-year Journey of the Boston Red Sox Fans From Unparalleled Suffering to the Promised Land of the 2004 World Series (Hardcover)

...you will love this book...especially the 5th chapter, The Amazing Thread...i guarantee you will have tears in your eyes, and want to share it with all other Red Sox fans. Leigh Montville has written a book that is a compilation of stories by and about the people of Red Sox Nation...players, fans, managers, owners...and he has done a wonderful job. He has always been a great writer, and with this book he touches our hearts as no one else can. My only regret is that it isn't longer, but maybe he'll write a sequel after this season. (Hope springs eternal for this Red Sox fan!)