Edward Cossette

Age: 39; Born: May 11, 1964, Greenfield, MA. Ht.: 6-0; Wt.:195. Bats and Throws: Right: Home: Palmyra, VA; Occupation: multimedia developer, online education publishing; Married: Erika; email:

Why the Bambino's Curse weblog?

Since leaving New England in 1991, more than anything I've missed the camaraderie of fellow Red Sox fans. Year 'round in New England, the Red Sox are a topic of conversation. While in other parts of the country people may break into conversation with strangers by asking about family or the weather, in New England "How 'bout them Red Sox" or something similar was always the best way to get things going. Everyone had an opinion, even those who wouldn't call themselves fans would have something to say on the subject of the Red Sox, good or bad.

This blog is what gives me a feeling of connection to the other citizens of Red Sox Nation.

Feel free to drop me a line .

Do I Believe in the Curse?

Do I literally believe the demonic ghost of Babe Ruth flitters around Fenway trying to gum up the works? Well, of course not. What do you think I am retarded?

Then why the heck did I name this blog Bambino's Curse? A couple reasons. Here are a few I've discussed previously:

  • The Curse as Superstition
    You know the only negative I get about this blog involves its name, Bambino's Curse. Some people get their proverbial panties in a bunch just by the title: "How can you believe in that crap?" is the ongoing theme. (Continue)
  • The Curse as Self-fulfilling Prophecy
    … during a crucial moment in a game, say a situation in which the Red Sox are one strike from victory, if a couple hundred thousand of us fans believe in our hearts that the team is going to blow it … well, I think such sentiment can affect the outcome of the game. Call it a curse. Call it quantum physics. Call me nuts. (Continue)
  • The Curse as Memory
    … for me, and perhaps for some of you as well, the Curse is my own memory, my own personal problem with summoning perseverance in the face of mortality. (Continue)
  • The Curse as Psychosis
    If you look at voodoo or Santeria, psychologists will tell you that the curses work because the people truly believe in it. Neurology is full of cases demonstrating the power of our own minds, consciously or unconsciously, over our bodies. (Continue)

First Trip to Fenway

August 9, 1971 vs. Detroit Tigers. The Tigers won 12-11. Detroit's Bill Freehan had a 3 HR game, the first ever and since by the a Tiger in Fenway.

Most Memorable Game Seen Live at Fenway

September 17, 1986, a crisp, fall night, midweek, me and my dad, with Oil Can Boyd on the mound… The Sox already had clinched a playoff birth. The game was special because there was feeling of destiny in the air. Everyone felt good about the Red Sox. And, of course, the Sox won the game. Oil Can looked good and me and my dad had excellent seats (courtesy of the Sullivans who at that time still owned a piece of the Sox, the Patriots, and Foxboro Raceway where my dad was working). It was the last occasion I felt so positive about the Red Sox or sports in general. It was a magic time that seems lost to me now.

Biggest Heartbreak

Like hundreds of thousands (millions?) of others, October 25th, Game 6 of the 1986 World Series was one of the highest and lowest points of my life.

In his Civil War trilogy, historian Shelby Foote discusses Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg and how every Southern boy imagines a time before that fateful moment in history when the Confederacy was still winning the Civil War. The battle line before Pickett began his infamous charge is considered the high water mark of the Confederacy. The South would never again be that close to total victory.

That pretty much sums up the feeling. I still relive those moments, indeed the entire 1986 season leading up to that moment. I imagine what might have been.

To this day, I cannot watch highlights from that game on TV. And I still get hurt when someone other than a fellow Red Sox fan brings it up.

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