There's something about 12:16 AM and October 17 when it comes to the Red Sox

As October 16 became October 17 and the Red Sox were coming back in Game Five of the ALCS, I couldn't help thinking that it happened to be the fifth anniversary of Aaron Boone's home run off Tim Wakefield in the 10th inning of Game Seven at Yankee Stadium.

Not only was it the same day but at midnight you were only 16 minutes away from the anniversary of the home run. So just for the heck of it, I casually remarked that at 12:16 AM the Red Sox would win this game.

Once they got to 7-4 on David Ortiz's home run, you had to know even if you're not a Red Sox fan. How can you not have had an inkling, you've seen this before, 3-0 down
2004, 3-1 down in 2007.

Not only is the 12:16 a strange thing in the world of baseball karma (if there is such a thing), but it's a history-altering minute.

What if 12:16 in 2003 doesn't happen? What if the game ends earlier with Pedro Martinez coming out and the relievers getting those final five outs?

Maybe the Red Sox win the World Series after that, ending the 85 years of bad karma and curses. Maybe Grady Little comes back in 2004, the franchise gets complacent and content with finally winning just one that certain moves might not get made?

Would they have gone hard after Curt Schilling? What about Keith Foulke? Would they have pursued a closer after successfully winning via closer by committee?

Would they have traded Nomar Garciaparra? Would they have gone after Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell?

One misguided pitch changed history five years ago today. Another one kept the course of history ushered in by that deep drive alive for another day.

Whether it's a karmic sign that the Red Sox are due to repeat and win for the third time in five years remains to be seen.

One thing is for certain never underestimate the heart of a team like the Red Sox, whose comebacks in the Terry Francona are the most impressive in baseball postseason history.

Baseball teams are only as good as the peformers. They're determined by the pitches, hitting abilities and managerial decisions.

Sometimes they're minor decisions but one decision by Grady Little brought the Red Sox to 12:16 AM on October 17, 2003 and ultimately brought them to J.D. Drew's hit at 12:16 AM on October 17, 2008.

If that's not a baseball coincidence, then I don't know what is.