NEW YORK — Theo Epstein has told the story before. But here, now, having returned to the scene of the play that broke his heart, it bears retelling.
So, Epstein smiles (or is that a wince?) and recalls Oct. 25, 1986. It was a Saturday night. His parents were out to dinner with friends. In New York, the Red Sox were on the verge of winning the World Series for the first time since 1918, and the 12-year-old Epstein twins — Theo and his brother, Paul — were transfixed to the television in the family room of their home in Brookline.