How fine the Autumn air!

Al:
That's 4 AL Championship Series appearances in the out of the past 6 seasons …

 

---

Al:
I've got your "Viva Viagra" right heah!

 

---

Mike:
I tell you *that* was a helluva a game.

 

---

Al:
Yeah, leave it to Bob Ryan to put it bettah than anyone: "It was an evening of superb baseball, ending with two innings of the kind of drama that only baseball among all our sports can provide."

 

---

Doug:
And now we finally know what 100 wins the weak AL West is worth: exactly 1 postseason win.

 

---

Doug:
You can run your suicide squeezes against Texas in July, but against the Red Sox in Octobah? Get a fucking clue, Sciosa.

 

---

Mike:
And can we say without a doubt that the two best teams in the American League are meeting in the Championship Series? Bet your ass we can.

 

---

Al:
But, of course, the Rays are due to fold any minute now. Heh.

 

---

Doug:
No, the Rays aren't going to fold. But they are going to get the piss taken out of 'em by the Built for Octobah Red Sox.

 

---

Mike:
You know I appreciate what the Rays have done for us this season. If they hadn't kicked ass all year the Red Sox would have run away with the Division and very well might have been as complacent and as flaccid as the Angels come the postseason.

 

---

Mike:
But now it's time for the regulah season upstahts to be properly put back in their place.

 

---

Doug:
That's right. It's the season of mist and mellow fruitfulness and Red Sox ass whippingness.

 

---

Al:
Swell the gourd, baby!

 

---

Comments

[da kine]

The Sox keep swelling the gourd like this and my hazel shells will be plumped like a motherfucker through Octobah.

[ParkerStPete]

Viva Viagra. Swell the gourd. Nice, h.b.

Tryouts for Spring little league tonight in my town. May baseball never end.

[louclinton]

Gourd swelling abounds.

h.b., today's creepy strip is why I don't read anything about Your Boston Red Sox other than this space (unless you link it, of course)

Up until about 11 pm last night, I approached the Rayzzz series with mixed emoticons. Them guyzzz again? I thought. I mean Crawford, Longoria, Kazmir (he's got to be a terrorist with a name like that, right?),Baldelli, Navarro, ANOTHER Aybar, Gross,Floyd,Shields, Sonnenstein. But then I thought: "fuck. the past is prologue motherfuckers".

October baseball rules.
lc

[yazbread]

A great game. But if the Sox lost we would all be yelling for Francona's head this morning. I would have like to have seen Lester in the 8th. I lost track of the pitch count (109) but he looked like he had another inning in him. And if you have not seen/heard it, John Lackey might be on his way to pulling a Donnie Moore at some point in time.

[vermonter]

Came home from an Old 97's show and it's the 8th inning. Just in time to see all of the excitement.

Jed Lowrie drives in Jason Bay to win? Whudda thunk it?

(BTW-Old 97's were in Boston on Sunday night before hitting Burlington last night. Anybody see them? Great band.)

[vasoxfan]

When is the book "The girl who loved Scot Shields" coming out? And while I understand that the Angles might be a little pissed at themselves, Lackey didn't seem the least bit gracious about the fact the the RS took advantage of their opportunities but the Angels dind't? Sore loser.

[COD]

I have some Old 97s on my music server - good stuff. Haven't seen them live though.

Was there any baseball fan on the planet that didn't know the squeeze was coming? Even the TBS announcing crew saw that move coming.

I love it when the losing team whines that the better team did not win.

[h.b]

I've got a couple Old 97's albums. Like them quite a bit. Never seen them live, though.

@lc:
"I approached the Rayzzz series with mixed emoticons."

LOL.

[yazbread]

Am I reading this right? The Sox activate Gil Velaquez rather than Julio Lugo to take Lowell's spot on the roster. Time to put your house on the market Julio.

[Bob]

Coffee. Berocca. Together.

Guess my future in-laws helped me out Sunday by making me miss game 3 and attending game 4.

But so very very tireeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee..........

[Professional Hitter]

Vt., I caught the Old 97s show in Charlotte in July - great band, and Rhett brings an "impressive following" to a show, heh. What a game last night - I almost lost both my mitts in a tragic ceiling fan accident when Bay slid home. So happy to be staying on the East Coast and not typing with stumps.

[KR]

"We lost to a team that's not better than us," growled pitcher John Lackey, who gave up two runs and seven hits in seven innings. "We are a better team than they are. The last two days, we shouldn't have given up anything."

I think we may need to call the waaaaaambulance for Mr. Lackey there.

[Harwich Rich]

My gourd has been swollen since last night.Should I seek medical attention?

[Daubie]

Excellent link - thanks yaz. What a bunch of sore losers. J. Damon would be a good sign for the Disneyland Angels.

pop quiz:

(1) Who came up with the term "feeding the middle"?

(2) who says "uh oh" everytime he hit a bomb in the batting cage? (N.B. we didn't hear him say it during the series, except when Uncle Jed hid that screamer up the middle-right.)

(3) what is the motto of TBS (hint: the fat dude says it a lot)? The same answer applies to: how would you rate the Mickey Mouse Angels' outfield performance?)

(4) who's ready for seven more games with Chip "You're gonna cause me to commit Harry" Carray?

Bring on the RAAAys! Play ball!

[louclinton]

"My gourd has been swollen since last night.Should I seek medical attention?"

The four hour mark passed.
His penis is a hatrack.
Only known cure? Duck Boats.

lc

[louclinton]

aw shit, the last one had 6 syllables.

I suck

lc

[da kine]

The four hour mark passed.
His penis is a hatrack.
Only One known cure? Duck Boats.

FTFY.

[Colin]

Haiku fail LC
Take notes from the rest of us
h.b., lead the way.

[da kine]

Fuck me. My html is teh suck. It was supposed to have "Only" lined out, leaving me looking cheeky and - maybe - a bit dashing.

[h.b]

C'mon, Lou, don't beat yourself up. We've been over this before: the 5-7-5 thing is primitive stuff your 8th grade English teacher taught you. The world of real haiku is not limited to the 5-7-5 at all.

Indeed by trying to force an arbitrary 5-7-5 on things, most people miss the real essence of a haiku, namely the surprise/twist/joy of the final line.

[SAC]

Lackey has all the class of yer ex-governor of NYS. I can't even imagine if Lester or Beckett were out on that mound pissin' and moanin' about defensive plays by their teammates. Hard to believe Lacksallclassey plays on Scioscia's team.

And whoa, where was Vlad?

Meanwhile, I gotta think Teixeira would look good on Theos's short list.

[lazlo freem]

Help me out here. Perhaps I'm mistaken but I don't recall seeing champagne celebrations before clinching the pennant in the past. Very jinx adverse here since having spent a previous century suffering a continuum of post season trauma.

[h.b]

lazlo, you don't remember the Red Sox getting loads of shit for celebrating clinching the wild card in 2004?

They've always celebrated each phase: wildcard, ALDS, ALCS...

[(Hatrack)Harwich Rich]

Lackey sounds a lot like Seyton Manning.Are they related?

[Colin]

Nah HR, I think Lackey is sounding more like Hanky Crybaby Steinbrenner.

Shut the f*** up Lackey. Why don't you park your ass on the couch and watch reruns of The Hills with a pint of Ben and Jerry's?

[birthofasoxfan97]

Mist and fruitfullness
Equals Highland Mist and pumpkin pie
Prep for winter, friends

[Scott]

Some Sox fan at the bar said it best about Lackey. "See you at Taco Bell buddy"

What a game. I thought it was over when the lead-off batter hit a double in the 9th. I was wrong.

Does Wakefield pitch game 2 or game 6 in the dome?

[pudge]

Perfect syllables
Seventeen, the golden mean
Flowers bloom ... aw, fuck it

[Genghis Ortiz]

I slept like shit last night on the other side of the world (GMT +4), going through this terrible reverse gooch scenario, like in 2004 we traded Omar to Chi, and 2008 we send Manny, and now LA has the mojo and the Angles won in the 12th that the Sox would go down in extras in game 4 and lose game five...

And then I woke up and saw the score. Much better feeling for me. My gourd swelled.

[waitwhat]

I guess we were right.
Fill in the blanks as you wish.
And the Angels cry.

[Ryan with a capital "R"]

I'd been dreading this series since the end of July. I was sure the Angels would sweep. I've not thought at all about an ALCS vs. TB. Wasted dread.

In dread, resignation
Once gone, liberation
More dread on horizon?

[vancouversoxfan]

I think every positional player had a dirty jersy last night!

My gourd runneth over...

[ParkerStPete]

Watching the team of Francona
(So intense, yet relaxed and debonah):
Despite FrankTV,
It's certain to be
Just as good as a four-hour bonah.

[ParkerStPete]

Because I'm sick of haiku.

[Jeff in NC]

Lackey is exactly what a team doesn't need - what a bitcher. Think he'd like to see his team mates bow their heads in disgust next time he trades a meatball for a grand salami? The better team didn't win? Right, the team with the most runs won dumbshit - that's how they figure out who is better - marvelous concept.

Anyone out there got the same problem with Sciosia I do? His teams can't win becuase he won't let them play. He calls every play for every player for every pitch like they are puppets. He actually gave the sign two nights ago to tell the players the play was at first! OK boys, get in your down and ready positions, play is at first! Hey batterheybatterheybatter.. what a dink.

One of the greatest walk off plays in recent history - damn glad to be a Red Sox fan today!

[Kaz]

I absolutely detest the Virtual Waiting Room. I got into the 2nd chance purchase opportunity for the ALCS Home Game 2. It started at noon today. Now I'm staring at that more and more familiar 30s auto-refresh button. I'm sorry but I got there as soon as it opened. It should be first-come, first-served. None of this "random" draw from the queue. I better be able to get 2 seats and not SRO.

Sorry, I know I'm just lucky enough to be able to go (if I get through the waiting room fast enough, otherwise I can't go either...but I got to think I could!).

[Kaz]

Woohoo! As soon as I complained, it let me in. Hmm, I'll have to remember that trick for next time. Hehe. 2 in the Right Field Box! (Fitzy says, "Just how your mom likes it.")

[buckner was framed]

yeah Kaz Lackey, quitcher bitchin'-

the only ALCS drawing I was invited to participate in was the CUBS.... heh

[meredith]

STFU, Lackey.

Interesting perspective from the NY Times:

"The Red Sox made shrewd decisions in building their team, decisions that should make them formidable for a while. If the Yankees studied their fiercest rivals honestly, they would realize they trail them in more than victories these days."

[Frank]

Am I the only one with a mad crush on Amalie Benjamin? Standing there with wet beer and champagne soaked hair with a giant grin on her face?

Amalie

[Brian]

Actually, it can and HAS been done against the Red Sox in October... the 2003 Athletics squeeze played in the ALDS game 1. They won in extra innings on a bases loaded, two-out Ramon Hernandez bunt to score Eric Chavez from third... the Red Sox were caught completely off guard.

[Ryan with a capital]

Brian,

I wouldn't call that a squeeze play. That was bunting for a base hit.

But, yeah, they were caught completely off guard.

[Ryan with a capital]

Amalie Benjamin is definitely geeky-cute.

[soxdownunder]

Huzzah.

[@Bob late yesterday? SDUE?]

[soxdownunder]

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EZgnJUV3KNw/SL79D7KzrMI/AAAAAAAAAag/y3bANKXd1J8/s1600-h/amelie "> amelie mmmm

[COD]

Oddly, the first result in Google images for Amalie Benjamin is a picture of Erin Andrews.

Not that I'm complaining or anything.

[RonF]

My kids played all kinds of sports in both HS and College and what I've noticed is that games are a lot more often lost than won.

In other words, what turns a game is not usually a tremendous positive or great play by the winning team, but a mistake by the losing team that the winning team takes advantage of. If that ball is bunted successfully - and a successful bunt in that context is simply to get the ball to hit the ground - then we may all be singing a different tune. The Red Sox won this series because they made fewer mistakes and more consistently made their opponent pay for the mistakes their opponents made. That's the hallmark of a great team and sorry, Mr. Lackey, but it makes them better than yours.

Am I the only guy who didn't jump for joy when Masterson came in? The last time he was in he got through a inning scoreless only because a screaming line drive happened to be right at the 3rd baseman and because they made a bad baserunning mistake. The announcers were talking him up, but I don't see it yet.

[RonF]

And as my daughter texted me right after the game, "good thing the ground can't cause a fumble."

[Flavius]

I'm with you Ron. Masterson made me nervous. It's time to put Okajima back into his rightful spotin the bullpen - 8th inning set up guy.

[meredith]

Frank: you are not alone. Amelie Benjamin is absolutely crush-worthy. Her cuteness overrides my green envy at the job she gets to do. :)

[kjc]

Once again, I would like to thank Julio "4-6-3" Lugo for pulling his quad.

[kjc]

I would once again like to thank Julio "4-6-3" Lugo for not stretching his quad before game time.

[RobSammy]

~The best thing about Amalie is her skin looks as perfect in HD as it does on regular TV. She's a total baseball babe, unlike the ex-stripper type of Hazel Mae (have done the whole football team).

And John Lackey's just got sand in his coolie because he's been our bitch since he came up from AAA, plain and simple---he's a pudslap.