Hardball Heaven

I was eerily close with my little rundown of what would be an ideal chain of events yesterday. The Pats came through, Schilling and Big Papi came through, but alack and alas, the Yankees responded to George Steinbrenner's cowardly challenge and won a game for their embattled manager.

The big moment in the Sox' clincher against the Angels yesterday came in the fourth inning, when Papi scorched a homer deep to right and Bad Ass Manny followed with another moonshot, this one to straightaway center off the fake boulders in Anaheim. Curt Schilling left with a shutout after seven, the Sox poured on the runs, and in the end a 9-1 rocking-chair victory sends them into the ALCS for the third time in four years. Champagne all around - again. Wonder if Papelbon had another Bud suitcase on his head...

Unfortunately, we now have to wait until Friday for more ball, but at least we get to see the Yanks and Indians knock each other silly. I'm undecided on who I'd rather see the Sox play. Part of me wants to administer a beatdown to Joba and the boys, another part can't even fathom potentially six or seven games of more Sox-Yanks melodrama.