Not Rocktober… Soxtober!

Not that you had time to notice, but the Colorado club fancied October as Rocktober. I think they may have succeeded in copyrighting or trademarking it. Well, we all knew it was really Soxtober, right? No one gave up on the (tied-for) best team in baseball, right?

Well, I can’t figure out if I did or not. I’m thinking not… or, at least not like in the 2004 ALCS. Yeah, I skipped watching a couple games against the Tribe, but one was on purpose and another because of work (the 2nd Beckett gem). I did see Game 6 though and of course, Game 7 following Mookie’s wedding.

Anyway, there wasn’t much doubt as soon as they got passed Cleveland. The Rox were on an incredible run, but you knew it would end when they reached an AL team, no? I never thought they were going to beat the Jake Peavy and the Padres in the one game playoff. Then I thought they’d meet their match in the just-as-hot Phillies, but no, the swept those fools. The Diamondbacks? Puh-leaze… not with all their injuries and inexperience. (It would have been a way better NLCS if AZ were healthy.)

So, whether it be the Sox or Tribe, you knew they would go down. Cleveland earned it thru years of rebuilding and were a bit ahead of the Rox in that respect. The Sox… well, they were just too good a team. They click when they need too. Whether that’s experience from past years, good coaching, a lot of talent or a large payroll, I don’t know. Okay… actually, it is all of the above.

Yeah, I know, I’m not adding a lot here and it is on purpose. I simply want to note the occasion (finally!) and point out a few things posted by Ed, Jason and in their respective Comments. They (and their readers) did the work for me.

So, I agree that this one was obviously much different than 2004. It was less stressful, more enjoyable and a bit too short. Yes, I said too short. I wanted them to win in six dammit! I wanted them to win one in front of the home crowd; in dear old Fenway (crap hole that it is)! Not that members of RSN weren’t in Denver, because they were, including my cousin Katie (lives in CO) as she scored tickets to both games.

In fact, I wanted it so bad — I still don’t know why — that I started rooting for a loss in Game 3 when the Rox cut their deficit to one. Of course, it wasn’t meant to be, so hope was then lost. After all, should they avoid the sweep, they were unlikely to defeat Beckett in Game 5. As it was, I changed my attention, and desire, towards seeing Jon Lester pitch the boys to a Game 4 World Series ending sweep.

Wouldn’t that be a great story? Yup, it would be and is a great story. The 23 year old kid that beat back the big “C” less than a year ago wins the clinching game of the World Series! I think you can debate that this season wasn’t quite as magical as 2004, but damn that was a heckuva magical ending to 2007!

So, other stuff… I’m in full agreement with Ed’s Aunt Sharon in that I think A-Rod will go to the Halos. I think it makes the most sense. They probably can pay him, have a need at third and definitely need someone to compliment Vlad. I was horrified with the timing of the announcement he’d opt out of his contract. While I am happy he’s dumping the Spanks and can now go back to liking him, I (along with everyone else) didn’t like the media attention grab by Boras. It was total bush league and I doubt A-Rod was behind it. I think he respects the game too much for it, even if he himself sometimes plays bush league. Anyway, I hope the Sox don’t go after him. I wanted him back in ’03, but not now. How about that? We don’t need the best player in baseball. We don’t because we already have the best team in baseball. Before winning two trophies in four years, it was a different story.

I was also with Sharon on thinking that chucklehead Papel—– (I have my own name for him I won’t print) was going to take home the MVP. Three saves, two critical, surely were enough to win, but when Mikey hit that homer, I blurted out he just made his case for the award, but that was before Captain Bud Light saved the game. I couldn’t be happier for Mike Lowell and I hope the Sox take a day off their mantra and just blow the cash on him. Surely it will be a good investment for the first couple years. After that, you might have a part time guy that will be good for the clubhouse.

Oh, and I also called closing the game out on a strikeout. Not that it was a hard call, but it would only be fitting for the one remaining idiot on the staff to punch out the last Rock standing. Gammon’s posted in his blog that this wasn’t the first time Papel-Flatley has done that to Seth Smith either… he did it in college.

As for the last out ball… where the heck did it go? I wonder if it will ever turn up. I too saw Tek pocket it as he went to man hug his closer. I guess we need a little controversy no matter what…

Lastly, thank gawd we did only have to view two games in Colorado. Another game with stupid towels spinning in the stands would have put me over the edge! If you aren’t at Heinz Field (home of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Terrible Towel), then you are stealing their gimmick. It’s like another team having a Rally Monkey. It ain’t yours! I’m looking at you too Cleveland…