Congratulations to the Boston Red Sox

[DavidG]

Great relief pitching. Well-deserved.

[JimHow]

What a great series!

[jal]

And even though as a New Yorker, I can't honestly be jumping for joy about any sports achievement coming our of Boston, this time, I am happy for the fans of the area. After the horrors of the Boston Marathon, I call any Boston team's victory a triumph for humanity.

Go Red Sox! Win it all for your fans! Win it all for your city!

[Michael Malinoski]

Hopefully, it will be a great World Series!

[AlohaArtakaHoundsong]

Thank you Jim for abandoning the suite. See how quickly the ship righted?

[JimHow]

Ha ha we came down to the loge box section this year, third base side. With the common folk.
I have tickets to Game 7!
Should be a great series!

[JimHow]

I saw Papi's grand slam last week. I was at the opera in NY this past Saturday night, all of a sudden I could feel my cell phone vibrating like crazy with numerous text messages due to, as I later found out, Victorino's grand slam.

[JCNorthway]

Jim, I hope you get to see game 7; that will mean it has been a great World Series. Seems like the preliminaries this year have had more than their share of "hero moment" key plays, either defense or offense. Victorino's hit was "other worldly."

[JimHow]

Just found out I'm going to Game 2 as well!
I've seen some epic Sox games over the years but I've never been to a World Series game.
What a Cinderella season!

[JimHow]

From the right field grandstands at Fenway Park, 6th inning, Game 2 of 2013 World Series.

[JCNorthway]

Jim,

Glad you could see game 2 live. Sorry for Boston fans that they did not win. But that gives you a better chance of seeing game 7.

What about those old 22/23 year old St. Louis relievers?

Jon

[JimHow]

Cards pitching was lights out Jon.
Huge missed opportunity for the Sox.
I think it's going to be a big hill to climb now for the BoSox with the next three games in Saint louis.
Hadn't sat out in right field in years, a lot of good, "real" fans out there.
Man was it freezing!

[Jay Winton]

bizarre ending last night but the right call I think.

[JimHow]

Epically bad call, but I'm a Sox fan....

Middlebrooks was "in the act of fielding the ball" and the runner chose a path three feet inside the foul line to run over the prone fielder. Players get tangled up all the time. My question for the umps, which they never answered, is this: At what point was Middlebrooks no longer "in the act of fielding the ball?" Was Middlebrooks just supposed to disappear into thin air as soon as the ball was one inch past his glove and the runner stepped on him? I doubt the drafters of the rule contemplated that fielders should just magically disappear within a millisecond. Clearly the "fielding the ball" exception to the "obstruction" rule contemplates exactly this situation, where a fielder goes for the ball and becomes entangled with the runner.

An epically bogus call.

[DavidG]

Another odd ending last night but not controversial.

I think Jim points out the crux of the matter: at what point is the fielder no longer "in the act of fielding the ball?" Judgment call and I don't think there's any way to get a consensus on that particular play. Tough way to lose a game.

But then there's the increasing likelihood Jim may get to see game 7.

[JimHow]

Omg sports talk radio up here is going craaazy!
Man, I love baseball!

As the esteemed Leonard Zelig said in one of the famous White Room sessions:

"I love baseball. You know, it doesn't have to mean anything. It's just very beautiful to watch."

[JCNorthway]

Lester was really strong tonight. One run in 8 innings and under 90 pitches. If Boston does not win, it will not be his fault.

[JimHow]

Before the series I predicted Sox in five, with Lester as MVP.
Papi is having an epic series too.

[AlohaArtakaHoundsong]

Sorry Jim but I sure hope you don't get to use your Game 7 tix.

The rule may not contemplate the realities of play and should probably be reconsidered. As for an epically bad call, personally, I had two "Oh No!" moments during that play. First as Salty uncorked his throw (so reminiscent of Breslow Game 2) and second as soon as I saw Craig fall over Middlebrooks (especially as I thought WMB looked like a left tackle who was tying to impede a defensive end who had beaten him to the quarterback). I was not at all surprised when Craig was awarded home, and not at all upset with the call. It was just a bad play by the Sox.

[JimHow]

I too pray to the baseball gods that there is no Game 7, Hound, I do not like these pitching match-ups in the last two games.
I do not want to see Peavy pitch again this year.
This series is far from over.

[DavidG]

I'm hoping you get to use those tickets, Jim, and that you are treated to a tense thriller of a Boston victory. How's your karma?

[JimHow]

Noooo! If this goes seven we're gonna lose.

[DavidG]

Sometimes you say stuff like that just to lower expectations, but in this case I think you mean it. Peavey has you worried...

[JimHow]

I'm terrified of Peavy. Our GM made some great moves this year but he made one trade too many. Iglesias is gonna be a star for Detroit for the next 10-15 years. Peavy, with his faux anger and "guts," will cost us a championship.

Sox are a three run inning away from winning the WS. Question is, can they get it?

[DavidG]

Did you post that before or after Pedroia's wall-banger?

[JimHow]

Ha ha, it's 4-0, feels like it should be 8-0.
Long way to go in this game.

[JimHow]

Lackey making some big pitches.

[AlohaArtakaHoundsong]

Hope you enjoyed it Jim. I didn't see it coming this winter, and surely not after our first two closers blew up and blew out, Taz spit the bit, and some 38-year-old guy named Koji was given the keys.

It remains to be seen what becomes of Iggy. I think expectations are too high for him. A superlative fielder but he does seem prone to styling. You know his two errors were integral to the Sox beating Det, don't you? And him ever hitting seems a longshot. I thought him likely to be traded - him or Drew, the irony being Drew was not tradeable until he became indispensible. He was better than Iggy, you know, this year, including in the field. I don't think Bogie is that suited to SS. 3B or LF would be better. If they could get Drew on a three year deal - the dude is money in the field. Back to Iggy, the only disappointment I had with him is no one better than Peavy was available. Peavy played a role, but he is not the guy so many hoped/thought. He is a warhorse, but an old warhorse whose best years were long ago with SD.

[Nicklasss]

Congratulations to the Red Sox.

It is better to win in 6, Jimhow blood pressure is down, back to normal.

It has been a long time since I watch baseball, but I always like the main pitcher vs batter confrontation, of the first 4 innings.

Nic

[dstgolf]

BIG PAPPI is back!!

Congrats to Boston and their beloved fans.

Now those wretched beards can disappear!!

[JimHow]

What a great season!
A poignant season because of the marathon bombings, but a great summer of entertainment from a goofy but very professional bunch of players. These guys know how to play the game !

[Jay Winton]

Will the beards stay?

[Michael Malinoski]

What a great season, indeed! And a really fun ride of a post-season for us here in this corner of the globe. I have yet to really let loose with an appropriate Champagne celebration, but it's coming...



Michael