It all has the feel of having been preordained back in April. Clemens versus Martinez in Game 7. The Yankees should have taken it yesterday, it was in their grasp, but the only curse that really matters is the curse of a bad bullpen. Tonight will be the 26th time these two teams have faced each other this year. The Yankees have won 13, the Sox 12.
But at least we now know we do not face the specter of a Red Sox/Cubs matchup, one that would indeed mark the beginning of the end of the world.
I did not know that for all of the Yankees post-season, they've only been in four game sevens. Four. And in the last one hosted in Yankee Stadium, Lew Burdette of the Milwaukee Braves beat 'em 5-0 in '57.
But according to Tom Verducci, as quoted by Alex Belth, game seven history hasn't been too kind to the Red Stockings -- and there's a twist:
"Boston has its own Game 7 goblins. The franchise is 1-4 in such contests (again, excluding those in nine-game series). And who has the only Game 7 win in Red Sox history? That would be Clemens, who beat the Angels 8-1 in the deciding game of the 1986 ALCS. So bring it on, Rocket vs. Pedro one last time. Winner take all."
And I'm glad it's a night game. Taking second fiddle to the futile cubbies, relegated to afternoon games, is simply too emotionally draining. They leave me completely spent (and, like last night, completely annoyed) the rest of the evening.
*****
Tom Friedman thinks the Bush administration needs to listen harder to its critics. Fat chance of that, as Dave Lindorf reports on the efforts of the Secret Service -- probably at the behest of the appearance-obsessed White House -- to make sure that protesters are kept far from the presidential motorcade...and the TV cameras.
Over at Slate, Kinsley has more on the news filtering theme so beloved by Bush. No wonder he's so confident.
Speaking of keeping up appearances, Josh Marshall is amazed at Republican logic that the liberal media refuses to report positive stories about Iraq. Seems that every time a reporter is all set to go cover another school opening (remember, that was the primary administration rationale for the war, better Iraqi schools and healthcare), a U.S. soldier is blown up. If it bleeds it leads, so the average U.S. citizen is completely misled by the incredible progress we're making.
But according to Stars & Stripes -- definitely part of the liberal media establishment -- the troops are angry and demoralized. But that was in August. Before the start of the Iraqi school year, so I'm sure they're feeling better about things now.
Meanwhile, in local news, more on the tragic events of the other night, in which two children died in a fire in their (illegal) apartment, and their mother was arrested for child endangerment because she still had to work the night shift when the baby sitter didn't show up. It gets more tragic. It was murder.
But at least we now know we do not face the specter of a Red Sox/Cubs matchup, one that would indeed mark the beginning of the end of the world.
I did not know that for all of the Yankees post-season, they've only been in four game sevens. Four. And in the last one hosted in Yankee Stadium, Lew Burdette of the Milwaukee Braves beat 'em 5-0 in '57.
But according to Tom Verducci, as quoted by Alex Belth, game seven history hasn't been too kind to the Red Stockings -- and there's a twist:
"Boston has its own Game 7 goblins. The franchise is 1-4 in such contests (again, excluding those in nine-game series). And who has the only Game 7 win in Red Sox history? That would be Clemens, who beat the Angels 8-1 in the deciding game of the 1986 ALCS. So bring it on, Rocket vs. Pedro one last time. Winner take all."
And I'm glad it's a night game. Taking second fiddle to the futile cubbies, relegated to afternoon games, is simply too emotionally draining. They leave me completely spent (and, like last night, completely annoyed) the rest of the evening.
*****
Tom Friedman thinks the Bush administration needs to listen harder to its critics. Fat chance of that, as Dave Lindorf reports on the efforts of the Secret Service -- probably at the behest of the appearance-obsessed White House -- to make sure that protesters are kept far from the presidential motorcade...and the TV cameras.
Over at Slate, Kinsley has more on the news filtering theme so beloved by Bush. No wonder he's so confident.
Speaking of keeping up appearances, Josh Marshall is amazed at Republican logic that the liberal media refuses to report positive stories about Iraq. Seems that every time a reporter is all set to go cover another school opening (remember, that was the primary administration rationale for the war, better Iraqi schools and healthcare), a U.S. soldier is blown up. If it bleeds it leads, so the average U.S. citizen is completely misled by the incredible progress we're making.
But according to Stars & Stripes -- definitely part of the liberal media establishment -- the troops are angry and demoralized. But that was in August. Before the start of the Iraqi school year, so I'm sure they're feeling better about things now.
Meanwhile, in local news, more on the tragic events of the other night, in which two children died in a fire in their (illegal) apartment, and their mother was arrested for child endangerment because she still had to work the night shift when the baby sitter didn't show up. It gets more tragic. It was murder.
posted by John at 5:14 PM
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