Sox Appeal

The Red Sox (a/k/a the Carmine Hose, for the more literary amongst us) open the American League Championship Series tonight at Fenway Park against the Detroit Tigers.

It has been an amazing season. Last year was one of the worst in the storied history of the franchise. After a late-season collapse for the ages in 2011, they tumbled into last place.

Worse, they didn't seem to care (with the exception of a few stalwarts, such as Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz, at least until an injury ended his season). They were an unlikable bunch of malcontents and underachievers, who squandered what seemed to be a lifetime of goodwill after the magical seasons of 2007 and, especially, 2004.

That makes what has happened this season so remarkable.

They have the best record in all of baseball.

They have shown a remarkable ability to come back, usually in dramatic fashion, from the beginning of the season.

And more amazing, they are an utterly likable - even endearing - group of eccentrics.

And hairy.

Very, very, very, hairy. lol

Win or lose, it has been an absolute pleasure watching them this season.

If the Red Sox are not the best team in baseball, then the Tigers are. They are a terrific team, with a long, storied history. And they also have arguably the best pitcher (Justin Verlander) and unarguably the best player (Miguel Cabrera) in baseball. In fact, they are so good I can even forgive Halle for rooting for them against the Sox!

It doesn't often happen that the best teams wind up standing at the end of the season, but that is the case this year, in both the American and National League (the St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Dodgers).

As a Red Sox fan, I hope they win the World Series. As a baseball fan (and those are not the same thing), I think any of the remaining teams will make a worthy champion.

Anyway, Game 1 starts in just a moment. Having just come home from a long, excessively dewy walk ;-p I am settled in for the night in my team approved nightwear:

Team approved *and* soooooooo comfortable (other than my bare legs, which are mighty chilly!); a girl cannot lose!

May the best team win!

Most important, go Sox!!!

***

A few Boston-appropriate tunes to set the mood:

The Dropkick Murphys and The Boss in Boston - on St. Patrick's Day (of course!):

The mighty J. Geils Band, promising to blow your face out:

The ultimate Boston rock anthem, courtesy of Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers:

This has often been called the first punk rock song, and you can make a pretty good argument in its favor. (Detroit's MC5 can also make an equally strong claim, incidentally.) No matter, it is an anthem - and all the more remarkable when you realize it was recorded in 1971! Talk about prescient...