It's the most won-der-ful time
Of the year!

Jon Lester drives a stake through the heart of the Evil Empire by beating Roy Halladay. That wailing sound you're hearing is coming from The Bronx. It's like music to my ears.


Edit: Corrected misspelling of Halladay. It's important to show respect for the vanquished.

While it's been great watching the MFYs screw up in the playoffs, this is a fun experience that we haven't had in quite a while.

I can't think of a better way to flush the Toilet.

Red Sox
1. Jacoby Ellsbury, RF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. David Ortiz, DH
4. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
5. Jason Bay, LF
6. Jed Lowrie, 3B
7. Coco Crisp, CF
8. Alex Cora, SS
9. Jason Varitek, C
SP -- Jon Lester

Blue Jays
1. Marco Scutaro, 2B
2. Jose Bautista, DH
3. Alex Rios, RF
4. Vernon Wells, CF
5. Lyle Overbay, 1B
6. Scott Rolen, 3B
7. Kevin Mench, LF
8. Curtis Thigpen, C
9. John McDonald, SS

Giving the Toilet the proper send-off today, with my 2004 ALCS gear. Bring it home Lester, and get this party started!

GO SOX - KICK ASS AND WIN!

Does anyone have the awesome Maddog rant after the Yankees were eliminated where he screams "WHERE ARE THE YANKEE FANS??!?!" over and over again?

This is such an awesome day. I sent this email out to all my Yankee hating friends:

Somehow its flown greatly under the radar, but the Yankees are about to miss the playoffs for the first time since........well since I don't know when. This is truely the closing chapter in a story that had so much misery, intrigue, torture, DRAMA, euphoria, nervousness and just about every other emotion you can think up. I hated that team. I was obsessed with them losing............I cared 100 times more about the Yankees losing than the Sox winning. After the Sox toppled them in '04, I was a changed sports fan forever. Nothing will ever come close or grab my attention/obsession like that.

I can remember sitting in parking lot after a Pats game (they got smoked by the Broncos) and watching Ken Griffey sprint from first to home to sink a Yankee team on the cusp of greatness. I can remember the Mark Wholers game.......Leyritz home run and I'm leaving Bri Guys house without saying good bye. Then Clemens. God I hated that guy. The Nixon home run, the bad call at second, Karim Garcia/Don Zimmer, Paydro gassed, Boone, ARods lips, Schilling, Johnny Damon's blast, ARod's purse. And then finally. Victory.

Slowly of course the Sox actually morphed into the Yankees and vice versa. Now with Hank Steinbrenner in charge they may stay there for quite a while. But the passing of the Yankees must be noted. It must be mocked, appreciated, and refected.

Its been a long strange trip.............any thoughts/rememberences?

I'm going to celebrate with a touch of arrogance and a sense of entitlement. I will do it under a shroud of aura and mystique.

My favorite thread of the year.

WIN!

When I saw the line up last night , I thought why is Sean Casey* hitting 5th? In front of Bay?

So today I will ask why is Alex Cora in this line up? I will expect a two-run double from him.



*Yes, I know about his numbers v. Burnett and the L/R/L/R thing.

Would it be better for Yankee Elim Day to occur today or tomorrow at the big goodbye?

Hooray not getting picked off!

Anyone have a link that would allow me to watch online? EI doesn't have the game due to the FOX blackout. Thanks.

Edit: Nevermind. I assumed MLB.tv wouldn't carry the game, but it apparently is.

Anyone have any "free" viewing options for MLB? I dont want to pay for a week of MLB.tv but really want to watch this game

In 2004, I was walking thru DFW Airport, just arrived back from the Sox Game 3 WS win in St' Louis. Sox hat proudly worn. I passed a guy with a MFY hat on walking inthe other direction. He saw me and embarrassedly looked away. My first subconscious thought was "Suck on that!" I realized I'd been the one disgustedly averting my eyes for the past 30+ years. After their ALCS disaster, the shoe was miraculously, gloriously and thrillingly on the other foot after years of me want to slug in the face anyone (3 yr old boy or 80 yr old woman) wearing a Yankee hat.

WIN today men! Clinch the post season and let this kids have a crack at it on Sunday.

Attending Red Sox/Yankee games at Fenway not being able to say anything in response to the "1918 chant." Remember those days?

I've got that somewhere on my hard drive, but I can't find it. Once I do, I'll try to upload it.

For now, I believe this will suffice:

Ugh. Youk missed a fucking hanger.

C'mon Bay - let's capitalize early...

Double please.

Fucking squander.

squander sqad strikes again!

Another fucking squander....

Damnit. Another sqaunder. You can't do that against Halladay.

I am pretty goddamn sick of seeing Halladay.

Halladay and Burnett look like they have the same father. The difference is that Halladay's mother is the father's sister while Burnett's mother is the father's cousin.

Great start.

Halladay is tough, but the Red Sox put him through his paces. Here's the pitchfx link for Halladay today. In the first inning: 22 pitches -- 10 cutters, 6 2-seamers, 5 curves (one in the dirt), and 1 changeup.

Marco Scutaro would be a great replacement for Alex Cora.

The Klopek Family Tree doesn't branch.

I hope this is not one of those afternoons where Lester has nothing.

Fuck. Just what they need to do, fall behind Halladay.

Lester's belt-high cutter didn't get inside enough.

That is one ugly sportscoat.

Wow... Don and Jerry already blather on about something completely unrelated to the game. Great start.

I remember having to go to sleep during the Grady Little/Pedro game where I had school the next day. I woke up in the middle of the night, and turned on WEEI to listen to the result. Aaron BLEEPING Boone! The next year was about as euphoric a time as when can ever experience. It's probably as great as the birth of a child or may be getting married. Well, may be not the second one, but it was an absolutely amazing time.

Who can't remember this moment though:



FAKE EDIT: Jays scored...this thread might be premature.

Ted can't throw.

That base was stolen on the pitcher

I'm probably alone on this, but I'd pull Lester after about 80 pitches today, regardless of inning or situation. Get him a little extra rest in his last couple of starts. Winning this game is somewhat immaterial to me.

Lester's pitchfx charts this morning. Ordinarily he starts out with mostly fastballs, but this is an unusual start so far: 19 pitches -- 7 curves, 4 cutters, 3 four-seamers, 3 two-seamers.

I wish they did that "relevant scores" scoreboard during the whole season

Treating this like a ST game and fine tuning his breaking stuff?

Ted can't hit.

Anytime you want to swing....

I'm afraid we are really going to regret that first inning squander.

Against a pitcher like Halladay, Ted should go up and swing at the first three pitches. He might make contact with three tries.

Part of me is happy that Halladay is at 37 pitches. But he does appear to be settled in.

Today and tomorrow, and then we don't have to deal with the BJs again until 5/19/09.

Lester doesn't seem to have it today....ffs

That won't make Cleanfloor happy.

Lester looks like absolute shit today.

Lester struggling is not what I want to see right now.