From The Ridiculous to The Sublime (I Think)--Peter

Well, last nite's game was really something, wasn't it? Beckett pitching and by the time the 5th is over, it's clear we're going to get swept yet again by the Angels. Except that this time we're getting the broom at home. Ain't supposed to happen. When's the last time JB have up something on the order of eleven hits with the game barely half over? Worse, even though Youk, Papi and a few others got extra base hits and Coco got a, for him, rare HR, things are starting to look seriously awful. God forbid--it's starting to have a vague resemblance to Fenway, mid-60's version!

The good news, if there is any, is that while we've now slipped to three behind the Rays, there's still about fifty to play, and the Stripes are still to our rear, although just by a game. Starting today, they host the Halos, hopefully with the same results.

Now for the sublime. Manny's gone! And I don't mean into the scoreboard at the base of the Monster. No, he's now a member of the Left Coast version of the Red Sox--the LA Dodgers. At this rate, they're really building a slimmed down copy of the 2004 Sox. Manny is added to Nomaaahh (Garciaparra, to you), Derek Lowe and the guy who tried but failed to buy the Sox when the present management succeeded, Ned Colletti. With former Yanks manager, Joe Torre there, it'd be the ultimate in cool to make it to the Series and face the Sox Lite.

Manny and the Sox were good, in a strange way, for each other. Nearly eight years ago, he arrived in the Back Bay never having played for a Series Champ. He was to play for a team that at the time hadn't won a Series in 83 years. I know, I know, it was 86 years between Series titles for the Sox, but Manny arrived in time for the 2001 season. Now he leaves for a place where his brand of zany likely will make real sense--LA (what else do you need to know?)--the Sox having benefitted in part from his presence with a pair of Championships and Manny having received not one, but two rings.

Truth truly is stranger than fiction! Bon voyage and bon chance, mi amigo.