A CITIZEN'S BLOG

Watching ESPN News last night I almost laughed when I heard Peter Gammons describe today’s Game 7 of the ALCS as the biggest in baseball history. How could he make such a grand pronouncement like that? Surely he’s joking … Then I saw that there wasn’t a trace of sarcasm in his voice. He wasn’t joking at all. Is today the biggest baseball game in history? I think it is impossible to say because the importance of a game, like the importance of a military battle, isn’t really known until after the fact, when the repercussions are finally known. Who would have known that a battle over a seemingly insignificant crossroads in central Pennsylvania called Gettysburg would go down in history as the decisive battle of the Civil War?

Game Six of the 1975 World Series was probably the greatest game in history, but nobody knew that going into the turnstiles at Fenway Park that night. It was only as Carlton Fisk’s home run soared over the Green Monster (the dramatic image of Fisk waving the ball fair) did fans realize that they were blessed to see the greatest game in baseball history.

So we’ll see how big today’s Red Sox – Yankees matchup is. How important this games ends up being greatly depends, in my opinion on the outcome of this series and the next. Today’s game will go down in the annals of baseball history as a classic if the Red Sox win, otherwise it will be merely another AL pennant for the Yankees. If the Red Sox win and go on to triumph in the World Series, then today’s game was the most important in baseball history: the capper to a historic comeback, the bridge to the Red Sox ending 86 years of futility. We’ll see if the game lives up to the hype.

-My poor wife is sick to death of baseball. I think she’s rooting for the Yankees because she knows I won’t care about the World Series then.

-It was nice to see the umps get some calls right last night. Bellhorn’s home run was a no-brainer. I hope Yankee fans aren’t trying to question A-Rod’s ball slapping incident. Rule 6.1 (as I heard it repeated on ESPN) seems to clearly forbid what he did: a malicious slapping at Arroyo’s glove. Rule on point, move on.

-It was sad, on the other hand, to see riot police being deployed to the stadium. I know tensions are high, but please Yankee fans: you only embarrassed yourselves.

Which brings up an interesting point: how will Yankee fans react if the Red Sox win? A standing O? Let’s see how classy they are …

-I thought it was interesting that Boston’s big inning in the fourth came courtesy of their 6-9 hitters. Mueller, Ortiz, Nixon, Ramirez and Damon’s bats were quiet (just 2 for 20). Meanwhile, the Yankees big four of Jeter, A-Rod, Matsui and Sheffield were a combined 3-15 last night with one RBI, a far cry from the 12 RBI’s, 15 runs and 13 hits they had in Game 3. Ouch.

-Curt Schilling pitched a terrific game, didn’t he? As a baseball fan you have to admire his grittiness on the mound, and as a Phillies fan you have to wonder what might have been for 2004 if he had stayed in Philly.

-The NLCS? Oh yeah, that’s still going on! I do think that the Cardinals will win Games 6 & 7 (home field and all that), but this was a heck of a year for the Astros, no? Whatever the outcomes of today’s NLCS and ALCS games there will be some good stories for the World Series: the Astros have never gotten there, so if they go that could be a good story. Obviously, if the Red Sox win today’s game you’ll be hearing the words “1918” and “curse” a lot in the series. But if the Astros win, regardless of the ALCS outcome, Roger Clemens will get to pitch against his old team. If the Cardinals win today and tomorrow, then it is a rematch of a 1960’s World Series (’64: Yankees, ’67: Red Sox).

Links ... Jim Caple gives the edge to the Red Sox for Game 7, noting that these last few games have been a dramatic reversal of past history when the Yankees would come from behind to spoil the Red Sox chances. Eric Neel notes that Schilling's place in baseball history could be immortalized if the Red Sox hang on as the man who broke the curse.

Craig Burley has a nice article on the interference call at Hardball Times. The meaning and purpose of baseball rules aren't typically discussed at any length, so it was nice to see an analysis of sorts. Also at Hardball Times, Yankees fan Larry Mahnken grumbles that the Red Sox might have already won, regardless of the outcome of tonight's game.