The World Serious

While the Boston Red Sox -- LA Dodgers matchup in the World Series is ideal in many respects, I miss the plucky, innovative and scrappy playing (and managerial moves),and the smaller market (over the top) fan enthusiasm of the Milwaukee Brewers and the Houston Astros.  And then there was Game Three...

In the first two games of the Series, the home town Red Sox handled the visiting Dodgers with workman-like precision showing why the Bosox won 108 games during the regular season; and why they had been able to easily top the champions of last year, the Astros, in the playoffs. But now it was back to Los Angeles, for a key third game (an especially critical game for the hometown Dodgers). And the Hollywood plot-writers could not have crafted a more thrilling drama of epic proportions--last night's eighteen inning classic. The skills, the strategies, the heroic efforts (and the less than heroic efforts), the contested plays, the many plate-protecting fouls hit to all parts of the Ravine, and the stunning pitching and fielding, if not clutch hitting filled the plot, and sub-plots with attention-grabbing (close to eight) hours of excitement. I was glad to witness this memorable game (even if only by TV viewing) that might well be discussed for years to come.

The next night--and the fourth game--was a different story.  What started as a pitcher's duel ended as one pitcher running out of gas and the other pitcher being lifted out of the game too early.  As a consequence, the hitters started to strike through and as the score went to four to four in the ninth, there was the prospect of another extra inning epic game.  But that brief flirtation with history, ended abruptly as the Boston team went back to its expert and uncanny bursts of expert and timely hitting and the Dodgers now went from almost tieing the Series to facing elimination--what will tomorrow bring.