From The Smoking Gun: "The New York Post made a colossal error today on its editorial page. The paper somehow printed an editorial bemoaning last night's Yankees loss to the Boston Red Sox." According to Post Editor-in-Chief Col Allan: ''We had prepared two editorials, one in the event of the Yankees winning, one with the Yankees losing. 'When we transmitted the pages to our printing facility, the wrong button was struck and the wrong editorial sent.'' The mistake was caught and corrected in later editions.



A Yankees Fan Writes:

Dear Red Sox Nation:

I'm sorry your team lost last night.

I'm not being sarcastic. I'm not gloating. I am truly sorry. The 2003 Red Sox were a better team than the 2003 Yankees, a more exciting team, a team with more spirit and the talent to back it up. I'm sorry your manager was too stupid to claim the prize that was being handed to you. Now I finally, truly, and definitively understand what intelligent Sox fans have been complaining about all season.

I am a Yankees fan by accident of geography and timing. I grew up in the New York City area, I learned about baseball from Yankees fans, I attended my first games in the late 1970s, and I was hooked. I don't understand the concept of "switching teams" - your team is your team. You don't choose it, it chooses you.

But the 2003 Boston Red Sox claimed a piece of my pinstriped heart, and they wouldn't let go. I thrilled at their heart-attack comebacks, cheered at the improbability of Bill Mueller winning the batting title, marvelled at the 2003 Sox outslugging the legendary 1927 Yankees. I loved their blue-collar spirit, I loved their hugging, their solidarity, their tenacity, their fierceness. I admire Pedro Martinez, with his outrageous talent, his ultra-cool swagger, even his arrogance. Anyone that talented can get away with a little arrogance if you ask me. And this team happens to play in the best baseball park in the country, bar none. They were irresistible.

Even more than your terrific 2003 team, I admire you. Your loyalty is beyond question and beyond the imagination of most Yankees fans. I ought to know. I frequented Yankee Stadium in the mid- and late-80s, when good seats were plentiful and people said the Bronx was too scary for baseball. Most New Yorkers were Mets fans then. Now I hear an amusing boast: "I've been a Yankees fan since 1996!" Sorry, that only works if you're 10 years old.

I understand your hatred of all things Yankees - how could it be otherwise? But being a fan is like being married. My marriage to the Yankees has brought me much happiness, and I owe it a lot.

Yet now I feel alienated from most Yankee fans. Their arrogance (and hey, they're not Pedro, what have they got to be arrogant about?), the sense of entitlement, the ignorant notion that if it's called Red Sox it must be a losing team. So-called Yankees fans stream for the exits in the 7th inning of a losing game, and they boo even their best players when they're slumping. (We're not all like that. I'm not. There are others like me. But...)

You guys are sometimes sore losers, but I wish my fellow fans were better winners.

I don't believe in a curse. That's just stupid. Many teams have won less. There has been a lot of heartbreak, there's no doubt about that. But that's baseball, and that's life. Both are chock full of heartbreak. No supernatural explanations are necessary.

Some people say when that when the Sox win it all - and they will - their fans won't know what to do, so accustomed have they grown to losing. I know that nothing could be further from the truth. You brave souls will know exactly what to do. I won't be invited to the party, but I'll watch it with great joy in my heart.

Numb. Shell-shocked, angry, disbelieving, and impotent. Angry at 11:00 pm when Pedro Martinez was left in as the Red Sox lead crumbled, disbelieving at 12:16 am when the game was finally decided, and numb as I sit down this morning. ... And yet, why should I have expected any different? Grady Little handled Game 7 of the ALCS like he has handled games all season long: as if he had never seen a baseball game in his life and had the barest inkling of the rules and strategies than everyone else around him knew in their bones. I said all summer that Grady's asinine managing would cost this team in the playoffs, where every mistake is magnified. I take no solace in knowing I was right. It kills me that this great team, who battled back against Oakland and had battled back against the Yankees, and was 5 outs from the American League pennant, was burdened with this imbecile. ... 2003 makes 1978 pale in comparison. Was this worse than 1986? I don't know. Does it really matter whether you are kicked in the balls 49 times or 50 times?

Yesterday I wrote: "Martinez ... knows he can pitch all-out for 7 innings and turn it over to the reliable trio of Timlin/Embree/Williamson." I mention it again, not because it's great analysis or some secret recipe for success, but because it's so goddamn obvious. If there are 50,000,000 Red Sox fans in the world, 49,999,999 of them knew exactly what to do in the bottom of the 8th inning last night and were screaming those instructions at their radios, televisions and computer screens. But the one person in the world who didn't know what do -- who couldn't bring himself to do what needed to be done -- was also the man in charge of the team. And he blew it. There is no one else. Grady Little fucking lost the pennant. As Hench put it: "Even Antonio Scalia couldn't vote to execute someone this stupid."

The 2003 American League flag belonged to the Boston Red Sox. They had a 5-2 lead with 5 outs to go. The Yankees and their fans knew that, with the Red Sox bullpen having pitched lights out against both Oakland and New York, the later it got, the fewer chances they had. None of the Boston relievers was tired; everyone was rested. These were two innings that could have managed themselves. ... But Boston was stuck with one of the stupidest and gutless managers in the history of the game. This team fought and fought and fought and fought all summer long and came within a handful of outs of a trip to the World Series, but their admirable resiliency was not enough to overcome their manager's colossal ineptitude. In the end, as Red Sox Nation feared, Grady the Millstone dragged them down to their deaths.

Pedro had a bit of trouble in the 7th inning, his first real jam of the night. With two outs (one of them a hard liner to Damon in right center by Posada), Giambi hit his second solo home run of the night. It brought New York within 2 runs at 4-2. Wilson hit a single off the bag that Kevin Millar made a nifty snag of in foul territory and instead of tossing to Pedro covering, he tried to take it himself, but slipped on the grass and had no play. On Martinez's next pitch Karim Garcia singled to right field and Wilson went to second. Boston pitching coach Dave Wallace came out to talk with Pedro. Mike Timlin was throwing in the Red Sox bullpen.

The tying run was at the plate and for the first time all evening, I was nervous. But my worry was mitigated by the fact that Soriano was at bat. He had struck out in all three of his appearances against Pedro and had looked foolish and befuddled each time. Pedro had already thrown 94 pitches and this was obviously his last batter. Soriano took a ball inside, then ripped a line drive foul down the third base line. Pedro got strike two away, and after another foul and a ball outside, Soriano whiffed on a 94 mph fastball low and away. Pedro had obviously cranked it up for his final batter and his 100th pitch. He touched his heart and pointed to the heavens as he left the mound and accepted a congratulatory hug from Nomar Garciaparra in the dugout. A job well done.

In the top of the 8th, David Ortiz blasted David Wells's first pitch into the right field bleachers to extend the Red Sox's lead to 5-2. When Nick Johnson led off the bottom of the 8th, he did not face Alan Embree or Mike Timlin, as expected. He stepped in against Pedro Martinez. ... Now I'll be honest. I understood what Grady was doing. He wanted Martinez to close out the Yankees himself. I didn't have a huge problem with that, assuming Pedro could do it on 15 additional pitches or so. If anyone reached base, I would want the pen.

Pedro threw 7 pitches to Johnson and got him on a full-count popup to shortstop. Five outs to go. Derek Jeter fell behind 0-2, then drove the ball over Trot Nixon's head in right for a double. Bernie Williams was next and Pedro was at 110 pitches. In the bullpen, everyone was rested and ready: Timlin (who had retired 25 of the 26 post-season batters he had faced), Embree, Williamson, Arroyo, Jones, Suppan, Sauerbeck, even Wakefield, Lowe and maybe Burkett for a batter or two. The bullpen's post-season ERA was 1.01. Grady stayed with Pedro.

Jeter scored. Now it was 5-3. Gump walked out of the dugout to the mound. It was his customary "two batters too late," but thank god Gump had come to his senses before it was way too late. I expected Embree to face the lefty Matsui. Gump talked with Pedro and then he turned and walked back to the dugout. Grady stayed with Pedro. After the game, Gump said that Pedro had told him that he had enough left to get Matsui and get out of the inning. Well, of course, he's going to say that, what the hell else would you expect? It is the manager's job to say NO, you've gone above and beyond the call tonight, you've thrown 115 pitches, I want you in the World Series, so it's time to sit on the bench watch your teammates nail it down. Grady failed this most obvious of tasks.

Pedro got two called strikes on Matsui. On the 0-2 pitch, Matsui ripped a line drive that hit near the right field line -- fair ball -- and bounced towards the stands, where a fan touched it. Everyone was allowed two bases, so Williams had to stop at third. Now the Yankees had the tying run at second base and still only one out. Pedro was wilting. He was at 118 pitches. And Grady let him continue.

What must they have been thinking in the bullpen? What about the starting players in the field, watching as Pedro's pitchers are being banged all over the lot? And what about Theo Epstein, Larry Lucchino and John Henry? They're smart men. What in the world was going through their heads as Grady left Pedro in to absorb line drive after line drive after line drive and the comfortable Red Sox lead shrank down to nothing?

Posada was the next batter and he blooped a 2-2 pitch into short center field, Williams and Matsui scored and because no one was covering second base, Posada took the extra bag. New York had tied the game 5-5. And here was Grady, walking to the mound to take the ball from Pedro, doing what any fool with more sense than God gave a rosin bag would have done FOUR BATTERS AGO.

The inning went on with both Embree and Timlin pitching, and although New York loaded the bases, they did not score. Mariano Rivera came out of the Yankees pen for the 9th. Varitek singled with one out. Pinch-runner Damian Jackson did not attempt to steal, although he advanced to second on Damon's ground out. Todd Walker nearly poked a line drive over Soriano's head into right field, but the second baseman made the catch to end the inning. Rivera ended up pitching three innings (he also allowed a 2-out double in the 10th to Ortiz) and throwing 48 pitches. If Wakefield could get through the 11th (his second inning of work), Torre would have to bring in either Jeff Weaver, Jose Contreras or Gabe White. ... That 12th inning never came.

Every idiot who wouldn't know what a baseball was if it hit him in the head, and plenty of idiots who follow the sport too, will blather on about the Curse and how evil spirits are conspiring against the Red Sox. That has been a crock of shit since Day One and no matter how many editions of a certain book are printed, it will remain a crock of shit. Let me say this: I am proud of the 2003 Red Sox. I still love this team. ... There were no chokes, no errors, no baserunning mistakes, nothing on the part of the players that could (or should) be singled out as the reason why Game 7 was lost. This loss will go down in history squarely on the shoulders of Grady Little, who will now take his rightful place as one of the most hated men in Red Sox history, the author of one of the dumbest managerial moves in the history of the game (and no, I do NOT believe I'm exaggerating).

Theo should have fired the moron in the 8th inning, but baring that, he should have shit-canned him immediately after the game, and refused to allow him on the charter flight back to Boston. You would think he'll never get another managerial job again, but who knows? Dusty Baker was given the chance to piss away another team's title hopes this year. Maybe Gump can become the Yankees new bench coach. If so, I look forward to Pedro tossing his dumb ass to the ground next season.

Grady: "Pedro Martinez has been our man all year long and in situations like that, he's the one we want on the mound over anybody we can bring in out of the bullpen. He had enough left in his tank to finish off Posada." Well, idiot, if that's the case, why pull him at all? Why not let him finish the 8th and have him go the 9th too? If he's truly better than anyone out in the bullpen, let him go and go.

Aaron Boone? He means nothing to me. A truly insignificant part of this series. No, it is Grady Little, and only Grady Little, that I despise. I have more hatred for him at this point than I do for any New York Yankee I can think of -- past or present. His exit from the Boston Red Sox will be a sliver of happiness I take from this post-season. And any Red Sox players who still believe this shithead is a great "player's manager" and love his "open door" policy, I don't care who you are, but I hope you go with him into oblivion. Anyone that stupid doesn't deserve to wear the Red Sox uniform.

Commiserate, vent and look to 2004 with fellow fans at Sons of Sam Horn, with threads either here or here. As huge as my hatred and disgust is for Grady, that's the amount of love, respect and admiration I have for everyone who posts at SoSH. Thanks to all of them, the site was an unbridled joy and a much-needed comfort station all season. It was on, but Grady turned it off. That is all.

From the Game 7 Game Thread. Because every word is true:

"What a freaking asshile this manager is... he single-handedly just cost the team this freaking game. Unbelieveable... if folks thought that guy in Chicago was going to have to move out of town, just wait until Grady gets back to Boston."

"The pen's been lights out this entire series and Gump forgets to bring them in after the first hit."

"You gotta hand that lead over to the bullpen. You just gotta. Oh my god. We have to win this game. We WILL win this game. Despite Grady. What a goddamn moron. YOU are the manager not Pedro. The only one without a pair on this team is Grady. Win. Just. Win."

"I'm fucking speechless right now. The most unbelievable bonehead managing decision I have ever witnessed. 6,000,000 people across america were screaming to get him outta there."

"Grady, you want to be popular with the players let them make the decisions? Go manage a little league team. That was unexcusable asking Pedro is he wanted to stay in the game after 120 pitches. What is he going to do, say he wants out? I hate Grady Little. I will never forgive him for this, win or lose today's game."

"How the fuck do you let Pedro go out there obviously tired and wait until he surrenders the lead? How? I find that incomprehensible. The bullpen was ready. Timlin has been damn near perfect. How do you do it? How how how how how how how how how how?"

"I still can't believe this. A 5-2 lead in the bottom of the eighth. Your entire pitching staff, minus John Burkett and maybe Bronson Arroyo available. Your guy on the mound unable to hit his spots in the bottom of the seventh. Two guys warm in the pen for the bottom of the eighth. Double. Not even a peep from the dugout. Single. Oh Pedro says he is fine we'll let him stay. Double. Well hey we still have the lead and this is what got us here. Another single. Aww darn, now I have to walk out there again. This is the most embarrasing moment in Sox history since Buckner. And errily similar in managerial bullshit stubbornness and stupidity."

"No, seriously, how the fuck do you leave Pedro out there to lose the lead when your fucking bullpen has been so fucking good in the playoffs and they're ready and he looked tired and sweet evermotherfuckinglovingjesus. How the fuck does one do that? What's the thought process? What the fucking fuck?"

"I'm gonna probably say this a dozen more times. I still can't believe I'm watching a tie game now. I can't believe I'm not watching Scott Williamson come in to get the save with a two or three run lead. I mean, I really can't believe it. Like I can't believe it in the same way you can't believe it when you are the innocent victim of a drive-by shooting. With the guy using an M-60, and a grinning jackass North Carolina smile on his face. Everything is all fuzzy and faded and I'm starting to even lose my anger at the bullshit. Motherfucker. Just do this. Do it Timlin. Do it Nomar. Do it Manny. Just do it somebody in a Red Sox uniform. Let me go to bed with euphoria instead of second guessing regret."

"I feel like I'm in a bad dream. I feel like the Red Sox should still be leading 5-2. I feel like I should be watching Timlin mow down the Yankees, and then watch Williamson blow high heat past them in the ninth. No other scenario seems possible. Grady couldn't have let Pedro continue to pitch. That has to be a nightmare. It's just too ridiculous to believe. This must be some sort of reality t.v. joke. The footage to my television is being controlled and secret cameras are watching me. Right? Right?"

Kevin Millar: "I don't think there is a person in the United States that isn't going to know the Sox and Yankees are playing Game 7 with Pedro and Clemens."

Pedro Speaks: "I feel pretty good, for this time of year. And this is the time of year where you don't have any time to actually say "I'm hurting... I'm sore" or "I feel bad" because regardless of how you feel you have to go out there and make a commitment to the team and to the fans and to yourself ... [In Game Three] I just went with what I had in the first part of the game, I didn't feel all that well. I felt a little sluggish in the first three innings, and then I picked it up and I felt better, so I threw more fastballs and I mixed up my pitchers a little bit better. But at first, that's all I had, and that's how I tried to pitch and it cost me a couple of runs ..."

Check out this snip about Mr. Class, posted in tonight's Game Thread:

"The team has created a monster, and the question is: What are they going to do now? Clemens is up for free agency next year. He has arm problems almost every other year. He will be looking for at least a four-year contract, probably five, in excess of $20 million. His body has changed dramatically over the past five years - he is much bulkier - but his behavior remains erratic at best.

Clemens' track record is becoming unbelievable. After he was ejected, he twice yelled at Cooney, "I'm going to find out where you live and come after you this winter," according to first base ump Vic Voltaggio. This year alone, he apparently lied about pitching to a prison team, walked off a charter flight because of a delay, offered misleading information about his shoulder injury, punched the manager's office door with his pitching hand because the league wouldn't let him decide how long the clubhouse should remained closed after the division clincher, and now this.

Perhaps we should have seen it coming. In Game 1, Clemens left after six shutout innings, then refused to speak because "I just didn't want to confront that situation at that time. I thought it would be a detriment to the team." While in the dugout during Game 2, he yelled at plate umpire John Hirschbeck, then threw a roll of tape and a towel at the back of the dugout when umpire Jim Evans approached him. Shortly after that, he appeared to snap at manager Joe Morgan, and there were unconfirmed reports that he yelled disparaging remarks at A's pitcher Bob Welch, a recovering alcoholic. During Game 3, Clemens later acknowledged, he screamed at Cooney over a close play at first.

"Are being surly and contemptuous punishable offenses? Usually not. Baseball has been loaded with cretins throughout its history. The cliche that a pitcher needs to have a mean streak in him is not far off. But Clemens is out of control with this Possessed/Rebel thing. ..."

--Steve Fainaru, Boston Globe, October 12, 1990

It Is On! There is no man on Earth I want pitching this Game 7 more than Pedro Martinez. Throughout his career, he has used the doubts others have had in his abilities (too small to be a starting pitcher, too fragile to have a sustained career as a power pitcher, etc.) as motivation every time he takes the mound. In Boston, he has used the occasional booing at Fenway Park to the barbs of local sportswriters as fuel. And while Martinez shouldn't need any added incentive to prepare himself for tonight's start, last Saturday's events have made him Public Enemy No. 1 in New York City. This will not faze him; under pressure in Cleveland in 1999, he threw 6 no-hit innings of relief to clinch the ALDS). Martinez is pitching on his normal rest and with the bullpen in top shape, he knows he can pitch all-out for 7 innings and turn it over to the reliable trio of Timlin/Embree/Williamson. He knows the legacy of the Boston Red Sox, he knows what this rivalry means, and he burns for a chance at a World Series ring. Pedro knows this is the biggest start of his career. I expect it to be masterful.

Roger Clemens (aka the Texas Con Man, Fat Judas, Quisling, Fat Billy from Ohio, etc.) is pitching what could be the final start of his legendary career. In storybook fashion, it will come against the team with whom he built his Hall of Fame reputation, with whom he burnt his bridges seven years ago, the team whose fans hate him with an unbridled passion. The stakes could not be higher. Clemens was praised in the national media for holding his composure in Game 3. That was billed as a Big Game (and it was), but it is small potatoes to Game 7. This is a BIG GAME. Clemens may have considered himself rid of the Boston Red Sox forever, but now he has to battle them again, and the Red Sox have the momentum of yesterday's Game 6 victory at their backs.

Will Clemens be remembered as the guy who lost Game 7 of the ALCS to Pedro the Punk? Will he be remembered as the man unable to stop the Red Sox from romping through the Yankees' backyard on their way to the World Series? With George Steinbrenner watching, Clemens's Yankees legacy is on the line. The Red Sox batters must make Clemens work; he'll be wired and will expend precious energy harnessing those emotions (some type of "I thought it was the ball!" meltdown is not out of the question). A patient, sustained Boston attack, much like the offense showed yesterday, can chase Clemens early and make Rivera irrelevant.

Throughout their recent run of success, the Yankees have not lost a playoff series at home. That could change tonight. The Boston Red Sox can win their first pennant since 1986, they can do it in front of 55,000 Yankee fans and they can do it in the game that ends Roger Clemens's career. This is perhaps the most important game ever played between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. ... Today is also my 40th birthday. Go Sox!

Clemens v Boston    IP    H   ER   R  BB   K   BF   PIT
0521 NY 4 @Bos 2    6     9    2   2   1   7   27   100
0526 Bos 8 @NY 4    5.2  10    8   8   2   9   29   133
0705 Bos 10 @NY 2   5.1   6    8   7   2   3   26    95
0831 NY 8 @Bos 4    6.2   6    4   4   2   3   27   112
0906 Bos 12, @NY 0  3.1   7    7   5   2   2   19    77
1011 @NY 4, Bos 3   6     5    2   2   1   7   22    96
Totals             33    43   31  28  10  31  150   613   7.64 ERA

Pedro v New York    IP    H   ER   R  BB   K   BF   PIT
0707 @NY 2, Bos 1    7    5    1   1   0  11   27   115   
0725 NY 4, @Bos 3    6.2  7    3   3   4  10   31   128
0830 NY 10, @Bos 7   4    9    5   5   0   3   22    87
0905 Bos 9, @NY 3    6    4    1   1   1   9   23    94
1011 @NY 4, Bos 3    7    6    4   4   1   6   28    98
Totals              30.2 31   14  14   6  39  131   522  4.11 ERA

BlogWatch:

Ed Cossette: "[F]or once you can honestly say that no matter how much tonight's game is hyped it just cannot be over hyped. Every cliche, every breathless news report, every drop of ink, every pixel pointing to Game 7 tonight in NY is deserved. ... I'm so excited I can barely think, let alone write."

Larry Mahnken: "It's been several hours since Game 6 ended, and I still have no heart to write about it. It feels as though the Yankees have lost their chance, that they've already lost the series. I felt this way going into Game Four last season, Game Five in 1995 and 1997. Defeat seems an almost forgone conclusion. ... The only chance for the Yankees is Clemens, pitching to save his career. ... If someone other than Clemens or Rivera is pitching tonight, the game is probably lost for New York. ... With the Florida Marlins waiting to be crushed, this game will likely determine who wins the World Series."

Alex Belth: "Pedro vs. Clemens. This is what everybody wants, right? Well, we've got it. ... Martinez pitches better when he's got a chip on his shoulder and with Yankee Stadium giving him the business tonight, I fear he'll use it to his advantage, no matter how much he's got left in the tank. ... It could be the biggest win of the year for the Yankees, or one of the biggest wins in Boston history for the Red Sox. I'll be hiding behind the couch with two hands over my eyes."

Tim Daloisio: "Tonight will answer the age old question, if you had one pitcher in all of baseball to pitch one game with everything on the line, who would you want on the mound? For the Red Sox that answer is Pedro Martinez, and he's going tonight with a trip to the World Series on the line."

Game Six. Boston 9, New York 6.

Boston 1st: Damon and Walker both swing at pitches at their ankles and ground out. The slumping Garciaparra is on top of two Pettitte fastballs, fouling them off, before poking a pitch into right field for a single. Ramirez grounds out, but Nomar's hit is a good sign.

New York 1st: With a 25-mph wind blowing out to both left and right, Giambi lifts a solo home run over the right center field wall (Yankees 1-0). Early on, Burkett is not getting calls on the corner. An inside pitch to Jeter is called a ball, while a similar pitch was called a strike on Ramirez. [My notes are full of exclamation points about the horrible calls made by home plate umpire Angel Hernandez. The strike zone changed shape so many times, and Hernandez blew so mnay calls, it's impossible to say which team, if either one, had the upper hand. Hernandez's performance ranks down there with Eric Gregg's 1997 debacle; MLB should be embarrassed to have such erratic and amateurish umpiring in such an important game.]

Boston 3rd: Varitek opens the inning by jumping on a hanging curve and hitting it into the upper deck in left field. Tie game 1-1. Damon walks on five pitches and scampers to third as Walker singles past Johnson into right field. Nomar forces Damon at third and Ramirez walks on four pitches to load the bases. Ortiz wastes no time, smacking Pettitte's first pitch over Jeter into left field (Boston 3-1). Millar follows with a single to shallow center and Boston leads 4-1.

New York 4th: With a 3-run lead, Burkett has an easy 3rd (allowing only a 2-out single to Jeter), but he comes undone in the 4th. Williams grounds out on a fine play by Millar along the first base line. Posada singles to right and Matsui singles to left center. Burkett falls behind Johnson 3-0 (getting squeezed on balls 2 and 3) and is forced to come in over the plate. Johnson crushes a ground rule double to right center. Posada scores and when Matsui crosses on Boone's ground out, the Red Sox lead is cut to 4-3. With two outs, Garcia grounds to shortstop, but Nomar boots it behind the bag and New York has runners at 1st and 3rd. Grady has had Arroyo warming in the pen since Johnson's double, but he allows Burkett to face Soriano, who has battered him in his short career (9-for-14, 1.714 OPS!). It is a questionable move (or non-move), but one entirely consistent with Grady's conservative approach this season. Soriano lines Burkett's first pitch to the left center field wall, Johnson and Garcia score and the Yankees retake the lead 5-4. Grady comes out and replaces Burkett with Arroyo. He walks Jeter but strikes out Giambi in an 8-pitch at-bat.

New York 5th: Posada hits an opposite field home run to left off Arroyo (McCarver the Unprepared refers to him as "Brandon" Arroyo) and New York extends its lead to 6-4.

Boston 6th: Pettitte is gone after five innings and 91 pitches. The big question is whether Contreras can pitch effectively for two or three innings until Rivera can close it out. Contreras pitches a strong 6th: Nixon is called out on a tailing fastball, Varitek strikes out on a splitter and after Damon walks, Walker strikes out on a fastball away.

New York 6th: Todd Jones makes his first appearance of the post-season (great *&%$# idea, Gump!) Jones strikes out Garcia, but Soriano singles to center and Jeter walks. Gump goes to Embree and the Boston infield shifts over to the right side against Giambi. I think this is a bad idea, because it leaves third base uncovered against a possible steal and with only one out, the infield should play for a possible groundball (and DP). But this is a bad move because it potentially gives the Yankees extra bases when they are already up 6-4. ... Sure enough, on the first pitch to Giambi (a called strike), Soriano and Jeter pull a double steal (without a throw to either base) and the double play is now out of the question. This is a huge moment in the game; a single could put the Yankees up by four runs. Embree battles Giambi and fans him on a 97 mph fastball for the 2nd out. Williams hits a hard grounder to Mueller at third, but he makes a nice play and the New York rally is snuffed out.

Boston 7th: Contreras begins his second inning and is hit hard. Garciaparra slams his first pitch over Williams's head to the center field wall for a triple. The ball bounces back towards the infield. Matsui runs over from left, grabs the ball, whirls and heaves it into the third base stands for an error. Nomar scores and Boston is within one run, 6-5. Ramirez also slams the first pitch over Williams's head for a standup double. Contreras uncorks a wild pitch with Ortiz batting (it's only his 3rd pitch of the inning) and Manny trots to third. On a full count, Ortiz hits a smash off the first base bag. The ball sails high into the air and lands in short right field. Manny scores and the game is tied at 6-6. Millar flies out to right, Mueller singles past Jeter into center and Contreras's day is done. Heredia gets Nixon looking, but after intentionally walking Varitek to load the bases, Heredia walks Damon on four pitches to give the Red Sox the go-ahead run. Walker strikes out, but Boston now holds a slim 7-6 lead.

New York 7th: Embree is still on the hill; good move by Grady. He should stay in to face Posdada, Matsui and Johnson. And those are the only batters he faces. Posada grounds to second, Matsui singles to shallow left, and Johnson (a selective batter who is already 3-for-3) grounds into a double play, shortstop unassisted to first. Inning over.

New York 8th: Timlin relieves Embree, with Wakefield warming up (probably a psychological ploy). Boone falls behind 0-2, takes two balls and strikes out on a pitch in the dirt. Garcia singles to left and is forced at second by Soriano. With Jeter at the plate, Soriano steals second right away. Jeter fouls a pitch off his foot and is down 0-2. He hits the ball hard to Mueller at third, who bobbles it slightly, but throws to first to nip Jeter for the third out. [Note to Fox: In a pressure situation, with a chance to tie the game, the New Mr. October has failed.]

Boston 9th: Nelson strikes out Nixon swinging to start the inning, but Mueller lines a double into the left center field gap. Torre brings in lefty Gabe White to face Nixon. Grady stays with Trot, who looks at strike one, fouls a pitch off, takes ball one, then launches a huge home run into the 3rd deck in right field. Yankee Stadium goes silent as Boston takes a 9-6 lead.

New York 9th: Scott Williamson is on to close the game with a 3-run lead. Giambi falls behind 0-2, runs the count full, but goes down swinging on a 95 mph heater. Williams pops an 1-0 pitch into shallow center. Damon jogs in, slips and as he falls he catches the ball. He ends up on his back, smiling. Two outs. Posada flies out harmlessly to center on a 1-1 pitch and at 8:16, Boston wins Game Six.

Damon doubled with two outs in the top of the 9th but was stranded at second base. It was Boston's 16th hit of the afternoon. Everyone in the lineup had at least one hit; Nomar had 4, Mueller 3 and Millar and Ortiz 2 each (Damon also had 3 walks). The bats appear to be out of hibernation -- better late than never -- and that is the best news of the day. Just an average Red Sox offense should be enough to win the pennant.

So here we are. Thursday night. 8:18 pm. Game 7. American League Championship Series. Boston Red Sox v New York Yankees. Pedro Martinez v Roger Clemens. The winner will host the Florida Marlins in Game 1 of the World Series on Saturday.

Strong Convictions Precede Great Actions. Faith may be irrational, but I have it. I had it during the ALDS; I truly believed Boston would come back and beat the A's. Now, facing the Yankees and completely frustrated by the AWOL Boston bats, I know the Red Sox can win this afternoon's Game 6 in the Bronx. And that's the only game I'm concerned about today. Faith.

"The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today; Let us move forward with strong and active faith." Franklin D. Roosevelt

"All the strength and force of man comes from his faith in things unseen. He who believes is strong; he who doubts is weak. Strong convictions precede great actions." James Freeman Clarke

"If you have abandoned one faith, do not abandon all faith. There is always an alternative to the faith we lose. Or is it the same faith under another mask?" Graham Greene

Reasons for faith?

April 6: After losing a Pedro start 2-1 in the bottom of the 9th, Boston rebounds and beats Baltimore 12-2.

April 15: Boston blows a 5-1 to the Devil Rays in the 8th inning, but Hillenbrand's bases-loaded single wins the game 6-5 in the bottom of the 9th.

April 20: Toronto leads 5-0 in the 5th. Boston ties the game 5-5 in the 7th on Garciaparra's 2-run double. Nomar then blasts a home run leading off the bottom of the 9th to win the game.

April 27: In Anaheim, Boston (up 4-1) allows single runs to the Angels in the 7th, 8th and 9th, but back-to-back home runs by Ortiz and Varitek give the Red Sox a 6-4 victory in 11 innings.

April 30: Boston trails Kansas City 2-1 after 8 innings. The Royals add two runs off Mendoza and Lyon in the top of the 9th, but the Red Sox answer with 3 runs: Walker singles, Garciaparra is hit by a pitch, Ramirez doubles, Millar hits a sacrifice fly, Hillenbrand is hit by a pitch, Damon is hit by a pitch, and Varitek reaches on an error as the winning run scores.

May 26: Boston pounds Clemens for 10 hits and 8 runs in 5.2 innings. The Red Sox win 8-4 as Fat Billy fails to record career win #300.

June 7: After six innings in Milwaukee, the Red Sox trail the Brewers 10-5. Millar hits a pinch-hit grand slam in the 7th and Nixon and Varitek hit consecutive home runs in the 9th and Boston wins 11-10.

June 12: Boston eventually loses this game, but it is one of my favorites of 2003. St. Louis leads 3-0 in Fenway, but Boston scores 3 in the bottom of the 9th to tie the game. The Cardinals score 2 on J.D. Drew's HR in the top of the 10th and Boston matches it with 2 in the home half. Jim Edmonds hits a long 3-run home run in 13th. Boston rallies: Ramirez walks, Millar singles, Nixon singles (run), Mueller grounded into double play (run), Giambi walkes, Varitek walks intentionally, Damon pops to right. Boston falls 8-7.

July 5: Boston beats Clemens like a drum once again (5.1, 8R, 6H) 10-2, one day after tagging New York for a Yankee Stadium-record 7 home runs.

July 19: Boston gets single runs in the 9th (Nomar singles, steals second and scores on Manny's hit) and 10th (Kapler runs for Giambi (who singled), steals second and scores on Nixon's single) and beat the Blue Jays 5-4.

July 26: After blowing a 4-0 lead to the Yankees, pinch-hitter David Ortiz doubles off the Monster against Benitez in the bottom of the 9th. Jeremy Giambi (who had just stolen the first base of his career) scores and Boston wins 5-4.

July 27: Boston trails the Yankees 3-0 in the 7th inning. Facing a succession of New York pitchers -- Weaver, Hammond, Benitez and Orosco -- the Red Sox bang out six runs (Varitek 3-run HR, Damon 2-run HR, Ortiz 2-run triple) and top the Yankees 6-4.

August 22-25: Boston sweeps Seattle: 6-4, 7-6, 6-1 and 8-1.

September 1: In the first game of a crucial road trip, Boston trails Philadelphia 9-7 after 8 innings. Thanks in part to Nixon's grand slam, the Red Sox score 6 runs and beat the Phillies 13-9. The Final Inning: Mirabelli walks. Damon lines out to shortstop. Jackson singles to right, Mirabelli to second. Mesa throws wild pitch, Mirabelli to third, Jackson to second. Garciaparra intentionally walked. Merloni reaches on infield single to third, Mirabelli scored, Jackson to third, Garciaparra to second. Wendell relieves Mesa. Millar walks, Jackson scored, Garciaparra to third, Merloni to second. Nixon homers to right, Garciaparra, Merloni, Millar and Nixon scored. Mueller singles to left. Kim lines into double play to first.

September 3: David Ortiz homers in consecutive at-bats, including a solo shot in the 10th inning as Boston beats the White Sox 5-4.

September 23: Baltimore leads 5-2, but the Red Sox rally in their final at-bat. Todd Walker belts a 2-strike, 2-out, game-tying home run in the bottom of the 9th and David Ortiz leads off the bottom of the 10th with a solo bomb into the Monster seats. Boston wins 6-5 and the Red Sox clinch the wild card two days later.

Slightly out of order for a reason:

September 4 & 5: Boston beats New York in consecutive games, shelling both Pettitte (2.1IP, 9H, 8R) 9-3 and Clemens (3.1IP, 7H, 7R) 11-0.

September 19 & 21: Boston shuts out Cleveland 2-0 twice in three days. The two games are pitched by Burkett (7 IP, 3H) and Martinez (7IP, 4H, 11K).

Match-ups for the two games in New York: Burkett/Pettitte and Martinez/Clemens.

It can be done. It will be done. Faith.

Game 4 Scorecard.

1st Inning: Soriano walks, Jeter singles. Giambi rips a line shot right at Millar, who gets the easy unassisted double play. Whew.

2nd Inning: Bret Boone (on Fox) says he admires Zimmer for going after Pedro on Saturday, saying the coach was "sticking up for his team ... protecting his guys." So Boone believes coaches attacking opposing players is a good thing for baseball?

3rd Inning: Nixon singles to lead off. Mueller falls behind 0-2, but takes 3 straight pitches to run the count full. I tell my TV that Gump better not call for another hit-and-run. On Mussina's 7th pitch, Nixon takes off for second. Mueller swings and misses and Nixon is a dead duck at second. This is the 3rd straight game Grady has tried a hit-and-run in the early innings and it has failed every time (though Mueller at least swung at this pitch).

4th Inning: Boston loses a chance to pad its 1-0 lead when Soriano snares a sizzling grounder by Ortiz and turns a 4-6-3 DP to end the inning.

5th Inning: With one out, Dellucci singles, Soraiano singles and Jeter doubles off the 3B bag. One run scores and it's 1-1. If the ball had missed the bag and gone into the corner, Soriano probably would have scored, but he had to hold at third. The slumping Giambi (dubbed Miss-ter October in the tabloids) pops to shallow center. Damon catches it and although he has a noodle arm, Willie Randolph does not send Soriano. Damon's throw is predictably lame, dying in the infield and rolling towards the 3B line. Soriano would have scored easily.

7th Inning: With Boston ahead 2-1, Joe Buck is praising Mussina's pitching performance. He notes the Yankees bullpen is up and says "the Red Sox hitters might carry Heredia into the game to get rid of Mussina." It doesn't dawn on Buck that Mussina is both losing the game 2-1 and being outpitched by Wakefield. Buck also implies several times that Pedro has not spoken to the media about the Zimmer altercation, which is a lie.

7th Inning: Tim McCarver begins calling a different game that the one being shown on my TV. Millar walks with one out and Nixon hits a double off the wall. Matsui misplays the ball, but the run doesn't score, and McCarver says he made a great play. Mueller, mired in a horrific slump, is walked intentionally (thank you Joe Torre!) and Varitek comes jogging in from the bullpen, catcher's gear still on and an equipment bag slung over his shoulder. He will pinch-hit for Mirabelli. (Didn't the Sox have a coach that could carry that bag?) McCarver: "If Varitek comes in, you have to pull Wakefield." Whaaaa? Mirabelli caught Wakefield most of this season, but Varitek has caught him for years and there is no rule mandating a change of pitchers when a replacement catcher comes in. Weird.

Varitek slaps a 1-0 pitch to shortstop. Jeter moves one step to his right, gloves the ball and throws to Soriano, who makes a poor throw to first. Varitek beats the throw (a double play would have ended the inning) and Millar scores to put Boston up 3-1. McCarver makes no mention of the insurance run as his Yankee Love goes into overdrive. He blathers on and on about the great play Jeter made (one, maybe two, steps to his right!) and when he isn't talking about the Captain, he's singing the pitch-blocking talents of Posada (who went 0-4 versus Wakefield).

9th Inning: That insurance run becomes very large as Sierra homers off Williamson to bring New York within one run 3-2. But the Red Sox's new closer strikes out Dellucci for the 2nd out and gets the undisciplined Soirano to wave at three identical pitches (off the plate and down). Williamson was throwing 96 earlier in the inning, but the final pitches to Soriano are about 89-90. The game is over and the series is tied.

Tom Swany, sitting in the right-field box seats on Saturday, said Jeff Nelson and Jeff Weaver had been exchanging words with fans earlier in the game, before the ninth-inning brawl. "Earlier, he was mouthing to fans. He would talk back to them." As for who started the brawl inside the bullpen: "It was Nelson. No question."

Praise the God Squad. ... The Red Sox bullpen postseason ERA is 1.09. Hitters are batting .127. Timlin has retired all 22 batters he has faced, allowing only five balls out of the infield. Yet Ron Chimelis writes: "No wonder the Boston Red Sox are having so much trouble keeping pace with the New York Yankees. Every game for the Red Sox is a nine-inning adventure, a mix-and-match test of a bullpen that has been stellar in the postseason, but remains loaded with question marks." Maybe he was watching the game with McCarver.

Speaking of Chimelis, I saw the headline of his column "Pedro, Manny: Grow Up" and got worried. But it turns out I agree with a lot of what he said. Martinez and Ramirez should come out and say "I'm sorry for my actions"; they will likely get blasted even if they do for (a) not being sincere (more media mind-reading) and (b) taking too long to do it. Here's Chimelis: "It's sad when Don Zimmer becomes our example of honor. This supposedly proud man hasn't been too proud to collect a paycheck for essentially doing nothing but serving as team mascot. Zimmer reached age 72 without ever having to grow up, which can happen when you never have a job outside of baseball. He went looking for trouble, and Pedro had every right to defend himself. The next day, Zimmer faced the media, turned on the waterworks and refused to answer questions. But give him credit. At least he said something, and now he's a national treasure again."

Could Wakefield pitch in relief in Games 6 and/or 7? "Right now I feel great. But I may be running on adrenaline. I always have my spikes on, so we'll see how I feel tomorrow. ... I could be available." ... Pedro will not be moved up to Game 6.

New Rally Footage? "Bill Cosby, a longtime associate of Red Sox chairman Tom Werner, toured the room, stopping at nearly every player's locker, telling jokes. When he got to team prankster/head cowboy Kevin Millar, Millar unveiled his imitation of the comedian, sending Cosby and the rest of the team into hysterics." ... Did Cosby call a Sox fan a coward?

Dave Anderson of the New York Times wrote a thinly-veiled exhortation for Yankees fans to bring batteries to Game 7 and throw them at Pedro. Anderson hopes the series ends in six games "if only to eliminate the possibility of an ugly scene. Should a decisive Game 7 occur Thursday night at Yankee Stadium, all the commotion last Saturday at Fenway Park might resemble a tea-and-crumpets party compared with what could develop with Pedro Martinez on the mound for the Red Sox and a World Series berth up for grabs. ... Over the years, fans at Yankee Stadium have never been known to be hospitable to visiting villains. Forget the usual heated boos. Those boos are polite compared with the little batteries that some outfielders in gray uniforms have had fired at them from the grandstand and the bleachers. And in a Game 7, Pedro Martinez would be a visiting villain unlike any other. ... Names or even nicknames will never hurt Martinez, but in the absence of sticks and stones, a battery might. When he's on the mound or when he warms up in the bullpen, he would be within range of any Yankees loyalist with a good arm. But if there's no Game 7, Pedro the Perpetrator will be safe. Until next season."

Zimmer on Clemens Beaning Piazza. Thanks to the delightfully named Kiss My Aase:

USAToday: Yankees bench coach Don Zimmer, hit in the head twice during his playing career in the 1950s and was once in a coma for 13 days after being beaned, said he got a "sick feeling" when Clemens hit Piazza. "There's no doubt he was trying to pitch him tight," Zimmer said. "There's also no doubt that no one felt worse about it than Roger Clemens."

The New York Times: "I don't believe there's a human being in professional baseball who would throw a ball hoping to hit a man in the head," Zimmer writes. "I was disappointed with Piazza coming out and saying Clemens threw at him on purpose. What's Clemens supposed to do? Throw the ball over the plate so Piazza can keep hitting home runs off him -- or make him feel uncomfortable? I've been hit in the head twice, and without the benefit of a protective helmet. The problem you have in baseball today is that hitters don't know how to get out of the way of pitches because pitchers are afraid to pitch inside anymore. ... As for the bat-throwing incident, do you think Clemens was going to throw that bat at Piazza if he was standing at home plate? He had no idea Piazza was in the first-base path. If he were deliberately throwing the bat at Piazza, he would have hit him. Clemens has been made a villain in all of this because he pitches inside. I think that's unfair."

Zimmer is a joke, a clown and a hypocrite.

Disorder In The House. Baseball players cannot win; they are damned if they do and damned if they don't. Either they are out-of-touch millionaires who care only about their paychecks or they are overly exuberant after winning a playoff spot. They either don't hate their historic rivals like they used to in the "good old days" or they show their hatred for their historic rivals too much and are decried by holier-than-thou sportswriters who wish these players would play the game like they did in the "good old days."

Boston police detectives intend to appear in court on Tuesday to seek a complaint that could result in assault and battery charges against Yankees Jeff Nelson and Karim Garcia for what was described as an "unprovoked attack" on a red Sox groundscrew member in the visitors bullpen. Nelson maintains he did nothing wrong. ... Despite a claim by Yankees president Randy Levine of an atmosphere of lawlessness at Fenway on Saturday, Sandy Alderson, the executive vice president of baseball operations, said "[S]ecurity was excellent. ... I just met with the Boston Police Department and Red Sox personnel and am very satisfied with the security here."

Tony Massarotti reports "reliable sources" confirmed that Garcia

cut his left hand while punching a member of the Fenway grounds crew in the mouth. ... According to the same sources, however, Garcia's cut was significant enough that it could have warranted stitches. The player then reportedly told medical officials treating him that he sustained the cut on one of Williams' teeth, discouraging medical personnel from stitching up the wound. Given the abundance of bacteria in the mouth, cuts resulting from bites or teeth marks are not closed for fear of infection.

MLB's fines: Martinez: $50,000; Ramirez: $25,000; Garcia: $10,000; Zimmer: $5,000.

William C. Rhoden of the New York Times says dumping the DH will help lessen brushback/beanball incidents; a San Diego writer agrees, as did Tim McCarver on the Fox broadcast. Now, I hate the DH and would love to see it relagated to history's dust bin, but this is ridiculous. McCarver:

Baseball is easier to police itself when the pitcher has to hit. The designated hitter insulates guys without the fear of retaliation. Pedro needs to put a bat in his hands, but so does Roger (Clemens). Common sense will tell you guys will be less inclined to act like that if they knew there would be a price to pay.

I do not agree. Not having a designated hitter did not stop Don Drysdale, Sal Maglie, Carl Mays, Bob Gibson or many, many others from pitching way inside. McCarver claimed the removal of the DH would solve this problem mere minutes of also stating that Pedro had a reputation as a head-hunter in the DH-less National League. McCarver's stunning lack of logic and contradictory statements have been in full view this post-season. On Saturday, McCarver was convinced he knew what Pedro was saying when he gestured to the Yankees bench; however, unless a recording surfaces, what was said by all parties remains unclear (and as recounted above, McCarver may be 100% wrong). McCarver also stated Pedro threw purposefully at Garcia shortly after saying that throwing at Garcia would be the last thing a pitcher in that situation would want to do. In every broadcast, McCarver invents facts, ignores everything contrary to those self-created "facts" and often describes plays that flatly contradict what is being shown on the screen. McCarver, like the rest of Fox, is "fair and balanced." ... The most amazing thing about McCarver is that Red Sox fans believe he's "pro-Yankee" and has a bias against the Red Sox; Yankees fans hate him because he's so "anti-Yankee." Which means that in the two ALCS markets, 100% of the viewers can't stand McCarver.

Todd Jones was one of the first players at Zimmer's side and tried to help the coach up. "He said, 'I don't have a problem with any of you guys. I want to get Pedro.'" So there clearly was intent to harm Martinez. Zimmer's apology:

First of all, last night, we won a hell of a game, and the media gathered around me and I didn't want to be rude. I was hurting, and I had to get to the trainer's room, and I didn't want nothing to take away from the win that we had last night. I'm embarrassed of what happened yesterday. I'm embarrassed for the Yankees, the Red Sox, the fans, the umpires, and my family. That's all I have to say. I'm sorry.

After Zimmer's apology, Red Sox owner John Henry said: "I wouldn't mind seeing the same thing coming from our side just as conciliatory."

It's likely that Henry has spoken with Pedro about this, but it appears an apology will not be forthcoming. Martinez:

I wish that no man has to apologize. It's not a good feeling to apologize. I don't know if you realize that. I think it was only a matter of time before [Zimmer] realized what he means to baseball and who he is. If you look back on the incident, I don't understand why he had so much [anger] with what went on in the game. I'm happy for him that he's OK.

Martinez said his actions had been misinterpreted.

I was just trying to pitch and actually get outs. I was the one in trouble (with runners on second and third and no out). I didn't need to dig myself a bigger hole (by putting another baserunner on). I just wanted to go inside. The previous batter (Matsui) got a hit to right field. I wasn't feeling all that well in the first three innings, and I tried to get inside. I wanted to get inside.

And what was Pedro saying to Posada while pointing to his head? "'I remember everything you say,' that's what I said. 'I'll remember.' He was yelling stuff in Spanish and English and I'll remember that because he's pretended to be friendly when things are normal." Also here and here.

Interestingly, Posada appears to have confirmed Pedro's account to Mike Lupica: "... before long, Jorge Posada was yelling at Martinez and threatening to come after him and Martinez was yelling back and pointing to his head. "Was he threatening to hit you in the head next time up?" Posada was asked afterward. "Maybe he was telling me to use my head," Posada said."

Another Yankee told Mike Lupica: "Garcia said he went over the wall, and said he hurt his hand. But I think maybe he left out the part about how on TV he sure looked to be punching the shit out of somebody out there."

Martinez's high number of off-speed pitches in the first four innings was apparently by design, not due to fatigue or being unable to get loose. Gump: "When you pitch against a ballclub so many times like Pedro has, you have to do something different. ... He just made an adjustment in his plan to get hitters out. He remembers what he did in Oakland, and that was predominantly fastballs early on. He realizes what other teams are expecting and he tries to adjust to that."

Not only is Nomar not hitting in October, but he batted only .170 (16 for 94) in September. ... ESPN's Darren Rovell takes $200 and tries to scalp a ticket to Saturday's game. ... Do we see what we want to see?

Theo Epstein said Zimmer's antics

reminded me of the '80s in winter ball when everyone was coked up. Not that I'm saying Don Zimmer is on drugs or anything.

Adrian Wojnarowski of the Bergen Record writes that Zimmer

left the impression of a disoriented, doddering relative, the crazy uncle that unexpectedly loses it at the summer picnic, leaving himself to apologize over a tipped-over picnic table and potato-salad-stained grass. ... Everyone else had a good laugh at his expense, a cruel commentary on the pitiful picture of a 72-year-old man with a broken-down body lunging for Pedro Martinez, just to end up shoved down face first into the grass of Fenway Park. ... This hadn't been a moment of temporary insanity, but another instance of Zimmer determined to make himself the eye of the storm. ... Zimmer was the manager lording over a 14½-game collapse to the Yankees in 1978, responsible in Sox lore for letting a World Series season unravel one excruciating day at a time. ... [Zimmer is a] calculating self-promoter, desperate to stay in the spotlight. ... Ever since Torre hired him as bench coach, Zimmer has been creating his own chaos.

Check out the Boston Herald's articles on the 1903 World Series, including the game stories.

Incident Report filed by Boston Police. The following is the text of the incident report filed by the Boston Police detective assigned to the Red Sox bullpen and the police officer assigned to the Yankees bullpen during Game 3 of the American League Championship Series Saturday night. The report was filed at 9:40 p.m. Saturday, 2½ hours after the altercation:

"While performing a paid detail at Fenway Park, Det. William Dunn, assigned to the Red Sox bullpen, and Officer Michael Pankievich assigned to the Yankees bullpen. Approximately 7:10 p.m., between the top and the bottom of the 9th inning, while standing outside of the bullpens and facing the crowd (and also bullpen occupants), Det. Dunn and Officer Pankievich observed a pitcher (Jeff Nelson) from the Yankees, approach the victim (who was standing in the corner of the bullpen). At this time (what appeared to be) a verbal confrontation ensued between the victim and Jeff Nelson. Officer Pankievich proceeded to that location in an attempt to separate the parties. While enroute, Jeff Nelson was observed pushing/grabbing the victim in the chest area at which time both parties fell to the ground where Jeff Nelson began punching and flaring his legs at the victim. At that point numerous other members of the Yankees bullpen jumped on the victim (some striking the victim and others attempting to break up the melee). The right fielder (Karim Garcia) from the Yankees was then observed jumping the right field wall, into the bullpen and begin striking down at the victim with his left hand. With the aid of other officers and Red Sox security staff, the parties were separated ending the incident. Further investigation revealed victim sustained numerous injuries, transported to Beth Israel Hospital and treated for injuries to his head, mouth and body (including what appeared to be numerous cleat marks). D899 Dets. Tierney and Gill responded to the Beth Israel Hospital where they further interviewed the victim and photographed his injuries. Lt. Kelly McCormick of Area B-3 forwarded witness information to Det. Dunn and P.O. Pankievich regarding their eyewitness account of the incident where they stated they observed member(s) of the NY Yankees baseball team initiate an unprovoked attack upon the victim. Summonses to be sought in Roxbury District Court for assault and battery on both Jeff Nelson and Karim Garcia of the Yankees baseball organization."

Game 4 of the ALCS was postponed due to wet field conditions and will be played Monday at 8:18 p.m. Game 5 will be played at 4:18 p.m. Tuesday.

It's the ALCS, Gump, Please Try To Win Every Game. I'm still annoyed that Grady Gump did absolutely nothing when Clemens came up and in to Millar in the 4th inning -- after all it was Clemens nearly beaning Millar back on July 5 (Pedro hit Soriano and Jeter two days later) that may have been the genesis for all the craziness we saw yesterday.

I shouldn't be surprised, considering Gump's "yeah-whatever" attitude all year, but this was obviously a crucial game and letting Clemens reestablish the inside half of the plate (and get his emotions under control) without an argument is unforgivable. Any decent manager should know he has to raise hell with the umpire.

If Grady does his job, one of two things could happen: (1) Clemens gets ejected and Torre is forced to go to middle relief (unlikely) or (2) Clemens realizes he really can't pitch inside or he'll get tossed, so he starts pitching off the plate, Boston hitters get comfy and start banging hits. A third possibility is that the umpires do nothing, but Clemens gets miffed at the protest and falters (which is what Torre might have been doing when he asked the umps to check Timlin's cap in game 1). But Grady Little couldn't be bothered to fight tooth and nail for any small advantage for his team in one of the most important games of the year.

Martinez, Ramirez, Zimmer and Garcia were fined by MLB. There was no word on the amount of the fines or what exactly they were for. Zimmer should also be suspended for the rest of the post-season; yes, he's old and looks funny, and everyone (except Red Sox and Cubs fans that had to deal with him (mis)managing their teams) loves him, but coaches that attempt to attack opposing players on the field should be punished. The Boston Globe has footage (from a fan, I think) showing Zimmer "jogging" into the group of players, seeing Martinez, moving around the pile, cocking his right hand in a fist, then putting his hands up to meet Pedro's hands and getting tossed aside. The clip is 34 seconds.

The Boston Globe asked for readers' comments on the 4th inning. I liked this one from Dick Damon, Wayland, Mass.: "Clemens complaining about a Martinez brushback pitch is like Bin Laden complaining about a terrorist attack." ... New York City Mayor Bloomberg thinks Pedro should have been arrested. ... An 11:00 pm New York newscast last night apparently reported a third Yankee (possibly Jeff Weaver) may be charged with assault, but I haven't heard any follow-up to this.

Two fans at the game: FoxInSox: "The first thing I noticed was a uniformed Yankee player (presumably Garcia) streaking full-tilt toward the bullpen, so I looked that way and saw a huge pileup, with a bunch of Yankee players all in a heap, beating the living hell out of somebody. ... I saw the lanyard and ID badge the guy was wearing and determined that it was a Fenway employee. I initially thought he was probably security, and had gotten involved in the fight, but then I saw the cops leading him out of there." ... SeanBerry: "I was sitting in Box 95...which is like right between the Pesky Pole and the Yankee Bullpen. ... see Jeff Nelson whaling on a guy...really hitting him...rest of bullpen makes circle around victim ... and were beating him up. Garcia jumps over the wall and does his share."

Seth Stevenson: "[T]he media cliche holds that Red Sox fans are a crew of quivering Calvinists ... under the spell of a powerful curse ... I cannot stand this image. It makes me want to punch Tim McCarver in the kidneys, which I had already wanted to do, but when I hear the words 'the Curse of the Bambino' suddenly want to do it even more."

A Few Thoughts Before Round 4 (Burkett/Wells).

1. Karim Garcia admitted he went into second base with the intent of hurting Todd Walker: "I was very upset with them throwing at my head, so I was going to take somebody down. Unfortunately, it was him. I have nothing against him. I let my emotions take over. If it wasn't him, it was going to be someone else." And: "No doubt I went to the bag to get him." And: "Walker was upset. ... But once someone hits me, I've got to hit somebody back."

Pitchers have been fined for saying they intentionally threw at hitters in retaliation. How are Garcia's statements any different? If Garcia keeps his mouth shut, Walker doesn't yell back, Posada and Zimmer don't start yelling at Pedro, Martinez doesn't gesture towards the Yankees dugout and Ramirez is less likely to think Clemens is trying to hit him. And if all that doesn't happen, the bullpen fracas probably doesn't occur also. If MLB is going to fine players, they should start with Garcia -- and Zimmer.

2. Zimmer rushed out of the Yankees dugout, "veered away from an angry cluster of Sox red and Yankee blue in front of home plate, charged and swung a left hook at [Martinez]." Another account: "Zimmer ran aggressively toward Martinez, who grabbed the 72-year-old by his head and threw him to the ground in front of Boston's dugout."

Martinez: "I could never hit him, I would never do it. I was just trying to dodge him and push him away and (it was) too bad his body fell. I hope he's fine. I was shocked, really shocked." Martinez's move was purely defensive; he did not slap or punch Zimmer. He pushed him off to the side in an ole type of move and Zimmer's momentum carried him tumbling into the grass. If he wasn't so old and fat, perhaps he would have been able to stop himself from falling.

When Derek Jeter and Clemens saw a bald head, they both thought it might have been David Wells. ... Mel Stottlemyre: "The fact that he [Zimmer] was hit in the head, he gets pretty upset because he'd been on the other end of that." Anyone remember how upset Zimmer was when Roger Clemens drilled Mike Piazza in the head in 2000? [Mike Lupica thinks Clemens has amnesia because he said: "Just because you're being hit around doesn't mean you get to stick one behind somebody's head."]

By the way, what game was MLB's Doug Miller watching?" "Mr. Martinez ... picking on senior citizens isn't very becoming of you. ... Don Zimmer was wrong to run on the field to take a shot at you, but ... [y]ou could have very easily subdued him with a friendly hug to calm him down."

3. The fight in the bullpen. Paul Williams, a Red Sox groundskeeper, celebrated a double play to end the Yankees 9th inning and waved a towel towards the center field bleachers to get the fans cheering. Jeff Nelson took exception to this, words were exchanged and a fight broke out. Scott Williamson said Williams was "sucker-punched." Garcia ran over, leapt the short fence and also got involved. Garcia said he only pushed Williams, but when asked about his bloodied left hand wrapped in a towel (he left the game and was replaced by Juan Rivera), he said he had no idea how he had gotten hurt. ... Williams apparently had cleat marks on his back and arms and was taken to a hospital. The Boston police are investigating and may file assault charges against Garcia and Jeff Nelson.

The New York tabloids (here and here) are hilarious in their portrayals of Pedro as "psycho" and a "punk." I don't expect their sportswriters to be as "fair and balanced" as Fox (cough), but every single "news" story is an opinion piece. Many of the articles, while acknowledging that assault charges may be filed against two New York pitchers, paint the Yankees as rising above the ugliness and the Red Sox as boorish losers. [This is an exception.]

More later, possibly, as I go through the papers.

Somewhere, Bill Lee Is Laughing. Boston lost a frustrating game to the Yankees this afternoon (and now trail in the ALCS 2-1 with Burkett/Wells Sunday night) and while there are plenty of storylines (the team's AWOL bats for starters), I'm sure a lot of the coverage will center on Pedro Martinez throwing Don Zimmer to the ground during a 4th-inning, bench-clearing skirmish.

First of all, I don't think Pedro was throwing at Karim Garcia in the top of the 4th. However, he undoubtedly wanted to come inside. Garcia had driven in the Yankees' first run back in the 2nd inning and Pedro was likely frustrated at having begun the 4th by allowing a walk, single and double. It looked like the ball grazed Garcia's left shoulder (or maybe even his bat) when he ducked forward under the pitch. (That fact didn't stop Joe Torre from stating (unchallenged by the Fox interviewer) right after the game that Pedro had hit Garcia in the head.)

Garcia was furious and barked at Pedro before going to first base. Soriano grounded into a double play and Garcia went in hard on Todd Walker (Fox showed this play only one and even then it was pushed into 1/4 of the screen, so it was hard to see if the slide was excessive). On his way off the infield, Garcia kept yelling at Walker and Martinez. As the Yankee bench joined in, Pedro walked towards their dugout and pointed at his head, as if to say "If I wanted to hit him, I'd have hit him in the head." Apparently, Zimmer was livid at this display.

Manny Ramirez led off the bottom of the 4th and Clemens's 1-2 pitch was up. Ramirez ducked out of the way, thinking it would break inside. It turns out the pitch didn't move towards Manny all that much. But Ramirez (seemingly unaware of the pitch's actual location) started screaming at Clemens and the F-bombs began flying as both benches emptied. The Fox cameras showed Pedro walking out of the Red Sox dugout behind first base, saying something like "What? What?" Zimmer charged at Martinez and threw his right arm out (he must have moved pretty quickly off the bench). Pedro flinched, then grabbed Zimmer by the head, pushed him aside and he fell to the ground. Many of the players on both teams stopped arguing once they saw the 72-year-old Zimmer on the ground.

Joe Buck and Tim McCarver of Fox were convinced there would be ejections, but the umpires (in a wise move) decided not to boot anyone. Both benches had been warned after Martinez's wild pitch to Garcia, Clemens did not give Manny any chin music, and Pedro had simply defended himself against a feral gerbil.

Fox's coverage was horrible and biased towards the Yankees. McCarver reacted to Pedro/Zimmer as if the Boston pitcher had knifed good ol' Uncle Zim and kicked his teeth in. It was obvious to everyone that Zimmer was not coming out to chat with Pedro, so Martinez had two choices: knock Zimmer out or push him away. Actually, he had a third choice: stand there and get hit. ... Zimmer deserved whatever he got. If he's willing to rush across the field and take a swing at an opposing pitcher, he should accept the consequences. ... McCarver was convinced Ramirez "was looking for a reason" to start something. But what the replays clearly showed -- and what Fox never mentioned -- is that Ramirez never saw where Clemens's pitch went. He assumed it was coming up and in. Maybe the players' quotes in the morning papers will tell a different story, but that's how it looked to me.

Fox omitted key elements of the back story (and overemphasized others). In an earlier Red Sox-Yankees series this summer, Clemens threw near Millar's head and that was what prompted Pedro (later on) to throw inside to Soriano and Jeter, hitting them in the wrists. Fox showed that footage several times, including shots of the ambulance taking the players to the hospital, but never explained WHY Pedro threw inside. The bad blood might have reemerged in Game 2 two nights ago, when Contreras buzzed Ortiz inside and Arroyo then plunked Soriano. Later in today's game, Zimmer was laughing on the bench and Fox's sideline reporter noted how "fiesty" he looked. If a Red Sox coach had tried to punch Clemens or Pettitte in the head and was later shown yukking it up on the bench, I don't believe the announcers would have chuckled along with him.

So after order had been restored, Manny struck out and Ortiz flied out to right. Clemens' first pitch to Millar was up and in, much closer to the batter than the pitch to Manny. And nothing happened. The umpires didn't say a peep. Joe Buck never stopped his story of how calm Clemens was being in the midst of this ruckus. And worst of all, Grady Gump didn't come storming out of the dugout to raise holy hell and demand that Clemens be tossed.

What was also amazing was that Pedro rediscovered his fastball in the 5th inning. He had been relying heavily on breaking pitches in the first four innings and had gotten burned on a few hanging curves. Martinez retired the side in the 5th, 6th and 7th innings before turning things over to Timlin and Embree.

But the Red Sox's lumber remained in slumber. Damon singled and Walker walked to start the 6th, but Nomar struck out on three pitches and Manny grounded into a double play. In the 7th, Contreras walked Ortiz and Millar followed with a single to left center. Ortiz was able to hustle to third without drawing a throw from Bernie Williams. But then Nixon hit into a double play (Ortiz scored) and after Mueller walked, Varitek popped out. Rivera retired the six batters he faced and that was that. ...

Boston missed a chance to pound Clemens in the first inning. Damon, making his first appearance since his ALDS collision, singled off Enrique Wilson's leg for a single (really an error; Jeter botched a grounder on Damon's next at-bat and also was not charged with an error). Walker doubled off the left field wall and after Nomar struck out, Manny put the Sox up 2-0 with a single to left center. Grady tried to hit-and-run with Ortiz at the plate, but for the second game in a row, a hit-and-run turned into a double play because the batter did not swing.

Maybe Millar meant "Cubboy Up", because that what Chicago is doing against the Marlins. The Cubs won 8-3 on Saturday and are now one win away from their first World Series appearance since 1945.

Where is Roger? Pedro Jamie Martinez will try to bring his team and Red Sox Nation within two wins of the World Series, facing a bigger traitor to New England than Benedict Arnold. William Roger Clemens is making his final appearance in the park he called home for 13 years; it also could be the final start of his remarkable career. So, is this is the duel of the year? Yes, but it is much more than that. Arm-ageddon? That's more like it (though we should probably save that for a possible Game 7 rematch). I like Larry Stone's description in the Seattle Times: "This one is about the thrill of possibilities, inextricably mixed with the hint of danger. This one will take the revved up fans at Fenway Park and juice them right to maniacal levels. This one will be a flat-out, full-bore, roaring, crazy ice-blast of a ballgame."

The results of the previous four Pedro-Roger meetings. ... Damon insists he is playing today, but refuses to cut his hair. "Some of the players wanted to get me when I was still out on the ground [in Oakland]." ... Pitching coach Dave Wallace remembers Pedro from their days in Great Falls, Montana. ... A Red Sox haven in Manhattan. ... For Pedro, it is now more about precision than power. ... Grady might drop Millar in the order, perhaps flip-flopping him with Varitek; he added Millar would not be benched in favor of "Milk Carton" McCarty.

In a Herald pay column, Steve Buckley offers this aside: "It's like all those sportswriters covering this series who keep sending in those 'curse' columns. They can't help themselves. Rather than report on the real reasons the Red Sox haven't won the World Series since 1918 - such as racism, alcoholism and cronyism - they pick up the phone, call the sports editor and say, 'I have a great idea for a column: I believe the Red Sox are cursed.' 'I like it,' says the editor, back home in Kansas City, and we're off to the races."

Dear Boston bats: Please show Mr. Clemens to the Exit. Thank you.

Curse of the Gumpino. [Updated]

Grady's moves are finally rasing some eyebrows in both the Boston and New York media. The Boston Globe questioned bringing in Sauerbeck, who they dubbed the "Rally Kerosene Guy"; Jim Donaldson of the Providence Journal notes three reasons why the game got away, including sitting Walker and using Sauerbeck in a "pressure-cooker"; Little also had Kapler (0-12) leadoff because "I like the way he's swinging the bat" and "Someone's got to bat first." Wow. ... The New York Post proclaimed "Little Comes Up Small." ... Even better: Sauerbeck was injured! Absolutely the worst option out of the pen. I would have rather seen Mendoza last night.

A few more notes on Game 2: Kapler was not a good choice to lead off. His OBP was a paltry .330 and while he singled to begin the game, he was useless thereafter, striking out in each of his last 3 at-bats. In the second inning, Boston led 1-0 and had runners on 1st and 2nd with 0 outs. Seven of the first 9 batters had reached base against Pettitte. Thisd would have been a nice time to bunt. Grady said after the game that the Sox had not bunted that early this season and while that is generally true, I think the situation called for it. It was imperative for Boston to go for the kill in the early going. Kapler grounded into a double play and the rally was killed. After that Pettitte found a groove and the Red Sox never got more than one man on base in any of the next 7 innings.

Derek Lowe pitched decently, but had trouble in the 2nd and the 3rd, allowing a 2-run HR to Nick Johnson and allowing 5 consecutive Yankees to reach base in the 3rd. Still, after 5 innings, Lowe had thrown 71 pitches and trailed only 4-2. Suppan had been warming in the 3rd inning and so I assumed Lowe's his night was done. After all, this is what he had done in the past 9 days:

Date  Game    S/R  IP    H  ER  R  BB  K   BF  PIT

10/01 ALDS1    R   1.2   1   1  1   4  2   10   42

10/04 ALDS3    S   7     6   1  0   2  2   29  100

10/06 ALDS5    R   1     0   0  0   1  2    4   17

Total ALCS         9.2   7   2  1   7  6   43  159



10/09 ALCS1 (1-5)  5     6   4  4   2  2   24   71

Total             14.2  13   6  5   9  8   67  230



10/09 ALCS1 (6th)  1     0   0  0   0  0    3    6

Total             15.2  13   6  5   9  8   70  236



10/09 ALCS1 (7th)   .2   1   2  2   1  0    4   21

Total 9 Days      16.1  14   8  7  10  8   74  257

Gump sent Lowe out for the Yankees 6th. Big mistake, I thought. But Lowe made quick work of Johnson, Boone and Juan Rivera, retiring them on 3 groundballs and only 6 pitches. Surely, Grady would pull Lowe after 6 innings. ... Think again. Lowe was sent out for another inning, with Sauerbeck in the bullpen. Soriano grounded to first and Jeter grounded to third. With Giambi (1-2 w/BB) and Williams (2-3) next, if Grady was determined to bring in Sauerbeck (he should have even been allowed in New York State in my opinion), this would have been the spot. ... But Grady let Lowe pitch on. He fell behind Giambi 3-0 and gave up a full-count line drive single to right. Grady came out to the mound and I was convinced -- finally -- Lowe was gone. But Grady went back to the dugout. Lowe walked Bernie Williams on 4 pitches. NOW, Grady came back out and pulled Lowe and brought in Sauerbeck.

The Red Sox lefty turned Posada around to bat righty. This was a mistake. He is a better hitter from the right side. Posada looked at ball one, then smashed a double to the left center wall. Both baserunners scored and New York led 6-2. Sauerbeck then walked Matsui before getting the third out. The 4-run lead gave Joe Torre the option of leaving Contreras in for another inning. He was apparently prepared to bring in Rivera for 2 innings. Now, thanks to Gump's blunder, Torre let Contreras pitch another strong inning and had Rivera pitch the 9th, leaving him more rested for the rest of the series. ... Grady managed Thursday's game like it was May 9, not October 9.

My Quote of the Day: "Watching the Red Sox in October is the equivalent of watching a kind of baseball snuff film." One side benefit of winning it all will be shutting these clowns up. Dozens of sportswriters will have no choice but to retire because they have nothing left to say. ... The Rem Dawg speaks.

Cowboy Pop-Up: "As for our fans, I want them all to shave their heads like we did. I want about 20,000 shaved heads out there in the stands at Fenway Park. The spouses and girlfriends don't need to shave their heads, we don't want that. But I want every guy in the stands to have a bald head."

The Yankee Stadium rowdies were chanting "We want Pedro." After the game, Martinez had cordoned off his locker area for a second straight night with tape, this time emblazoned with the message, "Do not enter. Bad mood." This bodes well. ... Sister Grace Gallant of the Sisters of the Episcopalian Society of St. Margaret's Convent in Roxbury, Mass.: "God is a Red Sox fan." Lord, please help Boston's bats bring down some Old Testament-style retribution on Fat Billy from Ohio tomorrow.

Forget The Curse, Because The Gump Factor Is Killing Us. Grady Little is a horrible manager for many reasons, but the main one is: he doesn't try to win every game. And in the post-season, in a best-of-7 showdown against the hated New York Yankees, you must do everything you can to win every game. Grady made all the rights moves in Game 1, but hoping for competent managing for two consecutive days was pushing it. I am convinced this (or any future) Red Sox team will win nothing with Grady Gump calling the shots. Yes, all the players think he's wonderful, but when it comes to making decisions that decide ball games, he is a 200 proof idiot. He has shown (in so many painful ways this season) that he is in way over his head as a major league manager. The Boston offense is historically strong, but it cannot bail Gump out of every blunder, and it will not do so in 2003.

Boston should have treated Game Two as if they were down 0-1. Gump should have managed with his foot on the Yankees' collective throat. Taking a 2-0 lead to Fenway with Pedro pitching on Saturday would have been a huge advantage. But that's not Gump's style; apparently, that wouldn't have been very sporting. Might have to apologize to Mr. Torre in the morning.

I'll get into it later, but the biggest mistakes were: leaving Lowe in at least two innings too long, completely mismanaging the 7th inning, bringing the worst arm (Sauerbeck) into the game's most critical situation, wasting a golden opporunity to grab a big 2nd inning lead against Pettitte, and being slow to pinch-hit in the late innings.

I was hoping for a split of the first two games, and that's what I got, so maybe I should be happy. But I'm not. I know you cannot win every game, but Game Two was within reach and Gump threw it away.

Either the Yankees win tonight or they go to Boston down 0-2 and facing Pedro Martinez Saturday afternoon. ... Irreconcilable differences: Red Sox/Yankees relationships. ... Kapler's diary.

Tom Boswell: "The baseball world thinks the subtext of the American League Championship Series between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees is the exhausted conceit of 'The Curse of the Bambino.' Please, give it a rest. ... The Boston club, called 'renegades' by their own manager, are doing their own personal remake of 'Animal House' with George Steinbrenner as Dean Wormer. ... You'll note that the Yanks do not show a clip of Derek Jeter, bombed out of his gourd, covering Iggy Pop's 'Lust for Life.' And if they found one, they'd burn every copy. Instead, Jeter is in a credit card commercial, vamping it up about tony Manhattan nightspots with Steinbrenner, while wearing a tuxedo. ... If you think this Boston victory in Game 1 was just an opening salvo, a shot across the bow, an introduction, don't be so sure. It was more like a haymaker to the lips."

Damon: "I'm starting to recollect the fly ball coming down and getting in position to catch the ball and -- poof -- not remembering anything. I do remember waving my hands out to the crowd but at the moment, I actually thought I was walking off the field ... I didn't realize I was on a stretcher. I feel OK. I feel a little weak. ... I'll get another good night's rest like that and be ready to take part in some drills [Thursday]. My vision is clear. ... I had no idea if I caught the ball. I had no idea if we won the game. I thought I remembered Varitek's home run --I do not remember Manny's home run."

Moose Droppings or Boston's Blasts Bring Bronx Bummer. Back from a wonderful, cool October evening in Yankee Stadium's left field bleachers. The crowd was oddly subdued throughout the entire game; there were a smattering of Red Sox fans near me, including 4 or 5 guys wearing K Men shirts. When Manny singled in the top of the 9th -- giving him more hits than the entire Yankee lineup -- it was as quiet as a tomb. And fans began streaming out after the end of New York's 7th inning rally. ... Wakefield looked magnificent (from about 600 feet away), retiring the first 4 hitters, giving up a pair of singles, then retiring 14 more in a row. After walking the first 2 hitters in the 7th, he gave way to Embree, who also had trouble throwing strikes, but got out of the inning with a 5-2 lead. Timlin and Williamson made that stand up to give Boston a 1-0 lead in the best-of-7 series. ... In Wrigley Field, the Cubs battered Brad Penny and Rick Helling en route to a 12-3 rout, tying the NLCS at 1-1. Q for Dusty: Why was Prior pitching the 7th inning with a 10-run lead?

Good versus Evil. [Updated with more media predictions; if you know of others, email me]

Todd Walker is blunt: "No doubt about it, whoever wins this series will win the World Series." ... Bob Hohler knows "It's On." ... More on Lowe ... It's the hugging, stupid! ... A season of thrills ... Bill Lee v Jim Bouton.

Red Sox Roster: Kim and Brown are off, Suppan and Jones are on. Damon is still on the roster. Having Suppan, Jones and Arroyo seems redundant, but it's doubtful any of them will get much playing time. ... Leaving Brown off if Damon cannot play as early as Game 3 Saturday is mind-boggling stupid. McCarty remains in uniform for some reason. ... The story on Kim seems to change every hour. I could have a blind spot with BK, but if his shoulder is okay, I want him in this series. Pitch him only in Boston, if necessary, have him go 3 innings in relief of Burkett, have him set-up Williamson, anything; leaving off a healthy Kim is a mistake. ... Schedule with probable starters:

Game 1 at New York: Wednesday, October 8: Wakefield vs. Mussina, 8:00
Game 2 at New York: Thursday, October 9: Pettitte vs. Lowe, 8:00
Game 3 at Boston: Saturday, October 11: Martinez vs. Clemens, 4:00
Game 4 at Boston: Sunday, October 12: Burkett vs. Wells, 7:30
Game 5 at Boston: Monday, October 13: Wakefield vs. Mussina, 8:00
Game 6 at New York: Wednesday, October 15: Pettitte vs. Lowe, 4:00
Game 7 at New York: Thursday, October 16: Martinez vs. Clemens, 8:00

If this series remotely resembles the 19 games played this summer, it will be one for the ages. I'll be in Row Y of the distant left field bleachers tonight. I hope security is a little better than it was in 1999, when a Red Sox fan had his cap lit on fire while two security cops stood by laughing.

Many papers don't include their prediction boxes online, so this is all I've found so far:

Dan Shaughnessy: Red Sox in 6
Gordon Edes: Yankees (I think)
Garry Brown: Red Sox in 6
Baseball Weekly: Yankees and Cubs.

New York Post
George King: Yankees in 6
Joel Sherman: Yankees in 6
Kevin Kernan: Yankees in 4
Mike Vaccaro: Red Sox in 6
Mark Hale: Yankees in 6

New York Daily News
Sam Borden: Yankees in 5
Peter Botte: Red Sox in 6
John Harper: Yankees in 6
Bill Madden: Yankees in 6
Anthony McCarron: Yankees in 7
Adam Rubin: Yankees in 5
Vic Zeigel: Yankees in 6

Newsday:
Jon Heyman: Yankees in 6
Shaun Powell: Yankees in 6
Ken Davidoff: Red Sox in 5
Mark Herrmann: Yankees in 5
Bob Herzog: Yankees in 7
David Lennon: Yankees in 7
Marty Noble: Yankees in 6
Anthon Rieber: Yankees in 6

Jim Salisbury, Philadelphia Inquirer: Yankees in 6
Roch Kubatko, Baltimore Sun: Yankees in 6
Larry Stone, Seattle Times: Yankees in 6
George Richards, Miami Herald: Yankees in 6
Ken Daley, Dallas Morning News: Yankees in 5
Larry Millson, Toronto Globe & Mail: Yankees in 6
Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times: Yankees
Mike Berardino, South Florida Sun-Sentinel: Red Sox in 6
T.R. Sullivan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Red Sox in 7
Chris Jenkins, San Diego Union-Tribune: Red Sox in 7
Gary Huckabay and Nate Silver, Baseball Prospectus: Yankees in 6
Joe Sheehan, Baseball Prospectus: Yankees in 5
Aaron Gleeman: Red Sox in 7

Wasting print or air time talking about a curse when there is so much baseball news and analysis to offer insults the intelligence of every fan listening/reading and exposes the media as lazy hacks who can't be bothered to do any real work at the most important time of the year. Do books on dentistry waste pages weighing in on the existence of the tooth fairy? No, they do not. Let's can the curse bullshit and focus on the game. ... By the way, in a telegram to the Boston Herald and Journal after he was told of the sale, Babe Ruth wrote: "The Boston club is my favorite, and naturally I wanted to remain there, but as the deal is completed, I suppose I will have to go to New York. ... I appreciate the stand taken by the Boston people and very shortly hope to be in Boston to thank them in person for their support. Thanking you for past favors and wishing you success, I remain, your friend, Babe Ruth."

Take a deep breath. ... Relax. ... It Is On.