Requiem for the Dark Lord

So strange----Monday night, for no apparent reason, I put in the dvd player "Episode VI" of George Lucas's masterpiece Star Wars, more commonly known as "Return of the Jedi." This is the episode in which Luke Skywalker becomes a Jedi knight and defeats the emperor while besting Darth Vader in a duel of light sabers and rescuing the dormant Anakin Skywalker, Luke and Leia's father, from the evil Dark Lord that he had become (Vader).

Given the time difference between the East Coast and New Mexico, my viewing was possibly in conjunction with the death of the creator of the "Evil Empire"--George Steinbrenner died sometime Monday evening of a heart attack at 80 years old. Possibly while I was watching Luke remove the mask from Vader so his father could view him "with [his] own eyes." Such are the currents and eddies of the space-time continuum in which we humans exist...........

So what????

Well, I'll tell you what----I'm a baby boomer, coming of age in the '50s and '60s. I grew up in southern Connecticut, not far from New York City. I was a serious Yankee fan my entire youth. I so applauded Don Larsen's perfect game in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series adding to the glory of "the Mick"'s triple-crown season. And I so cried when Bill Mazeroski, 2nd baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates (yes, Virginia, they really used to get to the World Series) had that walk-off home run in Game 7 in 1960. Barely cleared the fence as I recall. He was a lifetime .260 hitter, hitting .273 in the 1960 season. And he beat my Yankees!!!! And I loathed Roger Maris for getting that 61st home run. We all wanted Mickey Mantle to be THE ONE to break Babe Ruth's record. Maris was from the Kansas City A's, which weren't much better than a farm team for the Yankees back then.

Then Steinbrenner bought the Yankees. Reggie Jackson, Thurman Munson, A-Rod. Money and mediocrity. Jeter's number 2 may one day hang near Mickey's 7, Yogi's 8, Roger's 9. He's the only one of the crop Georgie bought who might deserve that honor. My allegiance shifted to the Red Sox and I've never looked back. How fitting that the owner of the Evil Empire in the Bronx may have met his end as I watched Darth meet his.

Rumor has it Darth's middle initial was "G" for "George."

El Beisbol

I guess baseball season is over.

Tuesday night we settled in to watch the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (who dreams up these monikers???) even up their American League Championship Series with those NastY Yankees. Being true Red Sox fans, of course we favor the Angels. Long story short---didn't happen. The Yankees won 10-1 taking a 3-1 lead in a best 4 of 7 series. If their opponent were the Red Sox, there might be hope. But the Angels?? Let's give them some applause for finally ending the dominance of the Red Sox over their West Coast patsies---the Sox have owned the Angels in the post season going back to 1987.

Back to Tuesday---I understand if Jerry Remy and Don Orsillo of NESN, the Red Sox flagship t v station, shill for the team and are not at all objective in assessing the skills of the Beantown Boyz. I even suffer thru the Fox Sports Southwest fools who laud the Texas Rangers when I watch that station to see my beloved Sox. It's only natural for t v announcers to favor the home market team. But is it too much to ask for some objectivity from national announcers like Joe Buck and Tim (the terrible) McCarver on Fox's national coverage of the playoffs??? The first Yankee run came on a play with Alex Rodriguez scoring from third base. There was a grounder to second, the Angel defender was a little too deep and the throw home was high.

Well to hear Tim McCarver's analysis, A-roid (A-rod after steroids---ever look at his earlobes---hi-def is sometimes too much information) is the greatest thing since sliced bread, Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig, and Reggie Jackson all embodied in him. Honestly, I think I could have scored on that grounder, replacement right knee and arthritic left knee and all. Now A-roid is number 8 on the all-time homer list. Of course, given the steroid and drug era, so what?? He's up there with Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, and Mark McGwire---the Jacked-up Three. The 'Roid got the bulk of his homers with such play-off denizens as the Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers. When he finally got to play post-season, he was basically 0-for-October until this year. And McCarver makes him sound like Jeter, for god's sake!!!! Sorry, A-roid doesn't belong in the same sentence as the Yankee captain. I hate the Yankees and love the Red Sox, but I can respect Derek Jeter as a class act. He's the only one of the Skankees I'd like to see move north to Fenway.

So no more ALCS, unless the Angels have a Red Sox miracle up their sleeves. And we'll take solace in the fact that even if the Yankees win the World Series, Los Soquitos Rojos will still have won twice as many world championships this century.

Papi Puppy

As I write this post, the Red Sox have taken all 7 games this season from their eternal nemesis, the New York Yankees. A-Roid is 0 for 7 with an error. CHOKE TIME, Rodriquez vs. los Socquitos rojas!!!! What else is new for MR. 0-for-October. Which major league team has the MOST World Series championships in the 21st Century????? THE SOX, BABY!!!!!

Why am I such a Sox fan?? Isn't it obvious???

Big Papi

Big Puppy!!!!!!

The left shot is Big Papi rounding third on his homer Tuesday in the opener and to the right is me cheering!!!!!!

LOL

Leny