Well, it’s that time again: Post season Major League baseball. Visitors to my site already know I’m a big Red Sox fan and the old saying goes during a successful season of at most 174 games (162 regular season plus up to 12 post season games) a baseball fan is cold twice: Once at the start of the season and again during the post season. With the Red Sox now in post season play it’s time to ramble…and, give the team my regards.

• The Red Sox defeated the New York Yankees – the so-called “Evil Empire“ – in the American League Wild Card Game by a score of 6-2. As far as I’m concerned the 2021 Red Sox season is already a success.

• Regarding the Wild Card Game, while sitting in the Bleachers the most popular chant I heard was, not surprisingly, “Yankees S*ck!“. What did surprise me was the second most popular chants, involving intimate relations with Joe Biden and encouraging someone named  “Brandon”.

• Regarding “Brandon”, the Tampa Bay Rays have a second baseman/outfielder named “Brandon Lowe“. I wonder if he realized why hundreds of Boston fans were chanting “Let’s Go Brandon!” during the games?

• Regarding the Tampa Bay Rays, their outfielder Randy Arozarena is very talented – he hit a home run and stole home base during Game 1 of the ALDS, and is a candidate for AL Rookie of the Year. But, after watching him eating popcorn in the dugout while the Rays were beating Boston in Game 1, and then during Game 4 at Fenway seeing him kiss off bleacher fans while taking the field, tip his hat and bowing to the stands, and taking time late in the game to walk over to the Rays bullpen to taunt hecklers, I’m hoping he learns to be a more humble professional and a more gracious loser.

• Regarding “Arozarena”…does that translate to “rice arena“? (but, I digress…)

• Regarding “Professionalism”, I applaud Boston player Kyle Schwaber, enlisted to be a First Baseman despite never having played the position: Early in Game 3 of the AL Division Series he threw the ball well over Nathan Eovaldi’s head to spoil a routine play at first, earning boos from the fans. After successfully making the same play in the 4th inning to record an out he tipped his cap and raised his hands to the now happy fans. Read all about it here.

• Regarding “Caps”, after Game 3 of the ALCS former New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, announcing for Fox Sports, showed a NY batting helmet and then placed it on the desk with the “NY” logo facing the camera. Thanks, A-Rod, for reminding all the Boston fans – and, Fox viewers – that once again “NY” stands for “Next Year”.
  

• Regarding “Records”, the Red Sox are showing some impressive Postseason records:
  • Kiké Hernández with five hits in Game 2 of the ALDS against Tampa? Ties a post season record.
  • Five Boston players with three or more hits during that same game? A post season record.
  • Pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez striking out Tampa Bay’s Austin Meadows in 17 pitches during the third inning of Game 4? Another post season record.
  • A total of seventeen pitchers used in Game 1 of the AL Championship series against the (excellent) Houston Astros? Yep, still another post season record.
  • Two Grand Slams during Game 2 of the AL Championship series against those same Houston Astros? Definitely a Postseason record.
    
  • Three Grand Slams during one post season series? Add another post season record.
    

  …And with at least three more games to play there’s plenty of room to achieve new records.

• Regarding “Room”, I noticed the Red Sox have already made room on the facade of the building above home plate to hang another Championship Flag: How thoughtful!

• And finally, regarding “Championships”, here’s hoping Boston’s baseball team does what nearly everyone, including me, didn’t believe was possible this year: To win a championship. In 2004 Boston achieved the impossible once by beating the NY Yankees with the greatest comeback in sports history: Now they only need to do the impossible twice: (1) beat the Houston Astros to win the American League Championship Pennant and (2) beat (I presume) the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. Easy!
  

Thanks for Reading! (and, Let’s go Red Sox!)