Category: News

Sox in the playoffs

The baseball playoffs are underway, having gotten started nicely when the Sox croaked the Yanks 6-2 in the play-in game. More interesting, at least to me, is what we can learn about team-building from watching Tampa Bay, even if I don’t care for what their robotic stat geek approach is doing to the game. They have athletic talent and pitching depth used in a different relay-race way than the olden days, and they have figured out how to win cost-effectively. I’d say maybe there’s something there for the Sox brass to learn from, but that’s why they hired TB alum Chaim Bloom in the first place.

Now for some more thoughts.

I don’t know if TB stumbled on it just trying to save money, but they show that the most cost-effective way per out is to load up on six or seven hard-throwing relievers whom they usually turn the game over to after five innings. That’s because if those guys pitch four innings per game every game and are even making $3 million per (which they’re not) that’s 648 innings for a paltry $21 million. As opposed to the Yanks getting 181 innings from Gerrit Cole for $32 million per year. That’s $10,802 per out for TB vs. $60K for NY and since most of those D-Rays are under 3.00 in ERA they’re competitive to Cole’s 3.23. So tell me which way is better.
So the trick is to draft and develop guys to be one-inning power pitchers who are interchangeable and not married to a specific role, including closer. Since the Red Sox have not developed a starter to win 10 games or more since Clay Buchholz came up in 2007 they should try that instead of what they’ve been so unsuccessfully doing for 20 years.

One final note on Cole: When he refused to talk about the Astros moments after he and they won the 2017 World Series because he was now a free agent and didn’t work for them any longer, he went on my sports hate list instantaneously. So it was great to see him spit the bit (as the Boss used to say) in the big moments. Well-spent $324 million I’d say.

In case you’re wondering, the 106 games won by the 2021 Dodgers are the most ever by a team finishing in second place. Even more amazing is that even though the 107-win Giants seemingly clinched a playoff spot in July they didn’t clinch the NL West until the final day of the regular season.

Incidentally, a big payoff could be coming for those who bet on them to win the World Series before the year in Vegas, where they were a 100-1 shot.

Since no one was in the stands to do it last year during the playoffs, expect the booing of the Astros for their cheating scandal to continue until their final playoff out.

I count 11 ex-Red Sox in the playoffs, including Jackie Bradley, who hit a microscopic .163 for Milwaukee this year; TB’s Manuel Margot, who was traded for White Sox reliever Craig Kimbrel (5.09 in 24 appearances after being traded to Chi in late July) when Kimbrel came to Boston from San Diego; Chicago’s Michael Kopech (44 games in relief with a 3.50) and Yoan Moncada, who were the big chips in the Chris Sale trade; Marwin Gonzalez, who hooked on with Houston on the Jamie Collins plan after being DFA by the Sox in August to hit below the Mendozza line for both teams; Pablo Sandoval, still somehow in the majors with Atlanta, and Yaz’s grandson Mike, a key player for SF.

Then there’s the L.A. contingent managed by 2004 Game 4 hero Dave Roberts. Injury-riddled Mookie Betts didn’t have one of his better years while hitting .258 with 23 homers and 58 RBI. Meanwhile only 11 of David Price’s 39 appearances were starts when he pitched just 74 innings and had an ERA of 4.04, and 2018 postseason stalwart Joe Kelly was 2-0 and 2.85 in 44 games.

Between the injured Clayton Kershaw and suspended Trevor Bauer L.A. has $71 million in starting pitching sitting not available in the playoffs. That’s more than the D-Rays’ entire payroll.

The Giants did what they did with their leading homer guy Brandon Belt (29) and the only guy who could hit for TB in the early days, Evan Longoria, only playing 97 and 81 games respectively

Thanks to a .306 lifetime batting average and winning two batting titles while mostly playing the game’s most physically demanding position, many see ex-Twins catcher Joe Mauer as a likely Hall of Famer. If that’s the case, does the same go for Giants catcher Buster Posey? He’s a .302 lifetime hitter, with one batting title and more homers already than Mauer, while being the linchpin of three World Series winners to none by Joe. And No. 4 could be in progress as we speak.

The evening Massachusetts daily lotto numbers on the day before the Yankees-Red Sox playoff game on Tuesday were 1-9-7-8. That was the year of the last one-game playoff between the Sox and Yanks, otherwise known as the Bucky bleeping Dent game won by NY.

The omen didn’t work this time. Though I must say, good strategy by Alex Cora to pull the in-total-control Nathan Eovaldi after just 5.1 innings so they could lure Aaron Judge into barely being thrown out at the plate after a difficult double relay by bringing in Ryan Brasier so Giancarlo Stanton could hit another one of the wall to start the play in motion. Worked perfect. What a strategist.

Finally, Giancarlo, are you kidding me? Posing on a ball you think is going out instead of hustling to first in a winner-take-all playoff game? Really? Where do they find clueless meatballs like that?

Shooting for the stars

SNHU student recognized for civic leadership

Jonathan Weinberg, a Concord resident and student at Southern New Hampshire University, will be presented with the Civic Leader of the Year award at the 2021 Rising Stars Awards on Thursday, Oct. 21, at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester. The awards, an initiative of New Hampshire Public Radio and Stay Work Play, recognize New Hampshire young people who are working to make a positive impact in their communities. The ceremony starts at 5:30 p.m. and will be held in person with a limited capacity and broadcast live online; visit 2021rsa.eventbrite.

What does the Civic Leader of the Year award recognize?

It recognizes any type of political involvement or civic engagement [that is] helping to better one’s community or trying to get more people civically engaged, whether that’s in an elected position, or working with advocacy committees or groups that are trying to promote positive changes in the community.

What kinds of civic engagement have you been involved in?

Last year I decided to run for the school board in the Concord area. … I was involved with the gun violence prevention movement, helping to organize various marches. I helped with some Black Lives Matter protests. … I also have experience working in environmental advocacy, immigration, child care and affordable wages.

Are there any causes you’d like to get more involved in?

I’d love to expand my horizons. Mental health advocacy is something that’s been a growing passion of mine. As we saw during the past year, there were not enough beds available [at mental health facilities] for people who were waiting in the emergency room. … I’d love to get more involved in that, working to bring further investment to an underfunded system. … I’d also like to be more involved in reproductive rights advocacy.

Are any of these issues personal for you?

Immigration has some personal [significance] for me. As a Jewish person I’ve experienced anti-semitism. I’ve seen the kind of iniquitous, abhorrent behavior that people can show toward someone just because they’re from somewhere else, or because they look different. It motivates me to make sure that other people don’t have to feel the way that I have felt when I’ve [experienced] anti-semitic slurs. That’s also why I’ve been involved in advocating with equity and helping to promote Black Lives Matter protests. … I also have a personal connection with mental health. I’ve struggled with anxiety and depression for years but haven’t been very vocal about it. I want to make sure that we’re destigmatizing and raising awareness of mental health [issues] so that people feel safe in their communities to express what they’re going through.

How do you take care of yourself?

I use a lot of coping mechanisms. I try to run. I play piano. I try to do things that help me [maintain] a sense of equilibrium. When you’re dealing with all of these really challenging issues and something doesn’t go the way you hoped, you have to remind yourself that at least you’re doing something about it; don’t give up.

What is the biggest change you’d like to see in New Hampshire?

I think we need more investment in social programs, whether it’s [addressing] the opioid epidemic, homelessness, the mental health crisis, child care or the minimum wage. If we tackle one of those issues, it can help with the other issues as well, because they’re very interconnected. We also need to create programming that is more accessible, that [doesn’t require] filling out so much paperwork or going out of your way in order to receive [assistance].

What do you want to do after graduating from college?

I’ve thought about attending law school. I’d love to work … representing individuals who cannot afford representation or don’t have representation that’s adequate … and also work on immigration reformation.

What advice would you give to other young people looking to get more involved in their communities?

Sometimes, people are afraid to get involved because they don’t know what they’re going to do [to help], or they don’t feel like they have the right experience to speak on the matter. But there’s something powerful about getting involved in something just because you have that gut feeling that you should. Don’t let a lack of experience or a fear that you don’t know enough stop you from getting involved. Once you take that leap, you can learn more about it, and sometimes being new to something [allows you to] build a better foundation, which can be the most powerful agent of change in action.

Featured photo: Jonathan Weinberg. Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 21/10/14

Covid-19 update As of Oct 4 As of Oct 11
Total cases statewide 122,054 125,743
Total current infections statewide 3,502 3,941
Total deaths statewide 1,485 1,499
New cases 3,348 (Sept. 28 to Oct. 4) 3,689 (Oct. 5 to Oct. 11)
Current infections: Hillsborough County 920 1,015
Current infections: Merrimack County 380 474
Current infections: Rockingham County 650 718
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services

Covid-19 news

As of Oct. 11 there were 3,941 active infections of Covid-19 statewide and 142 current hospitalizations. Two additional deaths were announced on Oct. 11, bringing the total to 1,499.

On Oct. 8, following the postponement of an Executive Council meeting the previous week regarding federal grants for vaccine funding, New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella issued a memo to Gov. Chris Sununu saying that the state is able to accept the money without being locked into any future federal mandates. Anti-vaccine protests had forced the postponement of the Sept. 29 meeting, according to a report from WMUR. “I appreciate that the Attorney General has been very clear in his determination that these contracts do not bind the New Hampshire state government to any sweeping federal mandates, ensuring our state’s sovereignty in how we manage the Covid pandemic,” Sununu said in an Oct. 8 statement.

HealthCost

Last week the New Hampshire Department of Insurance launched the state’s new HealthCost website (nhhealthcost.nh.gov), which helps people compare prices across health care facilities with additional medical procedures and new information on hospital quality measures. According to a press release, the site also includes information on health insurance and an interactive tool to compare hospitals’ quality of care, cleanliness and customer satisfaction.

Spirit at MHT

Manchester-Boston Regional Airport has expanded its services. On Oct. 7 the airport celebrated the first flight of Spirit Airlines, which provided transportation between Manchester and several Florida locations. In the security area at Spirit’s gate, Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig, Spirit’s Vice President of Guest Experience & Brand Lania Rittenhouse, and Airport Director Ted Kitchens gave their remarks on the expansion. According to a press release, Spirit is the first new passenger airline that Manchester-Boston Regional Airport has welcomed in 17 years.

Juvenile justice

Last week Gov. Chris Sununu signed an order establishing the formation of the Juvenile Justice Reform Commission, an advisory group to update and replace the State Advisory Group for Juvenile Justice. According to a press release, the New Hampshire Juvenile Justice Reform Commission will “assist the state in aligning New Hampshire’s juvenile justice system with advances in scientific understanding of adolescent development and youth offenders.” The group’s primary role is to advise the state on its use of federal juvenile justice grants and supporting compliance with federal juvenile justice requirements. The original advisory group had been in place for more than 20 years, created by Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, and the formation of this new group is an effort to bring in fresh perspectives and ideas, the release said. “I would like to thank all new members for agreeing to serve the state in this incredibly important mission, and I have full confidence they will meet the challenges and opportunities facing the state as we create a juvenile justice system designed to meet the needs of the individuals, families, and communities in a safe, data-driven, and evidence-based manner,” Sununu said in a statement.

Organic certification

The state has terminated the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire’s certification program for organic processor/handle and livestock operations, according to a press release from NOFA-NH, which noted that the decision could impact as many as 45 state-certified organic farms, processors and handlers as well as farms that were in the process of transitioning to and becoming certified organic. An “adequate transition plan” was not put in place, the release said, and the farms affected will have to contract with a new certifier in the coming year.

Career schools

Smaller career schools in New Hampshire will no longer need to be regulated or licensed by the New Hampshire Department of Education’s Office of Career School Licensing, or pay licensing and licensing renewal fees. According to a press release, career schools are defined as post-secondary institutions that provide training in trades and vocational skills that expand students’ employment opportunities. The Senate Bill 148, signed into law by Gov. Chris Sununu in August, applies to private career schools with an adjusted gross income of less than $100,000 per year, of which there are 41 existing in the state. Newly established career schools meeting those criteria will not need to apply for a license from the state. “This change will make it easier for smaller career schools to operate and promote the creation of new vocational schools in New Hampshire with minimal risk to participating students,” Stephen Appleby, Director of Educator Support and Higher Education with NH-DOE, said in the release. Career schools may still opt to remain licensed or apply for licensure if they want to participate in federal programs that require it. Any schools affected by the law that grow to exceed an AGI of $100,000 in the future will at that point be required to go back and receive regulation and licensing by the state again.

Choose Love

The New Hampshire Department of Corrections has joined with the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement to provide its programming to incarcerated residents. According to a press release, the Corrections Choose Love Program will include daily activities that will reinforce and support social and emotional learning skills, to improve the residents’ relationships and interactions with their families and communities. Funding for the program was awarded to NHDOC’s Family Connections Center from the state Department of Health and Human Services’ Community Collaborations to Strengthen and Preserve Families. Choose Love has been incorporated into schools, state and local departments and various organizations across New Hampshire, the release said.

Last week Gov. Chris Sununu visited Jeremiah and Jamie Crosby’s home in Springfield to highlight the state’s investment in broadband upgrades, after allocating short-term CARES Act funds to broadband expansion. According to a press release, $13 million went to 16 projects that benefitted over 4,500 households, and the state is expected to receive an additional $122 million in one-time federal funds to provide broadband access to every household in the state.

To commemorate the founding of Daughters of the American Revolution, on Oct. 11, 1890, 10 members of the local Buntin-Rumford-Webster chapter gathered at the Old Fort Cemetery in East Concord on Oct. 8 to clean and reset gravestones. According to a press release, two of the stones that were cleaned belonged to American Revolutionary War patriot Moses Eastman and his wife, Elizabeth.

UpReach Therapeutic Equestrian Center will host volunteer trainings at its facility in Goffstown on Saturday, Oct. 16, from 9 a.m. to noon and Tuesday, Oct. 26, from 1 to 4 p.m. According to a press release, volunteers must be at least 14 and be physically able to lead a horse at the walk and provide support as needed to mounted participants. Supplemental trainings are required for volunteers who want to handle or lead a horse, on Saturday, Oct. 16, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. and Wednesday, Oct. 27, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Email [email protected] or call 497-2343.

Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester officially opened its new Esports Arena with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 8. According to a press release, the arena is equipped with live broadcasting and streaming capabilities and 18 high-end gaming PCs, giving SNHU esports players a place to practice their gaming skills and compete against varsity opponents across the U.S. and Canada.

This Week 21/10/07

Big Events October 8, 2021 and beyond

Friday, Oct. 8

The Milford Pumpkin Festival has all kinds of gourd-ertainment planned (see the story about the event on page 10) including live music. Tonight, catch Shawna Deeley, Kayla Helmig, Tony Patterson, Macy Rae, Nick Zumbo and Drewosity all on the Oval Stage starting at 5 p.m. followed by Murphy Clark Band at 7:15 p.m. On the Community House Lawn Stage, catch 13 Steps (5:30 p.m) and Up Chuck Kreek (7:30 p.m.). On Saturday, 14 acts are scheduled to play on two stages from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. including Swipe Left (5:30 p.m.) and Tumbletoads (7:30 p.m.) on the Community House Lawn Stage and Russell Hill (5:30 p.m.) and Ballou Brothers (7:30 p.m.) on the Oval Stage. On Sunday, the music runs from around 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on both stages. Also on the schedule is Justin Cohn, slated to play Saturday at 10 a.m. on the Oval Stage. Justin was one of the artists featured in Michael Witthaus’s Sept. 30 story rounding up New Hampshire artists nominated for a New England Music Award. Cohn is nominated in the “Best in State” category (find the e-edition at hippopress.com; the story starts on page 32)

Saturday, Oct. 9

Oktoberfest celebrations continue this weekend with Bektash Shriners of New Hampshire’s Oktoberfest today from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Bektash Shrine Center (189 Pembroke Road in Concord; bektashshriners.org). The event will feature bratwurst, pretzels and more; call 225-5372 to RSVP. Find more Oktoberfest fun in Matt Ingersoll’s story about the celebration of German beer and eats in the Sept. 23 issue of the Hippo (find the e-edition at hippopress.com; the story starts on page 18).

Saturday, Oct. 9

Work up an appetite for the brews and eats at the Oktoberfest 5K beginning and ending at the Backyard Brewery & Kitchen in Manchester today at 9 a.m. Onsite, same-day registration starts at 7:30 a.m. or register in advance at millenniumrunning.com/oktoberfest. The fees are $30 for racers age 21 and over; $20 for racers 20 and younger.

Saturday, Oct. 9

Symphony New Hampshire kicks off its 2021-2022 season with a concert tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Keefe Center for the Arts (117 Elm St. in Nashua). See symphonynh.org for tickets and for safety rules. The evening will feature Frank Ticheli’s “Rest,” Mozart’s “Sinfonia Concertante for Four Winds” and the concert chamber orchestra suite of Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. Roger Kalia will conduct.

Wednesday, Oct. 13

If the snap of fall weather and the return of the The Great British Baking Show has inspired you to hold your own Bread Week, check out the Decorative Focaccia Bread cooking class tonight at 6 p.m. at LaBelle Winery (14 Route 111 in Derry; labellewinery.com, 672-9898). The class costs $49.05; reserve a spot in advance online.

Save the Date! Oct. 15

Mamma Mia!, the joyful ABBA jukebox musical, will kick off a multi-week run at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) on Friday, Oct. 15, with opening night show at 7:30 p.m. The show will run Fridays (7:30 p.m.), Saturdays (2 and 7:30 p.m.) and Sundays (noon and 5 p.m., most weeks) through Sunday, Nov. 14, with Thursday shows on Oct. 28 and Nov. 11. Tickets run $25 to $46.

Featured photo: Symphony New Hampshire. Courtesy photo.

Quality of Life 21/10/07

Back-to-school stress…

According to the Back to School Stress Index created by online learning platform Brainly, New Hampshire was the third most stressed out state when it came to going back to school this year, after Montana and Pennsylvania. The study was conducted between Sept. 18 and Sept. 25 and measured stress indicators on Google Trends relative to geographical location, with search queries related to the reopening of schools, Covid-19 prevention, school guidelines and homeschooling requirements.

Score: -1

Comment: To put a more positive spin on it, the number of Granite Staters’ school-related Google searches could just as easily mean that we like to be prepared and are invested in our kids’ health and education.

…and school event success

The first CelebratED MHT! was held Sept. 18 at Veterans Park to celebrate Manchester’s students, families and staff, with more than 30 city departments and local organizations coming together to offer free fun for the community. Free books, food and drinks, entertainment and family activities were part of the fun, but the point of the event was to recognize all the good that’s happening in the Queen City’s schools.

Score: +1

Comment: Organizers are starting to plan for next year’s event. Send an email to [email protected] if you’re interested in being part of the volunteer team.

A’s for two NH liberal arts colleges

The nonprofit American Council of Trustees and Alumni recently released its annual “What Will They Learn? 2021–22 report,” which gave A’s to two New Hampshire liberal arts colleges: Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts in Warner and Thomas More College of Liberal Arts in Merrimack. According to a press release, 1,110 U.S. colleges and universities were graded on their core curriculum requirements, and only 24 received As. The survey examines course requirements in seven foundational subject areas: Composition, Literature, intermediate-level Foreign Language, U.S. Government or History, Economics, Mathematics and Natural Science. To earn an “A,” a school must require all students to study at least six of these subjects, the release said.

Score: +1

Comment: New Hampshire has some big, and big-name, colleges (Dartmouth, UNH, SNHU), but this report is a good reminder that there are smaller, less well-known academic gems here too.

Hundreds of fires

So far this year in New Hampshire 628 people have received assistance from the American Red Cross of Northern New England in the wake of 278 home fires, according to a press release. There is typically a spike in home fires in the winter months, the release said, so those numbers will likely go up.

Score: -1

Comment: To combat the anticipated increase in fires as the cold weather arrives, the state Department of Safety and the Red Cross are stepping up efforts this Fire Prevention Week (now through Oct. 9) to encourage people to test smoke alarms and make an escape plan.

QOL score: 80

Net change: 0

QOL this week: 80

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at [email protected].

That was the week that was

Not that we didn’t know it already, but the outcomes during last week’s huge sports weekend once again showed how unfair sports can be. Despite infuriatingly losing two of three to the worst team in baseball during the final week, their best pitcher spitting the bit in both final-week starts, including just lasting into the third inning on Sunday, and Alex Cora yanking Tanner Houck with a slim 1-0 lead in the season’s biggest game after just five innings and 53 pitches on Saturday with a perfect game in progress, the Red Sox somehow managed to move on to play in Tuesday’s play-in game vs. the Yanks. Meanwhile, with their beleaguered coach abandoned by the memory-challenged in Patriot Nation showing the returning hero he doesn’t have all the answers to every test as he was being mostly outplayed Sunday night by a prodigy QB, the luckless Patriots lost 19-17 to the TB Brady’s when the 56-yard game-winning field goal attempt faded just enough to doink off the upright and away, instead of in.

Those were the news highlights of the big week and here are a few others.

News Item: Wickersham Book on Pats No Sham       

The post-Brady Patriots are in the crosshairs with ESPN reporter Seth Wickersham back with his second tome on the Patriots dynasty. Despite skepticism throughout Patriot Nation at the outset of the last one, it is being heavily scrutinized now after almost of all what he said last time was proven true. Given some of the disagreeable things that have leaked out, some unpleasant moments are ahead after some things owner Bob Kraft allegedly said to others about Coach B. For his part Bill Belichick says the relationship is solid. But if that’s fake news, you have to wonder where the end of Kraft’s rope might be if the 1-3 record during what was supposed to be the easiest part of their schedule continues to go south. Stay tuned.

News Item: Sox Exceed Expectations; Still Many Aren’t Happy

Got to love the expectation game in sports, where when things go bad it’s “I told you so” but when they go far beyond what many anticipated before eventually coming up short it’s not “thanks for a better season than I expected,” it’s instead “thanks for ruining our summer.” Granted a last-week Red Sox fold would have left a sour taste behind. But I’ll ask many in the media and cheap seats how many wins they were expecting in March. Given the obvious holes everywhere, Chris Sale injury questions and last year’s debacle, I doubt it was 92. I had them in the low 80’s and was bracing for worse. But they unexpectedly held the AL East lead into July and fought to the final out in Game 162. Not perfect and there’s still work to be done but it’s thanks for a great summer.

News Item: Low Expectations Greet 2021 Celtics

Speaking of expectations, with a 10-deep lineup and seven first-round draft picks over the next three years the Celtics had the ammo to compete for an NBA title going into 2018. But, after their second dumpster fire season in three years, Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens squandered that chance, which led Ainge to, ah, retire, Stevens to be kicked upstairs and a boatload of roster changes. First was the hiring of a guy I never heard of as the head coach, Ime Udoka. That he worked under legendary coach Pop is reassuring to some, but given that Gregg Popovich is in his own “Brady vs. Belichick” debate, as his team hasn’t done much since Tim Duncan retired, I’ve got see for myself what Udoka can do. Then there is the belief Stevens only became GM because the owners still owe him tons of money, something that was fortified when Brad had his lunch money stolen in his first three trades. We’ll leave the specific details to the season preview. But for now, Celtics expectations are at the lowest point since about 2015.

News Item: Worst Great Pennant Race Ever  

You have to understand the logic to get this headline. “Great” pennant races are defined here as those that go down to the final weekend with multiple teams involved. Like the AL race of 1967 when five teams entered the final week with a chance to win the pennant. When Yaz concluded the most inspirational season by a player since DiMaggio in 1941 by going 7 for 8 and knocking in the winning runs both times vs. Minnesota to eliminate them during the final two days of the year. The other way is a titanic two-team battle that pushes them to heights epitomized by what Reggie Jackson told Jerry Remy and Carlton Fisk as he entered the Sox locker room to thank them after the famed 1978 playoff game: “I hate to play you guys, but I love to play you guys.”

This year had both, with the Giants and Dodgers bringing to mind not only 1978 but their own rich history that saw them in special playoffs to determine the pennant in 1951 and 1962. And with the Yanks, Sox, Blue Jays, Mariners and A’s bunched together to start the final week the AL was more like ’67, though it’s been more of a study in bad baseball, where everyone survived terrible stretches to fall out of it before going on runs to get back in it, only to stumble again. It was like watching a slow-motion game of musical chairs where when the music stopped the Yanks and Sox just fell accidentally into their seats. Still, it had drama that lasted to the ninth inning of the final game.

All of which was fitting for the craziest baseball season I’ve ever seen.   

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