Being a Red Sox fan is like being in the Mafia

Once you’re in, you’re in, baby. After Friday’s game, I was ready to trash everything from my Jim Rice/Fred Lynn “Gold Dust Twins” button to my rare Stan Belinda Action Figure (with removable ‘stache). After Saturday’s, I was kneeling at the altar of Carlos Quintana.

There is nothing more intoxicating than a big win against the Yankees

And I do mean intoxicating. As in clouding your vision, messing with your judgment. Some of the callers on talk radio this morning were declaring the Yankees “weak,” finding flaws in their overall make-up and doubting their ability to perform down the stretch. Have we learned nothing from our April sweep in the Bronx? Note these two things and you’ll never go wrong: Charles Nelson Reilly was the “secret ingredient” that has helped Match Game prove so endearing after all these years, and the Yankees can never be counted out. Which leads to our next point…

Never take a lead against the Yankees for granted

When Matsui launched that grand slam in the seventh, making it a 9-6 game, it served as an excellent reminder that these guys live to chomp opponent ass.

The Yankees recognize the Sox as their primary obstacle to the World Series

Something about playing the Yanks always brings out the best in the Sox; no one goes after them with the tenacity of our boys. Taking this recent weekend series did more than give us an 8-5 edge to this point in the season, it also gave New York something to think about for the next few weeks. We may not catch ’em in the AL East, but so long as we can hang in there, a Wild Card spot would bring about the possibility of another ALCS square-off. And deep down, I gotta believe that concerns ’em.

Man, do we miss Scott Williamson

No further explanation needed here.

There is no better read after a Sox-Yankees game than the New York Post.

Today’s lead story on last night’s game includes this gem: “Only Red Sox groupie John Kerry threw a baseball worse than Jose Contreras last night at Fenway Park.” Brilliant! Stuff!

Kevin Millar is back.

I may be too hasty in declaring this, but the guy put up ridiculous numbers through this series. Ironically, as his performance improved, I saw, for the first time, what is unquestionably the worst of his KFC ads: The one in which he holds the drumstick like a little bat and reenacts Fisk’s ’75 World Series home run. Urgh.

John Kerry is a dweeb

His daughters, on the other hand, are kinda hot.

Finally, some choice words from the Yanks, as reported in today’s New York Daily News:

“They just gained a game on us,” Jeter said. “That’s the only way you can look at it. We go play well in Toronto and they struggle a little bit and people will forget this.

They’re still down, they’re still behind us.”

“We’ve got to just worry about what we have to do,” Rodriguez added. “I think we’re in the driver’s seat and we feel good about where we are.”

And on to Baltimore we go…