Wild (Card) Weekend

162 games later, and its the Wild Card for the Red Sox. Going into the weekend your Uncle Buck was gearing up for a long weekend, but it ended up being anti-climatic as the Indians decided to fold up their tee-pees and let the White Sox walk all over them...much to the dismay of our friends at WWE (not the wrestlers).

On Friday UB was basically stomping around saying that it was Division Champs or bust. It looked like the Indians were gonna sweep, at least take 2 of 3 from the White Sox who were already AL Central champs, and the Sox would take 2 of 3 from the Yankoffs to force a Playoff on Monday. Friday night's Red Sox-Yankoff game was like a playoff game, and David Wells pitched like it.

The Sox came away with the win to tie up the East. Saturday was just plain ugly. Tim Wakefield got smacked around by a Yankoff lineup he normally handles pretty well. A-Fraud had 4 hits and the Yankoffs got the 8-4 win and the AL East crown...because...the Tribe lost again. So almost a year after the Sox eliminated the Yankoffs in the greatest comeback in Baseball history, the Yankoffs were sipping champaign in the visitor's clubhouse, after the Sox blew a 5.5 game lead they had in mid August.

"Let's get crazy, get some coke. I wanna go crazy with you...Look at me and say Yes!"

Derek Jeter and A-Fraud share an, um, interesting moment...

So, Sunday rolls around and we're looking at an interesting development. The Red Sox only need to win to make the post season! And wouldn't you know it, the Indians go out and drop the final game of their series with the White Sox and are out, giving the Red Sox the Wild Card before the Sox game is even over.

Curt Schilling pitched a great game against the Yankoffs lineup, but Joe Torre decided to pull Mike Mussina in favor of Jaret Wright, who got shelled as the Red Sox cruised to a 10-1 win. Torre was later asked what he thought about former Yankoff skipper Buck Showalter pulling his starters in the 3rd inning of their game against the Los Angeles Angels, giving up their game when the Yankoffs hopes for home field in the ALDS hung in the balance. Torre commented that it was interesting that Buck had done that.

So the Sox ended up walking away from the would-be epic weekend series and right into the playoffs and may be better off than the Yankoffs. (Has there ever been a scenario when two teams played a weekend series and both celebrated capturing playoff spots, drinking champaign in separate locker rooms, after victories over each other?)

As just about every media outlet has reported, the Division means nothing as the World Series winner has come out of the Wild Card every year since the 2002 Playoffs. With that in mind the Red Sox head over to Chicago and the Yankoffs hit Los Angeles. Taking nothing away from the White Sox, UB thinks this is the best possible matchup for the Red Sox. Shorter travel and a potential for better pitching matchups, while the Yankoffs have struggled with the Angels, as Darth Marc pointed out in his post. (Where have we seen this headline before?)

While I am happy to see the Red Sox make their 3rd consecutive post season in the 104 year history of the club, UB is annoyed at the Micky Mouse management that decided to re-arrange the standings on the Green Monster to have the Red Sox over the Yankoffs even though it was a tie. I don't know what the point of that would be. The season is over, the Yankoffs are the East champs and re-arranging the board isn't going to fool anyone. I really hope John Henry, Larry Lucchino and Tom Warner (from now on to be referred to as "The Other Guy" thanks to a WEEI caller that made UB crack up on his way home Friday) along with Dr. Charles Steinberg have that changed back by game 3 of the ALDS. Really pathetic. So its on to the ALDS. Your Uncle Buck is headed to Chicago for some Polish Sausage and a ride in the Bluesmobile.