Jonathan V. Last, the in-house hardball geek at The Bukwark, totally nailed it last week in his daily newsletter, The Triad.
When it comes to the World Series, there is nothing I love more than a Team of Destiny. You can win 106 games and be utterly dominant. You can have the biggest payroll and the best starting rotation.
But if you’re up against a Team of Destiny? Forget about it.
A Team of Destiny doesn’t appear very often. Most years, the best team wins the World Series and that’s that.
But watching a Team of Destiny emerge, out of nowhere? There is literally nothing more exciting in all of sports.
JVL’s pick?
The Boston Red Sox had a torrid first half of the season, then an All-Star collapse, and then a last-minute, gut-check run to sneak into the playoffs.
Then they beat the Yankees in the one-game Wildcard. Got one of the flukiest breaks you’ve ever seen in the 13th(!) inning of Game 3 against a superior Tampa team. And then they walked-off back-to-back games to advance to the ALCS.
Could they be a Team of Destiny? Stay tuned.
(As a special bonus, he included “this production on the Greatest Team of Destiny Evah.”)
After blowing a Game One that they arguably should have won. the Sox blew out the Houston Astros 9-5 yesterday, launching two – count ’em, two – grand slam homers.
As Boston Globe scribe Dan Shaughnessy notes in today’s edition of the stately local broadsheet, “Red Sox are unbeatable after a loss in the postseason under manager Alex Cora.”
But . . . lose one, win one?
If math is destiny, that won’t add up.
I get what you are saying, but isn’t it more likely to be Dodgers vs. Astros, as destiny? There. Will. Be. Blood. Anyway, I am an Astros fan, so maybe I not picking up all the vibes. Send me a signal with a trash can lid.
But the real question is whether you and the mrs. are toddling down to New Bedfahd to see the “Pinkie” Ryder show before it leaves. Oh, and if I show up at Logan wearing my Astros jersey, will I get beat up?
Right now it looks just as likely to be Sox v. Braves . . .
As for the Ryder exhibit, the Missus and I are taking a pass – too much covid down there.
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Yeah, in my Astros jersey, I might just get laughed at now. I thought MA was doing really well now, and I would be escaping Alaska at a good time (“We’re number one! We’re number one! . . . in infections per capita.”)
After tonight, you might want to fly into LaGuardia and rent a car . . .