This team is a pure joy to watch. The mix of high character veterans like CC, Tanaka, Headley, Fraizer, and the young guys like Bird, Judge, and Sanchez. This is what chemistry looks like, even when they are losing they are having fun.

During the game they were losing 4 - 0, I remember seeing the camera panned to CC in the dugout and he was laughing, his mouth was wide open as it looked to be one of those big belly laughs. I think it was the top of the 7th inning when FS1 showed CC. I remember thinking, this team doesn't seem to worry about shit!

Which is the way to do it: don't worry about shit and play beisbol!

Let's Go Yankees!

I was lucky to continue my mailing project and watch the game in our conference room again yesterday. The door opened and one of our organization's top execs popped his head in, and I thought, "Sh.t, I am busted." He said, "What's the score?"

So proud of these guys and they have been amazingly fun to watch. We got the Astros on the cliff and need to push them off. I hope they jump on Verlander early and take the crowd out of it. He is a big game pitcher, but like Keuchel, they just saw him, so I say advantage Yanks. Severino is playing with house money and just needs to keep dialing up the gas.

Now that Judge and Sanchez seem a little more locked in, I would love to see those two dent the upper deck in Houston. Bird has been so solid too.

Let's go Yang-Keys. Clap, clap, clap clap clap.

[1] Your image of CC laughing in the dugout reminded me of a favorite little memory. (I know, I’m all auld lang syne lately).

Game 2 of the 2000 ALDS vs Oakland. The Yankees are already down a game, and playing on the road. Luis Sojo fields a grounder at second and trips over his own goddamn shoelace. Sack of potatoes. There’s no play and the tying run comes to the plate.

And the Yankees? Standing around laughing about it.

That was the moment I knew. It was like: "Yer gon-na lose... yer gon-na lose... (bonk) We're gonna win....

Coupla weeks later? City Hall steps.

“Don’t worry about shit and play beisbol!” Amen, brother!

Before Game 2 I texted a friend and said, "Verlander doesn't scare me anymore." Shows what I know. But two things to remember -- first, Verlander pitched so well last time that he can't possibly duplicate that without getting into Bob Gibson territory; second, he threw more than 120 pitches. Even with five days rest, there could be a residual effect of all that work. We'll see.

[4] Plus Sevvy went short innings in two of his last three starts, if you subscribe to the Stored Mojo Hypothesis.

Fucking scalpers! WS tix went on sale at 10 a.m. and by 10:01.1 they were all gone.

[6] No fucking way!

Makes you miss the days of sleeping on line outside Stan the Man's.

"We play today, we win today. Das it!"

I just hope Cubs push Dodgers to 7. Don’t really have a dog in that hunt

I think it will be a wild game 6.

I want to see Judge connect with some Verlander High cheese.

Too bad there is an off day today.

10) Indeed. And maybe Bird and Sanchez too!

Cubbies look kaput. I'm so so so up for NY-LA, Verlander or not they'll take Game 6.

Wish the Cubbies could have made it a competitive series

Rats. Wanted at least a good gsme tonight. Man, beating jv tomorrow would be slaying a dragon. The sob has killed the Yankees in the post-season. Forever. Go Yankees!

[6] and [7] I've been dreaming of seeing the Yankees play the Dodgers in the World Series, but so has the rest of Los Angeles, apparently. The cheapest seats available for Games 1 and 2 are $895 a piece right now. More than a little bit out of my price range...

First game I ever saw was in 1956 WS, Yanks/Dodgers game 4. I was 6 years old. My old man got tickets from his employer as a reward for beating the sales record; right behind home plate on the mezzanine. Yanks won on 2 Mickey HRs, and I'm screaming my head off. Some guy in a fedora gives my dad $100, and says, "bring the kid back tomorrow, he's good luck." My Dad kept the money, I didn't get to another WS game for decades. (Oh, and the next day was the Larson perfecto.)

[16] Wow, that is a GREAT story!

[15] Yeah, I know, I'm eyeing a single ticket for Game 2 ... $1300

One more thing about Dodger Stadium World Series tickets. I completely understand the supply and demand issue driving ticket prices through the roof, but here's something that strikes me as completely unconscionable. Dodger Stadium parking, normally $20.00, will cost $200.00 for the Series. I'm not making this up. And unlike the vast majority of stadiums in America, there are precious few options aside from parking in the Dodger lot. And the icing on the cake? Apparently all that money goes to the departed owner, Frank McCourt.

Counting down the minutes until my boss leaves and I can bolt out of here to get home in plenty of time.

[19] HOLY CRAP ... I didn't know that.

Where did you see that, the links for purchase parking aren't working right now on the official MLB Dodgers site?

Looks like you can park at Union Station for $8 and take a free shuttle if you show your ticket.

There are ways to get there, but none as convenient as hopping on the 4 train. I think what's happening is that all the parking passes are gone, and have now hit the secondary market. I've never heard of this. Will you be able to buy parking when you get there, the same as normal? No idea. Either way, the exorbitant prices have taken the decision out my hands, which is probably a good thing. Had tickets been somewhere around three or four hundred dollars, I'd have been tempted to overspend. Now I'll happily watch from my couch.

And by the way, I realize this whole discussion probably makes some in the superstitious set a bit uncomfortable. Sorry about that. I do realize there's still work to be done.

[23] As I said over at BBTF:

Prudent planning without premature purchase offendeth not the baseball gods ... so I've been assured and I've got connections!

- Cult of Basebaal