Queen

Game 160 - Red Sox

Red Sox 5, Twins 2
Record: 95-65
American League East Champions

So this is a bit awkward. I can't help but feeling a mite guilty about the gleeful ending to my evening, watching Jonathan Papelbon run around Fenway in his underwear, Mike Lowell and Mike Timlin cavorting like 5 year-olds, a bunch of grown men donning swim goggles and dousing each other and the fans in champagne and Bud Light. You'd be very hard-pressed to find another moment in the history of this blog when our respective outlooks were this polar.

And since we're sharing, let me get this off my chest: despite my measured protests to the contrary, I cared - really, really cared about winning the division. All that 'let the chips fall where they may' nonsense was pure psychological defense mechanism. Really glad I can admit that now in the soft afterglow of the Sox' first division title since 1995. Melvin Mora and his Tom Berenger imitation has set me free.

I didn't get to celebrate properly, as I'm one day away from an epically stupid attempt to run, mountain bike, and canoe 35 miles or so through the Northern Virginia woods. That, and even as I'm overjoyed by the division championship, I can't help but admit that the thrill will be diminished if the Sox don't put some post-season icing on the cake. I'll be away from the television for the better part of the rest of the weekend, so I'll leave the stage to the Mets and their comeback.

Late addition, just because Papelbon is my kind of moron: