"Atta boy, Mikey"

"Atta boy Mikey".... those were the words that resounded the most to me yesterday when watching the Red Sox capture their second World Series Championship over the past 4 years. The words were said to Mike Lowell, Series MVP, as he came into the dugout after hitting a solo homerun in the seventh inning.

When all is said and done baseball is still 'just a game'. Hearing an unknown player or coach say those words to Mike Lowell reminded me of any extremely proud mother, father, aunt, uncle or grandparent congratulating their Mikey for a job well done on any sports field. Of course MLB is not 'just a game' in so many ways. This is big business with a lot of money on the line. But take that away, forget about that, watch how happy the Red Sox are during all four World Series games and you will see that they play baseball as it should be.... a game.

Yesterday's game 4 had all the drama that is made for TV. The red hot Rockies had their back against the walls at their own Coors Field. The starting pitcher for the Red Sox was a young man who only one year ago was receiving treatment for caner and didn't know if he would ever play baseball again. On third base for the Red Sox was a player who is also a cancer survivor and is going to be a free agent at the end of this season. What more could Fox TV ask for.

Due to a very untimely Microsoft Access training course at work I was unable to 'chuck a sickie' for the second time to watch the Red Sox in the post season. If it wasn't for ESPN.com and their game cast showing every pitch on a computer generated field I would have been pulling my hair out. I did concentrate 90% on the course and the remaining 10% was all Red Sox. When I got home I plopped myself down on my couch, grabbed the remote, and hit the play button..... and yes... there it was..... game 4 in all of its DVD glory. Since I already knew the outcome I was able to scan through most of the game and therefore I wasn't subject to the commentary that Fox was sure everyone watching wanted to hear.

I didn't scan from the 7th inning on and even with knowing the score I had nerves and goose bumps. This is just a game right?! When Bobby Kielty hit that home run I pumped my fist in the air just as I did when Jonathan Papelbon threw that 94 mph fastball by the final Colorado Rocky to win the World Series!

I am so happy that for a few weeks in October from 10,000 miles away from Boston, via the modern technologies of the Internet and DVD recorders I was able to be transported back to Boston and experience what Red Sox nation...nation?.... more like Red Sox universe was experiencing!

Now if I can only figure out how to experience the rolling victory celebration!!!!!!