Striking Distance

(Photo from Yahoo! Sports)

I should be asleep. I didn't get into bed until 3 this morning. It's Sunday and the Pats game doesn't start until 4:15. There is absolutely no good reason I should be awake right now. Except that this morning is the morning the cat has decided that I absolutely cannot sleep past 8 o'clock. He attempted to get me out of bed by pushing his food dish all over my hardwood floors, meowing incessantly, and inexplicably running back and forth across my apartment. And when that didn't work, he stood on my chest and meowed directly into my face, to, I assume, talk abut how awesome Jacboy Ellsbury is. On that, we agree.

So I'm up, and I'm thinking, you know, the Red Sox are one win away from winning a World Series. And how insane is that? Not because this team has surprised me in this way because, if I'm being honest, they haven't. Sure, there have been countless times when I've yelled at them during the course of the season and implored them to "score runs for Tim Wakefield/Daisuke Matsuzaka, for the love of god what is wrong with you?" but really, they've maintained their pace, or, I guess, set the pace. But what has surprised me is how absolutely badass our rookies are.

I mean, remember during the ALDS and the beginning of the ALCS when everyone was saying that if the Sox wanted to advance, they were going to need to get production out of someone other than Manny and Papi? Huh, silly me, I thought they were talking about how JD Drew was going to have to start pulling his weight or how, god forbid, Lugo should start getting some hits. But the wee rookies have totally taken up the charge. Pedroia is in full "I don't get no respect, everyone thinks I'm too small, I'll show you haters!" mode and Ellsbury has seemed decidedly non-blinded by the bright lights and giant stage of the World Series. I mean, the man started the season in Double A. And now he's going 4-for-5 and serving as the ultimate catalyst in Game 3 of the World Series. A charmed life indeed.

True or false: Every time Tito gave Ellsbury a start during the season, he found a nice note written on sturdy stationary in his manager's office the next day?

Thanks for giving me a shot. I hope to make you proud.

Signed,
Jacoby Ellsbury
(Centerfielder, Boston Red Sox)

Eventually, Tito had to tell him nicely to stop since it was appreciated but really wasn't necessary. "Kid, you're gonna get a lot of starts in the future. You don't want to spend all your time writing notes." But Ellsbury just wanted Tito to know how appreciative he was. He's thinking maybe a nice fruit basket, or perhaps a wine and cheese assortment to thank Tito after the season is over. Mike Lowell can totally help him pick out something appropriate.

I feel like that is one of those things that I could be making up, or it could be 100% of fact. One never knows with these Red Sox, do we?

And Dustin Pedroia, wee little engine that could Dustin Pedroia talks about Ellsbury like Pedroia has been in the bigs forever and, lo! the many things he's seen. They'd blow Jacoby's mind. Let's just hope the kid can keep his wits about him. The chain of command, as it were from Youkilis to Pedroia to Ellsbury is fantastic and sure to be the nexus of many bouts of ridiculousness in seasons to come. Though you'll notice that neither Youks or Pedroia, in their endless quest to determine the speedster among them, have challenged Jacoby to a footrace. Oh, the beatdown that would commence.

So tonight, tonight could be it. Maybe not, but, you know, it could. And that possibility has me feeling a little heady this morning. Granted, that could also be the sleep deprivation, but I think it's at least 87% baseball. So we will spend our day killing time, watching the Pats, thanking the universe that Patrice Bergeron seems to be okay and counting down the minutes until game time. Because it could happen. And it could happen tonight. And if it does, I think we should all write some nice thank you notes.