On baseball…

I’ve been to 15 games so far this season. I’ve seen the Red Sox (15 times), the Yankees (5 times), the Twins (in Minneapolis), the Rays (twice), the Rangers, the Orioles (twice in Boston, once in Baltimore), the Angels (twice) and the Blue Jays. That’s every team in the AL East, plus one each in the Central and West.

As we left Camden Yards a week ago Sunday, the Orioles having just completed a three-game sweep of the Red Sox, local O’s fans were taunting the many Red Sox fans making their way to the parking lots, “Hey, maybe you guys can get back to .500 one of these days.” Hmm. When I checked the standings that night Baltimore was 7 and 13 and way worse off than the Red Sox.

Meanwhile, down the road in DC, The Nationals are only one game out of first place. The last time a Washington team was only one game out of first as late as May FDR was President. First term.

At the Saturday afternoon Yankees game I was reminded that Yankee fans visiting Boston are way more obnoxious than Red Sox fans visiting New York.

It also occurred to me that the only place in the world where you can see a game in any major pro sport – I’m including soccer in Europe – where none of the players has their name on the back of the shirt is a Red Sox-Yankees game at Fenway Park.

On Monday night the hawkers on the Brookline Avenue bridge over the Pike were handing out signs that said “it’s only May.”

As of tonight, the Red Sox have won 7 of the last 9. If they can beat Toronto tomorrow afternoon they’ll have won 8 of 10 and be in 3rd place.