pulling for the Yankees!?!

An unexpected thing happened when I sat down to watch some playoff baseball tonight: I found myself pulling for the Yankees to win. I hate the Yankees, have hated them since 1976. I hate Steinbrenner. I hate the system that allows them to spend $200 million on a payroll while my team is in the 40's. I hate Reggie Jackson. I hate Don Mattingly. I hate Chris Chambliss and Billy Martin and Scott Brosious and Aaron Boone and all of the freaking scrubs that hit homeruns for them out of freaking nowhere.

But this year is different. I certainly can't cheer for either Sox. I hate the White Sox more than I hate the Lakers even with Phil Jackson back coaching them. And the Red Sox fans have become only more obnoxious and mentally ill after winning the series last year. I love watching Manny Ramirez hit, but I can't stand them. And I like the Angels. I have always liked Garret Anderson and Darin Erstad and Bartolo Colon, but my favorite Angel was always Glaus, and they are just not the same without him.

And now there is not a single Yankee I truly despise. How can you hate Torre? Or Matsui, Sheffield, Jeter, Arod, whomever? They are just pros' pros now. But the main reason I want the Yankees to go all the way is the man on the hill tonight, the most underrated baseball player of this generation (except in our family), Mike Mussina. Tonight he was awesome, making only his third start in over a month due to arm problems, all he does is go out and shut out the Angels for six innings. Granted, if Finley's ball doesn't bounce into the stands, he would have allowed one run in six. But still, a fabulous performance tonight by one of the biggest pressure pitchers of this era.

The two games he started in the 1997 ALCS are simply legendary for the Orioles. And people forget how bad Clemens was in game seven against the Sox two years ago. If Moose doesn't come in on two days rest and hold down the fort, Aaron Boone would still be the nobody he always should have been.

And so tonight he grabs the ball against the likely AL Cy Young winner and goes out there with a tight curveball, a decent fastball, and the circle change and keeps the Angels at bay and rides his early lead to the Gordon/Rivera lights out special. And I cheered him every pitch. And will again when he starts game one against the Red Sox in Yankee Stadium. (No, the White Sox are not going to win that series. Shut up already. They will lose to Wells, Wakefield, and Schilling in the next three.)

Go Moose!