In the books

Another baseball season over. We couldn't have had a better ending. It `csort of feels like we're sneaking more and more toward total playoff dominance. 2004, we had the sweep, got beaten down for three games, and then won eight in a row to pick up the championship. Two rough years... we'll forget those ever happened. This year, the sweep of the Angels, picked up the first game, then three frustrating losses one after the other. Luckily, if there's one thing 2004 taught Red Sox Nation, it's that you can never, ever count this team out, even if it looks like there's not a shot. Seven games, seven wins later, and we had a pretty kickass parade today.

Once again, the Sox enlisted the Boston Duck Tour boats to carry the heroes of the day. I don't think the turnout was quite as huge as 2004, for a few reasons. It was a weekday... though I'm not sure that alone stopped anyone who already happened to be in the area. Mainly though, it wasn't as big a deal as it was last time around. Of course, that's not to say it wasn't a huge, huge turnout. And I was psyched to be a part of it.

The video segments kind of suck, but keep in mind this is all off my cell phone, and edited in about an hour in Windows Movie Maker.

Highlights for me:

• Jon Papelbon - just like everyone else. At this point, this kid is the biggest reason to watch this team. Per pitch, he is equal to Beckett for intensity, and is just all around fun to watch. If every game he successfully closed got the same reaction as the last few, then even Kansas City would be a thrill.
• The Bullpen - Fox was making jokes about it all month, but the Stomp stuff the guys out there have going on is a riot. Their duck boat was armed with a few single drums so they could amuse themselves and their fans.
• Dropkick Murphys - I have never heard of a band or other celebrity-type group getting such a boost off of a sports team like this. For the Murphys to be adopted by their hometown team must be incredible. And anyone who can claim to have had their career revived by the World Series Champions AND Martin Scorcese? Doing OK.

An awesome day, and a great end to an awesome year. The new season can't start soon enough. But before that? Winter Meetings!