First all, big ups to Jon Muggs, as cool a Yankee fan as you’ll meet. I feel for you, bro.

"They're a walking disaster. They act like they're tough, how they care so much about winning, but it's all a front. They're just a bunch of characters." - Gary Sheffield

To invert a quote from the Wolf in Pulp Fiction, there’s a difference between being a character and having character.

(By the way, Sheffield denies ever making that quote. But after his insane Sports Illustrated feature, I don’t think he earns the benefit of the doubt)

I remember coming into work after Game 7 of the ALCS last year. The whole office was like a funeral parlor—no one really spoke, everyone just looked down at their shoes all day. My Work Buddy Johnny, who hates the Red Sox, didn’t dare say a word to me. He knew I would snap and disembowel him, leaving body parts strewn across the Mass Pike.

What a difference a year makes.

Everyone’s giddy in work. People talking about the game, smiling. I just keep laughing and shaking my head. The Red Sox are in the World Series. And we beat the Yankees to get there. It was also the greatest comeback in MLB history. You can’t write stories like this, folks.

Just a crazy game last night. I went over to my folks to watch it, so I could tape the game and any postgame extracurriculars (my dad has to get up at 5 for work, so staying up to midnight or later isn’t an option). I remember being up 8-1 and thinking “Oh God, please end.” The game probably looked like a breeze unless you were a Red Sox fan. Then you were waiting for a collapse that never came.

My dad actually wandered downstairs during the ninth, rubbing his eyes to adjust to the lights. “How we doing?” he asked. “We still winning?” We watched the last inning and high fived afterwards.

I really can’t imagine what Yankee fans are thinking. Everyone seemingly hates A-Rod now. You know heads are going to roll in the offseason (I wouldn’t be surprised if we never see Kevin Brown again—I don’t mean pitching for the Yankees, I mean he disappears for good). Steinbrenner will go after everyone—Johnson, Beltran, maybe even Pedro. Here’s a story I yanked from a messageboard from someone in NY.

“This morning while I was on the # 4 train which passes Yankee Stadium, the whole train was SILENT when it passed the stadium. Then one guy started pounding on the train door saying NO THIS CAN'T BE TRUE, THE ASSHOLES DIDN'T WIN!!! Noone stopped him either we were all silent until the stadium was out of view.”

I don’t want to think about the World Series now. I’m still exhausted from this series. I think we all need some time to decompress. I don’t want to think about who we’re going to play, or starting rotations, or the terrifying thought of David Ortiz having to play first base in NL games. That’s all for later. Let’s savor the moment for now.