Smallball is the new black

Longest. Game. Ever.

Game 3 of the WS did indeed set the record for the longest WS game ever, time-wise (5 hours, 40 minutes and some change) and tied the record for the longest, inning-wise (14).

So, the Sox are up 3 games to, uh, O games.

My "Sox in 5" prediction might have been a little pessimistic.

Okay, 3 things to hate about Minute Maid park:

1. That outfield ramp with deathtrap flagpole that is there for no damn reason. That is pure architectural masturbation, that is. Jesus, I can just hear them trying to sell it to the team owners and the poor duped people of Houston as represented by their completely uncorruptable local officials: "It's quirky! It's a signature feature! It's like the green monster at Fenway! It makes the place seem not so much like a soulless corporate money mill with a dorky fucking choo-choo!"

2. That dorky fucking choo-choo.

3. The incredibly moronic and ill-advised home run lines painted on their outfield wall.

See, hit it above the line, it's a home run. Hit it below the line, and it's in play.

Except the umpire who's judging where it hits is rather far away.

And even if he weren't, it's really hard to tell where a rocketing piece of leather has hit a wall. Expecially when the wall is not a solid color, and has signs on it, and openings cut into it, and did I mention that the ball is going really fast?

Seriously. A line painted on a wall. Whose fucking idea was that?

I ask my dog he has more sense.

In any event, the ump last night ruled that a ball off the bat of Astros outfielder Jason Lane was a home run, when it, in fact, just plain wasn't a home run.

But at least all the sportscasters and sportswriters can SHUT THE FUCK UP about how all the bad calls have gone the way of the Sox. This was a huge bad call and could have easily meant the game for the Astros if they didn't run out of decent pitchers in the extra innings, so let's all put to bed the notion that the Sox wouldn't be where they are if not for bad calls.

Oh, and about the whole "smallball" thing: I know it's boring to keep talking about pitching all the time, but really. Drop it.