It wasn’t the “shot heard ’round the world” or Kirk Gibson’s remarkable one-handed home run off of the Eck in the 1988 World Series, but last night was most definitely one of the most memorable nights in baseball history as the fate of four teams trudging through the marathon of a 162-game season weathered the perfect storm of rain delays, improbable comebacks, momentum shifting plays and managerial “stick it to yas.”   The Rays down a hockey stick in the 8th comeback to force extra innings and beat the Yanks who opted not to trot out their closer Mo Rivera, while Red Sox in control of their game against the O’s with the taste of victory one out away give up three consecutive base hits in the bottom of the 9^th and lose 4-3.  The Cards pound the hapless Astros 8-0 and wait through extra innings for the results in Atlanta where the Braves jump to a 2-0 lead only to lose at home in 13 against Philly.  The Divisional races long settled, baseball needed last night’s drama to kick start the Playoffs.

Boston, which held a 9 game lead in the wild card race on September 3rd, limped to a 7 -19 record over the ensuing 26 days, losing to the AL East doormat, Baltimore Orioles, 5 times in 7 games.  The “2011 Fold” as it will come to be known by the Red Sox sets the new standard for “failing to close” as Boston became the first MLB team to miss the postseason after leading by as many as nine games for a playoff spot entering September.  In the yin/yang of baseball, Atlanta proceeded to cough up the second largest September lead – 8.5 games – as the Cardinals passed them for the NL Wild Card.   Is it also possible that the unholy alliance between LeBron James and the Fenway Sports Group has so skewed the balance of Boston lore that karmic forces also impacted the 2011 Atlanta Braves (formerly of Boston)?  Could be….

On the golf course today, though, Burg pointed out that all four Boston teams won championships within 7 years.  New York’s best would be 11 (J-E-T-S 1969; Knickerbockers 1973; Yanks 1977; and Islanders 1980).

Gotta say, my hat is off to Bah-stan.

In a best of 7 series, Game 7 is IT.  Do or die, win or lose.   There is no tomorrow.  Lots of clichés.  The level of intensity in a Game 7 is unparalleled.  The Curse of the Billy Goat for the Cubbies originated in Game 7 of the 1945 World Series.  The Brooklyn Dodgers won their only Championship in Game 7 of the 1955 World Series.  Bill Mazeroski hit a home run in the bottom of the ninth of Game 7 in the 1960 World Series to propel the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Yankees.  Aaron “bleeping” Boone hit a home run in the bottom of the ninth of Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS to complete the Yanks come from behind victory.  The Red Sox returned the favor in 2004 in Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS to complete one of the greatest comebacks ever.

In golf parlance, scoring a 7 is also known as the dreaded Hockey Stick.  Let’s hope this Game 7 between the Vancouver Canucks and the Boston Bruins is an oxymoronic Instant Classic.

If history gives us any indication of where this year’s final may be headed from an outreach and viewership analysis, in 2004 Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals featured Calgary squaring off against Tampa Bay and drew the lowest-rated game for a Stanley Cup Finals since 1990,…and Calgary is a Canadian team. A Vancouver-Tampa Bay series does not bode well for NHL viewership. Even more troubling for positive Canadian numbers is the composition of the Canucks team. Vancouver’s five most productive point-scorers are the Sendin twins (Swedes), Ryan Kessler (American), Mikael Samuelsson (Swede) and Christian Ehrhoff (German). Vancouver does have a few Canadian skaters, but the studs on that team are foreign-born.

So, Commissioner Bettman, rub your lucky rabbit’s foot and hope that your plans to Americanize the NHL by developing small market teams in cities where it never snows does not backfire into a virtually unwatchable San Jose/Tampa Bay Finale.

While the Red Sox staggered out of the gate, the Fenway Sports Group (parent company of the Red Sox) gave LeBron James a minority interest in the FSG-owned Liverpool FC of the Premier League on April 6^th.   In the minds of Boston fans, John Henry might as well be donning a black LeBron #6 jersey, singing showtunes from No, No Nanette while holding a Baby Ruth bar as a microphone.  Has the Sox ownership brain trust forgotten what karmic forces indwell 4 Yawkey Way?  If FSG needed a basketball player with some international appeal, why select Eastern Conference villain King James in a city with the Celtics’ storied history?  Hey, UK, ever hear of Larry Bird (old school) or Kevin Garnett (nu skool)?

Something tells me that the Heat will be facing the Celtics in the playoffs.  Look for LeBron to drain a trey from the corner to knock the Celts out over the next three years, before a series of “close-but-no Red-Auerbach-cigar” finishes for the ensuing 83 seasons.