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….

No one heeded the warnings we issued the following day (April 10th) when the power of the King James Curse first manifested itself during a 100-77 dismantling of the Celtics by the Heat where Miami secured the #2 seed for the playoffs. http://thebenchjockeys.com/2011/04/10/the-king-james-curse-is-unleashed/  However, we didn’t go so far as to offer the icing on the cake:  LeBron posted an iconic ’33’ in Game 5 or as we like to call it, a ‘Larry.’  That’s just a horrific insult to injury in Boston.  In Beantown, there is #9 (Ted Williams), #4 (Bobby Orr) and #33.  Although D Wade put up 34 points in game 5, it will be LeBron’s 33 that will become part of New England’s lore as the King James Curse becomes Boston’s newest karmic albatross.

Production Note: For the next 85 years, John Henry will be playing the role of Harry Frazee.  Thank you, and enjoy the show.

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.