All hail the Boston Red Sox

Though I've never lived there, Boston has always been one of my favorites towns. (Along with San Fran and Vegas). Great places to visit with lots of stuff to see and do.

Maybe for that reason, I've long been a closet Bosox fan as well.

Hence, consider yours truly tickled pink the Bosox will be heading to the World Series.

And they mowed down a couple really good teams to get there. The Sox rolled over their hated nemesis Yankees, with the Bronx Bombers able to only win a single game.

And now the Houston Astros, defending world champs, and quite the formidable team. After splitting two games in Boston, the Beaners went into Houston and swept three straight. Down go the Astros. Former Detroit Tiger Justin Verlander, who bailed to Houston a year back (just in time to win a World Series, and good for him) got two shots at beating the Sox and couldn't pull it off. Alas, JV got tagged with the loss in the 5th and deciding game. Of course, he has Kate Upton to go home to, and that's quite the consolation prize.

So now Boston awaits the winner of the LA Dodgers/Milwaukee Brewers series, with LA currently up 3-2. Even thought the series will be heading back to Milwaukee for games 6, and 7 if necessary, the Dodgers have two games to win one, hence they have to be favored. But ya never know. The Brew Crew bopping them two straight is hardly out of the question.

Personally, I'm rooting for Milwaukee. I've been to both towns. Milwaukee makes a ton of beer and Harley Davidson motorcycles. How can you root against that? LA has -- well -- way WAY too many cars. Only in LA-LA land can you get on an interstate, 5-6 lanes of traffic both ways, and find it backed up bumper to bumper for as far as the eye can see. Who wants to cope with that nonsense every day?

Thing is, Boston will have a distinct advantage going into the World Series.

First, the National League series is being played a day later than the America League series was. It's a TV thing. Ratings rule.

And given the Bosox polished off Houston in 5 games, while the LA/Mil winner will have to go at least 6 and maybe 7, the Sox get a few days extra rest. Everybody will be fresh.

Plus, having, by far, the better regular season record, Boston gets home field advantage in the World Series. True, that might not mean a lot, but any team would rather play at home than away.

If LA should happen to prevail in the NLCS, it would set up some mighty long flights as well. Actually, about the longest possible. LA's as far west as you can get in the continental United States, not counting Alaska. And Boston's as far east.

It's roughly 3000 miles from LA to Boston. And given most airliners fly at about 500 MPH, that computes to 6 hour flights, give or take a little head or tail wind.

But for now, all hail the Boston Red Sox, champions of the American League. It's really no great surprise, seeing as how they had the best regular season record (by a significant margin) in the entire Major Leagues.

Bring on the Fall Classic.

(Come on Milwaukee, you can still pull this out. And BTW, when's the last time Milwaukee got to celebrate any sort of championship? I'm so sick of New York this and LA that. I love it when "new blood" wins a title.)