As I sit here at my desk, reading all about the outcome of the final game of the American League Championship Series at yankees.com and silently reliving every glorious minute of the game in my head, two things are running in my mind.

The first is how ecstatic I am that my New York Yankees will be heading to the World Series and the second is how proud and in awe I am of the Boston Red Sox and their fans. Maybe it’s because I have grown up with baseball, maybe it’s because I live in this amazing baseball city, but the last week has left me buried in emotion.

This city has been alive with baseball fever more than I would ever imagine a city could be. Forget New York or Chicago or any other big baseball city, the last few days have shown me what it is really like to be a baseball fan. Forget the curse, forget the dozens of times they’ve heard, ‘We’ll get them next year’ the fans of Red Sox Nation have given me a renewed respect for the sport I’ve spent over a dozen years watching, playing and idolizing.

And then there is the team itself.

When I think about the roller coaster ride that this ALCS has been, I think about how I’ve had to ride it twice. Once pulling for the Yankees, and again each time the Red Sox upped the ante. So many times I knew we could lose the pennant at any second, that with some things considered we should have lost to this Boston team that never gave up, that never said anything but ‘Cowboy up!’ when they found themselves with their backs against the wall. It’s been an amazing, wonderful ride, and to the Red Sox, their fans that I love and respect and call my friends, and those whom I have never and may never meet, let me say just one thing: baseball has never been better than baseball in Boston. Thanks for a great series!

Paul Jenkins SED ’05