With the Royals coming to New York, I couldn't help but think of a game last year that was one of the most terrible jobs of the season. I was driving up to Fenway, and had the pleasure of hearing Jon Sterling describe the action as the Roy-boys blew a 7-3 ninth inning lead to the yanks. To think--had KC held the lead, the Red Sox would have finished a game ahead of the yanks. Nauseating. I realized I'd never seen the botched double play that would have ended the game, or any of the rest of the yanks' ninth inning "rally." So I went on mlb.tv to the archived game. What Sterling didn't tell me was: That the pitcher, on the bad throw to second on a play that should have ended the game, stepped on the rosin bag, causing the errant throw. That the shortstop still could have caught the ball for the second out, but simply missed it, having expected it not to be thrown so low and to his right. That the yankee hits that followed all scraped the leather of Royal fielders' gloves. This inning is pretty much the epitome of what my dad dubbed (probably before I was born) a "TyR," or "Typical yankee Rally."

To witness this classic TYR, and the reason we didn't win the division in 2005, click here (if you have mlb.tv), then find the 8/27/05 game, and scroll ahead to the 3 hour and 18 minute mark. Note: You won't be subjected to yankee announcers, as it's the Kansas City feed. But to hear the frustration of two men who have to watch 162 Royals games...wow.

This game totally went under the radar at the time, and watching this inning gives you an idea of what I've been going through for years watching Mr. Dunbar repeatedly drop turds in my Coke.

Now it's 2006, though. 2005 is done. Opening Day at Fenway will be here in a few hours. We've got Papi on our side for the rest of the decade. The pitching and defense are solid. Here's to a gold 2006.