If the Tribe doesn't make it to the World Series, I may not make the effort to watch

I'm sitting in an internet cafe (cafe is more bar in Europe than cafe) and finally got my computer to boot (took me over an hour because it does not like to travel). I have last night's Tribe/Sox game online. I've managed to avoid looking at a score, so it doesn't matter if it already happened. My body is so confused about time and date anyway, so it feels like this is happening now, and I am just as excited as if it were happening live.

Although the Red Sox just took a 4-1 lead, so I'm not so happy. 5-1.

You know, I don't even mind watching mostly still framed video because the connection is so slow, because it's baseball! Anyway, I thought I'd write about my limited ability to watch October baseball.

Things I'm not missing:

10. Rockies vs. D'backs. Are these even MLB teams? Further making America forget the National League exists. (And is better.)
9. Drooling over "The Sox" by "Red Sox Nation Est. 2004."
8. The same freaking commercials every 15 minutes.
7. Sabathia's blubber.
6. Yoooooooooooooooooouk!!!!
5. Celebrity interviews on Fox. Yeah, Steven King is scary looking. We get it. Every time you do it. Every game.
4. Cell phone talkers in the stands.
3. Good internet connections that don't give you a bunch of still frames instead of streaming video.
2. Jeanie freaking Zlasko, Gamebreaks, half hour overproduced pregame shows, unnecessary graphics, and all of that other Faux crap they have on their broadcasts.
1. Tim McCarver.

What I miss the most:

10. English
9. The guy with the colored hats at the Jake (when they get there.)
8. Being able to overhear conversations about previous night's game on the street.
7. Not having to hear techno/house/trance/dance/minimal/whateveryouwanttocallit while watching a game at a bar.
6. Bars with heat when it's freaking cold and rainy outside.
5. Grady Sizemore.
4. Shots of Fenway Park.
3. Putting up with shitty Fox broadcasting because I love baseball that much.
2. Watching with family and friends.
1. Live baseball. Duh.

Five benefits of my situation:

5. Very fast games (due to fast forwarding.)
4. No "Red Sox Nation Est. 2004 fans" around.
3. Get to drink really good beer while watching.
2. Fast forwarding through Tim McCarver if I get annoyed.
1. Fast forwarding through commercials.

I love the fact that Bulgarians mind their own business. I've been to several other countries - United States included - where a woman sitting in a bar alone at 8pm on a Saturday night watching a still framed baseball game on a computer would be stared at, even frowned at. Here, people don't look. I suppose it is partially a result of the whole Soviet crap, when you had to mind your own business and kept to yourself because your neighbor would tell on you if you did anything that could be perceived as weird.

Maybe I should not have watched this game, since it is 7-1 in 5. Sabathia gone. 8-1. I groaned loud enough to warrant a stare. How can you be so crappy in Game 1 of the LCS!?!

Ahh...hearing the Reds mentioned in the context of the '76 World Series victory is pleasure...may we soon have another of those. With...Walt Jocketty as Wayne Krivsky's boss?!???? :) I can barely contain my excitement just thinking about it. Imagine - Krivskly's talent for finding offensive diamonds in the rough with Jocketty's ability to put together a bullpen? Can we just start 2008 now?

Of course, Jocketty has to actually be hired first. But the rumors about him coming to the Reds have persisted since late spring, and well, you know, he left the Hated Deadbirds and all...

Go Tribe!