The Register.

    Friday Aug. 6th         Saturday Sep.  4th

New York   69-39  ----     New York   83-51   ---

Boston     58-49  10.5     Boston     80-53   2.5

I'm not going to use this space to talk about the Red Sox. Kevin Brown pulled a Gus Ferrote, the Yankees' rotation (outside of Brown) is in relative shambles, and the 10 1/2 game lead in the AL East has been shattered. Everything seems to be going the way of the Red Sox.

I've learned over the years that when it comes to the Red Sox, you only talk about the present. You can't predict, you can't hope, you can't look to the future to say what will happen. It's dangerous territory to even say what is likely to happen. And we all know that when it comes to the Red Sox, you would be better off not looking to the past. I don't think much needs to be said here. You learn, as a Red Sox fan, not to dwell on things. When the obnoxious fans from that rather large city 2 1/2 hours south speak up, you just ignore it and do your best to forget.

There is a piece of paper out there, a register of some sorts. On one side is written, among other things, a list of 26 dates, printed in bold. The last date printed in bold is the year 2000. Under that date, there are a few more dates printed on there, but not in bold. The last date was in October of 2003, but even that had to be squeezed in small print, way in down the bottom corner. That side of the paper is full.

The other side of that paper is blank. It hasn't always been blank, but all its dates were once written in pencil, and have long been erased. There are a couple of spaces marked off, ready to be inked permantly. Theres a regular season series with good results. There is this game, and there is a 10 1/2 game lead dissolved.

But all those dates are written in pencil. They don't matter. Something has to happen first before we can start inking in the other side of the paper. We all know what that is, but as Red Sox fans have learned, you can't look forward. That would only be setting yourself up to to realize there is still a little bit of space to cram in one more date on the wrong side of that paper, at which point it will be time to wait till next year.

And oh, yeah, playoff magic numbers:
Cubs: 26
Red Sox: 25
Curt  ¶ 1:55 AM