Dear Boston, Dave Henderson Can't Help You.

We came. We saw. We conquered. Boston took their best shot and it wasn’t good enough. The better team won and that’s the name of that tune.

Baseball is a game of tradition. It is rich in history and full of superstitions and things like curses and such. The talk going into the series was all about the past. It was about 1986, 2004, 2007, and 2008. It was about looking back. I guess the past gives the experts and media types something to talk about.

Well, anyone that knows the Angels knows this is not a team that looks back and it is not a team that looks ahead. It is a team that focuses on the business at hand.

We heard (over and over) all about the Angels inability to beat Boston in the play-offs. We heard all about how Papelbon had never given up a run in the post season. Boston had a great record at home. They had a lot of confidence in their ball park. Blah, blah, blah. It was enough to make anyone want to throw up. Seriously.

Today the Red Sox even tried to resurrect the past by having Dave Henderson throw out the first pitch. Henderson is the man who broke the hearts of Angel fans in 1986 when his homerun sent his Red Sox to the World Series and the Angels home.

Well, Dave Henderson is no match for the Rally Monkey. Heck he’s not even a match for my rally cap. Cheryl had the monkey going and I had the cap firmly in place. Maybe Henderson should have closed the game instead of Papelbon. Maybe then he would have been of some help. I'm just saying...

Now, if anyone wants to talk about the past – let’s talk about how this team is like the team in 2002. It never gives up. During the game, Cheryl walked down the street to her mom’s to deliver some guacamole. One of our neighbors asked her if she was “giving up.” Cheryl confidently replied… “We never give up.”

During the game Buck Martinez the color commentator for TBS said something to the effect that Scioscia must be thinking about the depth of the Red Sox bull pen now and how they will have their work cut out for them tomorrow night. When he said that I had to laugh. I told Cheryl – I am certain Scioscia isn’t thinking about tomorrow night, he’s focused on this game right now.

And what a game it was.

So many players deserve thanks, but I'd just like to recognize a couple for now.

Vladimir Guerrero has more than 400 homeruns in his career. He has an MVP trophy on his mantle. He has as an impressive a resume as you will find in baseball, but none of it compares to the base hit he delivered today. Thank you Big Daddy.

Thank you Bobby Abreu. Bobby, you look good in red and your hit off the green monster was a sight to behold. You're one of us now, baby.

The past is right where it belongs. Time to start talking about the now. Time to remind everyone about this team’s heart. Time to go to the ALCS. Can I get a boo-ya!?

This feels good. In fact this feels awesome. It's never really been about revenge for me. It's been more about seeing the Angels getting the respect they deserve. It's been about putting the silly notion that the team was some how cursed. And okay, the revenge thing ain't bad either.

Perhaps Papelbon will take my advice from an earlier post and head off to Australia where summer is approaching and he can work on getting a tan. He can take Pedroia and Ellsbury with him. They can talk reminisce about the past. Ortiz can go and wash the spit off his hands and the good people in Boston can now focus on the Patriots. We Angel fans still have something to cheer for.

And to my friend from Section 514... Bo, this post is for you. Thank you for being Mr. Positive. I'm with you. I believe that Yes, We Will!