So, Rockies fans, trying to decide whether you’d rather the foe be Cleveland or Boston?
The AL champ – the Indians can clinch Thursday – will be part of our lives in late October.
And depending on the victor, it’ll be a whole different ballgame.
Here are some things to consider on and off the field.
STADIUM
Sure, Cleveland has a newer ballpark, The Jake (Jacobs Field), but we’re talking about Fenway (above, built in 1912). You can
still hear some of the ghosts of players of yesteryear there: Carl Yastrzemski, Jim Rice, Jimmie Foxx. And the fabled wall called the Green
Monster makes Fenway the most storied stadium outside of Wrigley Field. The Rockies won twice in Fenway this year – against two of
Boston’s top pitchers. Colorado didn’t play in Cleveland this year. The Rockies are 1-5 all-time at the Jake.
Advantage: Boston
HOME FIELD
Cleveland lacks home-field advantage.
When the Cavaliers’ LeBron James, right, dons a
Yankees cap at a home game, that’s not what you’d
call being a good fan. The team drew an average of
28,448 fans per game, ranking 21st out of 30 teams.
Advantage: Cleveland
THE FRIGID FACTOR
This one is a tossup. But bet on
Boston – and the chance that a nor’easter won’t
blow in – over any stadium in a city that could see
3 feet of lake-effect snow in 24 hours. They didn’t
call Cleveland “The Mistake by the Lake” for nothing.
Also, the average daytime temperature in Boston
in October is 63 degrees compared with 52 degrees
in Cleveland.
Advantage: Even
BEER
Remember who gave the world
Samuel Adams; plus, everyone knows
this name: Cheers, the venerable Boston
bar made famous on television.
Advantage: Boston
CELEB SIGHTINGS
With Boston fans such as Mark Wahlberg, Ben
Affleck, Matt Damon and Matt LeBlanc in the stands, the game
will take on Hollywood cool. Or do you want to see the likes of Cleveland locals Drew Carey, Halle
Berry, Hugh Downs and Arsenio Hall in the stands?
Advantage: Even
PITCHERS
The Red Sox staff is hurting right now. Critics
says Curt Schilling, above, is not the Schilling of old and
Daisuke Matsuzaka isn’t worth the $103 million the team
paid him. Tuesday night, the Sox put 41-year-old knuckleballer
Tim Wakefield on the mound.
While Cleveland ace C.C. Sabathia, above, does have
playoff experience (one game before this year), none
of the Indians’ top starters had pitched in the playoffs
until this year.
Advantage: Even
NO HOLLIDAY
Just out of sympathy, root for the team that took a pass on drafting Matt Holliday,
a seventh-round pick by Colorado in 1998. Five picks earlier, the Red Sox selected Keto Anderson, a
career minor-leaguer who last played for the Alexandria Aces in 2006. Ouch.
Advantage: Boston
PLAYER PANACHE
Who will best draw
a national television audience? Boston
has Big Papi (David Ortiz), Man-Ram
(Manny Ramirez) and Dice-K (Daisuke
Matsuzaka). Cleveland has Victor Martinez
and a guy named Trot Nixon?
Advantage: Boston
INTANGIBLES
Cleveland isn’t known as
a city of champions. Who remembers
the 1964 Browns or 1948 Indians?
Advantage: Cleveland
THE CITY ROCKS
The
Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame + Museum is in
Cleveland. Enough said.
And if you happen to be a
fan of the Doors or the
Beach Boys, you’re in luck.
Both are featured in
exhibits now.
Advantage: Cleveland
OUR LUCKY TOWN
We own Cleveland in championships – in football, anyway. Remember “The Drive” and “The Fumble”?
No way the Rockies are gonna lose to Cleveland in any sport.
Advantage: Cleveland
