Baseball season is over, folks, and if you’re a Houston fan, it’s over too soon. Chicago shut down the very defeated-looking (even before they lost) Astros tonight 1-0 and can now hang a World Series Banner in their park for the first time in 88 years. Unlike last night’s fourteen inning decathlon, the final game of the series was quick and seemed to have been decided before “play ball!” was even shouted. Perhaps they were tired and frustrated after last night’s game, but the Astros played tonight as though they did not have a slightest chance of winning. They did manage five hits, but stranded an embarrassing nine runners on base, including wasting an opportunity in the sixth when they had the bases loaded. Lidge, who pitched incredibly throughout the season, was responsible for the only run in the game and earned himself a very sad 0-3 win-loss record for the post season. As for Bagwell, who fans were hoping would be the leader or hero of the series for the Astros, he failed to produce yet again tonight.

The Sox, on the other hand, played as if this was a deciding game seven rather than a chance to sweep. Every play, from Crede’s double to Uribe’s dive into the stands to catch a foul ball exemplified why this team deserved to win. They played tight, they played hard, and they played as if it actually meant something to them. At the end of the night, when the first reporter squirmed his way into the celebrating mass of Sox, Pierzynski was asked what makes this team work together so well. The answer? “We’re just a bunch of guys who like each other”. Cue tears.

Next year: Let’s be crying some tears of happiness for the Yanks.