Laid out after the lay off

The Sawx crushed the Rawx last night, therefore Colorado has no chance to win the World Series, this thing is over, and the Sawx are going to cruise to another title.

Or not.

The Monk researched it and discovered the answer before Fox and ESPN publicized it: yesterday's 13-1 rout was the largest margin of victory in Game 1 of a World Series and the most runs scored by a victor in Game 1. And the Roxintheirheads took a beating just like the '96 Yanks and '06 Tigers, each of whom had rested with long layoffs while their World Series opponent fought its way through a seven-game League Championship Series. Not much shock there -- John Kruk noted that the Rox timing was so bad their foot-taps as part of their batting motion to time pitches was too slow for what Beckett was firing at them.

Before last night there had been only three teams that had won game 1 of the World Series by 10 or more runs: the '59 Chisox (11-0), '82 Brewers (10-0) and '96 Braves (12-1). The Braves and Chisox held the old margin of victory record of 11. The Brewers and Braves won those games on the road. But each team has something else in common: THEY ALL LOST THE WORLD SERIES: Dodgers 4-2 over Chisox, Cards 4-3 over Brewers, Yankees 4-2 over Braves. The Braves had the added ignominy of becoming the first (and to date only) team to win games 1 and 2 on the road and lose in 6.

So the RedSawx fans and Boston media should not jump to happy conclusions just yet. After all, as daunting as the RedSawx's 43-6 demolition of the Indians and Rox in the past four games, the '96 Braves ran off five wins against the Cards and Yanks by a combined 48-2! Yipes. Instead, RedSux fans can take heed from the folly of Atlanta Journal Constitution writer Mark Bradley who dared compare the Braves with the Big Red Machine and the '27 Yankees after the soon-to-be losers took a 2-0 lead on the Yanks in '96. Five days later, he had to stock up on barbecue sauce for the heaping plate of crow he had for dinner, and the next day's lunch, and dinner, and lunch, and dinner . . .

Then again, my warning comes with a but . . . don't rejoice, but I know good and well that the Rox season will end on Sunday or Monday with the RedSax dancing on the mound at Coors Field.

Yuk.