• Sox rout Yankees at Stadium
• Turning out lights
• Pedroia slams the door shut

• A nice turn by Sox: Crucial double play helps deflate Yankees
• A series of boo-boos by A-Rod
• On this stage, the plays were the thing

Looks like Lil’ Hanky Steinbrenner’s plans to “restore order to the universe” will have to wait till next season.

You just wouldn’t listen, would you? That’s great; you just gave the annual-temper-tantrum-throwing Manny Ramirez exactly what he wanted: no obligation to the Red Sox in 2009 and 2010. Well, you showed him, didn’t you?

I get it; you were pissed at him … but you know what you should have done if you really wanted to get his goat? You should have exercised his option for the next two seasons! Once he knew he was locked in and had no choice, I guarantee you he would have ended up coming around, just like he does every season.

Yeah, I agree that you shouldn’t have to play games like that with him … but it is what it is … and instead of keeping a Hall of Famer—not to mention maintaining ownership of the most terrifying No. 3/No. 4 hitting combination in baseball today—you gave Manny and Darth Boras the very thing they were looking for: free agency! And why do you think they were so adamant that the Dodgers not be able to keep him beyond the end of this season? Well, take a look at the accompanying photo and I’m sure you’ll agree that there simply is no other possible outcome. (Are you looking forward to Damon/Jeter/A-Rod/Manny back-to-back-to-back-to-back? Because I know I sure am!)

Hey, I’ll admit: Theo certainly knows more than I do, and the last time he did this—Nomar, ’04—the team won its first World Series in 86 years, so maybe it’ll all turn out OK. (Of course, then they dumped Nomar’s replacement, Orlando Cabrera, for Edgar Renteria … so I can’t say I’m positive they know what they’re doing.)

Oh, Manny’s not done hitting bombs over the Green Monster; he’ll be doing it next season … in pinstripes. Nice move.

P.S.: Manny, you’re a big dummy. You could have sucked it up (if getting paid a nine-figure-sum to play a game for a living in a city that treats you like a god can be considered “sucking it up”), finished your 10 years here and left a legend. Instead, you’ll be remembered for the last thing you did in Boston … which was to act like a completely arrogant, selfish moron. Thanks for the disappointment.

P.P.S.: Yeah, everybody, I know: there was probably a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff that we don’t know about … but, taken at face value, this is how I feel.