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Back in midsummer, I rashly bet my Sox pal Kate a bottle of Blanton’s to her bottle of Rebel Yell that the Sox would finish ahead of the even-more-woebegone Kansas City Royals. That’s a ratio of a little more than 3-to-1, to judge from the prices listed at Sam’s. The Sox fell into a tie for last in the American League Central in late July, but then rallied with nine wins in thirteen games, so it looked as if they might actually catch the Minnesota Twins for third instead. Yet that was when the bottom fell out, most awfully with an eight-game skid in mid-August that sent them into the basement. It’s been back and forth ever since, never more frustrating than when they split a four-game series in Kansas City last week.
So for Sox fans looking to put some excitement back in the last week of a miserable season, I’d advise finding a way to bet for — or against — the Sox. Even if I lose, I’m hoping that Kate will offer me a snort of the good stuff to ease the pain.
