We interrupt this program to bring you another episode of “Hate the Yankees.”

I didn’t watch what I call the “Pre-Playoff Playoffs” for two reasons: 1) I wanted to give my husband a break from baseball since he so patiently endured the Orioles with me all summer and 2) I still refuse to recognize the games as post-season play. I know it’s been a lot of years since they were added, but I don’t like change. (I still haven’t warmed up to the inter-league play either. The only good thing about it is that it gives me a chance to watch the Orioles in Atlanta, which is half the distance to Baltimore. Still, I feel like a jerk Red Sox fan when I cheer for my team.)

Since my husband willingly allowed the dial to be turned to the Playoffs this week, I’ve really enjoyed watching the Red Sox get spanked. I discovered something though. I don’t hate the Red Sox. Who knew! It’s their fans that are the problem. The fans have always been obnoxious, but I really have nothing against the team itself. That said, I won’t ever cheer for them, but I don’t wish the ill on them that I do on the Ys.

This was a very encouraging thing for me to discover because I don’t like hating and we all know that there’s enough hatred for the Ys to fill up all the hatred slots in a person, and with USAIR trying to squeeze itself in too, well, there ain’t no more room. I also discovered that there was one Y I liked, Joe Torre, but he was too good for them and they couldn’t tolerate all that goodness on their evil, greedy team.

At any rate, the playoffs have been a great reminder of what real baseball looks like. Even though the Indians lost last night, in general the fielding and pitching have been fun to watch. I have been trained by the Orioles not to exhale until after the very last out in the 9th, so I was unnecessarily nervous watching the win on Tuesday night. In the top of the 9th, with one man on base, two outs and two strikes, I caught my leg wiggling anxiously, realizing that, were this the Orioles, this would be a perfect opportunity for the opposing team to hit a home run and tie up the game. After all, the Indians were only up by two runs. Is that enough in a normal game? I couldn’t remember…