red sox

Suicidal squeeze: The Los Angeles Angels are out of the playoffs because Mike Scioscia did exactly what we all expected him to do. Everyone—the broadcasters, the Fenway faithful, the casual fan—knew he was going to try the bunt squeeze last night. He does it all the time. That’s just his aggressive style, and when a manager leads his club to a runaway division title (the Angels finished 21 games ahead of second-place Oakland in the AL West), it’s hard to second-guess his decisions.

Lo Grasso’s Barber Shop in South Boston—“Southie,” as the locals like to call it—is one of those hidden gems, the kind of must-see place that isn’t listed in any tour guide. Every afternoon, men in ties and men in ball caps (and some men with no hair at all) flip through magazines and yak about the Celtics until Sal or Rocky waves them over to the chair. Nobody takes a number here. The men holding the scissors know who’s next, no matter how many customers walk through the door.

La première étoile: Paul Pierce. The Celtics dynamo comes back from a third-quarter knee injury  to drain 15 points, including a couple of three-pointers, to pace Boston to a 77-73 win over the Lakers in the NBA final. Pierce was also part of a thorough defensive effort on the Celtics’ part. And anyone who keeps Creepy Bryant at bay is a friend of ours.

Just thought I’d point out that if the baseball playoffs started today, the four american League teams would be: Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Angels and Oakland A’s.