I'm sitting here watching the Braves-Cubs in game 1 of the NLDS. I turned on the TV just as Marcus Giles hit a home run off Kerry Wood. That home run is the difference in the game so far.

Steve "Psycho" Lyons is doing color on the game for Fox. I love Psycho for a couple of reasons. First, of course, is that he's an ex-Pawsox. I remember seeing him when he was coming up through the minors. Lyons was very well thought of; so much so that the Sox were thinking about moving their perennial All-Star batting champion third baseman Wade Boggs to first to make room for Psycho. Of course, it didn't work out that way, and Lyons eventually became most famous for dropping his drawers at first base when he played with the White Sox. He was considered a useful utility player during his career and had a couple of tours of duty with the Sox. Sort of the Lou Merloni of the '80s.

The second reason I like Steve Lyons is that he paid his dues to get where he is in the broadcasting world. Unlike other ex-players, he didn't step off the field and into the broadcast booth (Hello, Tony Gwynn? Joe Morgan?). I remember one year Lyons did a 5-hour shift on Thanksgiving on WEEI. He really worked his way up and I respect that quite a bit.

The Yankees lost game 1 to the Twins today. The Twins had lost 13 straight to the Empire dating back to 2001, and then knocks them off 3-1 in the first game of the playoffs. I have some mixed feelings about that. Of course, I always enjoy seeing the Yankees lose, so that's the plus side. However, if the Red Sox were to make it to the World Series, it would seem ever so slightly less sweet if they went through Minnesota instead of New York. Not that I'm complaining by any means, but the comparison I've been making is the '86 Celtics. I was certainly estatic when they beat the Houston Rockets in the Finals, but I REALLY wanted them to beat the Lakers.

Cubbies now lead 4-1, as Kerry Wood comes up with a 2 RBI double. Take that, designated hitter!