A good day for the Red Sox

Firstly, Joe Torre is seemingly done in New York.

After 11 years and four World Series titles, Joe Torre won't be watching games from the Yankees bench next season, plotting moves. Instead, his — and the Yankees — future is up in the air. Days of discussion and an hour young meeting with management led to a generous, but performance-based, contract offer. Had Torre agreed to stay with the Yanks, he would've received a salary of $5 million US compared to nearly $7.5 million he earned last year. He still would have been the highest paid manager in the game by $1.5 million over the Cubs Lou Piniella.

This decision by Torre now sets the stage for a possible mass defection out of the Bronx, with several of their big name players either able to opt out of their contracts or just having their deals expire. The Yanks will look a lot different on Opening Day 08.

But that good news was just early edition filler to the better, later news for the Red Sox Nation. Boston staved off elimination against the Indians, largely due to the studly performance of starter Josh Beckett. By taking the win in game 5, Boston brings the series back to Fenway but won't have Beckett to save them on Saturday. Curt Schilling will go against Fausto Carmona in a rematch of game 2. Schilling's going to have to conjure up some of his magic from previous post-seasons to keep his team in the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Rockies are sitting, smouldering and waiting.