Calm down. It was just Cliff Lee.

Giants 1, Rangers 0

First of all, I need to say that going to the World Series is FUN. I mean, if I had to choose between going to the World Series or playing Mario Kart for the Super Nintendo while eating tacos, I'd....well....how many tacos are we talking about here?

I really like tacos.

This city is going crazy, and I give props to the East Coast Media for actually running several stories that accurately gage just how baseball-crazy San Francisco is and how desperate we are for a title. Just one. One little title. And then maybe a 20 year dynasty. (Here's the pitch...Ross drives one! Deep! He grabs his walker! He's rounding the batter's box! He's heading for first!")

Before the game, I got upset because Fox Sports' computer simulator picked the Giants to lose in 6. What was upsetting, though, was that this prediction was based on two of the games ending with the Rangers scoring more than 10 runs. Please. When is the last time the Giants gave up more than 10 runs in one game? That's insane. And then I watched in shock as THE GREATEST PLAYOFF PITCHER IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD vs. Big Time Timmy Jim descended into some sort of anarchy involving errors, hit batters, and dozens of base hits. And 18 runs. Weird.

THE GREATEST PLAYOFF PITCHER IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD was pitching, they scored 7 runs....And we won.

And it wasn't close.

It's funny how I'm terrified we're going to blow every game we play and yet when I go to the games, I become some sort of trash-talking ego monster.

"Hey Clifford!" I yelled at one point. "The quicker you lose, the sooner you can go sell out and get paid by the Yankees!"

I called him Clifford because calling him THE GREATEST PLAYOFF PITCHER IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD kinda makes the smack talk less impactful.

Well, he's no longer the THE GREATEST PLAYOFF PITCHER IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD. He's no longer even the best posteseson pitcher on the Texas Rangers. That would be Colby Lewis.

Here's the proof:

Texas Rangers 2010 Postseason Starting Pitching ERA Leaders

Colby Lewis 1.45

THE GREATEST PLAYOFF PITCHER IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD: 2.51

Ah, Clifford. Like my wife, you are from Arkansas. Unlike my wife, your favorite day of the year is Nov 13 because it's the start of Deer Hunting season. (My wife's favorite is Nov 30, because it's my birthday). And now, instead of Bambi, this dude can haunt your dreams:

Freddy was incredible, hitting doubles to 4 different parts of the field, including right at Vlademir Guerrero, which was a proven Giants strategy all game. Vlad has as much business playing Right Field as I do playing Catcher at that level. ("hey! do you mind not throwing so hard?")

Of course, we couldn't just take a big lead and coast. We had to give up more runs. And there is defintiely a part of me (from my shins to my neck, I think) that thinks "oh crap. The Rangers could score 7 runs every game. We're not going to score 11 every game. That's a bad sign."

But here's the good news: Journey. I love Journey now. And the Fist Pump Cam. And the Carleton dance after the top of the 6th.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbY5S75uBVY&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVSXBbZpzkQ&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyVdbfyvwso

And the guys selling t-shirts on 3rd street that say "Timmy's Dropping Bombs" and have pictures of bombs with the letter "F" on them falling on Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Dallas. Good role modeling by Timmy? No. But at least he swears as an expression of happiness, and not because he's angry or trying to intimidate somebody.

And the "Fear the Beard" sign on BART, or the BART "special announcement" that said "who says don't mess with Texas? GO GIANTS!"

And the signs plastered inside storefronts that say "ITS TORTURE...but we love it."

This team might be the most likeable group of professional athletes ever assembled. Dont' believe that, then go rewatch that Fist Pump Cam video and see Sergio Romo. Don't believe that, go watch Brian Wilson on the Jim Rome Show.

We're 3 wins from Destiny. We just beat THE GREATEST PLAYOFF PITCHER IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD. We're lighting an entire region of the country on fire.

I'd say the chances of us blowing this thing has gotta be down to maybe 86%.

And now, the newest feature of 53 Days of Magic: The Brian Wilson Quotable!

“I’d like to be a crossword clue one day,” Wilson said. “I want to be in The New York Times’s Sunday edition. Right now, the clue ‘Giants great’ is always Mel Ott. I want my clue to be down, not across. The down ones are usually harder. And when I’m the clue, I’ll fill it in — just that one — and frame it. How sweet would that be?”