Hit the showers

Thursday afternoon’s Twins-Red Sox games offered us a reminder — four of them actually — of why baseball is the greatest game in the world. Even better than soccer. Hah, take that soccer fans. What was so great about a 3-1 Twins’ loss. Well, the loss stinks, but what made the game what it was — and what everyone was talking about the day after — was the number of ejections: Four. First Twins catcher Mike Redmond was tossed after a close play at the plate that didn’t go the Twins’ way. Redmond objected to the safe call — says he didn’t swear or anything — and was immediately sent to the showers (baseball lingo). Then, his manager, Ron Gardenhire rushed out to defend his player and got the boot, too. In the bottom of the same inning, Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek saw his afternoon end abruptly after being thrown out on a close pitch he felt was a ball. Then, like Gardenhire, Boston skipper (more baseball lingo) Terry Francona got the hook after he went out to argue. One game, four ejections. How sweet is that? I’m not condoning yelling at the umps, but it’s as much a part of the game as fighting is in the NHL and showboating after a touchdown is in the NFL. And I’ll take mere ejections over showboating any day. That’s all