SCOTT SIMON, Host:
This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Scott Simon, and I wait all week to say: Time for sports.
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SIMON: NPR sports correspondent Tom Goldman joins us from the great Northwest. Good morning, Tom.
TOM GOLDMAN: Hello, Scott.
SIMON: Let's start in Boston, if we can, my friend. A big win last night over Tampa Bay, stopping at least for a few hours all this talk about the Red Sox might be on the verge of a historic September collapse, and Tampa Bay might be on the verge of a great comeback.
GOLDMAN: You said his story, not hysteric.
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SIMON: Either would apply.
GOLDMAN: So for the moment, crisis averted.
SIMON: You know, some of my best friends are lost in Red Sox fans. And Chicago Cub's fans, you know, used to feel a sense of affinity. But these guys have one two World Series and they, you know, have a payroll that rivals the Yankees...
GOLDMAN: Right, and the Cubs lost one in the 1400s, I think it was.
SIMON: I believe so when they use the javelins instead of bats.
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SIMON: But in any event, so are Boston fans wisely anxious or paranoid when they get into a losing streak?
GOLDMAN: So I'm assuming Richard, you're up and rested and ready for more stomach churning because there are games today and tomorrow against Tampa Bay. History still could happen.
SIMON: Meanwhile, in Detroit, three to one win last night over the A's in Oakland. They clinched their first division title since 1987. Their first AL Central title ever. They look good.
GOLDMAN: Sure do. You know, up and down the roster they've gotten several new players in the last year who've really performed well. And the Tigers did this with a great second half of the season, after they were down and seemingly out early on.
SIMON: I wore my Cleveland Cavaliers jacket. Actually, one of my two Cleveland Cavaliers jacket...
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SIMON: ...to the studio this morning. Might be as close as I get to basketball all year. Is anything moving there?
GOLDMAN: Players are willing to give back a lot in salary but they despise the idea of a hard cap. They want to be able to kind of go over the spending ceiling in certain circumstances. So if they can't work this stuff out soon, the season - which is scheduled to start November 1st - is not going to start on time.
SIMON: And last, Tom, you know, it's a bad fan behavior - even criminal fan behavior this year - but you've got a nice story from the stands.
GOLDMAN: This woman is a mother of four and a full-time student. She was awed by this.
SIMON: Aw. And lucky she wasn't at Yankee Stadium. Thank you so much.
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SIMON: NPR's Tom Goldman.
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GOLDMAN: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.