America at Large/George Kimball: The Chicago Cubs, who hadn't played in a World Series since 1945, and hadn't won one since 1908, were just five outs away from claiming a place in the Fall Classic on Tuesday night when Florida's Luis Castillo lofted a lazy fly ball down the left field line.

The ball was clearly foul, though eminently catchable. Cubs' right-fielder Moises Alou drifted over to make what would have been the second out of the eighth inning, but as he reached up to make the catch a young spectator - ironically, wearing a Cubs cap under his stereo headphones - made a last-minute grab for the ball with both hands and deflected it away, thereby earning himself a place in Windy City lore alongside Mrs O'Leary's cow, which in 1871, according to legend, kicked over a lantern and started the fire that razed Chicago.

The Cubs led 3-0 at the time, but within minutes were behind 7-3 as the roof caved in: sure-handed Alex Gonzalez, the best-fielding shortstop in the National League, booted an easy double-play ball, and Marlins' hits started falling in all over Wrigley Field. And with each successive mishap the perpetrator was pelted with everything from peanuts to beer to invective and, ultimately, bodily fluids. (The spit hit the fan.) By the time he was bundled away in protective custody, still wearing his headphones, the young fellow had pulled his sweater over his head like Al Capone being escorted from a Chicago courtroom. The local constabulary declined to release his name.

In Boston a few days earlier another civilian, 24-year-old New Hampshire schoolteacher Paul Williams who moonlights as a member of the Fenway Park grounds crew, got himself beaten up and stomped silly by several New York Yankees players during Game Three of the American League Championship Series.

Tempers were already running high as the result of two earlier bench-clearing confrontations between the rival teams, and as the Red Sox came to bat for the final time in the ninth inning, Williams, who had been assigned maintenance duty in the visiting bullpen in right field, turned to the bleachers behind him and began waving a white towel in an attempt to rally the crowd.

New York relief pitcher Jeff Nelson, took exception to this partisan display, which, though clearly unprofessional, hardly warranted what followed.

We quote, verbatim, from the Boston Police report filed later that evening by Detective William Dunn and Officer Michael Pankievich: "(The officers) observed a pitcher (Jeff Nelson) from the Yankees approach the victim (who was standing in the corner of the bullpen). At this time (what appeared to be) a verbal confrontation ensued between the victim and Jeff Nelson. Officer Pankievich proceeded to that location in an attempt to separate (sic) the parties. While en route Jeff Nelson was observed pushing/grabbing the victim in the chest area at which time both parties fell to the ground where Jeff Nelson began punching and flaring his legs at the victim.

"At that point numerous other members of the Yankees bullpen jumped on the victim, some striking the victim and others attempting to break up the melee. The right fielder (Karim Garcia) from the Yankees was then observed jumping the right field wall, into the bullpen and began striking down at the victim with his left hand. With the aid of other officers and Red Sox security staff, the parties were separated (sic) ending the incident.

"Further investigation revealed victim sustained numerous injuries. Transported to Beth Isreal (sic) Hospital and treated for injuries to his head, mouth, and body, including what appeared to be numerous cleat marks."

The report went on to recommend that Nelson and Garcia be charged with assault and battery for what the police described as "an unprovoked attack" on Williams.

(Cooler heads have prevailed, and any criminal proceedings will be postponed until the conclusion of the series. When the unfortunate groundskeeper was released two days later, he was wearing a neck brace and appeared in newspaper photos to have just survived six months in a death camp.)

The Bullpen Battle had been presaged by two separate but not unrelated skirmishes earlier in the game, which featured a marquee pitching matchup of Boston's Pedro Martinez against New York's Roger Clemens, the American League's two most dominant pitchers of the past decade. Both pitchers are hard-throwing fireballers, and enjoy reputations as "headhunters".

In the midst of a Yankee rally in the fourth inning, the Bronx Bombers had runners on second and third. Conventional baseball wisdom would have called for intentionally walking the next batter to set up a force play at any base, and Martinez apparently elected to take a shortcut in this process, unleashing a high-and-inside fastball at Garcia's head. Garcia frantically ducked, and the pitch, if it hit him at all, grazed him on the back, but the message had been sent. As New York players began to spill out of the dugout, the six-man umpiring crew quickly intervened.

Everyone in America suspected that Clemens would retaliate, and when the Red Sox came to bat, the New York pitcher fired a warning shot, high and inside but hardly lethal, at Boston's Manny Ramirez. Ramirez, bat in hand, took exception and began advancing toward the mound, and both benches emptied again.

It has been a collective 180 years since the Red Sox and the Cubs have won World Series, and both teams faced elimination last night. Were the Red Sox to prevail in last night's Game Six at Yankee Stadium, it would set the stage for another Martinez-Clemens matchup tonight.