OK, we're as excited as anyone about the first game of the Boston-Anaheim ALDS. We'll get to that in a second. But let's begin by trying to imagine how thick the tension must have been within a conference room in the catacombs of Fenway Park recently, when Theo Epstein allowed Dan Shaughnessy to sit down and talk baseball. Seriously! After the columns and the gorilla suit, the jabs and the barbs, this was a matchup for the ages (perhaps second only to the couple of rounds in a ring we imagine Curt Schilling would like to have with Shaugnessy the Scribe).

It's only natural that Shaughnessy notes this in the in-depth interview feature that ran Tuesday in the Globe. "Epstein agreed to a 45-minute interview on the condition that it would involve baseball-related issues only. He would not address published reports that he and his wife are expecting their first child and saw no need to revisit the tumultuous three months spanning his stunning resignation and eventual return to the team," Shaughnessy wrote. "He would not even reveal what tunes are loaded onto his iPod."

Our bet's on Pearl Jam and Buffalo Tom, but we digress. As it turns out, Epstein emerges from this potentially disastrous interview looking pretty good. More reclusive, older, and practiced in sounding the company line (*cough*DREW*cough*), but good - a feat made all the more admirable by the presence of Shaughnessy's trademark columnist asides. We particularly enjoyed Epstein's reference to the tension with Larry Lucchino back in '05 - you know, the one everyone said was partly fueled by the infamous Shaughnessy column - when he said, "I regret that it came to that and I wish we all could have handled it differently - me included." And Shaughnessy, perhaps?

But let's imagine that the interview ended with hugs. Why? Because everyone's united and focused on tonight, the first game of the American League Division Series between the Los Angeles Angels of Anahem (LAAA) and the Boston Red Sox. Fenway Park, 6:37 p.m. Let's say it all together now: Tomorrow morning is going to suuuuuuuuck.

The pitching records are back to zeros across the board, but we're still putting twenty wins' worth of faith in Josh Beckett as he goes up against John (19-6) Lackey. We'll give the edge to Beckett, but it's going to be a fierce pitchers' duel. Both have regular season records that demand respect. Both have experience deliver World Series wins. Both are pretty much badass guys we'd hate to see winding up, were we in the batter's box.

The lineups announced Tuesday for the series offered surprises for fans of both teams. Tim Wakefield's back is keeping him out of contention this round - he'll be getting a cortisone shot instead. On the Angels side, neither Gary Matthews Jr. nor Bartolo Colon were able to overcome plaguing injuries to make the cut.

So here we are, fans: Game 1. Let's have some fun.