Socks

The air was brisk last night, making it feel more like October instead of late May. The Citizens Bank Park crowd was loud, animated and overflowing, again making it feel like October instead of May. It was the start of the interleague baseball schedule, and, as far as the Phillies and Boston Red Sox are concerned, they would love to be doing it again in October, when the games will have a lot more magnitude. With a standing-room-only crowd of 44,296 watching, the Red Sox used the long ball to defeat the slumping Phillies, 5-3. Mike Lowell, Jason Varitek and David Ortiz homered off Jon Lieber (3-5)

A metal chair faces the street from the front lawn. Someone sitting there would see the fire chief pull up, peruse the scene, and drive off. Both would cough smoke-tinged air. Two white athletic socks and one colored sock dangle from the chair's black seat. The soggy trio reminds me of a teenager's wash, but neither parent nor offspring is visible. Nor any neighbors. No cats stalk. No dogs bark. All seems quiet. The rancher, too, sits empty this Sabbath, except for scorched furnishings and belongings.

The Soul finally got rid of their road woes and, according to coach Bret Munsey, the secret was in the socks. After losing their first two road games, the Soul defeated the expansion Kansas City Brigade, 54-24, on Monday. "We made a change in sock colors, wearing black instead of light blues, and it was socks all along," Munsey said. "We're hoping that was the difference. " Actually, it helped that Kansas City is the worst team in the league, with a 1-6 record. The Soul didn't have much time to savor the win because they visit the Columbus Destroyers tonight for a 7 o'clock game.

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita pushed consumer prices up and industrial production down last month by the most in about a quarter-century, the government reported yesterday. Prices paid by consumers jumped 1.2 percent in September, the biggest monthly increase since March 1980, as gasoline prices soared, the Labor Department said. Ninety percent of the increase came from a record-shattering 12.1 percent surge in energy prices, reflecting tight supplies after widespread shutdowns of refineries and of oil and natural-gas production along the Gulf Coast because of the storms.

There was no blood on Curt Schilling's sock when he faced the New York Yankees this time. No bite on his splitter, either. With the sore-ankled hero of Boston's 2004 World Series run debuting in his new job as a reliever, Alex Rodriguez hit a two-run homer to break a ninth-inning tie and New York beat host Boston last night, 8-6. The Yanks won for the eighth time in nine tries to pull within 1 1/2 games of first place in the AL East....

It wasn't his fingerprints that led West Chester police to arrest George H. Boggs this time, it was a black gym bag packed with evidence, including his photo and a six-pack of sweat socks, minus one pair. Boggs, 48, of Allentown, was held for trial yesterday, accused of breaking into R. Evan Schoettle's apartment April 1 and robbing, assaulting and kidnapping him. Schoettle, 29, testified at a preliminary hearing in front of Magisterial District Judge Mark A. Bruno that he did not remember much after he was struck in the head three times with a brick, only that his assailant had white athletic socks covering each hand.

The Hall of Fame now has the ultimate red sock to commemorate Boston's first World Series title in 86 years. Curt Schilling donated the bloody sock he wore during Game 2 of the World Series to the Hall of Fame yesterday. Schilling's sock joins other Red Sox memorabilia that includes Derek Lowe's jersey from Game 4, the bat used by Series MVP Manny Ramirez when he tied a postseason record with a 17-game hitting streak, and the spikes Keith Foulke wore when he recorded the final out of the Series.

Eagles defensive tackle Hollis Thomas must do one thing before he knows he is ready for a game. No, it's not making sure he has been properly taped. Or reading over his defensive assignment one last time. Or even making sure his jersey is on the right way. Thomas has to be full. Without stuffing his face, Thomas can't stuff a running back. Or so he has come to believe. Before every game, since his high school days in Missouri, Thomas, a 6-foot, 306-pound nine-year veteran, has eaten bacon, eggs and biscuits.

In a season with little to celebrate, the Phillies have seen Jimmy Rollins become the player they always thought he could be. He is a dangerous threat at the top of a lineup. He also continues to be one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball. Rollins hit a solo home run just over the right-field wall in the top of the 10th inning off Marlins closer Armando Benitez last night at Pro Player Stadium to help the Phillies beat the Marlins, 9-8, and sweep the Marlins for the first time on the road since April 2-4, 2001.

THE NEW-fangled "pocket rocket" minibikes are a pain in a place a little to the left of our back pocket. They ride so low to the ground that motorists can barely see them. Their young operators, who think they're so cool, always drive them on the wrong side of the street, blow through stop signs and otherwise ignore the rules of the road. These mini cycles are maxi nuisances. Then there's the noise. The noise! And add the minor detail that they're illegal to operate on city streets or sidewalks in the first place, and we have to wonder: Can't somebody do something before a young Easy Rider wannabe riding one gets killed?