Since moving to Sweden, I usually pay scant attention to the major league baseball playoffs once the Braves are knocked out of the running (which, yes, means that I usually pay scant attention to the playoffs, period). Most years the World Series is barely a blip on my radar. This year, however, it’s a little different. I haven’t stayed up to the wee hours to see any of the games, but I have been avoiding the morning-after scores and watching the archived games the next day. And in case you haven’t been following it yourself, it’s been a pretty rip-roaring series.

To the extent that I have a second-favorite team, for the past few season that team has been the San Francisco Giants. They have a number of players that I really like (not least, Buster Posey!), and what’s more, my favorite Braves pitcher from recent years, Tim Hudson, started playing for San Francisco this season.

The Series has gone to seven games against a team of unlikely heroes, the Kansas City Royals. Last time the Royals were in the Series, in 1985, I actually did watch it, and even rooted for them (two of my favorites then were George Brett and Bret Saberhagen), but these days the only American League time I can ever find myself pulling for is the Boston Red Sox. Still, I admit that it would be a cool end to a magic season for KC if they do end up pulling it off.

Game 7 is tonight, and though it doesn’t start until one o’clock in the morning over here, I’m toying with the idea of staying up and watching it live. Whichever way it goes, it should be a hell of a game.