Sherrod Brown's Red Sox claim one of 2011's big hits

Politics and policy were the scheduled topics when Ohio's Sen. Sherrod Brown appeared on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program Aug. 4, 2011.

In a startling example of ambush television, however, the segment opened with a report about the Boston Red Sox beating the Cleveland Indians the night before -- much to the delight of host Joe Scarborough and political analyst Mike Barnicle, who once wrote in the Boston Globe, "Baseball isn’t a life-and-death matter, but the Red Sox are."

"Did you know that?" Scarborough gloated about the victory. "And did you know it's twice in a row?"

"I should have been on 'Morning Joe' Tuesday morning after Cleveland won Monday night," Brown said. "If you would have invited me then ..."

"We didn't," Scarborough cut in. "Actually, we never report on any of the Red Sox games when they lose. But fortunately it doesn't happen much these days."

Brown, unfazed, made a pitch for the Tribe: "They're a young team that's going to be good in the years ahead, and I will gloat a couple of years from now ... as you gloat today, Mr. Barnicle."

Then he threw a hard curve.

"Rooting for the Red Sox is like rooting for the drug companies," Brown said. "I mean it's like they have so much money, they buy championships against the working-class, middle-America Cleveland Indians. It's just the way you are."

We cheered the defense of our hometown team, and then rated Brown's claim True. It was one of our favorites from 2011.