Red Sox 1, Indians 3: It ends

The Red Sox season has come to a close. Appropriately enough, with a four-game losing streak after a 3-1 defeat in Cleveland.

So that's that. The game? Does it really much matter? Rick Porcello pitched well, which is nice. Another indication that he'll be ready to contribute in 2016 in much the way he did not in 2016. But even that is just a little more data in a too-long number-filled season. At the end of the day, 78-84 is not so different from 79-83, or 80-82. 81-81 would have been nice, but it was not to be.

I don't really want to talk about the game. Or even so much the players involved. Most of them will be back in 2016. Those who are likely not to return are not exactly fixtures.

Instead, the lasting image of Game 162 should be the Red Sox stepping out of the dugout as it ended, and tipping their caps to Don Orsillo as he waved back to them. "Orsillo rounding third and heading home" was the call, and while he will indeed be heading home, that home is a new one. It's not the one he's known for 15 years now. It's not our home. Where for the most part these Red Sox will be back in 2016--albeit significantly reinforced, one hopes--Don Orsillo will not.

If you missed it, Don had the opportunity to say his own goodbyes:

Last 30 seconds of Don Orsillo's farewell on NESN pic.twitter.com/Z0LPMy4kYP

— Ryan Hannable (@RyanHannable) October 4, 2015

There's a lot about this season we'd rather not remember. I'll be doing my damnedest over the next few months to forget Hanley Ramirez in left field, Pablo Sandoval on Instagram, the long declines of favorites Mike Napoli and Shane Victorino, the Justin Masterson experiment, the losing streak to start the second half...God, this list goes on, and on, and on. But we won't forget the last season of Don Orsillo, or the many that came before it.

We'll damn sure remember you, Don. And we'll miss you.

Goodbye.