Brewers win!

So I had graduate classes this weekend.

One of them went until 9 p.m. last night.

Which meant I had to miss the Brewers-Diamondbacks NLDS Game 5.

I set the DVR. And then avoided the internet and refused to check my phone the rest of the night. When I arrived at my grad class, I walked into a couple of my cohorts talking about the night's games, and promptly told them about my plan. ... There are a few Cardinals fans in my class, and one of the girls came dressed in her Cardinals jersey. There's also a recent transplant from Wisconsin, who understands the Brewers love, too. 

Later, one of my cohorts told me he had checked online and knew the outcome. "Don't tell me!" I said, throwing my hands in the air.

By 9:30, I was finally home. I greeted Kates, who had waited patiently for me, and we fired up the game. I noticed my phone had several text messages, which I decided could be either a good thing or bad thing. But I still refused to check them out of fear of spoiling the outcome.

Kates eventually headed to bed, while I held on into the wee hours of the morning.

It was a shame John Axford -- who has been lights out all season -- couldn't secure the win in the ninth. ... But as I replayed the ending for Kates this afternoon and as I explained the final innings to her, I couldn't keep from thinking the Brewers had to pull out that game! There was no way they could lose. They were playing at home! They had the players to do it! It was their game!

When Nyjer Morgan slapped that ball back up the middle in the bottom of the 10th inning, I flew off the couch and started jumping in front of the TV, shouting Go! Go! Go! as loud as I could without waking up Phoebe and Kates, practically waving Carlos Gomez home as if I'd stepped into Ed Sedar's body.
By the time Gomez crossed home plate, I'd sunk to my knees on the floor in front of the TV ... And it nearly caused a repeat of the tears I shed the night KU won it all in 2008. I wanted a Brewers series win that bad.

Then the replays and post-game. When a sideline reporter tried to interview Prince Fielder he was literally speechless and backed away from the mic mumbling, "I can't. ... Wow. ... I can't." ... And then Nyjer Morgan stepped up to the mic and dropped a couple F-bombs on live TV. Nice.

Arguably my favorite shot of the finale was the aerial from the third base side showing the Brewers players jumping on to the field and already waitng at home plate by the time Gomez was halfway down the third base line.

Next up, it's those darn Cardinals. I was up until almost 2 a.m. this morning watching my DVR recording of them knocking off the Phillies -- although I must confess I think I slept through at least the seventh and eighth innings -- and can hardly believe how St. Louis managed to win it by scoring one run in the first inning and holding the Phillies scoreless.

I was sad to see the Rays bow out to the Rangers. I'm thrilled the Tigers are in. ... But the Cardinals are hot, and that has me really nervous for the Brewers.

Good reads ...
a Owner Goes All In on the Brewers
a NLCS rivalry: Greinke calls Carpenter 'a phony'
a NLDS Game 1: Brewers have everything going their way!
a View from Philly: Cards series tougher than expected
a What the Washington Nationals can learn from the Philadelphia Phillies’ mistakes

The Phantastic Phillies

I love, love, that the Phillies wound up with Cliff Lee ...

I followed the Cliff Lee saga with great interest this offseason, and remained fairly certain he would turn down the Yankees' big money to stay with the Rangers ...

Then the tweets started flowing late last night that the Phillies had slipped in and were about to make a deal with Mr. Lee. ... I ate it up.

Now the question is: Can the Phillies foursome remain healthy and consistent enough to propel Philadelphia to another pennant?

I love this, too: The Beast from the East

The World Series

Well, this year's World Series matchup is nothing like the way I predicted it.

Sure, I wanted the Rangers to get in, but I never expected their offense to dominate the Yankees the way it did. The Rangers set the tone for the series during the first inning of the first game and never backed down. I relished every one of Texas's run-scoring hits -- with Vladimir Guerrero's RBI-single in Friday night's Game 6 topping 'em all. When Nelson Cruz followed Guerrero with a home run, I got chills watching the fireworks light up the ballpark, hearing "The Natural" theme in the background and the fans in a frenzy  ... At least I correctly predicted the number of games the series would last.

As for the National League Championship Series? I'm dumbfounded about how the Giants are advancing and the Phillies are not. The Phils were arguably the most well-rounded team in the postseason. They seemed destined to win it all -- Halladay, Hamels, Oswalt, Howard, Utley, Werth, Victorino. All the Giants have is Tim "The Freak," Lincecum, right? ... Boy, did I get that one wrong.

So let's try this again. The World Series. Ranger-Giants ... I'm going with the Rangers in six.

Good reads ...
a After changes, Rangers headed to 1st World Series
a Yankees' bid for title No. 28 ends in Texas
a George W. Bush Is Back in the Rangers’ Front Row
a Game-Saver of ’69 Mets, Ryan Is Back in the Series
a Five Cuts: Girardi's binder blues, a look back at the '02 draft and more
a Accountability Behind the Plate ... I like this idea.
a Lincecum-Halladay stirs memories of pitching duels
a Postseason Duels of Pitching Aces Can Go Awry

* * *

Meanwhile ...

The Cubs hired their new manager last week. And the winner was ... Mike Quade.

There was a part of me that was rooting for Ryne Sandberg to get the job. My favorite Cub, and one of the players I idolized growing up. I held on to hope that the Cubs might hire Sandberg, and he would be the one to finally lead them to the promised land.

But deep down, I knew Quade was the right man for the job. The way he righted the mess the Cubs were in during the last month of the season is commendable, and it's hard to argue with the players who endorsed him when it was over.

The pressure on Sandberg would have been enormous and the Cubs probably saved him some agony by passing on him for the job.

Now, about the that opening with the Milwaukee Brewers ...

Good reads ...
a At least Cubs treated Sandberg better than they once did Banks
a New Cubs manager Quade armed and ready
a So Cubs-like to pass on Ryne Sandberg ... Yes, but ...

Baseball's postseason

So I’m late on my postseason baseball predictions, but after the events of last week I’m hoping you’ll forgive me.

Saturday night I watched the Yankees sweep the Twins. … Disappointing is the only word I can come with. Had you asked me a few weeks ago about the Twin chances I would have expected a little more fight. One win at least. But their power struggles continued. I blame the Sports Illustrated cover jinx -- even if it was one of the most beautiful covers ever. Too bad, I was sort of hoping to see Jim Thome back in a World Series.

Sunday night I watched the Phillies complete their sweep of the Reds. No contest. No surprise. For my prediction I would have guessed the Phillies in three games. In fact -- there’s no working around it -- the Phillies are my pick to win it all. They have been since August when they were sitting in second place in the NL East.

Monday night I watched the Giant finish off the Braves three games to one in a thriller down to the last out. … It’s too bad for the Braves. I was rooting for them and thinking they’d will themselves to the National League Championship Series, at least, for Bobby Cox’s last hurrah. For my prediction, I would’ve guessed the Braves in four or five. Wrong.
Last night, though, was the ultimate. Rangers-Rays in a game five. I admire the scrappy Rays, and I would have loved to see them finish what they couldn’t in 2008. … But again I’m sticking with what I wrote in August. I like the Rangers for the team they’ve assembled, for what they’ve accomplished this season and for what they're trying to build.

Do I think the Rangers can hold off the Yankees in the ALCS? Probably not. But I’ll be cheering for them anyway. I predict Yankees in six games.

In the NLCS, I still think the Phillies have the upper hand, although the Giants’ play against the Braves has me second-guessing. Then again -- Halladay, Oswalt, Hamels. It doesn’t get better than that. I say Phillies in five games.

Which means we’ll get a rematch of the Phillies and the Yankees in the World Series. This year I think the Phils and their pitching gets the better of New York. I say Philadelphia in six games.

While I'm catching up on baseball predictions, I figured I'd clean off my desktop, too. Here's some good baseball reads I've caught during the last few weeks ...

Philadelphia Phillies
a Hamels shuts out memories of '09 postseason blues
a In midst of first playoff run, Mike Sweeney still thinks of KC
a With the sweep, the Phillies now wait; that's good and bad

Tampa Bay Rays
a Dome-Field Disadvantage Disappears With New Ground Rules

Minnesota Twins
a In Fact and Song, Fiendish Yankees

New York Yankees
a It's Jeter's time ... to step up in playoffs, earn another big payday
a Mariano Rivera, King of the Closers
a Are the Yankees Truly the Most-Despised Ballclub?
a Hug Won’t Unite Torre and Cashman

Boston Red Sox
a It wasn’t just the injuries that hurt
a No time to lose
a Near Fenway, no magic numbers

San Diego Padres
a A Voice Embraces the Echoes of His Past ... Good story about Dick Enberg. "I’m thinking: ‘How lucky am I? I’m going to see a ballgame.’ " I think that every time, too.

Chicago Cubs
a Breaking up with the Cubs
a Joyless Seasons for White Sox and Cubs
a Girardi too good for Cubs to let go
a Could unsung Quade win Cubs managerial sweepstakes?
a Sandberg's dues paid in full
a Hall of Famer’s Slow Road to a Major League Bench
a Plenty of blame as Cubs close out 'Year One' ... Two words: The Noodle. Ugh.

Kansas City Royals
a What comes next for Royals?

Miscellaneous
a In Bing Crosby’s Wine Cellar, Vintage Baseball
a Power Pitchers Emerge, Shifting Focus of the Game
a Baseball cards: a childhood hapily wasted
a What Do You Think of Ted Williams Now?
a Pujols, Musial & the Splendid Splinter Scale
a Blown calls in baseball playoffs put umpires under a microscope and renew calls for replay
a The Wildest Fastball Ever
a The Pirates' great uniform revolution
a Burning question: Where are the nation's best wiffle ball fields?
a For Baseball Archivists, a Tag Ends Every Play
aTeams Win, but Fans Stay Home
aJose Bautista and the Big 5-0

August baseball

Any hope for the Cubs the rest of this season is futile.

So I'm ramping up my attention to the teams that are going to matter the rest of the way. My desired World Series: The Texas Rangers vs. the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Phillies, through my eyes, have gone from one of baseball's most boring contenders a couple years ago to an awesome collection of talent and finesse. And now they've got Roy Halladay and Roy Oswalt ...

The Rangers, meanwhile, have been bubbling toward the top of the AL West for a couple years. After plucking pitching coach Mike Maddux from the Brewers, acquiring Cliff Lee and now getting Nolan Ryan as their owner -- not to mention their World Series-less history and the adversity they've faced this season -- I like them as a team of destiny in the AL.

Last night, in my search for a baseball escape, I stumbled onto the Yankees-Rangers game and got rewarded with a thriller. For the first time in the longest time, I refused to go to bed so I could watch the end of a baseball game ... To my dismay, the Rangers wasted a lead-off triple in the ninth and left the tying run on third base as the meat of their lineup went 1-2-3.

Aside from the drama on the field, it was amusing to watch Nolan Ryan sitting in the front row and conversing with George and Laura Bush. And to see the pans of the ballpark and think, I've sung the national anthem there. Good times.

Baseball's good, bad and ugly

Oh, man, I'm getting excited for the baseball season to start ... The days of watching afternoon games on WGN and Sunday night games on ESPN can't seem to come soon enough.

(How much I'm going to miss playing the game on Sunday afternoons remains to be seen, but at least I can take solace in the fact I went out on top.)

I get even more excited when I read stories like this optimistic one about the Cubs. Getting rid of Milton Bradley was the best move the Cubs could have made during the offseason.

* * *

So I read this morning that there's a plan to put a Toyota sign above the bleachers at Wrigley Field ...

Blech!

I'm not opposed to advertising at Wrigley Field ... as long as it's done tastefully. This proposed plan doesn't do that.

If the illustration in the Tribune story is an accurate depiction, and I believe it probably is, the sign would totally take away from the aesthetics of the surrounding archtecure that help make the ballpark so wonderful.

I'm with Jim Peters ...

"It's a vertical sign on a design that's horizontal. It's very obtrusive."

* * *

Meanwhile, down in St. Louis ...

A story surfaced this week that the Phillies had discussed trading Ryan Howard for Albert Pujols. I caught Buster Olney's mention of it on Sportscenter earlier this week, and even he looked uncomfortable reporting it, saying flat-out that the talks were internal and there was almost no likelihood the trade would become a reality ...

And yet, the Sportscenter anchor seemed to push him on it and asked additional questions when, clearly, the deal was probably nothing more than a random musing in the Phillies' executive hallway.

Never should have been reported, if you ask me. And it's stuff like this that gives us media types a bad reputation. The players involved have the right to be a little annoyed.

As Joe Posnanski wrote about the non-story:

The fact that this rumor got ANYWHERE gives you an idea about how hungry we in America are for dramatic trade talk, no matter how illogical. And this is as illogical as they get. Albert Pujols is the most popular athlete in St. Louis -- probably the most popular athlete in St. Louis since Stan Musial. If the Cardinals were bound by law to either a) Trade Pujols or b) Change the team name to the Budweisers and going with a drunken guy wearing a beer hat as their logo, they would lose fewer fans going with b).

The Hot Stove

… So I opened my e-mail alerts this morning and saw this news about a three-way deal that would send Roy Halladay to the Phillies and Cliff Lee – CLIFF LEE! – to the Mariners.

Say what!? How in the world could the Phillies part with Cliff Lee, I thought. But the Post story does put it into perspective.

Some more quick thoughts on other recent baseball moves …

I was soooooo hoping the Cubs would land Curtis Granderson … but that dream was wiped out in a hurry. Damn Yankees.

I really like the idea of John Lackey wearing a Red Sox jersey … Though I’ll miss seeing him pitch for the Angels.

I was sorry to see the Brewers let Jason Kendall go … Then he signed with the Royals, and it turns out I won’t miss too much of him since the Royals will become my home team again in January.

I'm cautiously optimistic about the Brewers signing Randy Wolf … See: Jeff Suppan.

I’ll bet few signings this offseason please me as much as the announcement yesterday that the Brewers are keeping Craig Counsell. … Beginning with his earlier days in Florida and Arizona, I love the way Craig Counsell plays the game and the steady veteran presence he has in the Brewers lineup.

On the other hand, I let out a long groan when I heard the Brewers had signed LaTroy Hawkins ... Dating back to his failed stint with the Cubs, I can't remember anything good coming out of the times I've seen him pitch.

And Hideki Matsui in Anaheim and not New York? … That would just be weird.

Just nine weeks until pitchers and catchers report.

World Series diary

Taking a cue from my friend Matt, and putting additional blame on what I’m calling “The Lost Season,” I’m a little late posting my postseason predictions (and good reads) this year… Sorry for that. I’ve been busy.

So let’s review. Going into the post season, I predicted a Phillies-Yankees World Series. That part I got right.

But I also predicted the Phillies would win the World Series in seven games. That part I got wrong. And never posted for the record on this blog. But it’s true.

I never got around to posting my (organized) thoughts on this blog as the games were being played … But as always, I was taking notes on the side. So here I present my “World Series Diary” from some of the raw, unfinished notes I took …

Which is, really, the essence of my blogging anyway …

GAME 1
As the World Series approached, and the buzz got louder, an interesting thing happened -- I started getting really excited.

That's interesting because I've written off 2009 as arguably the most un-interesting and least memorable season of my baseball-loving life. On top of that, I have little love for the Yankees, and I have little interest in the Phillies -- a team that, in recent years, I've found to be dull and boring. (See: 2008 Postseason ... Oh, how I miss 1993.)

Then there's Kates, who said while we watched Game 1, "I don't like either of these teams. I want them both to lose."

And yet, somewhere along the way, I put my biases aside and began paying attention to just how good and sound these two teams are ... The Phillies lack the star power of the glittery Yankees and they go about their business fairly quietly, but they can play -- really well.

As for the guys in pinstripes, I haven't felt this much respect and admiration for the Yankees -- albeit, ounces of respect -- since the days of Brosius, O'Neil and Martinez.

Both teams seem so good and so evenly matched that there's no way I can't see this series going seven games.

I thought Game 1 was a gem. Cliff Lee was masterful and the two plays he made on the mound -- fielding a come-backer behind his back and non-chalantly catching a fly ball -- were images to remember.

GAME 5
With more and more of the players I idolized as a youth becoming just a passing memory – and being snuffed out by steroids accusations – I’ve begun to consider Chase Utley one of my new favorites. And this year’s World Series has pretty much sealed that.

When he hit the three-run homer to put the Phils ahead in Game 5, I shot off the couch, arms in the air and shouting “Chase does it again!” Then I watched it sail into the seats – the identical right-center spot where it seems every one of his postseason hits have landed this year – and pumped my fists. Kates and I remarked about the number of big home runs he’s had … to the point that, in the eighth inning when Kates and I had moved to separate rooms, I scurried upstairs to tell her Chase hit another one; Kates rolled her eyes in amusement. By the time I returned to watching the game a few minutes later, I half expected Joe Buck and Tim McCarver to announce Utley had hit a third home run in the time I was away.

Speaking of Buck and McCarver, usually I enjoy their commentary and shrug off the annual criticism of their styles. This year, McCarver has goofed so many statements, I can hardly stand listening to him anymore ...

GAME 6
Going in, I had high hopes of the Phillies forcing a Game 7. The Yankees can’t possibly win with a three-man rotation, I said. The Phillies are going to jump on their tired arms, and the Phils have Pedro going tonight.

But Pedro had nothing.

By the time he was pulled after four innings, the Yankees had Title No. 27 in the bag. And I was fighting to stay awake for the rest of it.

I watched the ninth from bed, constantly dozing off and having to jerk my eyes open every couple minutes so I didn’t miss the finale … My eyes were closed again when Mariano Rivera got Shane Victorino to ground out for the final out, but Joe Buck’s booming narrative jerked me awake in time to see Mark Teixeira catch the throw and the Yankees beginning their victory dance on the infield.

As Hank Aaron once said, “I’m thankful to God it’s all over.”

It’s a little painful for me to admit this, as much as I would’ve liked to see the Phillies win, but I really did like this Yankees team …

Sure, the management still doled out millions to marquee players, but for the first time in years, this year’s additions actually brought some character and class to the team. This year’s group reminded me more of those admirable teams in the late ‘90s with guys like Scott Brosius and Paul O’Neil than the train wrecks of this decade that included overpaid, baggage-toting guys like Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield and Kevin Brown.

To me, Derek Jeter also remains one of the classiest players in all of baseball, and I like the feel-good story of him, Rivera, Andy Petite and Jorge Posada reclaiming a title after an eight-year drought.

Some good reads from the series ...
a Girardi dissected as Yankees try for Series title
a Phillies Hope To End 364-Day World Series Drought (From The Onion)
a For Managers, a Clash of Styles on the Top Step
a Taking Different Paths After Building the Core
a Jeter Returns to Series, but Stays in His World
a 2 Sluggers Are Having the October of Dreams
a Lee-Sabathia matchup in Series opener is rare treat
a Baseball Hopes to Break a Streak of Clunker Series
a A-Rod and Howard add luster to starry World Series
a Shades of 1950: Phillies Arrive in New York by Train
a Debate About World Series’ Late Finish Will Last Beyond November
a With Series Fever, Steroids Issue Fades to the Past ... A-Rod will always be a cheater to me … And the Cardinals hiring Mark McGwire as their hitting coach – and Bud Selig’s approval of it – is deplorable.

Watching some bae-bol!

If it’s the only thing I teach Phoebe in life, I’m content.

She’s successfully learned to say and recognize "baseball."

Only she says “bae-bol.” … So, OK, we have some more things to work on, but it's a good start!

Kates and I caught her saying the beloved word last weekend as we were watching the playoff games … Then, yesterday afternoon, we arrived home from the daycare. I unpacked our belongings and set her on the floor to play. I grabbed the remote, turned on the TV and switched on the Yankees-Angels game.

Phoebe immediately skipped in the air and pointed at the TV, shouting, “bae-bol!” She knew exactly what we were watching.

“Yes, Phoebe! It’s baseball!” I shouted back … I can’t explain the pride that filled my heart. After all, she did sit on the couch with me for a whole hour the other day while I watched a ball game.

And how ‘bout them Angels! … After watching them freeze their butts – and their bats – in New York for games one and two, yesterday’s game was a much more thrilling, enjoyable affair.

With every solo home run the Yankees hit yesterday, I was becoming less optimistic of the Angels’ chances … My hope was redeemed when Vladimir Guerrero hit a two-run home run to tie the game in the sixth inning … And then I lost it again in the eighth inning when Jorge Posada hit a home run to tie the game at 4-4.

As we watched the game over dinner, I was musing to Kates about how much I'd like to see the Angels take the series, but the more recent Angels teams just don’t have the same post season fight that epitomized the 2002 team I adored. They don’t have that Rally Monkey spark …

They don’t have the Troy Glaus, the Tim Salmon, the Darin Erstad, the David Eckstein, the Bengie Molina, the Scott Spiezio, the Garret Anderson. And the pitching of Jarrod Washburn, Brendan Donnelly or Troy Percival.

Nowadays, it seems, Bobby Abreu and Vladimir Guerrero are the only sparks.

And yet, when Abreu overran second base on his leadoff double in the bottom of the eighth and got thrown out as he dove back to the bag – I was ready to throw in the towel. … Seriously, I was pacing in front of the TV with a dish towel while I tried to wash dishes.

Still, as the game moved into extra innings and Kates moved to get Phoebe – who was happily playing on the living room floor in front of us – ready for bed, I prodded her to let Pheebs stay up a little longer.

A few minutes later, it happened. In the bottom of the 11th inning, Jeff Mathis ripped a shot to the left field wall and Howie Kendrick sprinted all the way from first base to score the winning run.

With the three of us standing and huddled around the TV, I pumped my fists in celebration. And before I realized it, Phoebe was bouncing beside me, her little hands in the air, shouting “Yay! Yay! Yay! Yay!” … I whisked her in the air as we laughed and shared high fives.

I’ve created a baseball fan. (Yes!)

Can’t say we shared the same excitement over that Dodgers-Phillies game …

I started dozing off in the sixth inning and, with the Dodgers clinging to their 4-3 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning, I turned off the TV while saying a little prayer that they held on.

Apparently that didn't happen. ... My heart sunk when I saw the score scroll by this morning on ESPN's bottom line: Dodgers 4 Phillies 5. ... That blasted Matt Stairs!

Little Girl's Foul Toss Makes Dad a Celebrity

I caught this story the other night. And I when I showed the video to Kates last night, it made me well up a little bit ...

For the record, I've caught two game balls in my lifetime. One at Kaufmann Stadium and one at Wrigley Field, but both were among my prized possessions stolen in the infamous burglary of 2006.

Now, I'm desperate to catch another one.

(Update 2009.10.10: Here's an excellent read from the Boston Globe about what makes catching foul balls so special.)

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Sad day in baseball

I was as excited as anyone to come home from work yesterday afternoon and watch the Cubs opener at Wrigley Field ...

But all of that underscored the sadness of Harry Kalas's passing. And then the shock of Mark Fidrych's death a little later.

Phil Rogers has a good take on the day here. The New York Times' Joe LaPointe also has a good take on Fidrych here.

Sunday reading

Some of the reading material that caught my attention during the last week ...

Sports...
a Once the Star, Now the Stand-In
a Five Cuts: The Phillies followed the modern era success formula ... I especially like/agree with Reason No. 2.
a Santo's act made for TV move ... Whaaaaaaa? Though it may not happen now after the Brewers announced this week Bob Brenly wasn't their man.
a After a Steep Fall, Leyritz Tries to Rebuild Life
a Pierce now belongs with the greatest

Entertainment ...
a Banks swings into stardom with 'W.,' 'Zack and Miri' ... I really like watching Elizabeth Banks
a King of the Slackers: It's a Full-Time Job ... A good read about Banks' "Zack and Miri"co-star, Seth Rogan. Man I wish I had extra time -- and money -- to see a movie in the theater ...
a Late-night laughs capture the online vote
a For Tracy Morgan, Every Day Is a Show
a David Archuleta's liner notes break the word count bank

Media & the Internet ...
a Christian Science Monitor: A paper without paper is still a paper ... It was the click made in newsrooms around the world this week when we learned CSM is going paperless.
a Meet Russert’s Replacement? Not Yet

Politics ...
a The next new chant: 'No we can't' ... A ha-larious, satirical scene that could play out in January. This one had me laughing out loud.
a Obama uses his TV time well
a Obama Is Up, and Fans Fear That Jinxes It
a Windy City whirlwind?
a Who’s the Question Mark? ... "Ever since Steve Schmidt became Mr. McCain’s campaign manager, the candidate has become a question mark."
a Paul Simon planted seeds of Obama surge
a Al Franken may face his toughest crowd in race for U.S. Senate
a What I Will Miss About President Bush ... Six writers reflect on what they have most admired about him.
a Northern Star Rising ... Sarah Palin's not going away.
a Palin's prank call from fake French president

Life & other stuff ...
a Mattel is now worth more than GM. Got an old Beach Bomb VW model in the attic? You're rich!

Suspenseful!

For starters, I didn’t get my free taco from Taco Bell this year …

In case you missed it, Jason Bartlett stole a base for the Rays in Game 1, and Taco Bell, therefore, filled its promise to give a free taco to anyone in America who asked for one between the hours of 2 and 6 p.m. yesterday …

My plan had been to leave work around 5 or 5:30 and claim my free taco during my drive home …

That didn’t happen. Instead, I got a late phone call from a source I’d been waiting to hear from all day. I had been minutes away from closing shop for the day and trying it again today. So when the source called, I had little choice but to work his comments into my story and submit it. I finished and left the office a few minutes after 6 …

For a little bit, I was bummed …

Then again, this was the second year Taco Bell had run the promotion. And I’ll bet they’ll do it again next year …

And if I had gotten my free taco this year, I’m not sure it would have topped the revelation and fun of last year’s free taco.

* * *

Now, about Monday’s Game 5 monsoon in Philadelphia …

I don’t blame Major League Baseball for starting the game. Supposedly Commissioner Bud Selig met with the involved parties before the game and, based on the forecast they had in their hands, they decided to go out and play. Fine.

But you’re asking for some serious problems when the conditions are so poor that the umpires aren’t calling the infield fly rule and the infield dirt is taking the shape of a shallow pond.

To complicate matters, it seemed as though everyone involved in the game or watching it was under the impression that the Phillies, leading the series three games to one and carrying a 2-1 lead heading into that infamous sixth inning, would be crowned World Series Champions when the game was called …

So, imagining the horror that would follow if the series did indeed end that way, I cheered immensely when BJ Upton reached base, somehow stole second base and then practically tip-toed around the rain-drenched third base to score on Carlos Pena’s single to tie the game 2-2 in the top of the sixth.

I breathed a sigh of relief and then yelled at the TV, “Now call this game!” Which the umpires promptly did.

It was only later in the post game news conference that Selig basically told reporters he was throwing out the rule book for the World Series; he basically said a World Series would not be shortened by rain under his watch …Which begs the question: Why did Monday’s night game last as long as it did?

Wrote SI's Joe Sheehan ...

Monday night's game had to be stopped. The weather deteriorated rapidly starting around 9:30 p.m., and the last two half-innings were played in conditions completely unfit for baseball. That they played those innings speaks poorly for both the umpiring crew and the commissioner; had the game not been a World Series game, with the attendant attention from network executives, there is no chance that the teams would have taken the field for the top of the sixth.

More good reads ...
a World Series Has Been Down Wet Paths in the Past
a Time Stops in a Delay, but the Strategies Don’t
a Umpires in Spotlight for the Wrong Reasons
a Phillies' Myers puts past behind him, on and off the field

* * *

Leading up to tonight’s game, my only hope was that the Phillies would win it tonight and put this quirky World Series out of its misery.

After all, it was comedian Andy Borowitz who wrote on Tuesday ...

In an unprecedented move, Major League Baseball cancelled the 2008 World Series today, citing "overwhelming lack of
interest."

This year's contest, featuring the Philadelphia Phillies and some other team, will be the first-ever World Series to be yanked before completion, but in the words of one baseball executive, "We're fairly sure no one will notice."

The decision to pull the plug on the Series came last night after the fifth game of the contest was rain-delayed and suspended with the score standing at something to something.
Some guys were on base and another guy was pitching when the rains came, but no one in the stadium showed a flicker of interest in the outcome.

But once it got underway tonight, admittedly, there was something fun about sitting down to watch an elimination game that had started two nights ago and was re-beginning in the bottom of the sixth inning with the home team having the edge and its championship-starved fans going crazy. I got an extra kick when the TV analysts pointed out, because the game was starting in the bottom of the sixth, the Phillies would have 12 outs to work with, while the Rays would have just nine …

So unprecedented; so intense.

Then, of course, Geoff Jenkins -- our proud former Brewer -- led off the game, er, the bottom of the sixth inning with a double off the center field wall and eventually scored to break the tie …

The Rays barely got going and it was over.

Phillies win.

World Series over.

Season over.

Wee ball

OK. I got comfortable on the couch and fell asleep for most of tonight’s Game 3 -- which, after a lengthy rain delay, didn’t start until almost 9:30 …

But I awoke for the best part -- if you discount Ryan Howard’s breakthough home run and 45-year-old Jamie Moyer’s pitching performance …

The thrilling ninth-inning ... Eric Bruntlett gets on in the bottom of the ninth when he’s hit by a pitch … Then Shane Victorino comes up prepared to bunt, but Rays pitcher Grant Balfour throws wildly at his ankles, the ball gets by the catcher Dioner Navarro and Bruntlett takes off for second base. The ball bounces off the backstop to Navarro and it looks like he could have a play on Bruntlett, but Navarro throws wildly, the ball skips past second base and Bruntlett trots safely to third base …

Now the Rays walk Victorino and another batter to load the bases … Oh, and they call in their right fielder Ben Zobrist to play defense as a fifth infielder. Can’t say I’ve seen that before.

Still with no outs Carlos Ruiz, comes to the plate … and hits a squibber down the third base line. Evan Longoria charged it and tried to bare hand it, but his underhand throw goes way over Navarro’s head. Bruntlett scores easily.


Phillies win Game 3 in the bottom of the ninth as the clock is about to strike 2 a.m. in the east …

Now I can’t fall back asleep.

I’m watching MadTV … They just showed this ha-larious skit with John McCain trying to learn how to use a computer … I wonder if it would be as funny if it wasn’t 1 in the morning ...



This Palin spoof was pretty good too ...

The World Series

… The guys on Sportscenter had a great line this week, a line that put it all in perspective. A notion I’d been sort of dreading in the days before it came true Sunday night …

“It’s the World Series matchup everyone wanted to see right? After Red Sox-Cubs. Or Cubs-White Sox. Or Red Sox-Dodgers. Or Angels-Dodgers. Or really any combination -- the Brewers, anybody -- than the one we have.”

Pretty much.

It might be the most boring World Series matchup ever for anyone living outside Philadelphia or Tampa Bay. Mark this down, this is probably the least interested I have ever been -- and might ever be -- in a World Series matchup.

Go Rays. I guess.

I shouldn’t be so harsh. But, gosh, I was drooling over the thought of Dodgers-Red Sox World Series.

Admittedly, I have been warming up to this scrappy bunch of Rays -- their tight defense, their strong hitting, their aggressive base-running. And B.J. Upton and Evan Longoria -- those kids can play …

And how can you not love the fact that they’ve been so bad for so long, and almost out of nowhere, here they are playing in a World Series. They’re like the Amazin’ Mets of the new millennium.

So I was right on the Rays advancing to the World Series, but wrong on my National League entry; I picked the Dodgers. That gives me a 3-3 record with my predictions this fall ... I need a World Series winner to get me over .500.

I'm picking the Rays in seven games for the reasons I mentioned above. No doubt, the Phillies will be tough, but I think the Rays' home field advantage puts them over the top.

Buckle your seat belts. It's going to be a good series.

Some good reads ...
a Hats Off to the Rays. Hair, Too.
a Phillies’ President Took Path From Upper Deck to the Owner’s Box
a Famished Philly wants to taste a championship
a Keeping it real: Baseball authenticators a tough team to beat

* * *

Let's applaud the Red Sox, though, too. They did put up a good fight that had me fearful of the Rays’ chances.

Mike Lupica had a good line of his own on Sunday morning’s “Sports Reporters,” saying if the Red Sox beat the Rays in that night’s Game 7, it would mark something like 10 straight ALCS games in which they faced a game-set-match situation and won. That, Lupica said, should be enough for Red Sox fans to change their rallying cry from “Wait ‘til next year” to “Wait ‘til this year!”

It was not to be, though. At least for this year, the Boston rallying cry is “Wait ‘til next year.”

Here's some good reads from the ALCS ...
a No return trip to World Series
a Just raise a toast to Tampa Bay
a It's tough to eliminate a number of thoughts
a One for the money