Baseball's Greatest Moment

For baseball fans the stuff of dreams begins tomorrow. How can you not like Colorado’s push the last three weeks, winning almost every game to force a playoff for the wild card tomorrow evening in Denver? No offense to my San Diego friends but I hope they win. In fact, I hope they win it all. It would be such a huge story and is so unlikely. But then Arizona is a team almost no one knows. Who are their stars? Except for Brandon Webb, the reigning Cy Young winning pitcher, who are these guys?

Many friends assume that I must be rejoicing over the Chicago Cubs success. That assumption is far from the truth. I am NOT a Cubs fan and will, in fact, root for the Diamondbacks in the opening round. My reasons are numerous, none of which have to do with personal friendships with friends who are die hard Cubs fans. I have not been taken with Cubs fever, which is akin to dengue fever or something, since I arrived in the Windy City in 1969. As I watched the famous 1969 Cubs fold, in my first year in Chicago, I was unimpressed with the team and the organization and have been ever since. Many Cub fans act like they are already winners year-in and year-out. Until they are really winners they ought to slow down and think about their vain boasting a little bit more. If they do not win the World Series this year then one more season (2008) would make 100 years since they last won it all, clearly a record I hope they actually set.

The AL is so much better than the NL this year that you would think the World Series would be a joke but then last year the Tigers were much better than the Cardinals, who won 83 games. This is why they play these games and this is why a "new season" begins tomorrow. Enjoy it if you love this game. I will.