Baseball - 2008

First there were the walk-offs. Last Thursday night, on our way to Boston, after that big pour of Macallan 18, I watched the Mets come back against the Cubs, and win in the bottom of the ninth on Beltram's walk-off single. It was only one of three walk-offs that same night, one of the others being Ryan Braun's grand slam.

Then yesterday, there was a make-up game. While seven play-off teams had a day off, a chance to rest and to rethink their pitching rotations for the post-season, the Tigers went to Chicago to play a make-up game against the White Sox, who needed a win to stay alive, and for the right to play the Twins in today's play-in game. This is the second straight year we've had a play-in game. Everyone remembers last year's dramatic play-in, when the Rockies' beat the Padres in extra-innings, Matt Holiday being called safe at the plate, when maybe he was out, but after all, it was extra innings in the hundred and sixty-third game of the year, and the play-offs were waiting. So the call was safe; the game was over; and the Rockies were on their way to the series. Last I looked it was still scoreless between the Twins and the White Sox, so right now I'm wondering if this year's play-in will conclude in dramatic fashion also.

It wasn't that long ago that baseball was moribund; ratings were down; no baseball players had endorsement contracts; and very few fans seemed to care all that much. But now we've got walk-offs, make-ups, play-ins and play-offs. Not the mention that since 2000, baseball has seen post-season walk-offs, those two remarkable championship series between the Yankees and the Sox, both Sox teams ending decades long droughts, and none of it tarnished all that much by baseball's steroid scandal, which in another era might have killed fan interest, but really just seems to have come and gone without much fallout, other than no one hits sixty home runs any more. Since 1995, the year after the last strike, attendance has climbed from 50 million to almost 80 million.

Of course, I'd love to see the RedSox win it all again, the first repeat champions of the new millennium; but I think that's not terribly likely, what with Beckett hurting once more. Still, it was a pretty good season, not just in Boston, but for many fans outside of New York. There's an outside chance we could have a Chicago subway series, or an LA expressway series. The Cubs could end their drought, now running into its second century. And it's hard not to like some of the young teams that have played their way into this year's play-offs. Who knows, maybe Manny could see K-Rod once more; or what about the sight of Manny returning to Fenway, only wearing Dodger blue? Check back for all the details.