Philadelphia Phillies Take the 2008 World Series

Congratulations to the Philadelphia Phillies on winning the 2008 World Series with a four games to one game victory over the young overachieving upstart Tampa Bay Rays. Tampa Bay, much like the Colorado Rockies in 2007, tremendously overachieved and went much farther than most everyone could have anticipated. And, unlike the Rockies, they will be back strongly in contention in 2009 and have to be among the favorites to win it all next season.

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But for now, it is Philadelphia's moment to shine as the city gets a championship for the first time since the 1984 Philadelphia Stars won the second United States Football League title over the Arizona Wranglers in, somewhat ironically, in Tampa. It was a game that I attended !

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The Phillies are probably a one year wonder. In 2009, certainly the Mets will not fail a third consecutive time, and the other three clubs in the National League East will be improved, particularly the Florida Marlins.

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The Phillies clearly are a great team with excellent leadership from GM Pat Gillick and Manager Charlie Manuel. Manuel is a name from the memories of my past, as he played for the Albuquerque Dukes baseball club in 1974 and hit 30 home runs for the Dukes that summer. I believe I got to go to about 4 - 5 games that season and I seem to recall seeing a game where he hit one out over the left field wall in the drive in parking area that used to be above and beyond the left field fence.

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Only about 95 to 100 days until pitchers and catchers report !

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http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs2008/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=3672202

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Manuel

http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Charlie_Manuel

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*****

Tony Hillerman, 1925 - 2008

I was introduced to Professor Tony Hillerman's unique fictional tales (described as tribal mystery) that are set on the Navaho Indian Reservation when I was in high school, as assignments included reading his books The Blessing Way and Dance Hall of the Dead and doing reports on them. The books had compelling characters and intriguing plots that kept one's interest. Later on, I read a few other of his books after they were published in the 1980s and 1990s, but it never seems like I find time to indulge in fiction with everything else I like to read and keep up on in the nonfiction genres. Hillerman was a decorated combat veteran of World War II, a journalist at and editor of The Santa Fe New Mexican (among other newspapers), and a Professor of Journalism at the University of New Mexico. He had 22 books of fiction, several three-in-one volumes of nonfiction, 12 books of nonfiction, and five books of photos published over his long illustrious writing career with one more book of fiction that may be published posthumously. He was honored on a number of occasions professionally for his works and also by the Navaho tribe. Hillerman leaves his wife of 60 years, Marie; six children; and a number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Hillerman

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http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/N-M--author-Hillerman-dies-at-83

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http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-hillerman27-2008oct27,0,4517561.story

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*****

In Memory of My Mother on the 75th Anniversary of Her Birth

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October Going Out Like a Lion

The most unpleasant weather feature that comes with living in Cheyenne made its first real appearance this autumn for much of this past week as strong winds blew almost every day from Monday through today. We had our first cold days on Tuesday through Wednesday with temps never making 40 degrees and a small dusting of snow covering vehicles and vegetation, but not streets and sidewalks. That will come soon enough. Fortunately things did improve as it got much warmer by Saturday with a high temperature that neared 70 degrees but accompanied by continued ferocious west and northwest winds all day and night that I could hear through the vents. The forecast for the week is for a brief noticeable cooldown on Sunday then back into the low to mid 60s for the next several days, including Halloween surprisingly. Keeping winter at bay as long as possible is always a positive in any way.

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My past week improved as it went along. My sadness, depression, and malaise over my mother's passing ever so diminished as time elapsed and I kept busy at work. I ended up with just a few hours of overtime but also learned I would get paid for taking a couple of days to grieve the loss which is a small compensation for the tragedy. I continued to have trouble with the battery in the truck as my vehicle would not start without a jump on Wednesday. My juicer died which created an inconvenience. I had to take the battery out after I got home early Thursday morning and put it on the charger overnight to renew its power which was unpleasant in the icy cold winds blowing that night. Fortunately it took the charge and the last three days have been without incident. But I remain concerned the problem will recur soon and I may be looking at replacing the battery in the coming weeks.

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Saturday was a nice relief as the sunny skies were very much welcomed in spite of the hostile winds. I arose about 11:15am and then headed over to Todd's after stopping for my weekly frozen cappucino mocha from Baskin Robbins with a coupon to make it less costly. We ordered some pizza to tide us over through the afternoon. I departed about 5:45pm. This was probably the last time I get to go over this season to watch college football at his home as his schedule for the remaining coming weeks is largely prohibitive with the possible exception of the 8th and 15th of November. Hopefully we can continue the practice in January when Mountain West Conference basketball gets into the full conference game schedule on Saturdays.

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It was back to the home unit where I relaxed through the evening surfing the 'net and watching some more football as well as parts of the Sabres / Avalanche game won by Colorado on a shootout; and parts of the 3rd game of the World Series that started late due to rain and was won by the Phillies after 1:45 local time in the City of Brotherly Love. Later I caught parts of SNL as the political sketches were quite enjoyable. Supper consisted of eating the leftover pizza from earlier in the afternoon. I retired for the night around 12:30.

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Sunday saw me awaken around 9:30 am. I headed over to Safeway around 10:15 am to pick up some milk, bread, bananas, and the Sunday newspapers. It was quite colder than Saturday as the temperature was right around freezing. The wind had also calmed down significantly from Saturday's sustained 35 mile per hour winds with 50 mph gusts to something like 15 and 25. I got back home and just relaxed. I really should go do the laundry but I am totally unmotivated to take on the task that requires me to haul three bags of clothes plus baskets, hangers, and chemicals down the flight of stairs to the truck and drive across town to the laundromat. I need to do it soon but there will come a day in the next few weeks where the time will be right. Instead I watched NFL and surfed the 'net until around 4:15 when I laid back on the recliner and took a nap for about 75 minutes. I then enjoyed Sunday TV while keeping the World Series game four on the small television: 60 Minutes; the debate on PBS between Chris Rothfuss and Mike Enzi for one of the US Senate seats; Desperate Housewives; and Brothers and Sisters. Supper consisted of the rest of the leftover pizza. I caught the end of the game as the Phillies pounded the Rays to take a 3 -1 series lead with a possible worlds championship to be completed tomorrow (Monday 10/27) evening. I continued to surf the 'net and less than half-heartedly listen to the television until I retired around 2:30am. It was 19 degrees outside when I called it a night.

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The week ahead does not seem like there is anything that needs special attention to be paid to unlike the last two weeks. I imagine I will only get the most minimal of overtime, if any at all, this week at work. The weather forecast is for improving conditions and much above normal temps with less wind through the end of the week. Even Halloween is supposed to be nice and mild which seems to be the exception to what we normally experience here in the Front Range region. Maybe I can find the motivation and energy to work on some projects around the place and do some further organizing and straightening up. I can also think once again about making a trip down to Denver to possibly see my nieces and their father as well as Matt, and check into some businesses like Newsland, Microcenter, Best Buy, and elsewhere to see what or if there are any products that I am interested in. I also need to get that bleepin' laundry done and get the recycling taken care of while the weather is favorable. And a trip to Walmart to restock with food is on the horizon, either this upcoming weekend or the next.

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One thing I will be doing with great interest is following the economy and markets this week. I believe this week may be the worst yet with quite a few shocking developments, downturns, and unsettling news. It will be darkest before the dawn that is on the horizon that starts with the elections next week that I will be deeply focused on as well.

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*****

A Long Difficult Week

I am grateful in a very small way for this weekend to arrive. While I am not physically tired, I am mentally drained and still hurting after hearing the news of the passing of my mother. The news was quite unexpected and was devastating to me as well as my siblings. I will not go into any details here but suffice to say the following hours and days were very difficult. I took Tuesday off from work after hearing the news and only worked two of the three remaining days of the workweek. I largely spent the time during the week away from work in reflection and I was upset quite often. I really wish that things could have gone different and ended much differently. The passing of one's parent gives one serious pause to think about many things. I believe I will be in this mindset for quite some time, which means a strong lack of focus or concentration on other matters.
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As Saturday arrived, I continued to have trouble sleeping as has been the case the last few days. I got up around 9:30 after having gone to bed last night around 2:30. I largely was cathartic until I drifted off into a nap around noon that last until around 4am. After I arose, I went to get myself a frozen coffee to try to snap me from my lethargy. I had the television on to college football and Game Six of the ALCS, but my attention was poor at best. Around 7pm I got some energy and motivation and did some straightening up; washing dishes and utensils, scrubbing the range top and its pieces, gathering up and taking out the trash, shaking rugs, picking up around the main room, and letting some air in. For supper I had a couple cans of chile.
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It was a warm day as temps made it to the mid 70s under partly cloudy skies with only a light breeze. Thankfully the last few days have been pretty nice after a stretch of rather cool unsettled weather. But as is usually the case in mid to late October, changes are again on the horizon as the forecast for most of the upcoming week to be noticeably cooler and probably very windy. Some precipitation will fall, possibly in the form of snow, but it will not accumulate at lower elevations and largely melt quickly. I have had to only use the heat for about eight hours so far, but that may have to increase this next week with the cooler temps. I still believe that I will not have a bill for 1 December as I still have a credit balance of over $97 from the crediting back of my initial deposit. And some of that credit will still be applicable for 1 January bill hopefully.
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Sunday I spent the entire day at home. I meant to go out and get the newspapers and pick up a few items at the grocery store, but I never got to it for a couple of reasons. I awoke around 10am and watched football which was particularly enjoyable to see one of the worst teams in the NFL, the St Louis Rams, absolutely and completely slaughter and kick the butts all over the place of the Dallass Cocaineboys, who were utterly hapless. To see the epitome of all evil get trounced is thoroughly rewarding and pleasing. May it continue eternally. I then watched on and off the late game between the Colts and Packers. Later I got a call from one of my sisters whom I have not talked to in some time and we had a rather lengthy and satisfying conversation and discussion. I then focused on the ALCS Game Seven between the Rays and Redsox which was a close and entertaining game won by upstart and enthusiastically young Tampa Bay. For supper I had Spanish Rice with a can of tomatoes mixed in. I am drinking a lot of juice to try to be healthful. Among my favorites I try to keep on hand is grapefruit, grape, orange, plum, and blueberry-pomengranate. I am even considering trying to regularly drink prune juice. When I go shopping next time, I need to pick up a jug of apple cider which I deeply savor. What I really need to do is purchase that Jack LaLanne juicer and start grinding up my own mixture of various fruits and vegetables and apply juices and water to make them of varying thicknesses from that of a smoothie or shake to a juice of their own.
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This upcoming week is one that will be more routine than last week with a full week of work planned and not much else. I do need to get to the post office to mail J's & C's gifts. And since I did not get to the store over this weekend I will have to make a pit stop to grab some bread, milk, bananas, and anything else that catches my eye. Other than that it will be time to hunker down and hang close to home with a blustery and windy few days lying ahead.
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*****

An Incredible Extraordinary Game Four Victory by the Phillies

I did not get to watch it, and I am down about that ... but this was perhaps one of the better games in the playoffs in recent years. I believe this article by longtime Philadelphia denizen and baseball columnist Jayson Stark does a fantastic job of capturing the experience and moments as good as it could be. Barring a major Dodger comeback, the Series is returning to The City of Brotherly Love for the first time since the memorable epic 1993 World Series fifteen years ago, against either the defending champion Boston Redsox or, more likely, the upstart wunderkind Tampa Bay Rays.
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http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs2008/columns/story?columnist=stark_jayson&id=3642376
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*****

Myself, an Island of Calm in a Vast Unprecedented Storm

I feel real fortunate to be in the position I am currently in. Sure, things are not perfect or ideal, but compared to many others I am in a status of relative fortune. Compared to some of the lows and hardships in the past I have suffered through and endured, I am in a good place. I have limited liabilities and no assets that are tanking or imperiled. I have a comfortable home that clearly meets my needs and I want for nothing. I have a cabinet and freezer full of food and a somewhat comfortable bed to rest and sleep in. My motor vehicle, while 31 years old, runs fairly well and is completely mine. I live in a sleepy boring town that is strongly averse to risk and change for the most part and is all but insulated from the growing financial collapse and crisis being witnessed and felt around the globe. Indeed, sometimes its better not to have much and nothing really of value relatively speaking. Things are pretty good for me compared to many others, and I am grateful for that as things worsen for many.

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Since I became enlightened and well read when I was in my late twenties and early to mid thirties, I have dreamed of the end of the American model of capitalism and its strong seemingly invincible core based on Corporatism and the Corporacy. I have believed since then that the economic model of Extreme Capitalist Market Absolutism was wrong and largely immoral and unjust. Putting corporations ahead of people was plain wrong. The situation and environment has only been exacerabated by strongly growing income inequality and mass wealth accumulation by a small group of wealthy individuals and families that were not paying their share and contributing to the nation and the well being of its overall citizenry. Capitalistic models being followed in Europe, particularly in Scandanavian nations, seemed to me the better alternative. Communism is flat out a failure and I am opposed to it firmly and the Communist Capitalist system being utilized in Red China is just as bad and inhumanely destructive. You might label me a socialist, and I probably am, but I favor the mass break up of large corporations and the maximizing of competition to fully realize the potential of capitalism. It does not necessarily have to remain an ideal in my opinion. I largely believe businesses should be limited to doing business in just one or a few states, and those businesses that must have operations across many states should be strictly regulated and probably be ran in a partnership with either the federal or other governments. Examples of this are railroads, commodities, and other primary level business activities. While I never seriously thought this could happen, the current economic collapse and crisis might eventually result in an economic system here in the US that is closer to my ideals and values, but there is a long way to go for that to still happen.

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Enough pontificating. It was a less difficult week at work as only two and one-half hours of overtime accumulated. I got good rest overall and the lessening of work hours is making me feel better overall. The weather was fairly nice during the first half of the week but went downhill starting Thursday. Friday it only reached 42 degrees and the wind was strong and cold. That night fog dropped in and a misty rain started falling that continued into Saturday and increased in intensity. Snow is expected overnight Saturday into Sunday as it cools from the highs in the mid 30s to temperatures that will support snowfall. It supposed to get better by around Wednesday but the trend overall is down as is the norm.

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I spent the day off primarily at home. It certainly was a day outdoors fit for neither man nor beast. I did walk over in the rain to the DQ to get a frozen cappucino latte in mid afternoon. Later I removed my battery from my truck again to put it on the charger for several hours as I have been having to jump the truck for the last four to five days probably because I left the brake pedal partially pressed down which left the brake lights on the rear of the truck on all night last Sunday or Monday night without me being aware of it. I need to remember to get that taken care of when I go to get my repair work done in the coming weeks. For dinner I prepared myself some rice and red beans which I find always tasty as I grind up some very sharp cheddar cheese into the mixture after its done cooking to add even more to the rich flavor, although the beans leave me bloated and flatulent.

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For the most part I watched college football and the superb ALCS game that went into extra innings. I also surfed the 'net and worked on the blogs; put away the fans for another six months or more; mounted all the loose pictures of relatives (mostly nieces) onto the posterboard frames I had gotten in recent weeks; and did a little straightening up. Todd had some obligations away from his home on Saturday but we talked on the phone and made plans for me to come by Sunday to watch the NFL since he has the NFL Sunday Ticket on his DirecTV. I hope to have that for myself to enjoy some year, but I think being able to go out to a sportsbar to watch is probably the preferable option. Here in Cheyenne there are probably about ten places at least that have Sunday Ticket, but when I get back to Denver next year the choices are numerous and offer a lot of variety in atmosphere.

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Sunday saw the cool cloudy foggy weather continue with some occasional snow showers that resulted in no accumulation. I arose about 11:30 and had some cereal for breakfast before driving over to Todd's about 1:45. I watched parts of four NFL games that were fairly competitive but as the Jaguars / Broncos game got somewhat boring I focused on seeing the Arizona Cardinals defeat the fading Dallass Cocaineboys. I ordered a pizza for a late afternoon meal from Papa John's and hung around until about 9pm visiting and catching the evening game while checking in on the NLCS that was decided early as well as the Avalanche / Oilers game that was tied until the final seconds. On the way home I made a pit stop at Walmart to pick up some bananas, applesauce, milk, and a peach pie for the week ahead. The remainder of the evening was spent relaxing as I was tired for some reason and starting to feel like I was under the weather. Maybe I just need a good solid night of sleep which I will embark upon around 12:30am.

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It will be a cold night as things start to clear and a morning low near 20 degrees is possible and Monday will only see a high around 42. That means when I take my breaks at work when I go outside I will have to bundle up. But some nice Indian Summer weather will emerge by midweek with highs in the mid to upper 60s with no precipitation in the forecast for now. This week will be less than a full one as I am taking Thursday off. A little break now and then is good for the spirit as the routine gets to be boring week after week.

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Not much else to look forward for the upcoming week. I have no other projects or objectives other than just to make it through the week. Just staying on top of the ongoing economic crash will keep me busy and occuped enough...

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*****

October's First Weekend

We are into the first weekend of October and changes are blowing in the air. After a three week span of nearly ideal weather with warm temps and mostly clear skies here across the Front Range, a cool and wet few days loom ahead as the transition from Summer to Winter starts in a small way. At this point, the change is short-lived as nice weather will be back by no later than Tuesday with temps bumping back up from beneath 60 to around 70 before another forecasted change that is even more powerful comes in Friday and next weekend that even includes a chance for snow showers from Cheyenne south to Colorado Springs from Friday night into next Sunday. Here in the Magic City of the Plains (as Cheyenne likes to fancifully label itself), leaves are changing colors en masse and starting to tumble down. All the late summer rain in August and early September kept the prairie and foliage much greener and lively than usual which is making the change of seasons seem a little more spectacular with the intensity of the colors greater than what I think I normally perceive.

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After another long week of work that had its ups and downs with some really late nights, I was glad to have Saturday finally arrive. I rested until around 2am and it seems each weekend I feel better as compared to the prior and past weekends since I started this job. My hands and wrists have improved and although they are still stiff when I waken, the intensity of stiffness, pain, and numbness is considerably less than in past weeks which is a positive I greatly welcome. I had a couple of bowls of cereal and halfheartedly watched some college football until about 3:30 when I decided to run a couple of errands. I checked the post office box first and then made my way to the local Grease Monkey to get an oil change for The White Knight that was long overdue. It only took about 25 minutes to get the job done. I then made my way down Lincolnway to Baskin Robbins for a frozen Mocha Cappucino that I got to use a dollar coupon for. Then it was on to Family Dollar to pick up some shampoo and some two liter bottles of Coke that were being sold for just one dollar each which is at least about one - third less than I ever see anywhere else. I also picked up some inexpensive gifts for my young nieces J and C in Castle Rock that I will have to get a large envelope for and mail off in the next few days. I then crossed the parking lot to stop into Murdochs, a western and country supply store that has a large inventory of products for ranchers, farmers, horsemen, and pet owners.

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I always think when I go into a store like this how great it would be to own horse property and a nice size piece of land of my own. Maybe someday, but the idea of continuing to live simply with little if any outside responsibilities is also a favorable option as ones freedom is clearly greater than the former option.

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I got back home around 5:45 and settled in for a relaxing evening at home watching some college football and the MLB playoffs. I participated in a fantasy hockey league draft that took about an hour and briefly talked to my hardworking good friend Matt on the phone. Todd had his monthly national guard weekend duty so there was no going over to his house to watch football for the first time in about a month. For dinner I prepared some bratwurst sandwiches, boiling the sausage and adding mayonnaise, swiss cheese, heated sauerkraut, and mustard to the Kaiser rolls and meat. I also worked on my blogs and surfed the net. I opened the window and the front door to let some ventilation in.

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It will not be long before I cannot do that for a number of months. Hopefully that end will not arrive until around after Thanksgiving or close to Christmas as I am reading that the upcoming winter will be warmer than usual with about a normal amount of precipitation (snow) over the next three to six months. Let us hope so as the reports of upcoming higher utility bills is quite unsettling and angering.

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I have decided to make the move back to the Denver area in 2009. The earliest window under consideration, all things remaining predictable and the same over the next seven months, would be during the month of April or May. The latest month that would be under consideration would be next October or November. I will not be moving in July or August due to the heat and the risks and toll it would take on me physically to labor in such conditions. Factors that would make me delay from May would be if the economy gets worse or shows little improvement; or if my work hours drop off during the winter and I am unable to put away sufficiently more money which would make the temptation of working through next summer and racking up some big paychecks to save to further buttress me during the move and the months afterwords while I get onto my economic and situational feet; or if some unforeseen circumstance occurs which forces my plans to be delayed. I still hope to move on to the Pacific Northwest in the coming years, but I will hold off until someone I know moves up there such as Brant, Matt, or Hank. I know one thing I am looking forward to is having to deal with the Cheyenne winter only one more time and perhaps the Great Plains winter and summer of The Front Range for just about another three to seven years.

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Since I am on a body clock schedule with this job that keeps me awake until around 5 am, I do not get to bed until around that time again.

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Sunday saw me awaken somewhat earlier than expected as I was unable to sleep after about 10am. I had some toasted frozen waffles for breakfast and watched some NFL ( San Diego at Miami) for about two hours before I drifted off into a nap on the recliner until about 4pm. I then caught the end of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers / Denver Broncos game which did not have the excitement value of games in recent weeks. The weather did change to a cool steady rain as the afternoon got later. I went out about 5:45 to go to the grocery store, Albertsons, to get some milk, bananas, a pie, and the Sunday newspapers. Afterwards, I stopped into Arby's for a couple of beef and cheddar sandwiches and to read the papers. I drove back home around 8:15 in the steady rain. Upon returning home, I settled in to watch the Angels / Redsox game and clip coupons. Among the coupons I found was one for a photo session at Walmart. This may be a possible idea for Xmas gifts for relatives, but I am concerned that such a gift will make me seen conceited and somewhat egotistical and selfish. I will have to see if I get any feedback that is contrary. The game went into extra innings and kept me away from watching Sunday Night NFL between the Steelers and Jaguars, as well as compelling me to put the Sunday Night TV programs onto the DVR for later viewing which I spent doing after 11pm.

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If this upcoming workweek is a little less of a grind, maybe I will drive down to Denver on Saturday and spend the night in a motel and get away from here in Cheyenne. There are about three or four businesses ( Newsland, Best Buy, Microcenter, among others) I need to stop into and check out. I will just have see how I feel and how much rest I get during the week. Although the weather forecast is gloomy, it will not be anywhere near enough of a concern to take into consideration for a small trip.

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*****

A Belated Look at the MLB Playoffs

This is a little late, but here is my outlook for the first round of the 2008 Major League Baseball Playoffs, the Divisional Series. In the National League, I picked the Phillies and Cubs. I thought Philadelphia would easily handle Milwaukee, winning the series in three or four games. The only reason the Brewers made the postseason was because of another monumental collapse by the New York Mets in September as the Brewers largely staggered though the final five weeks of the season and were fortunate Hurricane Ike took the sails out of a streaking Houston Astros club by forcing postponements and relocations of key games at a critical juncture. At the end of the regular season the Phillies had about the best team on paper and had demonstrated that on the field with a prolific offense, solid defense, better than expected starting pitching, and the best bullpen in the game led by the unbeaten Brad Lidge. Philadelphia is my pick to go all the way in the NL as they have more than enought to upend the Cubs, or now LA, in the NLCS.

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As for the Cubs, at the time of this post they have been eliminated in a three game sweep by the seemingly upstart Los Angeles Dodgers. I thought this series might go five as I saw it largely evenly matched, but the Cubs looked old and tired much as they had down the stretch in the final six weeks after a strong first four and a months into the season. LA caught lightning in a bottle for this series and overwhelmingly outplayed Chicago surprisingly. I thought the Cubs would step it up for the postseason but they had clearly lost it and badly underperformed in all aspects of the game as the cracks in their armor I saw in August and early September became inevitably clearly and obviously evident. In some ways they were victims of overwhelming expectations that put an enormous amount of pressure on everyone of the players that was all but impossible to meet as clearly Chicago had the most to gain and the most to lose in this postseason. It is going to be a long cold hard bitter winter in Chicagoland as the second century dawns without a world championship for the Northside Windy City baseball club and its eternally disappointed fans. I believe the Pirates will win another World Series before the Cubs ever do again. Can the Dodgers maintain this momentum in the NLCS ? Possibly, but they will be likely facing a club with virtually no expectations in Philadephia which should slow LA down.

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As for American League, the Anaheim Angels, like the Cubs, had the best record in their league and were a clear favorite to win the AL pennant. I believed they would oust the defending champion Redsox in five games in a hard fought largely evenly matched series. But Boston has jumped out to a 2-0 series lead with two road wins at The Big A and seems all but sure to oust the Angels making for an upset. Anaheim has had their chances but has failed to take advantage of opportunities in the first two games as they did during the regular season, and K-Rod blew at least a hold in a epic manner with the Drew home run off him in the 9th in game two. Can Anaheim come back ? It seems unlikely, but its not impossible with the team they have. But I now think Boston will take with two games upcoming at Fenway.

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Meanwhile, the upstart Tampa Bay Rays are doing just what I expected in rather easily handling an obviously overmatched and fatigued Chicago White Sox in probably three games. Chicago had to work very hard with two extra games after the normal end of the regular season Sunday just to make to the ALDS. The young Rays are pretty much doing everything right in all aspects of the game and they continue to live the dream and pursue the impossible -- worst to first. Their run this year is simply amazing, much like the Mets in '69, the Pirates in '79, the Mariners in '95, and the Rockies last year. I cannot see the White Sox stopping them. It seems we are headed for another classic all AL East ALCS for yet another year with the Redsox defending their pennant against the young Rays. Will youth be served, or will experience overcome ? I think the Sunshine Boys will continue their march towards a sweet destiny.

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In conclusion, at the start of the playoffs my picks were for the Angels to meet the Rays and the Cubs to face the Phillies in each of the league's championship series. I now think it will be Tampa Bay and Philadelphia in the World Series with the Rays taking it all.

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One other thing...isn't it sweet and great not to have the New York Yankees in the playoffs...

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*****