If the temperatures have begun to dip, the leaves are slowly but surely changing from green to orange, and every food item suddenly has a pumpkin flavored version, well then it must be October! And with all those things comes the goal of eight MLB teams of accomplishing the spectacular feat of winning the league’s pennant:
Chicago Cubs vs St. Louis Cardinals—It was so farfetched, it was unbelievable…but after hearing it several times and seeing the reaction of its fans, it was ultimately confirmed—the Cubs had never won a postseason series in their own backyard, the storied Wrigley Field. I can only imagine handing their division rival St. Louis Cardinals a trip to the loss column, only helped to sweeten the deal—tenfold!
One thing I love about sports is holding a harmless grudge, oftentimes for somewhat irrational reasons…and not feeling the least bit guilty. That being said, the small amount of fondness I had for the Cardinals faded when Pujols departed. Seeing the backs of their jerseys this time of year has yet to become a sad sight in my eyes!
New York Mets vs Los Angeles Dodgers—Speaking of grudges….maybe I should hold one against the Mets for creeping up on and ultimately leaving my hometown Washington Nationals well, umm at home when the regular season ended. But that would be extra irrational…every player knew what was at stake…obviously one dugout was able to ride out the pressure while the other didn’t fare as well!
Even if you don’t happen to be a fan of the Dodgers or LA for that matter…there is something captivating about a gorgeous California sun seemingly beaming down on the crispness of their white & Dodger blue uniforms. Not to mention, there’s the equally captivating skills of pitcher Clayton Kershaw….
That was all noise in the background though after Chase Utley decided to break up a double play effort and break the leg of Mets player Ruben Tejada in the process. Was a long term injury Utley’s intent? That is doubtful….however, that does not change the result. In a just world, the number of games he would be suspended would equal that of Tejada’s rehab…..simply put, he’d be allowed back when Tejada comes back.
Mets vs Cubs…no horse in the race for me just a hard lean toward Mets magic continuing to dazzle during the NLCS.
Houston Astros vs Kansas City Royals—After putting a very long postseason appearance drought to a hard stop last year, the Royals are looking to déjà vu all over again! In terms of feisty energy, this season seems to be a continuation of last year….minus the scene whereby the San Francisco Giants actually won the championship!
American League newcomers Houston Astros did not have a problem making themselves known throughout the season…however, they encountered several problems in the division playoffs—some were self-inflicted…specifically Game 4. Others were opponent inflicted—in the end, the Royals found themselves in a familiar place—the next round of the pennant race.
Texas Rangers vs Toronto Blue Jays—No need to look any further than the 7th inning of Game 5 to fully grasp the exhilaration that defined this series. Incidental contact with a batter’s bat….although absolutely correct…was one of the most bizarre plays I’ve seen.
The outcome of the call put Texas up a run & and the game on hold as mayhem broke out at the Rogers Centre! In the nonchalant manner of a spectator I was yelling at the television for all parties to just “play ball”. Much to my dismay only the Blue Jays seemed to hear my rants.
Much has been made of Jose Bautista’s three run homer and subsequent reaction!!
Here’s the thing…and it is not rocket science….if you don’t want to enter the zone of whether somebody is respectful in their celebration—strike.him.out and it quickly becomes a non-issue.
For what it is worth, baseball could use some feistiness thrown its way. Caution: this may be a case of “be careful what you ask for”….with the likes of Toronto and Kansas City in the ALCS, the scene is set for a large dose of feisty in one place!
I’m going with the Blue Jays on this one!
Don’t know about you but I’m excited for what the rest of October will bring!!
