The Giants Win the Pennant

The Giants win the pennant. And Barry Bonds played well. OK there, I said it. The San Francisco Giants won the damn flag and Barry Bonds actually helped. Brian Sabean is God. Now leave me alone. You don't want to be around me right now.

But I'll tell ya, the crow's not that bad, really. Tastes like chicken.

The San Francisco Giants and the Anaheim Angels. Do not attempt to adjust your set. It's the San Francisco Giants vs. the Anaheim Angels.

Yeah, you can call it the All-California World Series, Highway 5, NoCal vs. SoCal, etc. Bla, bla, bla, bla, bla. Whatever. I'm not excited, not in the least. In fact, I'm horrified.

Neither of these teams is supposed to be here. They're just not. The Giants are comfortable as also-rans, complaining about how they can't compete with the big budget teams. It's their job to lose somewhere along the line before they get to this point, and once every decade and a half or so, at this exact point. Just the thought of a World Championship flag flying above a ballpark in Frisco is downright nauseating. Sickening. Hideous.

And no, I'm not suddenly going bandwagon and becoming an Angel fan. Just because they're in the same quadrant of my state, doesn't make me a fan of the team behind the Orange Curtain.

Mets' fans don't start wearing pinstripes just because the Yankees win a couple World Series. OK, well maybe a few. I know this guy named Jan who, uh, never mind. He's tired of explaining it so I won't put him on the spot or publicly mention his last name or post his phone number or give you his kids' names.

You get the idea. I don't care about the Anaheim Angels. Never have. I'm only rooting for them now because the Giants must be stopped (or is it contained?) Come October 28, I'm getting an annulment.

It would have been nice to see Bud Selig squirm in front of a champion Minnesota Twins, a fitting end to 2002. At least we got to see him wiggle at the prospect, muttering something about it being "nothing personal."

Course, two wild cards is cool. At least there's that. Not what Selig had in mind, I don't think, when he introduced the DS. Nor is handing a trophy to someone like Michael Eisner, who is openly trying to dump his team. Let's root for that too, shall we.

While we're on the subject, the Angels are winners in spite of Disney, not because of them. If the Dodgers ever win for the current corporation, it'll be in spite of that obnoxious Fox bunch, not because of them. And it's another great year for baseball in spite of Selig and everything he's done, not because of him.

There's nothing new here. Baseball owners have been seen as greedy businessmen pretty much from the start. We buy the product because we the love the ingredients, the players and the sport. You don't have to like Farmer John to love the hot dog…

I'm not sure I understand the nostalgia for Jackie Autry particularly. I don't get the Gene Autry sentiment either, but Jackie? She's just a smarter version of Georgia Frontiere…

A few nice words about the Angels' players. None for Frisco, but a few for Anaheim. Just cause I'm not a fan doesn't mean I don't appreciate the quality of play. Not only do they play hard, they play smart. It's a total team, and dare I say, and forgive me, a team of destiny.

That's enough. No more positive vibes outta me. Just go beat the evil Giants and turn back into a pumpkin in time for Halloween. We'll talk more about this then…

So Ramon Ortiz didn't turn out to be the 2002 version of Calvin Schiraldi (Burt Hooton?) he had us thinking about after one start. Good. One was enough. And yes, I know, Schiraldi was the go-to guy on that Texas team, not Roger Clemens. A lot of good it did him.

By the way, what they said about Schiraldi's inspiration, Tom Niedenfuer, that he was never the same after the Jack Clark homer, was completely off. In fact, Niedenfuer was exactly the same, and that was the problem…

Is there some reason Mike Scioscia has that windbreaker zipped high all the time? Looks like he's covering up a hickey or something…

Nice going Gary Sheffield. Way to show up for the playoffs. The whole team caved of course, but it's fun calling out Sheffield, individual that he is.

If I'd had my druthers, I'd rather have had Sheffield's friend Bonds stink up the DS or the CS, with Sheffield advancing, but you can't always get what you want. It's interesting that Bonds and Sheff are buds, isn't it?

And Tom Glavine? Oh man, it's excruciating watching this guy stink up the beginning of his starts. Why does a pitcher with Glavine's credentials suck so badly in the early innings of every single game? No doubt his even lamer than usual outings in the NLDS were in some way karma payback for his players' union activity.

The Atlanta Braves should just give up. Let Greg Maddux and Glavine go and start rebuilding now. You're not going to win another thing with this group, and the sooner you get started the better. Atlanta is sick of you. Everyone is sick of you. Go away…

Lou Piniella wanted a make-a-difference guy for the stretch-run and got Ismael Valdes. Enough said...

Hey, the Detroit Tigers made a little news. Alan Trammell. OK, whatever you say. Buck Showalter to Texas. That's exciting too. Monster story. Wow…

Firing Bobby Valentine was a no-brainer, but the Mets should have adiosed Steve Phillips too. He's one step away from being John Hart if he's not already…

There's still time to invest in BaseballSavvy.com before it's through the roof. Shoot, the BS merchandising is worth major league minimum all by itself...nearly. Investment inquires are more than welcome...

Remember, glove conquers all....