Fall Classic

I was planning to write this column on another wacky sport that doesn't get the recognition that it rightfully deserves.

You know, that sport where some guy stands on a platform and lets go of this wooden bird that has a dart in its mouth and the bird swings down on a rope and hits a target and everyone cheers (boy that's a mouthful).

But to be honest, I don't remember its name.

Then I was going to do a piece on an Oxford craze that's sweeping the nation called punting.

But I found out that punting involves pushing a flat bottom boat around a dirty river with a pole and some beer.

Sounds like fun (especially when the boat capsizes and you find yourself swimming drunk in a river of sludge reminiscent of Ghostbusters II), but not something that I would call a sport.

And then I remembered that The Crimson is not ESPN's Amazing Sports and that I can occasionally talk about something closer to home like, say...baseball.

The Braves' all-out thrashing of the Cards two nights ago reminded me that today marks the start of the Fall Classic.

I had almost forgotten, considering the Yankees' convincing five game series against the Orioles ended such a long time ago, much to the dismay of some diehard O's fans who shall remain nameless.

So I guess I just want to throw out a few ideas before the series begins.

The Braves outscored the Cardinals a whopping 32-1 in the last three games of the series.

Do you think Bobby Cox has any new "friends" in Vegas?

After the Yanks won the ALCS the locker room reporter asked Joe Torre perhaps the most ridiculously inappropriate question I have ever had the displeasure of hearing.

He asked something like, "Now, Joe, what does this victory mean to you knowing that your beloved brother is suffering in a hospital right now?"

Makes you wonder what's really important in life though, doesn't it.

Joe Morgan thinks Luis Sojo is the best second baseman in the game today (alright, he clarified himself later on, but he actually said something to that effect after Sojo made a good play as a defensive replacement for Mariano Duncan).

Sure, Robby Alomar had a poor defensive series against New York and he does enjoy spitting on umpires, but Luis Sojo? Come on.

Without Alomar to give some life to the New York crowd, I wonder who the Bronx fans will single out today.

One thing's for sure--I wouldn't want to be anywhere near the bleachers if I were a Braves fan (or Jermaine Dye for that matter).

I wonder if Bob Uecker ever got to watch that Dateline expose on America's microbreweries.

It will be interesting to see what the Yanks do with Cecil Fielder in Atlanta. Tino's gotten it done all year long but he hasn't been a big producer for the Bombers in the post season.

Maybe Tino could play right (I'm not really being serious), cause Strawberry can be real bad against lefthanders.

Either way it will be tough to get the two big men in the lineup together with no DH. Advantage: Braves.

Mike Aldrete will see some big at bats in this series off the bench for the Yankees.

Wade Boggs says he wants to reach the 3,000 hit plateau before he throws in the towel.

I wonder if he can count slow pitch softball at bats in the total, cause he's got a long way to go (especially considering the way he looked against Texas and Baltimore).

The Yankees vs. the Braves?

It's a good thing that Major League Baseball doesn't get too caught up in the politically correct debates.

I wonder if Uek ever took that blimp ride back to New York.

He did say he had it worked out with the "people" at Goodyear.

Harold Reynolds thinks that the Yankees' starting rotation is as good as the Braves.' I think he's wrong.

Doesn't ESPN realize that decent players don't necessarily become good announcers?

But he is on the money in his prediction.

That's right folks - Yanks in 6.