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(What it is, is Baseball)

One last salute to Baseball before it all goes away until next year. This one, from a program called Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow ran a history of baseball up to August 12, 1951 (the date of the broadcast).

Check it out and keep it for that snowy day in January to remind yourself Summer eventually comes.

(graphic by Terry Colon)

I know the Philly bloggers are against me, but that's OK. I'm up for betting a few bags of Cheetos with my Philly faithful.

Much respect to them. Email me (crooksandliars@gmail.com) if you want to get it on...Because of the idiot, Bud Selig we have baseball that will go into November so the weather is a big issue. I'm a typical "Obsessed Fan," when it comes to sports and the playoffs and I love to call pitches like a catcher and manage the game. I will be working on the further adventures for the Obsessed Fan in the future, but for right now it's all baseball.

I'm live blogging the game on The Huffington Post right now. I hope I don't break my laptop because of a call from the umps. And I am very superstitious. OK, on to the series...

Here's the breakdown as I see it

1B) Howard vs Teixeira

Howard has a monster bat, but his glove doesn't equal Tex's. Mark needs to have a good hitting series because they will pitch around A-Rod all series long. I do believe that Mark will have an impact on the field throughout, but it's really close.

Edge: Even

2B) Utley vs Cano

Utley is a far better hitter than Cano, drives in more runs and batting in the middle of the potent Philly lineup proves the point, but Cano did hit .320 and played excellent defense.

Edge: Utley

SS) Jeter vs Rollins

This is an intriguing match-up because Rollins won the MVP last year for the NL, but if we look at comparing them in 2009, Derek had a much better year offensively. Rollins hit just .250 with an OBP of .296. Jeter hit .334 with an OBP of .406, but Rollins can still be deadly and he has more range than Jeter. However, Jeter has shown an incredible feel for the game especially in the playoffs that I have never seen before. His instincts are scary.

Edge: Jeter

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I can't believe it's time for the baseball playoffs already. If you missed it yesterday, Detroit and Minnesota played an awesome one-game playoff that resulted in a 12-inning win for the Twins, who made one of the great comebacks in MLB history. And Joe Mauer is the MVP for sure. Soon to be the named the greatest catcher of all time.

The teams are:

The Rockies at the Phillies

The Twins at the Yankees

The Cardinals at the Dodgers

The Red Sox at the Angels.

This is a very wide open field. You know who I'm rooting for, now who's going to win the first round?

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(Lobbies - like Baseball and Character Assassination, an American institution)

Lobbies have been part of our political landscape forever it seems. The cartoon above is from 1892, to give you an idea.

In 1949 it became the topic of much discussion and hand wringing. But as history proved in a Shakespearean way, it was Sound and Fury, signifying nothing.

The radio series American Forum of The Air ran a panel discussion on the problem. And on November 27, 1949 invited Herbert Q. Nelson from the National Real Estate Board, Joseph D.Keenan from the AF of L (pre-CIO) and Col. Robert S. Allen, a beltway columnist to discuss the situation and what could, if anything, be done about it.

Clearly, if they had any great ideas, nobody listened - or if they did they've been long forgotten.

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(Connie Mack: "There's always next year")

With Baseball season in full swing, I ran across a documentary about baseball from another time - baseball from almost a hundred years ago. During the early part of the 20th century, one of the great figures to emerge in Baseball was Connie Mack, whose career began in the 1800's and who became one of the greatest managers and owners of the game.

This documentary, part of the series "Biographies In Sound" was produced by NBC Radio on April 10, 1956 as a memorial to the man who died only a few months earlier. It features the players and members of the who knew him as well as recordings of Connie Mack giving his views on the game he devoted his entire life to.

A little sports history as an antidote for an otherwise insane weekend.

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(Some people just never got over it.)

Jack Lescoulie presents an ode to The Polo Grounds, almost two years after the last game was played by the Giants before moving to San Francisco in 1957. Here he is, from his Stardust Program over NBC Radio on June 2, 1959.

. . .Like it was yesterday.

I didn't see this one coming...I felt bad for A-Rod after reading some of Torre's new book, "The Yankee Years," but I never thought he was juicing...

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Jon Stewart on baseball pandering by the candidates and late socialist leader John McCain.

Taking a break from politics for a minute. C&L readers know I'm a huge Yankee fan. I have been one since the 60's when the Yanks were in last place and Mickey Mantle was my hero. Torre winning his division was a big 'Suck on This" to the new generation of Steinbrenner's. They had a huge tribute when the last game was played at Yankee stadium and there wasn't even a mention of what Joe Torre did for this franchise. As long as he was the manager the Yanks won 4 world series titles and played in six World Series while making the playoffs every year of his management. To omit him was a very <corrected> petty gesture and their claims that it was an oversight is ridiculous.

Yankees media relations director Jason Zillo, on behalf of the organization, attempted to squash those thoughts: "A lot of great Yankees weren't mentioned [Sunday]," Zillo said. "There was absolutely no slight intended, and perhaps, looking back, they should have been mentioned." 

It just shows the make up of Hank and Hal Steinbrenner. They embarrassed Yankee fans all across the country. I'll always be a Yankee fan. I caught two foul balls and still have Reggie Jackson's ball from 1973, but this new group running the team are losers. Joe Torre is a winner. Good luck.

The Red Sox are still the team to beat, but I'll be rooting for the Angels in that series. 

The Brewers rode on the back of CC Sabathia into the playoffs while the Mets were left for dead in the final game of the season for the second straight year. They have so much talent it's shocking to me that they choked again. Santana was brilliant, but was not enough. Injuries are a nightmare in Sports and they couldn't overcome the loss of Billy Wagner. And if George had been running the team, Johan would have been a Yankee this year. The Cubs are the team to beat in the NL, but still have to deal with "the goat." 

Update: And this op-ed by Bill Plaschke in the LA Times reads like a plant from the Dodgers front office about Manny:

Re-signing Manny Ramirez would be bad deal for Dodgers 

Why couldn't he wait until after the playoffs to attack the player that helped get them there. If you're a Dodger fan send him my regards. bill.plaschke@latimes.com.

Braves get Hudson from A's for two pitchers. and an outfielder.

Mariners sign Adrian Beltre from the Dodgers!