Happy Indigenous Peoples Day Weekend!

A good weekend of baseball is pending if the games of the last 4 days are any indication of things to come.

I didn't enjoy watching the Yankees win tonight, but that was a fun and frustrating game to watch. The Twins had multiple chances - 17 left on base including the bases loaded in the 11th - plus Joe Nathan pitching with a two-run lead. That game was theirs to win and they blew it.

Not sure what was worse, watching A-Rod get the big hit or watching the umpire miss Mauer's double in the 11th, a play that was right in front of the guys face. How do you a blow a call like that? Not only did the ball clearly land in fair territory, he had to see it nick Cabrera's glove, too. The umpire blew that call TWICE!

The Yankees comeback mimicked the Dodgers' win from the night before. I've never liked Matt Holiday, and conversely I've always loved me some Ronnie Belliard. It was good to see an ex-Nat excel, and I am firmly on the Dodgers Bandwagon.

As exciting as this round of baseball has been I still have misgivings about the wild card and the extra round of playoffs, something Boswell covered in his column today. I'd still vote to get rid of the wild card and go back to two divisions, east and west, and only have 4 teams make the playoffs.

FOOTBALL UPDATE

Greece tries to salvage their 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign when they host the 'Fighting Baltics' from Latvia tomorrow. Ellas needs to win its last two games and hope that Switzerland stumbles against Israel and/or Luxembourg to win their group and qualify. But it looks more likely that Greece will have to win a playoff among other European teams that finish second in their group.

However, they have to finish second. If Greece loses tomorrow at home versus Latvia finishing second is impossible.

Carolina plays another Division I-AA squad tomorrow in Chapel Hill when they host Georgia Southern. It's an important chance for the offense and especially the offensive line to get their act together and salvage the season. After GS, the Tar Heels play back-to-back Thursday night games, at home versus FSU and at Virginia Tech. Winning those two games - a split is more likely - would definitely turn things around and erase the memory of the horrible loss to Virginia last Saturday.

PRESIDENTIAL NEWS

Greece elected another Papandreou last weekend when the socialist PASOK party swept election there. I like the new PM, who like me was born in the United States and speaks Greek with an American accent.

And I now consider myself a candidate for the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize, since both Barack Obama and I have solved the same number of international crises. But I'm happy for Obama, who I assume won due to multiple reasons: fixing America's international image, NOT being George Bush, reenergizing the world's most important democracy and attracting new voters, announcing his intention to close Guantanemo and getting us out of Iraq (and ignoring the ratcheting up in Afghanistan). I also wonder if the Nobel Committee wanted to stick their finger in the eye of the International Olympic Committee.

It's also funny to see the Rs go nuts complaining. As Bill Maher said on tonight's show, giving Obama the peace prize is the trifecta for the right wing since they hate black people, foreigners, and peace.

Turning Points?

Huge games last night in the NLCS and ALCS.

The Rays were very impressive - to say the least - in blasting the Sox in Fenway on Monday night. Not only that, but they stole Jon Lester's considerable mojo. Winning a pivotal game in Fenway is impressive, but beating Lester is even more impressive.

Now if the Red Sox are known for anything, it's staging Carolinaesque comebacks in the playoffs (ask Joe Torre, ask the Indians about last season's ALCS), so you never know.

However, I don't think that's going to happen this series, not with Tim Wakefield on the mound for game 4. It will be an interesting test for a young team like the Rays to see if they can be patient against a knuckle baller like Wakefield. But I think the Rays will figure him out, and take game four tonight.

Speaking of four, I still can't believe the Phillies scored that many times against the Dodgers bullpen in the eighth. With Cole Hamels on the mound for game 5, things look good for the Phillies. Oddly enough, the Phillies received no votes in our recent poll of who would win the World Series.

Baseball Playoffs; Ayers Redux

After batting .750 - going 3 for 4 in picking the Phillies, Dodgers, and Rays - in the first round I'm feeling a bit cocky. I don't know why I picked against the Sox; those guys are professionals with underrated pitching led by an underrated manager in Terry 'Don't Call Me Tito' Francona.  Managing a team expected to win, in a region and nation consumed with the Sox, plus replacing arguably your best hitter in mid-season is quite an accomplishment. Got to give it up for Francona.  And I shouldn't have picked against them. 

That said, I'm picking against them again.  The Rays look like a team of destiny, getting nice starting pitching, great work from the bull pen, and timely hitting.  Plus they are too young to know better, and they're playing in a terrible stadium that gives them a home field advantage.  

I'm picking the Rays in 6.  

In the NL the Dodgers are the team to beat.  Their pitching is peaking at the right time; I love Lowe and Kuroda is as good a number three starter in the NL.  Though a tad shaky in the bullpen that starting pitching should nullify the Phils' considerable power.   

This will be a good, tense series of close games as the Dodgers pitch with precision and the Phillies patiently wait for balls to drive.  Look for Loney and Martin, the guys who hit around Manny, to once again lead the offense.   Dodgers in seven.

One More Thing 

As many of you know, over the weekend Sarah Palin accused Obama of 'palling around with known terrorists' in reference to Obama's acquaintance with former dumb-ass hippie Bill Ayers.  Of course, husband Todd used to be a member of the Alaska Independence Party, a party that favors Alaska's secession from the United States.  Kind of a wash.

Here's hoping that if McCain repeats that accusation, Obama answer's "You know who I pal around with - Robert Rubin, Warren Buffet, and Paul Volker, guys who know how to regulate Wall Street, create wealth, etc."  plus, "I was 8 years old at the time you old, old, old, old, and might I add real old man."

My Quick Take on the Veep Debate

In general, I thought tonight's vice presidential debate between Palin and Biden was terrible and hard to watch. Moderator Gwen Ifill let each candidate get away with regurgitating and rehashing campaign talking points rather than answer the questions.  I wasn't that impressed with the questions, either.   The biggest issue facing the country is the problems on Wall Street and the proposed bail out, but that issue only got 10 to 15 minutes out of an hour and a half.

Palin did very well in the beginning when she was more clipped and direct.   In the second half of the debate she got way too wordy and cliched, spouting more and more talking points.  The snarkiness also came back.

Biden looked tentative early, but found his stride when he talked about Bush and the last eight years.  He wasn't as strong going after McCain.  However, as it was in the first presidential debate, Biden's best moment was when he criticized McCain for repeatedly being wrong on Iraq.  

The focus on Bush and the last eight years must have worked.  From the early polls, Biden was rated the 'winner' of the debate 51% to 39%.   Many of the pundits - namely Brokaw and Peggy Noonan - said Palin won it.  I thought it was a tie. 

But perhaps the snap poll giving the debate to Biden is a reminder of the two primary issues of this election: the war and the economy.  On the war, Biden strongly stated: we will end this war; for all the 'surge is working' talk, the public still opposes the war in Iraq.  And the economy clearly favors the Dems.  Those issues have moved the polls for Obama in the last two weeks, and appear to have given Biden the win tonight. 

Quick Baseball Blog

How about the Dodgers?  I warned about Lowe and Billingsley, and they have been as good as advertised the last two nights.

No surprises in Philly; ditto for today's win by the Rays.

Got to give it up for the BoSox too.  They looked methodical in stealing the Angels' lunch money last night.

Cubs, White Sox and Obama Make Chicago Center of the Universe

Interesting baseball playoffs coming up.  First you have compelling and traditional teams like the Cubs, Dodgers and Red Sox, recent World Series winners like the White Sox and Angels, and newcomers such as the Brewers and the Rays.  The Phillies are in there, too, and the Yankees are not.

Half of the first round divisional play offs look like cake walks.  Since CC Sabathia can't pitch every day, I don't expect the Brewers to put up much of a fight against the Phillies. Too much Phillies offense versus very weak Brewers pitching means Philadelphia will advance to the National League Championship Series.

Same in the American League, where I expect the Rays to beat the White Sox.  That series will be tighter than the Brewers-Phillies match up, but I'm still not sold on the ChiSox despite having Obama as a fan.  The Rays will drop a game but move on.

The other two series look like great match ups. Angels-Red Sox is a World Series-worthy series.  The Angels were a trendy pick for a while, and I still think they will win this series.  But the reason has more to do with the Sox than the Angels.  Beckett is hurt, Lowell and Drew are banged up, and the Red Sox bull pen is not that strong. The Red Sox will give them a run, but I see the Angels advancing 3 games to 2.

The Dodgers-Cubs match up is another intriguing one, the best of the four first-round series.  The Cubs look like the best team in the NL, but the Dodgers pitching staff will give them fits - and they have Manny Ramirez.  Derek Lowe has been fantastic down the stretch, as has Chad Billingsley.  Then again, Rich Harden and Ryan Dempster could equal things out.  My head says Cubs, but my gut says pick the Dodgers and their pitching in a 5 game series.  This one will be close and tense with some great baseball. 

So I think it will be Phillies vs. Dodgers (or Cubs) in the NL, and the Rays advancing to play the Angels in the AL.