10/11/04: Idiot Wind

It's Fall alright. The wind was blowing pretty hard today, creating a slight chill that was totally delightful.  Tomorrow I shall wear my fall jacket.  All cozy and shit.  A great couple of weeks lay ahead.  Of course, I will be in California for a week starting Friday.  In California, a great couple of weeks always lay ahead.  And behind.

Fall means Halloween and Halloween means I need a good costume for once.  I am still welcoming suggestions.

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Here was my description of the Cardinals' postseason chances earlier this week:

"St. Louis looks like they might be vulnerable"

I wonder what exactly I meant by that.  These guys are terrors. Pujols, Edmonds, Rolen and Walker -- that's a lot of beef.  Renteria's a hell of a player, too.  They're solid all the way around.  Bad job of picking by me.  I guess I was just trying to go against the conventional wisdom, the same idiotic strategy that usually lays waste to my NCAA tournament pool by Day 2.

One observation, though: Pujols sure looks like a 'roid-head.  It's usually a telltale sign when a 24 year-old keeps getting bigger while his hairline retreats.  He's looking like the Michelin man.

Sticking with the beisbol for a moment, I have to say it's a good time to root for the Yankees. I've mentioned it before, but there's nothing tougher than being the overdog. Nobody feels sorry for you when you lose, and nobody gives you much props when you win. The Yankees are always the overdog. They're expected to win it all every year.  They pay for championships, and when they don't get 'em, they're failures. Other than 2001, I can't remember the last time when the Yankees didn't win the World Series but still felt like winners.  And the only reason that year was any different was that New York City got attacked. For once, there was some sympathy directed towards the Yanks.

And in no matchup is failure less acceptable for the Yankees than when they play against the Red Sox.  The Red Sox are our little brother. We take them out to the driveway and beat them one on one, every time.  Sometimes they seem like they're drawing even with us, and then we throw an elbow or two and knock 'em down on the concrete.  And they never get what they want.

So there is an unbelievable amount of pressure on the Yankees to win this next series. More than ever before, I think.  Because for maybe the first time, the Red Sox look like they're finally ready to knock the big brother on his ass.  Think about it: the Red Sox are not only 0 for the last 85 in terms of winning championships, but they've really NEVER beaten the Yankees in a game that mattered. '78, the playoff game, they lost.  Last year, Game 7, they lost. 1999, ALCS, they lost.  Every year that it's come down to one all-important game between the two teams, they've lost.

There have been several seasons where the Red Sox have been better than the Yankees, but they've really never won a huge game to decide the season. The Yankees have generally sucked in those seasons. Let's look at Boston's postseason history as it relates to the Yankees, going backwards.

2003: Boone
1999: Lost to Yanks, 4-1
1998: Lost to Indians.  Yanks go on to win WS.
1995: Win division, by 7 games. Both teams lose in first round.
1990: Win division before being swept by A's. Yanks finish 21 games out, precluding any big games between the two teams.
1988: In the closest race between the two teams that the Red Sox ever win, they finish first, only 3.5 games ahead of the Yanks.  Still, three other teams finish closer to Boston than the Yanks do, so Boston can't claim this one as a huge head to head victory.
1986: Win division; Yanks finish 5 1/2 games back.  Pretty close, but not a nail-biter. Especially considering it was 9 1/2 going into the last weekend of the season.  The Yankees then swept 4 games from the Sox, putting a little damper on their division title. WS: Ouch.
1975: Win division, Yanks finish 12 games back. WS: Ouch again.
1967: Win pennant, Yanks finish 20 games back. WS: You know the drill.
1946: Win pennant, Yanks finish 17 games back. WS: Um, don't ask.
1918: Yay! Sox win it all! I suppose it would be in poor taste to mention that this title was really tainted, as it came after a war-shortened season.  A lot of the best players had to go fight, and the Sox snuck in there and got their title. 

Anyway, I think that at least partially demonstrates how one-sided this rivalry has been -- and how much the Sox and their fans must want to win this. Generations have come and gone without being able to say, "Remember the time the Sox came through in the big game and knocked out the Yanks?"  It just hasn't happened. And the Yankees have the incredible responsibility of not letting it happen again this year.  We'll see.  Schilling could get a highway out of this if it all works out.

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A few years back, when Herr Von Weber was doing his no-show fellowship over in Krautland, he sent me a postcard.  On it, he quoted his brother, who said, "Emails are good, postcards are better." It's true.  When was the last time any of us got a real letter from a friend in a faraway place?  Maybe a postcard when someone's on vacation. But even postcards become a chore when you can just take a digital picture and attach it to an email.  So I hereby announce the first annual Verbungle.com Postcard Drive.  I know a letter is too much to ask, but why not send a postcard to somebody you haven't seen in a while?  Who cares if you're not on vacation? Surely your hometown has some postcards.  Grab one, write a couple of nice lines telling the person how ya been, and asking 'em how they've been.  If so much as one person follows through on this, I will consider it a success.  Even if it's me.

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I am still not mature enough to see the headline "Matthew Drenches Louisiana" and not think "porno title."  Gotta check up on these things every now and then.