Brad

There are some exceptions however. The Yankees and the Mets play six games each other ever year (every that is since they started interleague play). I think that's 3 too many actually and to me it's just 3 games on the schedule but Yankee and Mets fans get all bent up in a knot about it.

I'll probably defer to Dan on this point but in each league there are three divisions. In the National League there are three divisions, two made up of five teams and one of six. In the American League, there are two divisions of five teams and one of four teams. I know that in the National League East where the Mets play, which is a five team division, they play the other four teams approximately 19 times. I say approximately because they played 74 games in the National League East. They played 40 games against the six team Central Division (so they didn't play those teams the same number of games equally). Ditto for the five team Western Division, which they played 33 games. The remainder were interleague games (teams from the American League play teams from the National League). I don't know if I answered your question or made it more confusion. The schedule making is always confusing.

It's always sad when the season ends but I suppose we all need a little break, like the players do, just to refresh our batteries. I'll leave it to Dan to start the Hot Stove thread. Free agent filings have already started. El Duque has filed for the Mets. I hope they resign him.

I dunno my interest was kept going from March until now. Selig said that 7 games for the LDS' is too long and you know they're not going to shorten the season by one game. You're talking about money: the owners losing money and the players losing money. "Money makes the world go 'round."

This makes the most sense to me. Of course, higher ticket prices would result. But I think it reflects the reality that attention turns to football in September. It just reflects badly on baseball that its World Series could dip into November. As an alternative, go back to 2 divisions per league, a 7 game playoff between the 2 division winners, and a 7 game World Series. That would finish before the end of September. Alternate each season between AL and NL advantage of 4 games at home. That's just not realistic and I think you know it. I liked the old system better but the wild card keeps teams who would be otherwise out of it in the fray. Plus, more importantly you keep the fans interested. Otherwise, you'll have a big interest drop off.

Dan, Why all the hostility?

If anybody has reason to complain, it's probably me since my team lost to the Cards and looking at how the Tigers play, you can only wonder what if? However, I'm with this Mark on this on this one. It's sour grapes and what else matters? They got into the playoffs, maybe not in the prettiest way but they got there. They were banged up but apparently got healthy at the right time. When they beat the Mets at home in game 2, that's probably when they started to believe. What impressed me the most is that when the Mets scored a run in a close game (leave out games 3 and 4 of the NLCS), they came right back. That was impressive. They took it to the Tigers and that probably forced the Tigers into making mistakes. The Tigers are not used to playing NL baseball. I heard McCarver and Leyland (in the postgame) say that in the AL they don't bunt a lot. The Cards played NL baseball (the way baseball is supposed to be played) and, yeah, the Tigers made mistakes but a lot of it was because the Cards were forcing the action and the Tigers, thinking something unusual might be coming, got rattled. Baseball will never do a seven game divisional series because Selig is worried about the season going into November. 5 is fine for the first series. It builds excitement anyway, in my opinion. I'm not happy about it but I say congrats Mark and the Cards. They earned it and whatever else we say is irrelevant; they are the champs.

Geez, I didn't think he was that old. What a shame.

I would have to say that with Suppan pitching tonight, the Cards should be favored to put a stranglehold on this WS but since I've been wrong on every other prediction, I won't make any prediction other than to say that it looks like the long layoff has reduced the opposition to tiger cubs.

Thank you all once again. The gift that keeps on giving!

I never added my congratulations. Feliz Cumpleanos, hermano! Melhor tarde que nunca. I know I'm mixing Spanish with a little Portuguese.

This was on mlb.com regarding the pine tar incident: Dirtgate.

I remember seeing that in college in 1971 so I guess we're dating ourselves Mark.

What a bunch of crap. Maybe it was the Clay Aikens of the world that subsidized their having some great and unusual and obscure Jazz records.

To watch the movie "Reefer Madness."

The guy got caught with pine tar. That's cheating. Yes, I know many cheat. But if you're caught with it, you need to serve the penalty, which is a 10 game suspension. It's not a question of whether it made a diference or not (plus who knows what he put in his glove after he was made to wash his hands), it's a question of what he did. I hope this is not a question of LaRussa not pushing it because Leyland is his buddy. If I were a Cardinal fan, I'd be raising holy heck about this. You know for sure that if the Mets were in this thing and this had happened and been discovered, there would be a major uproar.

Excellent suggestion.

Been there, done that. I don't know if you can buy partials anymore but through this method I got the book and one cd from Quebec and Hardee and a partial of the Clayton Mosaic. The book has a big x through it but who cares. At least you get it.

Sorry Claude

I've listed another Mosaic on ebay, the Lee Morgan Wayne Shorter Vee Jay Complete Sessions. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Agreed. However, that's the title of the set and in the listing I explain clearly what I don't have.

Ditto but the runner never gets the call. On another issue, this is what I hate about modern baseball and specialization. Unless Kenny Rogers had nothing left in the tank, he should finish the game. However, managers, no matter how well a starting pitcher has pitched, constantly go to the closer in the ninth and I've seen this blown up many times. The Tigers were lucky on this one.

Yes, I meant raise them, try to even things out but you're right. It won't happen.

According to the article it was. It may be time to lower them again.

That happened to me with a book I got from Ebay about the North African War in WW2. It got better but I wound up buying a replacement from Abe Books. It was just too annoying.