I could easily refer to the fact the the Cubs, my team, made it to the playoffs, but that would not be anywhere near enough. Really. As thrilled as I am, I'll always state that I am a baseball fan, regardless of how the Cubs perform. Which is why I have been able to not be blind to the many great things that have happened this year. Let's review:

The Yankees, left for dead a mere three months ago, ran roughshod over the American League the last eight weeks of the season, nearly ran down the Red Sox and, of course, made it to the post season. That probably raises the ire of most "parity" driven fans. Me too, to some extent. With that being said, how amazing is it that this team rattled off a near .700 winning percentage over that time? Under that scrutiny? With mostly home grown talent? Say what you will, they did it the hard way and they deserve to be there.

Barry Bonds and his last hurrah. Cheater, loser, asterisk, blah, blah, blah. He stood up at the plate for almost two full decades and took his hacks. He still had to swing the bat, hit the ball and play the field every day. Label him what you will, disagree with me, I don't care. Barry played the game for that long, under a microscope for the last half decade and still broke Hank's record. Besides, how many pitchers actually got caught "post-cheating" at the same time? Barry didn't? Until I see conclusive evidence, I'll see his record for what it is...his record.

A-Rod. Holy ****. The guy carried New York. Enough said. Here's to bringing him to the North Side next year...

The Cleveland Indians. I've always had a soft spot for the Tribe. I think it was either because I played Little League for the Indians or because of the movie Major League. Whatever the reason, Mark Shapiro is a genius, and hs system of management from the top proved to be a winner. Remember the fire sale they had a few years back? Yeah, me neither. I'm pulling for them in the AL playoffs.

The Brew Crew. I was happy to see the Brewers in the hunt up until game 160. Really, not kidding. If I hadn't been such a Cubs fan, or if the Cubs had bowed out, I'd have been wearing my Brewers hat and a Ben Ogilvie jersey the entire time. Twenty-five years, Milwaukee. I feel for you, those days of Ted Simmons, Cecil Cooper, Robin Yount. Be proud of this years team. Fielder, Braun, Sheets and crew are something to behold...for many years to come.

(Short story. I saw a Brewers game a few years back at County Stadium, the last season there, I believe, and had the time of my life. Tailgating in the parking lot, beer flowing everywhere, Secret Stadium Sauce. I really felt like Milwaukee was an awesome town, they love their baseball, and I still think that way. When Jeromy Burnitz hit a long bomb to win the game in the ninth, the place went crazy. One of my fondest Big League game memories...I hope next year brings more of the same Milwaukee. I'll even partake with you. Against someone other than the Cubs, of course.)

The collapse of the Mets. The rise of the Phillies. However you want to look at it, it's the very reason why you play 162 games in a season, and the win on April 7th matters just as much as the one on September 30th. Don't believe me? Ask New York.

Game 163. Tonight. Padres v. Rockies. Has there ever been a chase like this? Down to the wire amongst six teams or so? Two last until after the season officially ends? See above...every game matters. Especially those played in extra time.

I could probably go on and on. There was a ton of remarkable, memorable things that happened this season. Curtis Granderson's 20 x 4 feat (20 stolen bases, 20 Home Runs, 20 doubles and 20 triples) and emergence as a perennial All-Star, Magglio Ordonez' magical season at the plate, and that's just in my home state of Michigan. There's more...lots more.

So, now we head to perhaps my favorite time, as well as my most depressing time, of the baseball season. The playoffs. Favorite in the sense that this is always what it boils down to. Cool weather, crazy crowds, every pitch mattering. Man, I love that. Depressing in the sense that there is but one month left of baseball left. Then it's winter.

And winter stinks.

The Chicago Cubs are the National League Central champions! On to the playoffs, Cub fans!

Now, most of you could give a bag of poo about the Cubs. Most of you see us Cubs fan as losers, as obnoxious clowns that you'd like to make take a long walk off of a short pier. Most of you are actually saying, "Matty, I don't give a bag of poo...now leave me alone with this drivel and get lost". And that's OK. I don't expect everyone to care about it and get all excited over a baseball team that hasn't won anything since 1908.

But I am excited over this, and I am planning a trip to the world's biggest beer garden party of the year, in Wrigleyville, on the North Side of Chicago.

I'm not kidding either, it'll be a monster party. Being a fan of this lovable loser franchise since I was nine years old, I think I deserve to hit Chicago with a huge bang, soak in the atmosphere that is October baseball, drink enough Old Style beer to drown a buffalo and overall enjoy the living **** out of this.

Because Lord knows when I'll see it again.

I'll see you at the World Series.

As much as I am excited that the Cubs are mired in a pennant race, and their prospects for making the postseason are as good as anyones, when it really boils down, I don't find that to be baseball bliss.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the pennant races and the drama. Every pitch counts. Games creep into the wee hours of the night. Forty-two thousand people screaming, teetering on the edge of their seats. It's what baseball is all about, right?

Hold that thought.

I was watching the last part of the White Sox-Royals game on WGN-TV this afternoon. Yes, yes...I hear you laughing. The two worst teams in the American League Central division. The White Sox and the Royals. Anyway, I was just watching as intently as I would a Cubs or Tigers game.

You see, I like to pay attention to the situations, see great pitching, observe timely hitting and great defense. Afterall, this is still a Major League game, only between two teams playing out the string of a lost season.

I also noticed one other thing. The crowd wasn't deafening at all. In fact, I could hear individual whistling, catcalls, laughing, cheering and clapping. This was certainly not Dodger Stadium with 45,000 fans roaring after Kirk Gibson launched his epic blast into the Chavez Ravine evening. No. In this case there might have been 12,000 people at the game. No surprise there.

But, I was reminded of my favorite type of game to watch in person. You see, over the years, as a true baseball student, one that first played the game for fifteen years and since is now just a father, a coach and a fan, I have learned a lot from baseball. Lessons on attitude, persistence and yes, even dealing with failure. One glaring lesson I have also learned is that baseball is a very cerebral game, one that requires a lot of focus, attention to detail and execution. It's a game where inches decide whether a pop-up is a pop-up or a monster home run. A game where the situation changes after each and every pitch and if you aren't on your toes every minute, you might end up looking like a total fool.

I learned all of that as a player. Now as a fan, I find myself doing the same things. Examining the situation. Almost like I am another coach...the one sitting twenty rows up in the lower deck, third base side. And quite frankly, I find it rather annoying when some clown (or fifty) is sitting in my section spewing nonsense at 4,000 decibels. It's worse when they know very little about the game itself.

I know, I know...those "clowns" paid their $50 for a ticket, their $20 for a warm beer and some hot dogs. Yeah, yeah. They have the right to yell and scream and generally act like tools. Take me to task.

I'm just saying that I prefer a warm, sunny spring afternoon, perhaps in Florida or Arizona, or in a Kauffman Stadium or Comerica Park on a lazy early fall afternoon, where I am one of a handful of true baseball afficionados, sitting back, hearing the sounds, soaking in the atmosphere, enjoying a game I love played the way it should be.

Is that wrong?

Curt Schilling was masterful for the most part, despite his only big mistake, his pitch that Derek Jeter launched into the Fenway night atop the Green Monster. He had the Yankees stifled for 7+ innings until then.

Roger Clemens, making his first start at Fenway since 2003, and his 200th Fenway start overall, helped make the matchup live up to its hype. More impressive than Schilling and Clemens performances was the amount of lumber they destroyed along the way. I counted at least five broken bats, nay, shattered bats, in this game alone. Heaters from grizzled veterans sawing off unsuspecting hitters, pure pitching magic that helped solidify an already concrete rivalry between these two clubs.

Equally impressive, the youngsters on both sides, from Joba Chamberlain on the Yankees to Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury on the Red Sox, now engrained in the fabric that is Red Sox/Yankees baseball.

This one had everything, folks. Great defense, timely hitting, excellent pitching, even drama so intense you could cut the air at Fenway Park with a Sportserv concession stand plastic knife. Who wasn't at the edge of their seat watching Mariano Rivera's bases loaded showdown with two outs against David Ortiz? It's the stuff made for October, and should they meet again in the American League Championship Series in a month or so, I expect more of the same. Broken bats and all.

I wrote a few weeks ago about the resurgence of the New York Yankees, how their entrance into the pennant race was going to happen and that it was a good thing for the game of baseball. Now, it's Mid-September and this weekends series, at Fenway Park, is what I as a baseball fan, absolutely fawn over.

Remember, this series was a mere laugh back on July 1st. The Red Sox were running away with the division by 10 1/2 games, the Yankees were in third place, struggling mightily. But, since that day, the Yankees are playing baseball at an almost .700 clip (45-22) and have not only made the AL East a semblance of a race, with a sweep of the BoSox this weekend, could make it a dead heat.

I don't think it'll happen, a Yankee sweep, but who knows? It happened last month in New York, where the Red Sox came into The Stadium with an eight game lead and left with only a five game lead. The Red Sox have righted the ship after that sweep, where past Sox teams would've swooned south under the Yanks again. I just think that at home, playing as they are, with a chip on their shoulder, the Red Sox will be fine. Don't forget that should they sweep, they'll all but bury the Yankees and replace them as division champions where the pinstripes have resided for nine straight years.

The Red Sox have a chance to eliminate the Yankees from the AL East race. Eliminating them from the playoffs is a totally different thing, where the Yankees presence in October looks more probable now than a few weeks ago.

So, on with the show, Red Sox and Yankees. I'm expecting baseball between these two to be full of fireworks, just as it should this time of year.

I'll be sitting back and enjoying it.

The Twins have called a 2:00 pm CT press conference to announce "an announcement regarding the reorganization of the club's baseball department".

Speculation is that Ryan will be stepping down from his GM gig by that point.

I'm not really a Twins fan, but, as a baseball fan, how can one not admire what Terry Ryan and the Twins have done over the past six years? In case you don't know the story, the Twins, the team that used to be called "baseball's cheapskate", managed to win four of the last six Central Division titles with perhaps one of baseball's lowest payrolls. They developed a consistent, talent laden farm system and replenished their Major League roster with home grown talent (Joe Mauer and Torii Hunter ring a bell, anyone?) when their high priced talent left for greener pastures. They play the game the right way under the leadership of first Tom Kelly and now Ron Gardenhire. And all things considered, they are a first class operation on the field and off.

And they did it with half of the resources of a big market club like the ones from New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.

That, my friends, is called "squeezing blood from stone".

And it was Terry Ryan doing the squeezing.

Now, I certainly hope that the Twins have their reasons, if they are telling him to step down. He is staying on with the club as a Senior Adviser, but in all reality, he won't be very active at all. 

I really hope to know that Terry Ryan is just burned out after 12 years at the helm. That the wear and tear of the long season finishing before us, as well as the 11 previous, have just made him hit a wall and he has just decided to hang them up. I really hope that is the case. This "baseball man" has been affiliated with the Twins since they drafted him in 1972. To fire him for poor performance (third place, playing .500 baseball in perhaps the leagues toughest division, not necessarily "poor") would be a travesty and an insult to a General Manager that helped defy the odds, give hope to other small market clubs and perhaps change the game of baseball in this money grubbing and loyalty free player environment for the better.

A true baseball person can understand this, and a true baseball person has to respect Terry Ryan for what he has accomplished in Minnesota.

Well, that's a lie. Nothing has really changed.

But, being a life long Cubs fan, their play of late has me a bit flustered. When given the opportunity to put some distance between them and the Brewers, they failed to do so. Add the Cardinals in the mix there, with their experience and leadership, I have to admit I was worried.

The Cards have faded a bit since, but are by no means out of the race.

Why am I flustered then, you ask?

I'm beginning to wonder which of these teams wants to win the division more. I've always said that good teams find a way to win, especially in September. Quite frankly, neither team (Brewers, Cubs and Cardinals) is finding a way to win. Against inferior opponents, no less. Each team lost two of three to the Pirates? The Astros? At this rate, I would say I might be pulling for the Reds to go on a tear and make it a flat out four team race, much like the sausage races in Milwaukee.

So, I'll be back for good now. The other items I was screwing around with no longer warrant my attention. The race is on over the next two weeks. I can only hope the Cubs decide to answer the bell.

If not, I'll take Brett Wurst the bratwurst to win a close one over Cinco the chorizo and Stosh the polish sausage.

Baseball Playoff Fever...Catch It!

OK. Barry Bonds just broke hammerin' Hanks Home Run record. I've already written about my feelings on that, you've probably read it, maybe not. Regardless, I am not a Barry fan, but what he did was impressive. Juiced or not, to hit a baseball like that takes some real talent. Nice work, Big Barr.

Tom Glavine won the 300th game of his illustrious career, becoming only the 23rd player in baseball history to accomplish that feat. Tom Glavine is one of the great guys in the game of baseball, a southpaw wizard that never threw the hardest or anything, but he can flat out pitch. And for those of you that don't know the difference, a pitcher who just throws is the norm.  A pitcher can screw with batters heads repeatedly with a hodgepodge of different stuff so much so that it doesn't matter if you throw hard, as a batter, you just keep guessing. The latter is Tom Glavine. And even if he did beat the Cubs for his 300th, I'll forgive him.

A-Rod and his 500th dinger. Congrats, Alex. My link to A-Rod was when he and I were in the same issue of Baseball America as seniors in High School. He was headed to the Big Leagues for sure, anointed the best player ever at that time. I ended up a lowly schmo writer. Eh. Good job, Alex. Barry'll keep that Home Run record warm enough for you to pass him in about a decade, maybe sooner.

One final accomplishment for the week that I am more impressed with than any Home Run record or career milestone.

Gary Sheffield of the Detroit Tigers managed to not offend anyone at all.

Nobody. Not a soul.

Outrageous.

Keep it up Gary. And get back on the field so the Tigers can move ahead, please?

Until next time, friends...

I can't stand using cliches. I've heard a million of them, they're all trite and yet, I admit they are true in a lot of cases.

In baseball, the aforementioned one rings true every season.

April might be the most useless month of the baseball season. Everything is new, it's cold in most cities, pitching dominates all of the games and, I'm sorry, but the games, while they do count in the standings, really don't mean diddly-poo. Does anybody really believe otherwise?

Now that it is August, the pennant races are heating up and the non-waiver trade deadline has come and gone, the games are starting to matter. So, I found it a perfect time to take a step back and look at the landscape, if only to see where everybody stood.

In the National League, the Mets, Brewers and D'backs lead the divisions. The wild card race is tighter than a frogs butt is water tight.

In the American League, the Red Sox, Tigers and Angels sit atop their respective divisions. Cleveland, Minnesota and Seattle are chomping at the heels of everybody, along with the...Yankees?

Wait.

Are these the same New York Yankees that detractors left for dead several times already this season? The same Yankees that in April and May they were calling for Joe Torre's head? Even when they re-signed Roger Clemens, it was "too little, too late"? Didn't I see an ESPN poll that asked people at the All-Star Break if the Yankees were too far out of it to make the playoffs, and it was an overwhelming, "yes"? Those Yankees?

Yep.

Don't look back now, but the Yankees are on fire. En Fuego. They are beating the **** out of everybody now. Winning games by the scores of, like, 21-3, 16-3, 14-2, etc, etc, oy vey! I know football season is near, but a two touchdown victory over the Devil Rays? A Field goal and TD over the White Sox? A-Rod is about to hit number 500, everybody is hitting the ball out of the park, the pitching has been phenomenal. Those **** Yankees.

And it is certainly no surprise to me that they are making a run now. And there is really only one reason why, in my mind. And this is it:

They always do.

I get a big kick out of everyone that buries the Yanks every year and come August and September, there they are, either in first place or **** close. C'mon people, it's been a decade plus of this stuff. Did any of you think otherwise?

Now, I am not a Yankee fan. I am one of the people that like to see change. I am a big fan of parity in baseball. I like the fact that the Brewers are still very much in the thick of it all. Same goes for the Mariners, Indians, Padres, Phillies and Cubs. It makes things more exciting, root for the underdog, because who the **** knows when they'll get back?

So, it is easy for me to root against the likes of the Red Sox, Braves and of course, the Yankees, because they are always there in the end. And I am beginning to believe it has less to do with money and more to do with pure heart and experience. Naw, that'd be a lie. Money talks. But, still.

You don't have success at the Major League level as a franchise without saavy, smarts, money, talent and experience. Some teams are trying to get there, like the Dodgers, Tigers and Mets. Some don't have much at all. And then there are those that major in it, like the Yankees.

Love 'em or hate 'em, the Yankees are here for the rest of the summer.

Love it or hate it, baseball is better because of it.

This past weekend was one of the most stirring and heavily attended Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies in recent years and included two of the really great guys in the history of the game of baseball. Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr. are clearly class acts, true gentlemen and deserving of their plaque in Cooperstown. That goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway.

We have a few milestones and records that'll be toppled here in the next few weeks. Barry Bonds and the Home Run record (heavily talked about, by me included), Tom Glavine's 300th victory (the last by a pitcher in the Bigs for a while, I presume), A-Rods 500th dinger and Ken Griffey Jr.'s 600th tater are on deck, at the pole and just waiting.

But, this weekend an occurance/milestone came and was passed by a man not unnoticed by baseball fans around the country, ****, the globe. The actual event went unnoticed for the most part. I feel that is a shame, and so I'll bring it to light here.

Ichiro Suzuki's 1,500th hit.

I didn't know it happened until I read the article on Seattlepi.com. Here is what it said:

Ichiro's Latest Milestone: 1,500 Hits

By JOHN HICKEY
P-I REPORTER

I can imagine that the excitement and the adrenaline that flows inside of a person are mind-boggling. I can imagine feeling in awe of the whole major league experience for the first time, walking into a baseball cathederal like Yankee Stadium or a modern day gem like Petco Park...****, even a piece of garbage like Tropicana Field would be cool, too. Thousands of fans, white baseballs for batting practice, infields like pool tables, pristine pitchers mounds and silky smooth batters boxes. I can only imagine.

I can imagine that is how John Lannan felt when he was called up to the Washington Nationals the other day. Lannan was called up by Washington after he went a combined 12-3 with a 2.35 ERA in 20 games with three minor league teams this season. His call up told him he'd be on the bump at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelhpia. The southpaw pitcher three years pro out of Siena College made his first major league start yesterday against the Philadelphia Phillies. That's big. The Phillies can hit, and they're in the thick of the National League pennant race, they have intimidating marquee sluggers like Chase Utley and Ryan Howard to deal with. A daunting task for any pitcher, really. Let alone a rookie on day one. 

According to Hoyle, all things were going OK for Lannan. He was working four innings, giving up three runs and scattering six hits. Until something unraveled with one out in the fifth.

Lannan, known for his control, let loose with a few wild ones and in the process, matched history, if not set it all by his lonesome.

First, he hit Utley on the right hand. The next batter he faced, Ryan Howard, was plunked in the shoulder. The home plate umpire, Hunter Wendelstedt, without any warnings, immediately ejected the rookie pitcher, set off a tirade from Nats manager Manny Acta, getting him tossed and sending Lannan into baseball history.

Outrageous.

I tried checking with the Elias Sports Bureau on whether or not a rookie pitcher was ever thrown out of a game in his Major League debut. I looked and looked, I couldn't find squat, so I am going to assume that it has either a) never happened before, in which case, kudos to Lannan on being numero uno or b). it has happened before but I just can't find it anywhere, in which case, congrats to Lannan on tying numero uno!

Lannan's line for the day in his major league debut: 4 1/3 innings pitched, 6 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 2 HBP, 8.31 ERA, 1 Broken Hand (Utley), ejected in the fifth inning, for a total of 1 broken (or tied) major league baseball record.

Now, the stories he has to tell about his time in "the Show" for many years to come will be priceless.

I can only imagine what they'd sound like.

Yes, Barry Bonds will catch, then pass, the great Hank Aaron's Home Run record.

So, with all of the "breaking news" and the Barry watches going on, I ended up in a debate with a friend of mine about Mr. Bonds and the record. I just wanted to get my point across.

I don't understand the hullabaloo over whether or not the passing of the torch is legit. I can't figure out why Bud Selig has to debate whether or not he is to be in attendance when one of Baseball's most hallowed record gets eclipsed. I don't understand the bitterness towards Bonds outside of his town of San Francisco.

Personally, I've never been a Bonds fan. He has never been a lovable character in the game he owns. His demeanor towards the press and even fans to some degree comes across as crude, rude and standoff-ish. Let's say he is no Cal Ripken, Jr. That in itself is not news. And, yes, I am aware of the tell-all book "Game of Shadows" that has painted Bonds as a cheater and a liar. Nobody can argue with the stance taken or the many signs pointing to Barry as a steroid using cheater.

Here's my problem.

Nobody has ever officially proven he has done anything illegal or used any newly banned substances. Not that I am aware of. If that is the case, rip me a new one. But, I am sitting here unaware of them.

The truth is Barry Bonds had to still swing the bat against high caliber pitchers at the highest level of the game, some who have presumably cheated as well. He has done so for almost two full decades. He has been a steady ball player with a Hall of Fame career and stats for all of those years. Oh yeah, he hasn't had the immense advantage of being a Designated Hitter, either. Every day he's been patrolling the field, the wear and tear of such now showing itself. How can you not admire that?

If we are going to throw stones at the man for being under suspicion of using the cream or the clear or horse steroids or HGH, then we need to take a hard look at the rest of the athletes that have perhaps done the same. Even if he did do it, it wasn't against the rules of baseball. And he was not alone. Trust me.

If we are going to throw him under the bus for being a jerk and use it as argument for him not basking in the glory of a wonderful record, shame on us. But, in this country, everyone is innocent until proven guilty, and the court of public opinion, last I checked, was not grounds for banishment, asterisks or anything of the sort.

So, go for it Barry. I'll still be watching.

It was 1984, and living in Detroit during that summer was a special thing. But, the Cubs were having one **** of a season as well, and while my little league buddies would rile me up with Tigers this and Tigers that, I simply reminded them that the Cubs were in the hunt too...and to watch out.

Fast forward 23 years. The Tigers are fresh off of a World Series appearance, essentially reviving a town decimated baseball wise with years of futility. And, yes, the Cubs have yet to get back there themselves, coming within five outs the last time around...in 2003. I have a family of my own. My son is almost nine himself. He likes the Tigers, loves Justin Verlander, whereas I still pull for the Cubs with passion like no other, because I have what all good Cubs fans have come to need...Hope.

In case you haven't noticed, the Cubbies are making a little run here of late. They are starting to garner the attention of the rest of baseball with their winning ways since mid-June. I've watched with the excitement and fervor of a nine year old all over again, simply because of hope.

This past week, I purchased a new Cubs hat. I bought one for my son actually, but while I was there I decided, "what the ****" and got myself one, too. The Cubs were fresh off of a three game winning streak, 19 of 26 since June 22, and I go and screw it up by messing with karma...since of course the Cubs lost that night. I was ready to burn the **** hat.

It was all superstition of course. And really was a bunch of ****, since they rattled off four of their next six anyway.

But, superstition is as much baseball as it is a part of anything. When I was a player in college, I believed that we were on a 25 game winning streak because I never once, (and my ex-girlfriend/wife can verify this), changed my socks. Ever. Until we lost. Then they disintegrated. Gross, yes. But, who was going to argue with the streak? Or as Crash Davis said so eloquently in Bull Durham, "If you believe you're playing well because you're getting laid, or because you're not getting laid, or because you wear women's underwear, then you ARE!" We were winning because of my socks. The Cubs lost because of the hat. What baseball player at heart doesn't get it?

I've kept the hat. I will continue to keep it. My son asks me about the Cubs score all the time. I tell him and pray they come through this time. At least before I hit 90 years old. The Cubs will hopefully do what they haven't been able to do since 1945, get back to the Series. I'll be there. Watching each step along the way.

With my hat on...proudly.