On End-of-Season Baseball Musings

With the playoffs beginning today, I wanted to muse on things baseball-related.

First, why does a team advance to the playoffs as a wild card when there’s a tie for division champion? I’m not trying to exclude Boston from the playoffs, but it’s a fair question. Boston didn’t win their division. The Tigers and the Twins did. Tied, yes, but they’re both atop the heap in the American League Central after 162 games. It seems to me that in circumstances like this, the Wild Card should go away.

Of course, the executives at FOX are positively salivating right now at the possibility of a Yankees/Red Sox American League Championship Series. And, like millions of Americans, I’m going to say that I don’t give a toss for either the Yankees or the Sox. 🙂

Second, the name of Richmond’s minor league baseball team has been narrowed to five finalists. My idea, the Burgesses, didn’t pass muster. Instead, the five finalists are the Flatheads, the Flying Squirrels, the Hambones, the Rock Hoppers, and the Rhinos.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, Richmond!

I submit a quality name, a name that sounds cool, and there’s a chance that the team might be known as the Hambones? Which could be shorted to the Boneys? Or, for people with a more than G-rated mind, the Boners? The Richmond Boners? Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!

The comments on the Richmond Times-Disgrace article are hilarious, by the way. Nice to know I’m not the only one aghast.

Third, this morning’s Baltimore Sun had an article on what the off-season might bring to the beleaguered bottom-dwellers of the American League East. The general impression of the article? Don’t expect much in the way of free agent signings, and trades are unlikely as that would give away the pieces still developing. The funniest part of the article? Mentioning Prince Fielder as a trade possibility. Sorry, I don’t see Prince Fielder coming to Camden Yards, though there is a Dunkin’ Donuts about six blocks from the stadium for all his donut needs.

And that brings me to my personal prognostications.

I’m going to say it.

The Washington Nationals will post a winning season before the Baltimore Orioles do.

Guaranteed.

Maybe not next year. But certainly by 2012. The Nationals will post a winning season before the O’s.

And I have no idea about the Cubs :cubs: next year. Except that I’m hopeful. Because I’m a Cubs fan, I learned disappointment when I was young. Because I’m a Cubs fan, I learned the power of hope. We’ll be in the mix next year. I’m hopeful. 🙂

Published by Allyn

A writer, editor, journalist, sometimes coder, occasional historian, and all-around scholar, Allyn Gibson is the writer for Diamond Comic Distributors' monthly PREVIEWS catalog, used by comic book shops and throughout the comics industry, and the editor for its monthly order forms. In his over ten years in the industry, Allyn has interviewed comics creators and pop culture celebrities, covered conventions, analyzed industry revenue trends, and written copy for comics, toys, and other pop culture merchandise. Allyn is also known for his short fiction (including the Star Trek story "Make-Believe,"the Doctor Who short story "The Spindle of Necessity," and the ReDeus story "The Ginger Kid"). Allyn has been blogging regularly with WordPress since 2004.

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