Okay, that was thrilling.
The two-day wait to conclude Game Five went a long way to defuse interest in the Series, but three riveting innings may have turned opinions.
From Geoff Jenkins' pinch-hit double to get the crowd frenzied immediately to Rocco Baldelli's party-crashing home run to Chase Utley throwing out Jason Bartlett to Brad Lidge sending a passionate city into a euphoric dance with a strikeout of Eric Hinske, three measly innings made for a classic semi-game.
I'm not a hard sell on the World Series; I love it regardless of the match-up. Television ratings south of the border suggest this view lies within the minority.
But when it comes to the Fall Classic, there are five things I can do without. Here's the list:
1. Announcers proclaiming the winner as "World Champions." I think I've griped about this before, but the only sport where this holds true is in the National Football League. It's old school and insular to think they don't play baseball elsewhere. Japan won the World Baseball Classic, and they beat Cuba to claim the title. Give the Phillies the label they deserve: World "Series" champions.
2. Championship t-shirts and hats. Who are these people that pollute the pile-on by pulling players away so they can don a $10 shirt? If I'm Chase Utley, do I want to celebrate in the traditional, dirt-stained jersey that draped me as I chased down Iwamura's ground ball? Do I undermine the value of the red-and-white uniform that represents 126 years of National League baseball in Philadelphia? Or do I want to cover it in something I could probably pick out of the 2-for-1 bin at Walmart?
3. People who complain about the weather. Fine, the suspension of Game Five wasn't Bud Selig's finest hour. They knew bad weather was in the forecast, so perhaps the whole mess could have been diverted. But baseball is an outdoor game, and it so happened that Game Five was pushed back two days. This happens frequently during the regular season, and nobody says a word. But it happens during a World Series game and everybody starts to whine. Look, it rains every now and then, so here's a request to writers and columnists: Stop talking about.
4. Neutral sites. Please. Imagine the energy in, say, Phoenix when the Indians and Marlins meet there for the 2013 World Series. No way. Baseball is, for the most part, affordable. There are countless people who attend many games each year despite limited means. And like any other professional team, there are hundreds - if not thousands - of loyal customers. To tell them they'll have to find a room in San Diego to watch their team's World Series home games is a massive insult.
5. Champagne. Don't they serve anything else? If I've been playing baseball everyday since February and end up on a World Championsh... I mean, World Series winner, no offence to the good people at Moet et Chandon, but I want a cold beer.
Congratulations to the Phillies, enjoy the off-season, and thanks for your loyalty to this blog and our network.
