OCTOBER 31, 2019

I watched the 2019 World Series, all seven games, and thought the Washington Nationals, the biggest underdogs in about a dozen years, didn't have much a chance to beat the heavily favored Houston Astros. In many ways, the Nationals (formerly the Montreal Expos, a franchise that relocated to Washington, D. C.) reminded me just a bit of the Miracle Mets of 1969, who defeated the much more heavily favored Baltimore Orioles to win their first World Series Championship.

This is the first franchise to bring Washington, D. C. a World Series championship since the 1924 Washington Senators did it. It is also the first time any franchise in any major league sports that any team has gone on to a championship by winning all of its games on the road, and not a single game at home! So much for "home-field advantage"! (To be clear, the Houston Astros won all three games played at the Washington Nationals' Home Park, while the Washington Nationals won all four games played at the Astros' Home Park. That's simply unheard of in a seven-game series!)

Anyway, Congrats to the Nats! A truly enjoyable World Series to watch from beginning to end.

OCTOBER 20, 2019

Yes, at least there were the hilarious Geico commercials to watch during the American League Championship Series, like this one about the guy who passes up an opportunity to purchase a new home because of what's in the attic. Yeah, THAT made me laugh.

The American League Championship Series: Not so much.

Kudos to the Houston Astros for beating the Yanks, whom they out-pitched, out-hit, and out-played. I really thought we might be going to a Game 7, but the Astros took the American League Pennant in the bottom of the ninth inning after a thrilling comeback two-run homer by DJ LeMahieu tied the game in the top of that inning. But He Who is Not Mariano Rivera gave up a two-run homer to He Who Shall Not Be Named to lead the Astros to a 6-4 victory over the Yanks in Game 6 in Houston.

I'm super-pissed off at the Yanks for leaving so many guys in scoring position and not being able to come up with the big hit when the team needed it. And for not beefing up their starting pitching. And for ... oh, well, what's the sense?

Anyway, I'm not bitter at the Astros.

(Go Nats.)

OCTOBER 12, 2019

And so tonight it begins: A re-match of the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees (who last met in the AL Championship Series in 2017, which the Astros won in 7 games to go on to win their franchise's first World Championship). The winner of this series will represent the American League in the World Series.

There should be no doubt who this Bronx Bombers Fanatic is rooting for.

But while I'm at it, I'd like to extend a Big Congratulations to Pete Alonso of the New York Mets who has been selected unanimously by Baseball America as Rookie of the Year! Next up, I think, should be the bona fide Baseball Writers' Association of America's selection of Alonso for NL Rookie of the Year. It would be well deserved; he broke the Yanks' Aaron Judge's single season home run record for a rookie, hitting his 53rd home run on September 28, 2019.

But it's the postseason now... and it's time to focus on the Yankees quest for a 28th World Series Championship. GO YANKS!

OCTOBER 08, 2019

The New York Yankees sweep the Minnesota Twins and advance to the American League Championship Series!

Woo-hoo!