Dear Baseball
Brant Wilkerson-New
Issue date: 8/24/06 Section: Sports
Dear baseball,
I'm sorry.
Just when I think you're out of my life forever, you show up at my door, looking and behaving a whole lot better than we last met.
You've given me empty promises about changing in the past, so I'm still a little skeptical.
Remember that little drug problem of yours? It nearly cost you our relationship.
Over what? Something trivial like a few extra home runs. Don't worry, small-ball and defense might not be the most attractive, but I still love you for it.
Oh, and that shady ex of yours-- Barry Bonds? He's no good for you. He got you in this mess to begin with.
Barry Bonds without his 'power' is kind of like Hugh Hefner without the Playboy empire. Not so attractive anymore, is he?
If I come home one night and find out you're strung out on HGH or back with that clown Bonds, it's over. Over for good, I swear it.
We could still have a little summer fling between basketball and NFL training camps, but you'd be no better than a hookup.
So why exactly am I taking baseball back?
What some may call mediocrity in the National League, I call entertainment.
In the NL, there are currently eight teams within six games of the wild card-leading Cincinnati Reds. Every one of them has a legitimate shot at running down Cincy, too.
The Reds aren't exactly what you'd call battle tested, after spending most of the post-Pete Rose era near the middle of pack.
San Diego is just two games back, even with ace Jake Peavy tossing up batting practice fastballs during most starts. He's due for a couple of good starts down the stretch, and the Padres know how to win a tight race.
Philly and Arizona are right there, with about two good pitchers between the teams.
Atlanta is still hanging on by a thread, but I refuse to count them out until I see the playoff pairings without them included. How come Bobby Cox doesn't get mentioned in the discussion of best managers of all-time, anyway?
I'm sorry.
Just when I think you're out of my life forever, you show up at my door, looking and behaving a whole lot better than we last met.
You've given me empty promises about changing in the past, so I'm still a little skeptical.
Remember that little drug problem of yours? It nearly cost you our relationship.
Over what? Something trivial like a few extra home runs. Don't worry, small-ball and defense might not be the most attractive, but I still love you for it.
Oh, and that shady ex of yours-- Barry Bonds? He's no good for you. He got you in this mess to begin with.
Barry Bonds without his 'power' is kind of like Hugh Hefner without the Playboy empire. Not so attractive anymore, is he?
If I come home one night and find out you're strung out on HGH or back with that clown Bonds, it's over. Over for good, I swear it.
We could still have a little summer fling between basketball and NFL training camps, but you'd be no better than a hookup.
So why exactly am I taking baseball back?
What some may call mediocrity in the National League, I call entertainment.
In the NL, there are currently eight teams within six games of the wild card-leading Cincinnati Reds. Every one of them has a legitimate shot at running down Cincy, too.
The Reds aren't exactly what you'd call battle tested, after spending most of the post-Pete Rose era near the middle of pack.
San Diego is just two games back, even with ace Jake Peavy tossing up batting practice fastballs during most starts. He's due for a couple of good starts down the stretch, and the Padres know how to win a tight race.
Philly and Arizona are right there, with about two good pitchers between the teams.
Atlanta is still hanging on by a thread, but I refuse to count them out until I see the playoff pairings without them included. How come Bobby Cox doesn't get mentioned in the discussion of best managers of all-time, anyway?
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