Playoff push

Does it get any better than this? Two teams, deadlocked after 162 games. One team needing to beat three teams in three days, to reach the post season. The Chicago White Sox, and the Minnesota Twins square off, in a winner take all battle for the American League Central, at U.S. Cellular field in Chicago. My boy Griffey appears to be the difference maker so far. Maybe. Kinda. Griffey gunned a runner out at the plate, and then doubled before being replaced by someone under the age of 35. Sure his runner ended up being stranded, but his throw out surely motivated Jim Thome to hit a solo home run. Personally, I’m pulling for the Chisox, as I want to see Griffey at least get a shot at it. The twins do have that one hat with my initials on it, so if they win, I’ll be o.k. with that. How do Twins fans feel about this game anyway? They did beat the Sox in head to head matchups this year, but still a tie is a tie in baseball. In footbal, this would go down the list of tiebreakers, and this game never would have happened. The team with the head to head best record would move on. If still a tie, it would go to the team with the better division record, then the team with the better league record, then finally to the team with the most beer sales. It may not be fair, but the excitement of this game can’t be matched on paper. The White sox won a coin toss to decide home field for this game, again screwing the twins fans. I have a little bit of a bad taste in my mouth from this whole deal. It seems like just yesterday I was rushing home from work, to get the beer and the grill ready for a winner take all matchup between my Reds, and the New York Mets. Years of being shit on were about to be washed away. My Reds had just won a late night, rain delayed game in Milwaukee, to force a deciding game 163. Fate was on our side. After the victory, we would track down a sober driver, and head south to Cincinnati to wait in line for Reds Playoff tickets, all while taking what could have been the greatest “sick” day of all time. Sadly it was not to be. The gods had screwed us yet again. The reds came up short, and the playoff drought continues to this day. Which of these teams will be feeling our pain tomorow? As we head to the 8th, it looks like the Sox could have it, but I’m not counting out the Twins just yet.

As a fan of shitty Ohio Sports teams, we have a year in, year out tradition, called pick which team(s) to root for in the playoffs. Really none of our hated rivals are in it. I do hate the Cubs, but most people kinda consider them the “special” kid at the spelling bee, and quietly cheer them on. I myself enjoy their pain, always have, always will. The Dodgers have been historical rivals of the Reds from the ole NL west days, but they got the Defiance kid, and Manny, so I’m leaning their way. I do like C.C. and hope that he can someday soon don a Reds Uni, so they are my #2 pick behind the Dodgers in the NL. For the A.L. I gott go with the Rays. I love an underdog story, and can’t handle anothe Boston title. So who does the rest of the country pull for in times like these. If you don’t have a horse in this race, let us all know who you’re pulling for.