In the 24 hours since I wrote about Joe Girardi’s prescient decision to send Raul Ibanez to pinch-hit for Alex Rodriguez, we’ve seen the following: not one, not two, but three dramatic walk-off wins, each of which extended a series to a decisive fifth game; an epic collapse at home completed by the Reds; and the news that Joe Girardi is managing through the pain of losing his father over the weekend. Could any other sport manage this type of drama, with more still to come tomorrow?
If you came to this website, you’re probably a baseball fan. And if you are, you’re very lucky because the game, and the eight teams playing in the first round of the playoffs, have conspired to put on a magnificent show so far. All four of the series have gone to the limit. All have had close games and amazing finishes. And all have confirmed what we already knew: There’s nothing like baseball, particularly at this time of year.
One more note: Of the 16 writers on this site who ventured to make postseason predictions, only two still have their potential champion in play. Twelve writers have already lost their champion, and two others (myself included) could lose out before Friday is over. It’s been that kind of post-season so far, and we haven’t reached the biggest part of it yet. Let’s all enjoy it while we can.
