Autumn colors deliver
sports a’ plenty

or sports fans around the good ole USA, the October-November time frame is the penultimate time of the sports calendar. Baseball is on the cusp of another Word Series; the NFL’s quest for the Parity Trophy is well into gear; the NHL has begun yet another marathon season; and last but not least, the NBA is looking forward to the third Michael Jordan era.

After a brief respite from writing this column, I find myself drowning in several sporting hot tubs. So what better time for a motley collection of brief, yet timely, sports news briefs and opinions that might A) entertain, B) offend, C) dis-enfranchise, or D) do all of the above.

Ho hum, ho hum. The New York Yankees are seeking yet another World Series title to add to their already crowded trophy case. OK, enough of the envy and sour grapes, and on to a brief review of the 2001 Fall Classic. The Yankees are as part of autumn as the leaves that fall onto my lawn and into my gutters.

During the past few days, endless chatter has been centered on the pitching matchups, and with good reason. The Yanks send a four-man mound stud crew of Mike Mussina, Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitie, and Orlando Hernandez. The Diamondbacks sport Curt Schilling, Randy Johnson, and an assortment of mediocre hurlers that manager Bob Brenly would rather relegate to middle-relief roles.

If hitting is a wash in this series (a theory I am not altogether convinced of), then the best way I can assess this clash is by comparing the Diamondbacks devastating duo against the staffs of recent Yankee victims, the Oakland A’s and Seattle Mariners. The Athletics, with Hudson, Mulder, and Zito, provided an entertaining glimpse of the future of Major League pitching. The Mariners had a mix of young starters (Sele, Garcia) and savvy vets (Moyer, Abbott). The veteran Yankee lineup scraped up enough hits, walks, and runs to overcome the well-earned hype of the teams that entered the post-season with the two best regular season records. Can they go one step further and defeat arguably the two best pitchers in the game today?

Even though the rotation depth isn’t there for the Diamondbacks, some feel that with Schilling and Johnson, Brenly’s crew is guarantees the D-Backs at least three wins alone. Given the Yankees propensity to buck the odds and brush away regular-season trends, I gotta believe that they’re gonna beat one of those guys at least once. By the same token, World Series history is full of surprise stories that, this season, just might come in the form of a Brian Anderson or Albie Lopez. And that’s just the pitching.

Regardless of the pitching, the Diamondbacks will have to be as good at scraping for that extra run as the Yanks. If not, they’ll meet the same fate as the A’s and Mariners. Much more analysis will paste this space over the next couple weeks, but for now, here’s my prediction: Yankees in six.

Even though the rumor of Major League Baseball dumping the Montreal Expos and Florida Marlins from baseball’s landscape is just that – a rumor – it is nonetheless interesting for frustrated fans such as myself (and plenty others) to contemplate the benefits of the purging of two viable rosters. The Pittsburgh Pirates, Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals, et al would love a shot at snagging a Vladimir Guererro or Josh Beckett, a Cliff Floyd or Javier Vasquez. The thought of Jose Vidro batting leadoff would be a godsend to a team like the Brewers, who became the proud new owners of the single-season team whiff record. All dreaming aside, would the elimination of two teams, from 30 to 28, be good for baseball? In a word, YES!

The benefits? 1) Less diluted talent at the major league level. 2) The euthanization of two markets that cannot clearly support a major league team. 3) The realization that, in sports, less really is more sometimes. 4) Less farm systems at the major league level. 5) Within the context of a new labor agreement, the owners and the league would have one more bargaining chip.

The detriments? None come to mind.

Despite the tantalizing prospect of such a move, don’t hold your breath for this one folks. Nothing ever happens fast when it comes to Major League Baseball solving its problems.

The pinnacle of the 2001 college football season is fast approaching, and guess what subject is dominating the airwaves? You guessed it. Who deserves to be ranked high enough to contend for the farce that is the national championship? The BCS, that self-proclaimed bastion of technological objectivity, is once again added to the flavor of this rabid discussion. Here are their top four (as of Wednesday, October 24^th):

1. Oklahoma
2. Nebraska
3. UCLA
4. Miami

As was the case prior to the BCS conception, arguments abound as to who deserves to be ranked #1. The AP and USA Today rank Miami #1. But according to the BCS computers, "strength of schedule" is a Hurricane enemy.

Oklahoma plays in Lincoln this weekend, so one of those teams will slip in any poll (or computer program) conducted. But wait. Is the simultaneous "strength of schedule" that coats this matchup enough to prompt leniency come Monday morning? If the Sooners beat Nebraska, they will keep their #1 BS (oops, BCS) ranking. But will it be enough to supplant Miami in the media polls? Probably not.

My advice to all of you is, just enjoy the games this weekend. And please, please do not take the aforementioned questions about rankings too seriously. If you need more proof that this is indeed a futile task, please read my previous column on this wonderful web site.

Anybody out there not aware that Michael Jordan is attempting his third installment of his illustrious career? Well, here are a few short predictions: A) His Airness will average over 25 ppg. B) The Wizards will not make the playoffs. C) Jordan will begin cussing out his teammates by week two. D) David Stern will be doing the wave from November to April. E) Did I mention that the Wizards will not make the playoffs?

Speaking of teams that will make the playoffs, by the time this column is printed, the Milwaukee Bucks will have signed the powerful, yet enigmatic Anthony Mason. The Bucks need strength, a low-post presence, and a general roughness and toughness. Mason brings all three. If he accepts his role on the court and minimizes his antics off the court, the Bucks will meet the Lakers in the 2002 NBA Finals. By the way, the Lakers will repeat regardless of their Eastern Conference opponent.

With the possibility of the New York Yankees extending their status of "dynasty" in 2001, stay tuned for next week’s column. This space will feature a review of a book that stands above all others in the arsenal of argument-settlers for the best baseball dynasty of all-time. The book is entitled "Baseball Dynasties" and is co-written by Rob Neyer (of espn.com fame) and Eddie Epstein. I had the opportunity to interview Mr. Neyer this summer, and I hope to convey both his and his co-author’s thoughts and rationales in their fun, yet challenging research marvel.

Any comments, criticisms, or condemnations on this sports column or previous ones? Feel free to email me at tsdarath@milwpc.com