Forever (Michael) Young

Thought: If I partake in the Jena 6, am I part of the Jena side? (Joke)

Neil Young wrote a great song back in the day called 'Comes a Time'. I can't recall the lyrics verbatim, but I can tell you this time of the year serves as a wonderful reminder of what's to be, and what wardrobe items get brought out for the next six months or so. This is the last weekend of summer.

Friday night football goes into a higher degree of urgency, pigskin rivalries start to heat up, words like 'magic number' and 'elimination' are used to describe what remains in determining the baseball playoff scenarios, and then some. To wit...

Both Texas teams are cellar dwellars on the diamond. I saw this stat and I scratch my head...Seven years in a row Lance Berkman has hit a home run on 9/21st. Remind me to make a trip to Las Vegas next year! Unreal.

Michael Young now sits at 193 hits for the season. Reaching 200 for the fifth year in a row will be a thrill to watch. 8 homers and 85 ribbies. If he can do the impossible and reach 100 RBI, that would make for a hell of a stat: Ballplayers with over 100 RBI and ten homers or fewer. You'd have to go back to dead ball era days to find a name to match that criteria. Thurman Munson in 1975 came close...

I have said it all season and will continue to stand by this. The Boston Red Sox will take the A.L. East crown for the first time in ten years. This weekend will be the deciding factor as a sweep in Tampa Bay is imminent. I will give the Yanks every accolade in the world. This is their time of the year to step up and make happen. Toronto will do to New York exactly as they did in 1983, 1985, and 1993-make life hell for the Bombers this last weekend. Roy Halladay got hosed tonight in his start! Both New York and Boston will reach the post-season. The ALCS WILL NOT feature both of these teams. Anaheim owns the Yanks and A-Rod will revert to his usual Mr October Dyslexic slide.

The Brew Crew will have a tough final week of home games as they finish up with the red-hot Padres. Coco Cordero has a chance to surpass his own record for saves in a season. 49 in 2004. He now sits at 44. I expect the Cubbies to win pulling away. To all you Lou Piniella haters out there who gave me grief back in April...I TOLD YOU SO!

It's great to see Pedro Martinez doing his magic again on the mound. After a week of struggle, they appear to be righting the ship in time for October.

Shades of 2003: Remember when both the Red Sox and Cubs were FIVE outs away from a World Series berth? Isn't it a little strange that both teams had a 1 and 1/2 game lead in their respective races going into play tonight? Don't get me wrong, CC Sabathia and Fausto Carmona are aces for the Tribe and they have been a great team all around. Cubs-Indians would be a GREAT World Series matchup, but c'mon. The world wants to see 2003 as it should have been-Red Sox and Cubs. If that happens, I think Steve Bartman and Moises Alou should throw out the first pitch, burying a hatchet if you will. Oh the TV ratings if that happens!

Back to Ohio real quickly. No one is saying this but ya think Buck Showalter is sporting an ear to ear grin these days? Becoming advisor to Eric Wedge and company while still getting paid by the Rangers must be some kind of wonderful!

Boomer Sooners! Most points in a four game stretch since 1920-That was Babe Ruth's first year as a Yankee! I anxiously await the Red River shootout on October 6th. Tulsa finally scored some points on it's home turf. No stopping the team from Norman from where I sit, suspensions or not...

A friend of mine had a bouncing baby boy this morning. Seven pounds eleven ounces. Austin was born to Monica Jacobs this day. Congrats to her and to the newborn! Both are resting comfortably at this hour...Mom and Dad are still waiting for this Master to get busy, but I haven't found any good takers of good genetic narcissism. Maybe one day...

Dallas, I believe, will start the new season out with a road win in the windy city. I believe the game will be a see-saw affair with the Cowboys eking out a win 16-14. I also go on record to state that I think Green Bay can get to 3-0 as San Diego tries to find itself. If there is such a thing as an upset special, maybe Pittsburgh gets caught napping at the heels of a tenacious 49er squad. At the very least take the nine points and watch for Frank Gore to bounce back from the passing if his mother last Sunday. The last time the Cowboys, Packers, and 49ers started a season 2-0 together? 1965! I was but a year old and the Who hadn't begun to start touring with the Monkees yet...

The Dallas Stars just concluded three games in three days. A 5-4 win over the Blues, a 4-3 overtime loss to the Lightning, and a 6-3 pounding to the Avalanche. Two more games of the exhibition variety and then the games start for real 10/5th. The last time the Bruins were here was 10/15/03. The night that the Cubbies lost Game 7 to the Marlins and the Red Sox forced a Game 7 in New York. Maybe the fact that the Bruins are in Dallas next month should serve as a reminder on when to root for the Red Sox and Cubs come October.

Note to the NHL-Let every hockey team play each other at least twice a year! Allow access to all the players in a revamped alignment. Also out Dallas in an Eastern or Central bracket. They take too much of a hit in late games on the Western swings...

Next week I will be catching my first high school football game of 2007. A rematch of one year ago as Arlington Lamar and Duncanville lace em up again. I will be there with the coach and pops.

Make it a great weekend. Texas State Fair commences on 9/28th! I am so there!

Over and out in Big D

Mr Will