Hit the Books, Abner

I was hoping this was the year the World Series lasted until Spring Training. Of course, I also hoped my Yankees would be the AL representatives...what is it they say about wishing? 'Wish in one hand and spit in the other and see which one fills up faster.' That's as may be, but my rule after watching somebody do that is to just wave instead of shaking hands.

Anyway, it's now one and done for somebody and two out of three for the other body when the Series flies back to Fenway and everybody unpacks for Game Six (and maybe Game Seven).

Then it's the Hot Stove League and about 110 days until pitchers and catchers report (based on this season's car crash of a finish I hope the Yankees have a BIG spring training facility to hold all those auditioning for either position. Too bad the E in PEDs didn't stand for English, Francisco).

But before we carpool with Dave Logggins and please come to Boston I have two words in reaction to Bud Selig's observation fueled by the presence of David Ortiz whom even though I root for Pinstripe People, I deeply enjoy for the sheer delight at which he goes about his job. Shut up.

Mr. Selig made some headlines in St. Louis by suggesting, for attribution, in light of the Red Sox having to decide to play or sit Big Papi that maybe the National League should get with the modern era and have a designated hitter (DH) just like they do in the American League. Yeah, shut up works, just fine.

I hate the DH and not just because I wonder where guys like Ruth, DiMaggio and Aaron might have ended up if they could have sat on the end of a dugout seat during the dog days of August and come out and bat three or four times a game and then sit down again. Do what I did a couple of the times over the summer.

Stop some place where kids are playing sandlot ball and ask how many want to play professionally when they grow up (though many of the professionals I root for haven't grown up at all, so that may not be crucial to the process). When you ask them what position, guess how many say DH? Yeah. Game, set and match, Budster.

Talkin' about game-the purpose of baseball caps evolved as the game matured. They were intended to shade your eyes from the sun because God intended baseball to be played outdoors and during the day. The purpose of work during the baseball season was, and is, to get in the way of going to a ballgame.

I do not understand why other sports' teams have baseball caps. It's not part of their uniform, and for the No Fun Losers, how would your guys even wear them? Under the helmet or over it? Take it easy, NHL, I'm looking at you.

But here's the thing, because the sport is driven by dollars, day games have gone the way of the dodo, or just about. Remember when we were kids bringing the transistor radios to school and asking permission to listen to them during recess after lunch. That's when Jim Hightower and Rush Limbaugh are on now, not the World Series.

So to go back to my sandlot full of kids playing baseball maybe none of them want to grow up to be players because it all happens after their bedtimes. And let's face it, professional DH's need their beauty sleep too, right, David?
-bill kenny