End Of Season

The Cardinals won the World Series last night 4 games to 1. The Tigers, who were dominant in the playoffs, lost their stride, maybe as a result of the six days they had off between the end of the playoffs and the start of the World Series. We were rooting for the Tigers—the story of their rise from near-record futility in 2003 to league champion this year is a heartening one. But the Cardinals are a good and worthy team, with a cadre of some very talented players, and I’m not dismayed to see them win. I’ve liked their manager Tony La Russa since his days with the A’s, especially since he has a strong commitment to companion animal welfare (he started the East Bay-based Animal Rescue Foundation after rescuing and trying to find a home for a stray cat that ran onto the field during an A’s-Yankees game.) And it’s fun to see somebody of my stature win the series MVP—the Cards’ shortshop David Eckstein who seems to need all-out effort to make the throw to first base. A stout heart still counts for a lot.

The offseason brings two pastimes, following the moves as teams rearrange themselves for next year, and catching up on baseball and the arts. The San Francisco Giants have already hired a new manager, snatching Bruce Bochy away from the Padres, and seem likely to part ways with Barry Bonds. If the latter happens I’ll be glad. As for baseball in film and literature—it’s high time we finished watching the Ken Burns baseball series!