Having utilized both my head and my heart to make my last round of predictions, I couldn’t have been more wrong. The only thing I got right this time – having been 4-0 in the Division Series – was the fact that the Yanks/Rangers series went six games. Seeing how the Yanks showed up for one full game and a few innings in the opener, they really didn’t deserve to win and they got what they deserved.
Outside of a couple decent starts, some rather effective relief appearances and Cano and Granderson, pretty much the rest of the team didn’t show up; the results were not pretty. I’ll let the Fall Classic close before I talk much about the Yankee hot-stove league save to say that Cliff Lee made himself an awful lot of money so far this post-season. Whether or not he does wind up in pinstripes is still very much in the air, but Brian Cashman will drive the price up, of that be certain.
The Yanks may drive up Carl Crawford’s price, too. They can effectively block Tampa Bay from retaining their pried leftfielder by big bids even if Crawford eventually winds up in Anaheim. Right. I am not talking about what happens this winter; there is still plenty of baseball to be played.
Watching the Giants grab that sixth and final game from the Phillies really showed their mettle. They don’t have enough hitting to win the NL West, the NLDS or the NLCS, or so it seemed. But when the Giants score three runs they’re nearly unstoppable. Lee vs. Lincecum could be one of those epic pitcher’s battles and we may get to see it twice, perhaps, if things get really crazy, even three times...
Prediction: Giants beat Rangers in 7.


Nanowrimo is right around the corner; starts on a Monday this year, which, if I am going to participate, lines up well for me; like having your Number 1 starter on perfect, four day rest to start the World Series. I like starting projects on Mondays, or so I tell myself; it’s probably more of way to procrastinate on the other six days of the week…
Now, here’s the thing: Nanowrimo (which stand for National November Novel writing month) is a great way to force oneself into the chair. A writer requires a semblance of Sitzfleisch (literal translation: sit flesh; for writers more of a: “put your ass in the chair and leave it there…” kind of thing) to commit to the fifty-thousand words in a month goal, but it’s really achievable if you put yourself to it. Basically it breaks down to 1,667 words per day for the thirty days of November. If you’re interested, go to www.nanowrimo.org for information, FAQ’ and to sign up if you’ve got it in you.
I have done it once before to completion (although have never gone back to the novella (50,000 works out to only 140-170 pages) yet) and then there was last year. I was at 47,000 words and heading back to my laptop to finish the last 3,000 words to make the target and on time, too. And what did I find? The friends’ home I had been house-sitting over the Thanksgiving weekend had been robbed in broad daylight. They made off with my laptop amongst the household items stolen.
Thing is: I was planning on backing the book up when I returned from Brooklyn, so I lost the entire thing, save for the first ten handwritten pages still in a notebook somewhere. I still don’t have the heart to re-read those; I won’t be attempting to re-do that book, should I decide over the next few days whether to Nano or not to Nano. You’ll know if I do; you’ll know if I don’t, too.