So, it's been 2 full weeks since last I have posted here. It's also been 2 full weeks of a seriously painful lower back issue that has kept me from spending much time hunched over this machine. Such is life. Still not better, but a few adjustments and a whole load of cracking have notched the pain and discomfort down a few clicks.

Speaking of pain, the Yankees got trounced by Detroit - again - and were swept out of the ALCS with nary a battle. It's funny how the game can change and then swing right back at you, something like the pit and the pendulum. The Yanks were down 4-zip in the 9th of game 1 when a sudden surge off the bats of Ichiro and Raul Ibanez and the seemingly-dead Bombers tied the score. Had they won it out right before extra innnings who knows how the series could have turned out.

But the game went into extra innings, Derek Jeter busted his leg trying to make a play and outside of the 9th inning 2 games later against the mighty Verlander, New York barely raised its voice. The pitching, which always seems like the suspect link, was stellar despite pitching with backs against the wall all the time as the bats went cold as ice. Had the Yanks gotten a hit with runners on base here or there things could have been better. But when the heart of your line-up, the guys you trust day in and day out to put up good at-bats and drive in some runs just looked tired and over-matched all series long (the ALDS vs. the O's was similar, but the bats squeeked out just enough to take that series in 5) and it wasn't just A-Rod (who makes himself a lightening rod) but Cano was awful, Swish failed to show again in what should prove to be his last chance in pinstripes alas, Tex hit okay for average but wasn't a run producer.

All in all, an ugly showing by the Yankees again in the post-season and had Mr. Steinbrenner still been alive there would be the apology to the fans and then heads would roll, but more in more this team seems constructed for April-September and not to go the distance.

So what does that leave us for the World Series? The Tigers have been sitting back and waiting, perhaps getting rusty. But the Tigers who snuck up and grabbed the AL-Central from the lackluster Chisox weren't a great team this year despite Cabrera and his Triple Crown (by the way, perhaps Prince Fielder is the best protection any hitter could hope to have; ask Ryan Braun) and Verlander if Detroit was in either the AL-East or West they would have finished in 4th place. They get to play the awful Twins, below par Royals and the weak Tribe so many times you'd expect better.

The NLCS wraps up tonight in a do or die game 7 in San Francisco. Both teams have shown amazing resilency this post-season, coming back from huge holes in the divison series, but tonight one of them goes home. The Cards, who still reek from Tony LaRussa, are impossible to root for and the idea of an all Mid-Western World Series seems off, so go Giants, I guess...

Next post I'll bring up some of the screenwriting stuff that's bubbling around...

Cheers,
B.