It's the last week of the regular baseball season and all the teams in
the league now fall into three distinct categories. First are the teams
that have already clinched positions in the post-season: the Indians,
the Angels, the Red Sox. Then there are the teams sweating bullets on
the fence: the Cubbies, the Phillies, the free-falling Mets. Half of
these guys are facing heartache. Half of them will have traveled the
long road of 162 games, will have tasted the tease of soaring out of
the regular season to the big stage. Half of them will fall just one
proverbial run, just one out, just one pitch short and will slowly
empty their lockers and go home to watch the post-season on television,
the last botched plays turning over and over in their minds like
recurring nightmares...
