I know it's Fall because, last night, I made the big switch: I put my short-sleeved shirts off to the side of my closet, and moved the long-sleeved shirts to the middle.
But it is different.
I see all the Halloween decorations, and it doesn't bother me.
I see all the "pumpkin spice" stuff, including things that aren't even food, and it doesn't bother me. Much.
I see campaign signs, as New Jersey is electing a Governor, Assemblymen, and various local offices, and it doesn't bother me.
I have yet to see a Christmas season commercial on TV, but, if I did, I don't think that would bother me, either.
I see football in full swing, and it doesn't bother me.
None of this bothers me.
Why?
Because the Yankees are still playing.
When I was a kid, October 13 meant the World Series was underway. Now, we're just starting the League Championship Series.
The Yankees get underway tonight, away to the Houston Astros.
The Chicago Cubs will face the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Cubs knocked off the Washington Nationals last night, in an epic National League Division Series Game 5, that may have passed the title of "lovable losers," at least for the NL, from the no-longer-cursed Cubs to the Nats, who have now choked in 4 NLDS in 6 seasons.
It's as if they're trying to build their history, to bring their fans all the postseason disappointments they would have gotten had there been a Washington team between the Senators' leaving in 1971 and the Nats' arrival in 2005 -- without adding whatever they would have won.
So we're down to the final four of baseball -- and it happens to be the 4 largest cities in the country: New York, 8.5 million; Los Angeles, just under 4 million; Chicago, 2.7 million; Houston, 2.3 million. Though not the 4 largest metropolitan areas: New York, 23.7 million; Los Angeles, 18.7 million; Chicago, 9.9 million; San Francisco, 8.7 million; Boston, 8.0 million; Dallas, 7.6 million; Philadelphia, 7.2 million; Houston, 6.3 million, ranking 8th.
Still, the last few years, with the Yankees failing hard in the 2010 and 2012 ALCS, and in the 2011 AL Division Series, and in the 2015 AL Wild Card Game, and not making the Playoffs at all in 2013, 2014 and 2016, I have been reminded of what C.S. Lewis wrote about his fictional realm of Narnia: "A land where it is always Winter, but never Christmas."
Lately, around here -- although Met fans could have disputed this in 2015 and 2016 -- it has been always October, but never Postseason Baseball.
Now, it is the middle of October, and I have postseason baseball again.
And I'm enjoying it, too. Once the Wild Card Game was in the books, I didn't feel a sense of dread. True, we went down 2 games to 0 to the Indians, but, even then, I didn't feel what I felt after, say, Game 1 of the 2012 ALCS, when Derek Jeter broke his ankle, Mariano Rivera was already unavailable through injury, and the team really hadn't been hitting even though it had won the AL Eastern Division and the ALDS against the Baltimore Orioles, and then got beat by the Detroit Tigers in the most inevitable sweep in postseason history.
My grandmother, who saw plenty of postseason baseball, first with the Brooklyn Dodgers, and then with the Mets, would say the Yankees are "playing with house money."
Or, tying it in with her being the Thanksgiving host in our family until her death, anything the Yankees do from here on out, be it a home run or a nice catch or a good effort that falls short, is gravy.
But what if they do make it? I noticed something: Every time the Indians win the Pennant -- every single time -- the Yankees win the Pennant the next year: 1920-21, 1948-49, 1954-55, 1995-96, 1997-98. Will 2016-17 follow the pattern?
The leaves have not yet begun to change here. But it has cooled off. Football at its various levels, including European soccer, and the NHL are underway, with basketball at its various levels soon to follow. MLS is wrapping its regular season up, with the MLS Cup Playoffs following. I'm seeing Halloween decorations, pumpkin spice stuff, and election signs. And the Wawa Gobbler, that great "Thanksgiving dinner on an Italian roll" sandwich, is back.
And the Yankees are still playing. And playing with fun and drive, like they did in 1996, and in 2009.
And I'm not only enjoying it, but, defying past experience, I'm relatively relaxed.
For now.
*
Days until the U.S. national soccer team plays again: Unknown, as they have no further matches scheduled for calendar year 2017, nor, yet, for 2018. They were supposed to play at the World Cup in June. Alas...
Hours until East Brunswick High School plays football again: Less than 1, at they are about to kick off tonight, away to South Brunswick. Last night, in a Greater Middlesex Conference/Shore Conference crossover game against Marlboro, Da Bears won 28-14, gaining their 1st win of the season. Bob Molarz' Green-White Army is now 1-3.
Days until Rutgers University plays football again: 1, tomorrow at 12:00 noon, away to the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois.
Days until The Arsenal play again: 1, tomorrow at 12:30 PM our time, away to Hertfordshire club Watford.
Days until the New Jersey Devils next play a local rival: 1, tomorrow night at 7:00, against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden in Midtown Manhattan. Their 1st game against the New York Islanders will be on Sunday, January 7, 2018, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn -- and they'll have played the Rangers 3 times by then. Their 1st game against the Philadelphia Flyers will be on Saturday, January 13, 2018, at the Prudential Center in Newark -- and they'll have played the Rangers 3 times and the Islanders once by then. This is a weird schedule.
Days until the Red Bulls play again: 2, this Sunday at 3:00, home to expansion Atlanta United. Metro have clinched a Playoff berth, now they're jockeying for seeding position.
Days until the Red Bulls next play a "derby": 9, a week from this Sunday, against D.C. United, at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in Washington. Depending on when the new Audi Field opens next year (right now, they're talking about a June 2018 opening), this could be Metro's last trip to RFK. This is the last derby of the regular season. They could play New York City FC in the Playoffs, but the D.C. Scum, the New England Revolution and the Philadelphia Union won't be faced again until next season.
Days until the next election for Governor of New Jersey: 25, on Tuesday, November 7. Less than 4 weeks until we elect Phil Murphy, defeat Kim Guadagno, end Christieism forever, and send the Republicans and their illegitimate leader Donald Trump a message that their time has come and gone. But only if you vote!
Days until the next Rutgers-Penn State football game: 29, on Saturday, November 11, at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania.
Days until the next North London Derby: 36, on Saturday, November 18, at the Emirates Stadium. Exactly 6 weeks. This game was moved back to 12:30 PM London Time, 7:30 AM New York time, for TV purposes, but was not, as I thought it might be, moved to Sunday afternoon (morning, our time) or Monday night (afternoon).
Days until the next East Brunswick-Old Bridge Thanksgiving high school football game: 41, on Thursday, November 23, at 10:00 AM. Less than 6 weeks, and thank God it's at home, at Jay Doyle's Green Grove, rather than at that purple shit pit on Route 9.
Days until the Alex Rodriguez Contract From Hell officially runs out, and the Yankees can spend his salary on new players: 85, on December 31. I had previously thought it ran out on October 31, Halloween. No, it's New Year's Eve.
Days until the next Winter Olympics begins in Pyeongchang, Korea: 119, on February 9, 2018. Under 4 months.
Days until Opening Day of the 2018 Major League Baseball season: 167, on Thursday night, March 29, as the Yankees open away to the Toronto Blue Jays. A little over 5 months.
Days until the Yankees' 2018 home opener: 171, on Monday afternoon, April 2, against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Days until the next Yankees-Red Sox series begins: 179, on Tuesday, April 10, 2018, at Fenway Park.
Days until the next World Cup kicks off in Russia: 244, on June 14, 2018. Just 8 months. But the U.S. team won't be playing. Bruce Arena resigned as manager, and Kearny, New Jeresey's own Tab Ramos is the interim manager. At least now, Donald Trump doesn't have to choose, and can root for his favorite country, the host nation, Russia.
Days until September 2018 roster call-ups, when we can finally start to expect seeing most of these wonderful "prospects" for whom Yankee general manager Brian Cashman threw away a chance at the 2016 Playoffs, and the 2017 AL East title as well: 323. Under 11 months. Of course, Clint Frazier is already up, but the bubble has already burst on him, and we've hardly benefited enough to offset the cost of Andrew Miller. We could end up seeing another of them sooner than that, but since most of them are at Double-A Trenton now, if that, who's kidding who?
Days until the next Congressional election, when we can elect a Democratic Congress that can impeach and remove Donald Trump from the Presidency: 379, on November 6, 2018. A little over a year, or a little under 13 months.
Days until the Baseball Hall of Fame vote is announced, electing Mariano Rivera: 443, on January 9, 2019. A little under a year and a half, or a little over 15 months.
Days until the next Women's World Cup kicks off: 592, on June 7, 2019, in France. The U.S. team, as 3-time and defending Champions, has, as usual, a better chance than the men's team would have had in 2018 anyway.
Days until the Baseball Hall of Fame vote is announced, electing Derek Jeter: 808, on January 8, 2020. A little under 2 1/2 years, or a little over 27 months.
Days until the next Summer Olympics begins in Tokyo, Japan: 1,006, on July 24, 2020. Under 3 years, or a little under 32 months.
Days until the next Presidential election, when we can dump the Trump-Pence regime and elect a real Administration: 1,108, on November 3, 2020. Under 3 1/2 years, or a little under 37 months.
Days until Liberation Day: 1,186, at noon on January 20, 2021. A little under 3 1/2 years, or a little over 39 months. Note that this is liberation from the Republican Party, not just from Donald Trump. Having Mike Pence as President wouldn't be better, just differently bad, mixing theocracy with plutocracy, rather than mixing kleptocracy with plutocracy.
Days until the next World Cup for which the American team will be eligible is scheduled to kick off: 1,857, on November 21, 2022, in Qatar. A little over 5 years, or 61 months. The charges of corruption against Qatar may yet mean that they will lose the tournament, in which case it will be moved to a nation where it would not be too hot to play it in June and July.
1 comment:
Speaking of trends, there is one I'd like to see continue though it's a small sample size: Oddnumbered decade year that ends with eight. 1938, 1958, 1978, and 1998. Not sure if one can connect Red Sox last title before their 86 year old drought to this but still, it's fun to think about now and then.
If it follows then next season could be the year if not this season. Granted there's a chance the trend ends at 2018 so its a tough call. Still note that three of the four years, the victory was either improbable or historic, like 1958 features the Yankees coming back from a 3-1 deficit, 1978 had them coming back from a 14 game deficit in the regular season en route to the title and 1998 being a 114 win season.
Maybe if all goes well, something special can happen in 2018, whatever it may be. The best I can think of so far was ending the Republican President year title drought that began after 1958.
Then again there was a similar trend with years ends with six in a odd numbered decade when it comes to pennant and we know how it worked last year so who knows?
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