IN PRAISE OF THE ROCKIES

Just so you know, I was going to write this no matter what the result of Game 1 of the Phillies-Rockies NLDS series was. It just so happens I'm writing this tonight happier than I otherwise would have been.

Had the play-in game ended in regulation, at a reasonable time, I would have written this then. A family situation in New York postponed the posting another day. But here it is.

I am hereby throwing my support behind the Colorado Rockies to win the World Series.

The Rockies are the anti-Mets. Where the Mets tanked over the final few weeks, the Rockies surged - they won 13 of 14 to force the play-in game, and then won that game. And then they won Game 1 of the post-season against Philadelphia, in Philadelphia. I believe there is another link between the Mets and Rockies, other than the fact that one has disappointed me to the extreme, while the other has impressed the heck out of me: I think it was against the Mets that the Rockies proved their worth and started feeling their oats.

The Mets and Rockies met very early in the season - in April, and the Mets took two out of three, because back then, the Mets were supposed to do that sort of thing. But then, in the beginning of July, with the Rockies 4 games below .500, everything started to click for Colorado. They beat the Mets 6-2, 11-3, and 17-7. I sort of wrote that off as a fluke at the time, but ever since that meeting, I've had half-an-eye on the Rockies, and I haven't been surprised at what they've done....because of that meeting. (Remember, they also swept the Yankees in Colorado, too.)

Since that Mets series, which was right before the All Star break, the Rockies have gone 51-30. (I didn't even realize until right now that it was also the exact halfway point of their season. How about that?) Some people (dad) think teams have to pay their dues before they root for said team to win the World Series. I haven't had this discussion with my dad to see if he thinks the Rockies have paid their dues...but it doesn't matter to me. I don't buy into that too much, anyway (I used to take pride in the fact that the Mets were the quickest expansion team to win a championship - in existence in 1962, winning in 1969...but that's long since past).

But even if I did, I would argue that by virtue of their awful pitching and awful pitcher's park their dues have been paid. And that's why johnnymets.blogspot.com is endorsing the Colorado Rockies as world champions this year (also...whoever they play from the American League would constitute a new matchup).

ANNOUNCERS: I searched a lot for that play-in game on Monday night before I realized it was on TBS. And I was only half-listening to the game when I realized I recognized the announcer's voice...and then it took me an unusually long time to process that it was Don Orsillo, the Red Sox play-by-play television guy. Good for him for getting on the national stage. I think he's gotten to be a very good announcer over the years. Solid. Also, a nice guy - I've met him a couple of times...including when I was working a morning shift just hours after Aaron Boone's home run in 2003. He could have been a jerk that morning and I would have understood - but he was extremely nice. At an ungodly hour. That earns points in my book.

On a down note...I was watching the Red Sox tonight, and though I never got the actual name or the graphic to prove it (again, only half-watching), I could never mistake that voice: Ted Robinson. Guess I can catch up on some TiVo shows during the Red Sox series - I don't want to see/hear Robinson. I'm beyond him.

MUSIC REVIEW: I am a Matchbox Twenty fan, in that I enjoy every single song they've put out that has made it onto the radio. I've never bought one of their albums, even though I've enjoyed everything Justin From NYC shared with me of theirs when we did our radio show together, believe it or not, about a decade ago. Not a protest or anything, just didn't get the albums. Anyway, Tuesday the Matchbox Twenty greatest hits album came out, and I was all over it. "Exile on Mainstream" is awesome - the six new songs are all very, very good, and the other 11 songs are all songs I love. I highly recommend it. It was great company for me on the round trip to New York Tuesday into Wednesday.