MONDAY MORNING REFLECTIONS--THANK GOD FOR BASEBALL

BY STEVE DUNN

Let's see. The government is on shutdown as the Republicans hold funding hostage until the President revisits a healthcare plan that has already drawn objections from his supporters in the labor unions.The IMF President is wanting that a US default will spark global recession.  The Afghan President is mad at the US again and the Iranian one might become a  new "friend." A US general in charge of the Air Force's long-range nuclear missiles is sacked because of illegal gambling activities.  Obamacare faces administrative glitches already.  USA Today doubled the price of its daily publication of day old news from $1 to $2 and the US Postal Service "needs" another postage hike.  And there's no new cultural commentary on Miley Cyrus.

Thank God it's October and postseason baseball is underway.  Unarguably four of the very best teams in baseball are now vying for the two spots in the 2013 World Series. The red hot Cardinals with a pitching staff full of rookie pitchers cooled off the most exciting baseball team of 2013, the Pittsburgh Pirates and now have the hottest team in the National League during the final weeks of the season, the  Dodgers limping back to LA down 2-0/

The Boston Red Sox, who had the best AL record, wiped out the Tampa Bay Rays, whose staying power had resembled the possee in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, with an unbelievable offensive barrage.  And then there's the Detroit Tigers, who came back from the dead against Oakland,  when Max Scherzer roared out the bullpen to force a 5th fame and then Justin Verlander showed why he is still Verlander and totally humiliated the A's in the final.

And in the first game of the ALCS, three Tiger pitchers nearly pitched a no-hitter with 17 strikeouts against those vaunted Bosox.  And in game two,  Max Scherzer again showed why he will be the Cy Young winner with a no-hitter into the 6th and 13 strikeouts as the Tigers hitters finally stopped having one run games. But after he left the bullpen, let the Red Sox back in and David Ortiz hit his first ever home run off of Tiger closer Joaquin Benoit with the bases loaded. Unfortunately, then, my Tigers lost.

I can hardly wait for the games today in LA and tomorrow in Detroit.  Once again "America's Pasttime" gives us something that makes sense and good drama. Maybe Jim Leyland and his managerial pals need to go to DC and help the Republicans and the President make that mess make sense, or at least make better drama.