The fifth inning of the Angels-Yanks game was a season unto itself. First you had umpire Joe West making a gutsy and correct call as Troy Glaus' throw pulled Scott Spezio off the bag. West's counterpart Mike Winters had blown the easiest of calls at the plate on what would have been the 12th run of the Twins' romp, failing to notice Dustan Mohr's great slide, so it was good to see an ump with post-season chops.

Young Mr. Soriano, as undeserving as Miguel Tejada of MVP buzz, delivered a clutch double, advancing Rivera (aboard on the Glaus error) to third. Derek Jeter, whose reputation was made in such spots, delivered a sac fly RBI but a superb running catch by GA saved the Angels another run, and an out. The determined Washburn, with 1B open, pitched to and got Giambi, then overwhelmed Bernie, so you almost knew what was coming. My boy Woot made the Yankee lead moot with a leadoff HR, my $1.00 9th-round hitter Benji Gil got on, the little pest Ecks-ecuted a perfect hit-and-run, and Darrin Erstad, looking pressure in the eye, delivered the go-ahead run, with Soriano lost on the shallow flare. Then the Kingfish ripped Boomer for an RBI, and the crowd, like the Angels, smelled blood. Wooten and Gil added their second hits of the inning before the rout was over, and Anaheim, winners of their first playoff series -- ever -- can scout the A's Twins rubber match with confidence.

(transferred; posted Oct. 5)

That's not what an MVP does! Oakland SS Miguel Tejada made a horrible throw in the fourth inning, allowing the Minnesota Twins to take control of Game Four and get back into the AL Division Series.

Unlike the Angels' quiet, efficient leader Garret Anderson, who contributes with textbook play in LF and brilliant baserunning, in addition to his timely hitting, Tejada is a talented athlete who frequently plays out of control. The same goes for MVP "candidate" Alfonso Soriano; occasional brilliance merely balances all the mental and physical errors. A real MVP shows up every day and maintains a consistent level of excellence, like A-Rod.

Miguel's panicky toss over the head of Eric Chavez into the dugout gave the Twins their first lead, and as so often happens, opened the floodgates. A Tim Hudson wild pitch let another run score, then Scott Hatteberg's brutal throw to the plate turned what had been a 2-2 nailbiter into a 5-2 rout, and Hudson didn't survive the inning.

Warning to Oakland: when you open the door to a "team of destiny" through sloppy play, you deserve whatever happens.

(transferred; posted Oct. 5)

A great day for baseball; the irresponsible, overspending Diamondbacks face extinction, and the over-exposed Yankees have their backs to the wall. I am hoping for the same World Series matchup as I imagine the Pope is -- Angels vs. Cardinals.

(transferred; posted Oct. 5)

My trusted dugout advisor was generous enough to lend us space on his store's Web server (thanks, Billy) so this site can use the Greymatter engine. It's interactive -- anyone can post comments -- and we expect stimulating discussions. Play nice, people. To register as an Author and post your own articles, e-mail me. It is my pleasure to publish "pinch-hitters" in the Batter's Box; you'll enjoy Jordan Furlong's excellent 2002 Jays analysis.