Its that time again

[skank-la]

World Series starts today - That means winter is just around the corner

The days are getting cooler & the evenings are already sweater weather. The farmers markets here in Cali -, one of the world's breadbaskets, are chock a block full of freshly harvested veggies, fruits, nuts. Community, School, Church Festivals are in full swing w/games, music, dancing & food. Pie baking contests etc etc

& now the final nail in the coffin of summer: the World Series (the 107th year -started in 1903)

Baseball is really the background to our lives here. With a season 160 games long + playoffs etc. From early spring to now we always seem to have a ball game on in the background at home & in the car. The skankster at 10 has been playing since he was 5. His Pony team this year was so succesfull that they won the District 19 championship ( A huges slice of the east side of LA) beating out literally 100 other teams for the title) & they will be honored by the local mayor & city council next Tuesday at City Hall

Its the Giants vs the Ranger

The San Francisco Giants who moved from New York in 1958 -52 years ago, will be in their first series since they left New York after beating the winners of the last 2 pennants - The Philadelphia Phillies. Some excitement in my house as the Giants have a phenomenal young Filipino born pitcher Tim Lincecum, who my son & I watched Destroy the Dodgers earlier this year at Dodger stadium.

The upstart Texas Rangers who have never been in a World Series beat the NY Yankees who have been in 40 (yes 40) World Series in a real Cinderella pennant series.

Having reconnected w/baseball in a big way when we moved back to the US 5 years ago after bascially 20 years offshore it still pains me that the season is over

There something quintessentially American about baseball. Some of the most epic battles I've ever witnessed have been on the Diamond. Baseball is part physical & tons of strategy. Nothing quite like sitting in the stands of MLB game w/a dog & a beer.

In my life I've ended up as a very high level sales person (VP Sales) w/sales running from 500K to $1million a month. To me baseball has a always been a metaphor for sales as you do a lot of standing there waiting -but when there's the crack on the bat you've got just an instant to judge all the variables & make the proper play. Maybe that why I love the game so much.

My son just totally loves it-he's turned out to be a power hitter ( I think due to the fact he trains to swim butterfly year round) so as someone who puts runs across the plate regularly gets a lot of very positive reinforcement for that. He's not old enough to have discovered girls yet so baseball & electric guitar are his passions.

Anyhow both my son & I are blowing off respective swim practices today as the Series starts in one hour. we'll go down to a local Sport Bar order some drinks * Bar-B-Que & watch with hundres of other fans.

Next week we''ll have new champion but the sadly season will be over till next spring & the dark dreary cold days of winter will be upon us

[Lichtgestalt]

How many nations are playing in the World Series?

[skank-la]

When the World Series Started in 1903 Baseball was played only in the USA so the name of the best of 7 game series (1st team to win 4 Games) : World Series stuck

Now every 4 years there is the World Baseball Classic which is a global competition which has been won the last 2 times by a real baseball fanatic nation: Japan

BTW:
Giants won the 1st game 11-7 in an offensive thriller
Game 2 tonight

[Lichtgestalt]

So the World Series isn't actually a worldwide series?

Oh yes, I was once in Tokyo at a baseball game....boring....

[Tack]

I thought that the name harks to when The World newspaper was the sponsor...will google and be back...

Edit; Snopesed it and it's not true. Back to making assumptions and generalisations re yanks!

[skank-la]

Last night the San Francisco Giants beat the Texas Rangers in Game 5 of the 1st to win 4 games series

Its the 1st world series win for the Giants since 1954 & the first since they moved from New York to San Francisco in 1956

The Giants win last night was due to incredible pitching by 22 year old Filipino born Tim Lincecum

Most of my Bay Area customers have been missing in action today & my niece who lives in San Fran posted on her facebook -it was impossible to sleep last night w/the streets full of people & noise

Now baseball is over till spring

Next up Pacquiao vs Margarito Nov 13 (since Mayweather keeps making excuses-scared to fight PacMan I say)

Pacquiao-Margarito 24/7 - This 24/7 series is alway excellent -worth watching