Where did summer go? If you live in the northeast, Labor Day marks its end. September brings cooler temperatures, pennant drives, and the NFL. Autumn – plus the collision of MLB playoffs and the NFL – is my favorite time of the year.

Pennant fever has hit a few cities, but don’t count Tampa Bay as one of them. If the Rays can’t put fannies in the seats after the storybook season they’ve had, I wonder if the area is a MLB city. The ballpark (if you dare call it that) could be part of the problem, but they couldn’t even sell-out the recent Yankees series during a pennant drive. God knows what will happen to their fan base when the Red Sox cruise by them in September for the AL East title. However, they should still make the playoffs as the Wild Card team – and what an embarrassment for MLB if the catwalks come into play in a game 5 or 7.

Southern California is abuzz with thoughts of a Freeway World Series. The Angles have made a joke out of the AL West, and Manny has brought live back to Dodgers’ blue. My brain tells me Arizona will win the west, but my gut tells me not to bet against ‘Manny being Manny’ down the stretch.

Chicago also looks like the city has two playoff entries forthcoming. The Cubs are a gimmie, but the ChiSox have a struggle on their hands with Minnesota. Unfortunately for the Twins, the RNC took over their Twin Cities – and the schedule makers could have put a nail in their coffin with all the year-end road games. If Tampa Bay totally collapses in September, the only prayer is a Wild Card, but I wouldn’t bet on it.

The Brewers could be the best team in the National League, but I doubt they’ll catch the Cubs. However, as the Wild Card team, they will be Cub fans worst nightmare come playoff time. Cue the Billy Goat!

In the Big Apple, pennant fever just isn’t the same without the Yankees. The New York tabloid back pages will soon be all Mets … a scary thought for the team from Queens. The pressure of the 2007 choke could play a factor in their NL East race with the Phillies. Santana to the rescue.

Here’s a look at my winners and who should be playing baseball in October.

American League
East: Red Sox: ‘Little’ Pedey, not ‘big’ Papi, will carry them. Plus pitching.
Central: White Sox: Twins will loose, hence, ChiSox win.
West: Angels: Too much of everything for a weak west.
WC: Rays: They get in only to have a dream season quickly come to an end.

National League
East: Mets: With a hope and a prayer…and Santana.
Central: Cubs: Oh…the pain the Brewers will eventually inflict.
West: Dodgers: Manny being Manny is enough to get in.
WC: Brewers: As long as CC doesn’t collapse from overuse.

AL Champs: Red Sox: Too much depth, but Beckett needs to be Beckett.
NL Champs: Brewers: Power and a healthy Sabathia and Sheets make them dangerous.

WS Champs: Red Sox: Beckett, Lester and Dice-K should make it back-to-back.

A good friend once told me, it’s all about pitching, pitching, and pitching.

As the saying goes, “Be careful what you wish for.”

It appears Red Sox Nation has had enough of Manny being Manny. For the past week, Boston sports talk-radio airwaves have been inundated with callers who appear to have had enough of the savant slugger, who recently pulled himself out of the Sox lineup twice. Manny stated it was due to a cranky knee, but MRIs came up negative on both knees.

It was one thing for Ramirez to pull himself out of the lineup against the lowly Seattle Mariners, but when he sat again in the first game of the most recent Yankees series at Fenway Park, all hell broke loose in New England. More important than fans and radio talk-show hosts, it also appears the Red Sox brass has had enough of Manny’s quirkiness. What appeared to be a no-brainer two weeks ago – that the Sox would pick up the team’s $20M 2009 option for Ramirez – now seems as likely as John McCain winning Massachusetts in November.

Manny quitting on loyal Sox fans and, more importantly, his teammates is deplorable. Letting teammates down is the mortal sin of an athlete. However, let’s not kid ourselves. Pro sports are all about winning. As a reminder, until 2004, Sox fans had not seen a World Championship since 1918. They’ve now witnessed two since 2004. Would they have done so without Ramirez? Probably not. Had they not won those two championships, would fans and Sox brass still want Manny to walk? My guess is no.

Manny Ramirez is a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Does that forgive him for his recent actions? Not in real life, but this is not real life. It’s Major League Baseball. Lest we forget the indiscretions of Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Juan Marichal, Mickey Mantle, Barry Bonds, et al.

David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez are the best 3-4 hitters the game has seen since Ruth and Gehrig. So, be careful what you wish for Sox fans … and enjoy it while you can. Those days may be gone soon. And with it, championships.

Has the newness worn off for you yet? Are you tired of seeing pitchers hit or the DH walk to the plate? Has MLB Interleague Play run its course - or, is baseball now just playing too many games?

I know, attendance for Interleague games remains up versus regular league play, but that might be skewed by real rivalry games, such as: Yankees-Mets; Cubs-White Sox; Angels-Dodgers; Giants-A’s; Indians-Reds; Royals-Cardinals; Marlins-Rays. Plus, any National League team relishes a series with the Yankees or Red Sox - the two biggest road-draws for years.

Call me old-fashioned, but I’d prefer waiting for October to see American League versus the National League.

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While I’m on the subject of Interleague Play, I might as well add my two-cents regarding the DH rule. Having lived in an AL city most of my life, I’ve been watching the DH for so long (it was introduced in 1973) that I no longer have interest in watching pitchers hit. Nor does Hank Steinbrenner, especially after losing pitching ace Chien-Ming Wang to a base-running injury. Two sets of rules in one league are ridiculous. Plus, one would think the MLB Players Association would push for the DH in the National League to extend time-served for some aging players.

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Be sure to vote in this weeks www.HOFN.com Poll regarding Interleague Play. Are you for or against?

Here’s another question for you…other than baseball, is there another sport where the defense has the ball?

The Texas Con Man was a name given to Roger Clemens during his tenure with the Boston Red Sox by the late, great Boston Globe sportswriter William “Will” McDonough. Will took much grief from Sox fans and some media colleagues for what many thought a harsh title for one of the Red Sox all-time greats. Little did we know the true wisdom of Will.

Unfortunately, McDonough passed away on January 9, 2003 at the tender age of 67. However, I’m sure those who knew him – or was occasionally in his company at sporting events, as was I – know that Will has a huge grin on his face today. How right he was.

I was a huge Clemens fan. I remember the skinny kid’s debut with the Red Sox in May of 1984. I watched him pitch many times at Fenway Park and saw every one of his 20-strikeouts in the historical game versus the Seattle Mariners in April 1986. It was a masterpiece – and, to this day, probably one of the great pitching performances of all-time. I also recall numerous arguments with a New Jersey friend – a Mets’ fan, regarding who was better; Clemens or Dwight Gooden. That argument faded after the 1986 season when Clemens posted a 24-4 record and won both the CY Young and MVP awards.

For many Sox fans, McDonough’s The Texas Con Man name began gaining popularity in the late 1990s and early 2000s, as Clemens’ words became more confounding and nonsensical. But, little did we know how much real truth there was to Will’s insightful nickname.

Has any sports hero fallen from grace as quickly as Roger Clemens? In 2006, a poll of 32 ESPN analysts voted Clemens the greatest living pitcher – and many considered him the greatest pitcher of all-time, or at least of the modern game. However, in a matter of a few months, Clemens has been accused of possible steroid use, potential infidelity, a questionable relationship with an under-age girl, and only God (and the New York Daily News) knows what’s next.

Clemens has gone from Cooperstown to OJ-town … the town of non-desirables.

My apology to Will McDonough. You were accurate from the beginning.

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Would you vote Roger Clemens into the Baseball Hall of Fame? Cast your vote on The Hall Of Fame Network poll: www.HOFN.com.

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I’m a believer in our capitalistic society. As a businessman, I understand marketing and maximizing profits. However, as an American sports fan, I’m not in favor of our professional leagues’ fascination of playing games on foreign soil. International marketing and the selling of product is fine – but, do we they really need to send our teams to other countries? We open our doors to international athletes, but having actual games played beyond our borders seems to be going too far.

For some reason, I’m having trouble with regular season NFL games in London and MLB games in Japan. Does America really need to force feed the world our culture, including our sports? Exhibitions, as the NBA recently did in Europe, seem reasonable, but let’s keep games that count in league standings in America.

The Oakland Athletics and Boston Red Sox will be playing two regular season games in Japan – that’s two fewer games the fans in Oakland will get to see. Baseball games are a hard enough draw in Oakland these days, so why take away two Red Sox games from them? The New York Giants and Miami Dolphins played a game in London this past NFL season. How memorable was that? And God forbid the NFL does the most sacrilegious of all – and plays the Super Bowl in England! The next thing you know, we’ll be moving the New York City 4th of July fireworks to London, too!

NFL Europe was a failure, Japan has its own professional baseball league, and the world has soccer (excuse me, football). Let’s leave the rest of the world alone and play American games on American soil.

While opinions regarding whether of not Roger Clemens used performance enhancing drugs may not have been altered by the recent Congressional hearings…you must admit, it was great theatre. And even better politics.

Make no mistake about it, good ‘ole boy politics’ was at work. The Clemens – McNamee Congressional hearings had nothing to do with gaining the truth or protecting America’s youth from drugs. It was Democrats versus Republicans. It was time to call-in political favors. Clemens’ Texas roots were prevalent. How else can one explain this becoming a battle of political parties? Do you think it was a coincidence that most Republicans came to Clemens’ defense? Do you think it was coincidence that leading Republican Tom Davis rushed to Clemens side immediately after the hearing?

American politics is often behind-closed-door deals. Unfortunately, we saw it at its worst during this hearing. And politicians wonder why Americans question the integrity of its leaders? When lobbying is allowed during depositions and prior to Congressional hearings regarding the use of illegal drugs, it has gone too far.

My opinion as to whether Clemens used steroids or HGH is irrelevant. However, I find it difficult to believe that McNamee was telling the truth about Pettitte, Knoblauch, and Debbie Clemens, yet lying about Roger. Why? I also find it difficult to believe Debbie Clemens would get a shot of HGH from McNamee without her husband’s knowledge. Plus, if Roger wasn’t getting shot-up by McNamee – nor did he ever discuss drugs with him (as he claims), how did Debbie know to go to McNamee for the injection?

In every poll I’ve seen, most American’s believed McNamee. So what did the Republicans hear that the rest of us didn’t, which led them to support Clemens? Maybe they heard a Republican “voice” who was the former General Managing Partner of the Texas Rangers.

By the way, that former Managing Partner currently lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

For those thankful to the Cleveland Indians for beating the Yankees in the MLB 2007 Division Series to save us from yet another Boston - New York confrontation … here we go again. But, this time, it’s the NFL and the biggest spectacle in sport. The Super Bowl.

Yes, America, those fanatic sports fans from Boston and New York, who have anointed themselves as the two greatest sports-towns in the country, will be going at it one more time. And, needless to say, one city will once again be hanging another championship banner. It’s the Patriots versus Giants, round 2.

So, which team do you hate more now…the Yankees or the Patriots? Just think, if the Patriots pull off the unbelievable task of a perfect 19-0 season, they will become the greatest team in NFL history. And with Brady a mere 30 years old, the Patriots’ organization will become the greatest all-time NFL franchise by the time he retires, if they’re not already.

Thank God for the Montreal Canadiens. Of the four major pro sports in North America, it appears only hockey eludes Boston and New York from holding the “grand-slam” of greatest sports organization crowns. The Yankees, with their 26 championships, have been the king of baseball since the days of Ruth and Gehrig - then DiMaggio, Mantle, and Jeter. The Celtics and their 16 championships have held the reign as the greatest NBA franchise due to the likes of Russell, Havlicek, Cowens, and Bird. Now the Patriots and Brady are on the threshold of becoming the elite of the NFL. As the saying goes, “the rich get richer.”

To make matters worse, if the Patriots win another Super Bowl this year, Boston teams will have won six championships in football and baseball combined during the last seven years. The Sox in 2004 and 2007, and the Patriots in 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2007. And, to make matters worse, the Celtics are making noise again in the NBA.

So while most American sports fans are admitted New York-Boston haters, rest-assured, millions of them will be tuned-in Super Sunday to watch Super Bowl XLII. They just need to remember that Boston or New York will win another championship. Pick your poison.

Every player in Major League Baseball should be sending Curt Flood, Dave McNally and Andy Messersmith a piece of each paycheck. And while I won’t indulge the squabbling of billionaires versus millionaires called “free agency,” I do begin to wonder if I’ll see the demise of Major League Baseball in my lifetime.

Considering MLB just completed its most financially-successful season by generating more than $6-Billion in revenue, I know the talk of demise may sound foolish. However, when will this excess stop … and how long will average Americans continue to support their home-town teams?

By the way, how many players of today even know the names Flood, McNally or Messersmith? I would bet not many … but, I bet they could tell you who’s on a $1,000, $5,000, $10,000, and $100,000 bill.

Hey, I’m a true-blue capitalist, so I really don’t care how much money players make. Good for A-Rod and his $275 million contract and Torii Hunter and his $90 million windfall. And, only God knows what the Yankees, Red Sox, Mets or Dodgers will offer Johan Santana if traded by the Twins. To billionaire owners it’s all Monopoly money, anyway. But just remember, even in the game Monopoly, there’s only one Rich Uncle Pennybags. How many “Pennybags” are in MLB? And, I hope, you do know that baseball is really playing the game with your money. How long will you keep rolling the dice?

Today’s bandwagon baseball fans could care less about the future of the game. But, for baseball’s purists, where will the game be in 10, 20, or 25-years?

God willing and with a little luck, I’ll probably only be around another 20 years anyway. I just hope baseball’s demise will wait.

FYI, in case you don’t know any MLB players, faces on those bills are Grover Cleveland, James Madison, Salmon Chase, and Woodrow Wilson, respectively

When the late John Denver sang about a Colorado Rocky Mountain High, this is what he must have meant. After sweeping the Colorado Rockies in four games, the Boston Red Sox have become the first team in Major League Baseball to win two World Championships in the 21st century - and Red Sox Nation is flying high.

For years, Red Sox fans suffered summer after summer and probably tagged the term, “wait ’till next year.” Sox fans have had to endure their Yankees’ friends for almost a lifetime. No longer. The 2004 Championship got a “monkey off their backs,” while this championship may signify a new era in Red Sox baseball.

When one looks at this Red Sox roster and its minor league system, the combination has all the earmarks of a juggernaut for years-to-come. It reminds me of another team from the American League East that was built in the mid-90s and won four championships in five years. With home-grown players on its current roster like Ellsbury, Pedroia, Youkilis, Papelbon, Lester, and Delcarmen, plus some nasty arms in their minor league system like no-hit-phenomenon Clay Buchholz and a kid named Masterson - added to their “rookie” pitchers Matsuzaka and Okajima - this organization is built for now and the future. And, don’t forget, the Red Sox were able to trade for baseball’s best pitcher, Josh Beckett, and World Series MVP, Mike Lowell, because they had prospects in the system to do so. So, love them or hate them, the Red Sox are here to stay.

World Series Thoughts

Employers throughout New England must have thought Halloween came early this year, as baseball fans headed to work today looking like zombies. For those lucky to be young enough (or foolish enough) to celebrate into the wee-hours of the morning after the Red Sox victory, I can just image what they looked like today. But c’mon Mr. Selig, what are you thinking? Why is a World Series game starting after 8:30 Eastern time on a Sunday night? And don’t give me this “prime time” television ratings stuff, as the biggest sports event in America - that little game called the Super Bowl, is also played on Sunday and is scheduled to kick-off at 6:18 Eastern time. Kids and hard-working people simply can’t stay up after midnight to watch your game. Why are you trying to hide your marquee event? Maybe it’s time the tail stops wagging the dog and you step up to do what’s right for your fan base and put the game on at a decent viewing-time.

Also, was it just me, but were you offended during the game by the two-headed monster called Rodriquez-Boras? Bud Selig and team owners must have been furious that these two money-hungry capitalists, Alex Rodriquez and agent Scott Boras, used MLB’s greatest stage to announce and promote that baseball’s albatross was opting out of his Yankees’ contract. While I know Fox talking heads had no choice but to make the announcement - its media-machismo 101 in play - I wish they had not prolonged the dialogue. Let’s hope the Yankees stick by their guns and not play the Rodriquez-Boros game and say sayonara to A-Rod - and that other owners also keep away from a duo that seems to have no interest in the game. It time for baseball owners to say, “Enough is enough.”