I want Ramiro Mendoza to remain the answer to a wonderful trivia question

If Red Sox/Yankees was a category on Jeopardy, an answer could be “He is the only living player with World Series rings as a Yankee and a Red Sox.”

And the correct response would be “Who is Ramiro Mendoza?”

Mendoza was a middle reliever on the 1998 and 1999 World Series rosters and in fact was the pitcher on the mound when the Yankees won the 1999 AL Pennant in Fenway Park (one of the few times Joe Torre let a pitcher other than Mariano Rivera finish off a series.) Truth be told, Mendoza should have been the series MVP over El Duque Hernandez, but that’s another story.

In 2004, Mendoza was a member of the Red Sox. He pitched in the ALCS against the Yankees and had the dishonor of getting the loss in the 19-8 Game 3 massacre… it was also the last loss the 2004 Red Sox would have as they won the last 4 of the ALCS and all 4 games of the World Series.

That was it. The Babe Ruths and Carl Mays and all the other former Red Sox champs who were sold to the Yankees are all dead.

Mendoza remains alone.

But this year, two names threaten to join him.

Johnny Damon and Eric Hinske.

Damon everyone remembers (and some have forgiven.)

Hinske, lest we forget, was a seldom used pinch hitter on the 2007 Red Sox and is now a seldom used pinch hitter on the 2009 Yankees. But he was on the Division Series roster and is now on the World Series roster.

And last year, Hinske was a member of the Rays and struck out to end the series (and was then analyzed by my wife.)

I have nothing against Damon or Hinske and I appreciate all they did in a Red Sox uniform…

But I hope in a few weeks the answer to that trivia question remains simply “Ramiro Mendoza.”

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Mets fans… just sit this one out

Seriously… just don’t watch the World Series.

There will be no joy in it for you.

Sure I have talked to most of my Met fan friends and the consensus agrees with this Newsday article that most will be rooting for the Phillies over the Yankees.

But there is no way you can be happy with that! Seriously, you do that and suddenly you find yourself watching Jimmy Rollins jumping up and down celebrating back to back titles.

You’ll look up and say “What have I done?” just like Alec Guiness in Bridge on the River Kwai when he realizes his efforts helped the enemy.

Trust your friend Sully on this.

After the Aaron Boone game, I decided to NOT watch the 2003 World Series. It was the only World Series since 1979 that I missed!

I knew if I saw the Yankees win, I’d be grumbling “Great! Another Yankee win!”

If I saw the Marlins win I’d say “Why couldn’t WE beat them? Are the Marlins that much better?”

So seriously… I am not asking you to take the drastic stance I asked Cleveland fans to take and stop watching sports for the rest of the calendar year.

Just stop watching baseball.

Treat yourself.

Is there a restaurant you always wanted to go to in your neighborhood?
Go tonight.

Have your realized that you’ve never been to the top of the Empire State Building or to the Statue of Liberty?
Now’s the time.

Have you never gone to the Met? The Guggenheim? Ellis Island?

Why not go this weekend? No reason to rush home to see the ballgame?

Do you have a significant other? Take a weekend trip to a place like New Hope… you’ll have a peaceful weekend.

OK, maybe not New Hope… too close to Philadelphia… but maybe Connecticut.

Do you have a friend who has been bugging you to go see their jazz band? Or a neighbor who has a bookclub they’ve asked over and over for you to go to?

Go this weekend!

Plus if you go THIS weekend, they will ask you “Wait, wouldn’t you rather be watching the game?”

And you can say “No… I’d rather be here.”

And then you NEVER HAVE TO GO AGAIN! Because you will have bought so much good will from them! They’d say “you are such a good friend! You chose me over the World Series!”

And you can remind them of that if they ever invite you again.

Sure it will suck, but how could it suck worse than knowing that either Yankee fans or Phillies fans will be happy?

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It’s a good thing the Rockies were eliminated

Remember a few weeks ago when the Rockies/Phillies game was snowed out?

OK probably not. Chances are you forgot the Rockies were even IN the playoffs this year. They are stretching the post season out in a ridiculous manner.

It’s one thing to stretch a Series deep into October or even into November when say a huge earthquake hits San Francisco… or it is delayed because of September 11th.

But the World Series shouldn’t end after Halloween because Fox really wants to promote Glee!

Why you say? Well let’s get back to Denver, shall we?

Let’s say the World Series would be in Denver rather than Philadelphia (which would be cold enough!) I’m going to go out on a limb here and say it is a smidge chilly.

How cold?

Well my friend Veronica lives in Denver. She took this picture from her front door today.

BASEBALL WEATHER!!!!

Can you imagine Fox dragging the cast of Glee, Bones and Hell’s Kitchen into a blizzard for a nightgame?

Actually it might be kind of fun.

But this is supposed to be the best match up of the baseball year… and with the Twins moving to an outdoor stadium, there is a possibility for a series of November games in Minnesota and Colorado!

How hard could it be to start the season a few weeks earlier?

Play the last two weeks of March in places like Los Angeles, Atlanta, San Diego, Texas, Houston, San Francisco and cities that have a dome like Tampa, Seattle, Arizona, Toronto and Milwaukee.

Or maybe, heaven forbid, play 5 double headers at home and 5 on the road and wrap the season up in mid September.

Anything to avoid having the World Series played on HOTH!!!

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