The 35th Street Review

How to solve the ills of baseball scheduling? Take a cue from that other, more successful pro sports league. Concept baseball takes a small leap forward.

What we talk about when we talk about Non-Sox playoff series:

Cubs/Dodgers: If the Sox win (more on that tomorrow), may the Cubs win as well; if not, well, it will at least be kind of fun to watch Carlos Zambrano murder one (or many!) of his teammates on national television. Whatever. Prediction: Cubs in 4 OR Dodgers in 5.

Red Sox/Angels: Under no circumstances should any person not from New England ever pull for the Red Sox. Not today, not tomorrow, not when they were supposedly victims of those big bad Yankees and certainly not when they can trade away arguably the best hitter in the American League and actually be better off for it. Prediction: Red Sox can go straight to Hell.

Phillies/Brewers: Brewers fans and the city of Milwaukee are great, even if their team really isn’t. Philadelphia sports fans throw batteries at opposing players and the best song written about their city is also the most depressing song ever written about any city. Ever. Not sure how to feel about this series. Prediction: Tie.

We’ll have more (much more) playoff talk later today. Until then, let’s hear it for. . . whoever.

[Editor’s note: This was prepared before today’s news became public. Oh, irony!]

Three things to watch for as two likely playoff teams enter the Octagon this weekend:

The ressurection of White Sox offense. If Paul Konerko and Jim Thome continue to hit, the 3-6 of Carlos Quentin, Jim Thome, Jermaine Dye, and Konerko could be more than enough to put the Good Guys into serious contention (as opposed to the someone’s-got-to-win-those-thing contention they’re in now). Starting pitching will determine this team’s fate, but the bats are going to have their work cut out for them this weekend and through next Thursday.

See? Freak injuries help always help at least someone. Pretty good Angels pitcher Jered Weaver cut himself badly enough ealier this week to spare the Sox his lifetime 3-0, 0.46 ERA record at Comiskey. You have to feel bad for a team that loses a pivotal piece to such a random accident, but these things happen. Get better in time to destroy the Cubs, Jered!

A hero will rise. Last time the Sox and Angels were nationally televised, ESPN helped the nation witness Carlos Quentin hit a walk-off home run off of ace John Lackey to foil his bid for the complete game, the win, and the sweep. This Sunday, the also-pretty-good Joe Saunders gets the nod for the Halos on TBS. Think big, friends. Think big.

[Editor’s note II: We’ll discuss today’s happenings more tomorrow once we (a) let the facts bubble up from beneath the surface (b) let it all sink in and (c) hope for the best here at the dawn of the Dewayne Wise Era.]

Yes. Duh.

Going into this season, your editor predicted the Boston Red Sox as AL Champs, but with the Angels’ acquisition of the artist formerly known as Paul Konerko’s switch-hitting twin it may be time to reconsider things. The Angels already had the most well-rounded team and the largest divisional lead in ALL OF BASEBALL without any available lumber. How scant was their offense? Four-and-a-third runs scored per game for almost exactly four surrendered night in and night out. Good thing, too; it’d be awful for the Twins to have a tough road waiting after the Central is thrown away by you-know-who.

This would be a disheartening winter if not for the fact that it’s still only fall.