One Game Playoff

It's 11:42 and I've been sitting here watching the Rockies and Padres battle through 13 innings. I took an hour break between 9:00-10:00 to watch Heroes, but I've been watching these two battle for roughly three hours.

I have absolutely no vested interest in either of these teams winning, but as a baseball fan I feel obligated to stay awake and see this thing through.

11:44 - Jason Lane has taken over in centerfield for the Rockies. Jeff Baker is pinch hitting to lead off the bottom of the 12th and takes a ball from Joe Thatcher.

11:46 - Thatcher strikes out Baker to end the inning. The relief pitching has been amazing for both sides, and both bullpens are getting worn out. Philadelphia fans must be ecstatic right now (the winner of this game goes on to face the Phillies on Thursday), unless they're thinking about how much the Eagles suck and how Donovan McNabb is already washed up.

11:50 - Thatcher strikes out Cory Sullivan to end the inning. I'm convinced this game is going to go on forever. I'm excited.

About the Mets historic choke, I work with a lot of Mets fans, and you could just feel the depression throughout the entire office. I did feel sort of sympathetic, I really don't hate the Mets, to be honest, and although I like to antagonize, I do feel bad (except to Red Sox fans) when something devastating like this happens. At least until I talked to Brett online and he tried to convince me that the Yankees choking in 2004 was much worse. I think I'm going to send him a Mets NL East champions hat.

11:53 - Jorge Julio is now pitching for the Rockies, he walks Brian Giles to start off the inning.

11:55 - Scott Hairston HITS a two run bomb! Padres are up 6-4. You can literally hear the celebration in the San Diego dugout. It's that quiet in Coors Field right now.

Back to the Yankees. I feel very good about their chances this year. They're the hottest team in baseball. They have the best player in the game in Alex Rodriguez. Having Joba Chamberlain in the 7th-8th and the great Mariano Rivera in the 9th reminds me of 1996 when Rivera was an upcoming phenom and John Wetteland was the reliable closer. The Yankees have the wild card, but I feel that they're the best team in the league.

11:58 - I hate Dane Cook and those stupid One October commercials. He is the worst. My favorite Dane Cook moment was on his ESPN.com chat a week or two ago, he described himself as a die hard Red Sox fan, but he isn't really into statistics at all. What kind of die hard fan isn't into statistics? That's like saying "I'm Dane Cook and I'm a comedian, but I'm also not funny."

Oh wait.

12:00 - Jorge Julio is out of the game and Ramon Ortiz is in for the Rockies. He gets out of the inning, and TBS shows a lot of Rockies fans holding their faces in their gloves.

Ernie Johnson and Cal Ripken are hosting the game from the studio, and they have absolutely no chemistry. Why aren't Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley involved? Is it because they're former basketball players who have never been involved with baseball ever? Is it because they're black?

12:06 - Trevor Hoffman is in the game, which means the game is pretty much over, so here's my created character's statistics in the Career Mode in MLB '07: The Show

28-0, 0.66 ERA, 319 strikeouts, 1 walk, 116 hits, 12 shutouts, 13 complete games. I'm not sure what his .WHIP is, but I know that it's under .550. I've played about 5 seasons and my character has only had an ERA above 1.00 once and he's won 30+ games in a season 3 times. And yes, I play on Rookie, and no, I have no shame. I want to break every single record in the books.

12:09 - Former Met Kaz Matsui leads off the inning with a double! Man, won't it be something to see Kaz-Mat back in Shea for Game 1 of the Playoffs. Oh wait, the Mets aren't in the playoffs!

12:12 - Troy Tulowitzki hits a double to score Matsui! Whoa!

12:13 - Matt Holliday hits a triple to score Tuloanwiwenaiztki. WHOA! Tie game! 8-8!

12:15 - Hoffman walks Todd Helton and now there's a conference at the mound. When I said that Hoffman was in the game, and that meant the game is over, I meant that the Padres would win. Hoffman has been the greatest closer in the game not named Mariano Rivera for the last 10 years. He's usually automatic.

Either way, looks like I'm right.

12:17 - Carroll hits a line drive to Brian Giles in right who makes a good throw to Barrett who drops the ball as Holliday crashes into him at the plate. Holliday is lying on the ground and he's hurt, but his teammates don't care because they're too busy celebrating, because the Rockies are going to the playoffs! He is lying on the ground, holding his head, his mouth is bleeding...and no one cares. This might be my favorite non-Yankees baseball moment ever.

12:19 - Replays show that Holliday never even touched the plate, Barrett blocked the plate and Holliday ran head first into him and got his helmet knocked off, but he never touched the plate. Controversy in Colorado.

What a game. I love baseball.