Playoff Baseball

I saw a few innings of the Philadelphia-Cincinnati baseball playoff game on television this evening. The game had some very exciting moments, including hit batsmen, defensive gaffes, and poised play. It also featured new faces to the playoff show, such as Cincinnati star Joey Votto and Philadelphia's extraordinary pitcher Roy Halladay.

Baseball desperately needed new, dynamic blood into its big time showcases. Fans across the country will now get to see underappreciated talents such as Texas' Michael Young and rising stars such as the Giants' Tim Lincecum. They're thriving, even though they play far from Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park.

For a time, television networks assumed on our behalf that the only truly desirable baseball "products" were the Yankees and Red Sox. During the post-season, solid teams such as the Minnesota Twins, lost in the shadows of major market franchises, get their moment in the bright lights. I admit I root for the Yankees, but I enjoy how baseball's new generation of great players make a playoff baseball game something to savor.