In No Particular Order or Of No Particular Importance

So the debilitating pain I was suffering 10 days ago has subsided a bit. It still smarts, though. Watching the other postseason games helps diffuse the depression...well, until the offseason. I guess I'll worry about that when it gets here.

But, since I'm still feeling discombobulated, I can't string together enough coherent thoughts to put together a decent post. However, I do have several haphazard, uncoordinated, random, unconnected, and probably uninteresting, snippets of thoughts I thought I'd share.

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Thanks to XM radio and the MLB app on my phone, I've been able to listen to a variety of teams' radio announcing crews this postseason: Rays, Phillies, Giants, Rangers, and Reds. Baseball on the radio reminds me of good childhood memories. I really like listening to good broadcasters, and I enjoy hearing the different personalities. And, I'll tell you what, they're all better than Dan Gladden.

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Watching the ALCS series on TBS has been positively eye-roll worthy. Their camera work is weak, and their little Pitch Trax strike-zone indicator seems to be off, but the worst is the announcing. They constantly use cliches, they bloviate endlessly about minutiae, and they constantly kiss Yankee ass. Plus, they're ugly and their mothers dress them funny (I'm looking at you, Craig Sager). The only thing that keeps them from being completely insufferable is that every once in a great while, John Smoltz will say something kind of witty.

But, hey, it could be worse. At least none of them are Chip Caray.

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I've always opposed to the use of instant replay in baseball. I find my position softening somewhat for postseason play. The importance of everything in these games is elevated so much, and reviewing tough calls (not balls and strikes) might not be a big deal.

I don't know. I'll still have to think about how I feel about it.

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In case there was any doubt as to why Yankee fans are hated so much by all other baseball fans:

This is the fan who interfered with Nelson Cruz as he tried to catch Robinson Cano's "homerun". We see him here in mid-histrionics trying to...oh, hell, I have no idea what's he's trying to prove. Yeah, homeboy, you're oh-so-fly with your hat all sideways and your mad hott ball-stealing skillz. Stay classy, Yankee fans.

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Speaking of Yankees, a funny thought occurred to me during the game on Monday. Remember when Brett Gardner hit that little infield blooper and he slid headfirst into first and he got called out because Cliff Lee was covering the bag and Gardner was afraid his hand would get stepped on so he pulled it away so he was out and then he and Lee almost got tangled up and it was just really lucky that no one got hurt? Well, I imagined that right after the game, Gardner got a text message from the Yankees front office scolding him for almost injuring their big money off-season free agent signing. Can't be hurting the next Yankee ace pitcher, now can we, Brett?

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I had a dream about Jim Thome the other night. The director of my department gathered us all together in a common area to let us all know that they had to let poor Jim go. I looked over to his cubicle to see him putting his belongings in one of those lid-less boxes with handles. He looked kind of sad. I was kind of sad looking at him.

I have no idea what this dream means. I hope it doesn't really mean what it obviously seems like it means.

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Clearly, a partial meaning of that dream is that I'm worried about this coming offseason. In the past, I didn't give potential moves, free-agents, trades, etc. much thought. I figured whatever happens, happens. But this time, there is so much potential for thrash and change, I wound up making a spreadsheet.

If you know me at all, you know that it's a big deal for me to make a spreadsheet. It's almost as difficult as learning another language. Seriously. It might even be as difficult as understanding the BCS.

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So, obviously, I'm in full-on "anyone but the Yankees" mode. So, clearly I want the Rangers to go to the Series. And, I'm bored with the Phillies. So, I want the Giants to go to the Series.

But, after that? I have no idea. If I get my wish, I'll have absolutely no rooting interest in the World Series. I'll have absolutely no denouncing interest in the World Series. I guess I'll watch because I like baseball.

We'll see.

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Carl Pavano is a finalist for the "Robert Goulet Memorial Mustached American of the Year" award. No, seriously. This is a real thing.

Think about it...Carl grows his 'stache and next thing you know, he starts pitching like a beast. Where would the Twins have been without that epic 'stache? And remember how much fun all of Twins Territory had with it?

So, go vote. Vote for Carl. Vote for the Twins.