Cory Lidle 1972-2006

Let's not have any Cory Lidle jokes, OK? We're trying to run a tasteful establishment here.

What little I know of him, Lidle seemed to be a little too tightly wound -- I can identify with that -- and that he called New York uber-sportstalk radio station WFAN to stand up for Joe Torre and his team after being ousted from the postseason speaks volumes, both positively and negatively.

On the plus side, he's being the good soldier, standing up for his team in the face of what I imagine was another scathing attack by the blowhard Mike Francesa and his no-talent toadie Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo.

Seriously, if you've never listened to these two, you may want to log on for about two minutes. That's all it will take for your ears to bleed. These two ass-clowns are why I cannot listen to sportstalk radio when I visit New York.

Francesa is like the guy holding court at the end of a bar, thinks he knows it all but, in fact, is not nearly as bright. Russo -- and this is possibly the nicest thing I can say about him -- is a gibbering idiot. He will offer an opinion, but if Mikey disagrees with it, caves in faster than an IKEA wall unit.

This sums up what it's like listening to M&TMD. If a caller makes a valid point that contradicts their thinking, the caller is ridiculed and almost shouted down. Don't dare ask them about hockey, soccer -- essentially anything that is not baseball or football -- that's the surest way to get hung up on.

But back to Lidle, and this is on the negative side. I want to know, and likely never will have the answer to, is what was going through his mind in those final moments before the plane hit the building. He reportedly circled the Statue of Liberty before the crash. Was there an unspoken message in that?

Lidle was an outcast to some in baseball because he crossed the picket line during the 1994 strike to become a replacement player. Was that ultimately his start as a tortured soul, unable to live up to the Yankees' mystique. You know, the 26 World Championships, living up to the fans' expectations and those of George Steinbrenner.

What do you think? I'd like to know.

Columbus Day, part deux

So after traveling some 750 miles round trip to Columbus for my first hockey game of the season, a 5-1 pasting of Phoenix by the Blue Jackets, here are some of my thoughts about the NHL in central Ohio ...

This may be the worst place to watch a game. It's the first professional franchise in the city. Much as I love what Len Milano, my old boss at ESPN SportsTicker, used to call "garage leagues" -- which you can find here, here and especially here -- that doesn't mean this has to be one of them.

You just sensed this was the kind of crowd that lives for the crashes at NASCAR races.

It's been six years since the Blue Jackets first took the ice, but it's clear there is much to be learned by the team and its fans. Start with that monstrosity you see on the right. Develop an identity, not a cartoon. Look what it did for the Ducks.

And to the pregnant wench sitting two seats down from me in Sec. 214, Row H, here's a couple of things: 1. It's even strength when a power play ends. Full strength describes cough syrup. 2. Indiscriminately yelling "LET'S GO JACKETS!" when there is no action going on does nothing but make one want to reach for this.

For those two things alone, the snarkiness factor increases 100 times, minimum. Had noted column castigator and hate-mail recipient Chris Altruda been at the game with me, I could just hear the eye roll as he s-l-o-w-l-y tips his head back in exasperation.

One good thing was the girls on the ice to clean shavings along the boards by the benches and around the nets. I don't think the shorts could be tighter or shorter unless the name Earl Scheib was tattooed on each cheek.

There were two good things about leaving Ohio via I-70 ... unleaded gas at a Speedway for $1.97 ... and some very underrated coffee and donuts, eh.

Playoff pondering

WARNING: These picks are strictly for entertainment purposes only! If you're dumb enough to think you're making money off this ...

So without further ado ...

AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: DETROIT VS. OAKLAND: Both teams got here by waxing division winner Minnesota and New York -- and for all intents and purposes, that is the last time I will mention the Yankees and the soap opera that surrounds them for this post, thank you.

In winning that series from ... you know ... the Tigers relied mainly on "small ball." Their top four hitters -- Carlos Guillen, Placido Polanco, Sean Casey and Marcus Thames -- combined for 26 hits, but just one homer. Detroit rebounded from its late-season swoon by batting .309 in the ALDS.

Anyone who saw the series with ... you know ... with pitching. Take away Nate Robertson's poor outing, and Detroit allowed seven runs and 21 hits in 29 1/3 innings. And that was against one of the most potent lineups in baseball.

Oakland's sweep of the Twins was all about timeliness -- Frank Thomas' two homers in Game 1, for example. The A's batted just .245 in the series, and Marcos Scutaro -- yes, Marcos Scutaro -- led Oakland with six RBIs. If anything, Oakland again proved good pitching beats good hitting: the staff combined for a 2.33 ERA.

Detroit has the destiny factor on their side, and Leyland will keep them in check. He was the contstant when they were 40 games over .500 or in a tailspin that dropped them out of first in the AL Central. Tigers in five

NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: ST. LOUIS VS. NEW YORK METS: OK ... this is the matchup many were expecting earlier this season. How they both got here was surprising.

Neither team has particularly strong starting pitching. The Mets easily advanced without the injured Pedro Martinez and Orlando Hernandez by sweeping the Dodgers. St, Louis, without No. 2 starter Mark Mulder and closer Jason Isringhausen, needed four games to oust San Diego.

This series, in all likelihood, will come down to who's got the better offense. If the Mets also can keep Albert Pujols in check, they're headed back to the World Series for the first time since 2000 -- and have a chance to win it all for the first time since big hair and skinny ties were in vogue. Mets in five

Columbus Day

The good thing about having gone to see a Blue Jackets game in Columbus is I will likely never have to go there again.

Since I drove from Chicago to Columbus -- and back -- in a 15 1/2-hour span, I will add another post later.

Say ... it ain't so, Joe?

A $200 million payroll will buy you a lot of things, but apparently not another season for Joe Torre.

Despite four World Series titles in 11 seasons, the New York Yankees are ready to fire Torre as soon as Sunday, one day after losing to Detroit in four games of the AL division series. Retread and noted Steinbrenner ass-kisser Lou Piniella will likely be Torre's replacement.

Did you see that?

With 14 games and a DirectTV package at work, the first Saturday night of the NHL season is nothing but, fun, fun, FUN for me. Here's some of the reasons why ...

The shootout. Nothing like a 13-round nailbiter. Anyone remember Marek Malik's sick goal last season in the 15th round against Washington? Marcel Hossa didn't gain the same style points Malik did for his between-the-legs shot last season, but he got the job done and the Rangers stay unbeaten with a key Atlantic Division win over the Flyers.

And Henrik Lundqvist? Thirteen stops in the shootout? Ice in the veins is my guess ...

The Cup hangover continues for Carolina after a 5-2 loss to Washington. When they face Florida on Wednesday, the 'Canes can set a dubious record with the longest losing streak by a defending Stanley Cup champion at the start of a season.

Before this year, the 1955-56 Detroit Red Wings were the only team in NHL history to lose their first three games ...

A Young One is making his presence felt. Anze Kopitar, the 11th overall pick last season, followed up a two-goal debut with three assists in a win over St. Louis ...

No hard feelings by the Capitals against Alexander Semin. After being sued by the team when he refused to go to the minors during the lockout and went to play in Russia instead, he recorded the first hat trick of his career in the win over the Hurricanes ...

Thumbs up to Minnesota for tying the franchise record with five power-play goals in a 6-5 win over Nashville ... to Atlanta's Kari Lehtonen for his 22-save shutout in a 6-0 rout of Florida ... to Martin Havlat and Michal Handzus combining for a goal and three assists in a 5-4 loss to Columbus.

Thumbs down to Ed Belfour, who gave up four goals on nine shots in the first period of the loss to Atlanta ... to the Predators' defense for allowing a franchise record 14 goals in two games ... to the New York Islanders on general principles -- and for losing 2-0 to San Jose ... to Phoenix, which lost its sixth straight to Anaheim.

Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa

You're right, Rob. I was wrong.

There's my mea culpa.

Now get over yourself. You still have a way to go.

So far, I am proving why I don't gamble for a living. Tigers beat the Yankees. A's sweep the Twins. Mets do the same to the Dodgers. I can make it an embarrassing sweep if the Padres can rally back from two games down to beat the Cardinals.

PACK THE BAGS!

Back up the moving vans to 161st. and River Avenue.

The New York Yankees again came up small in the postseason, losing the AL division series in four games to Detroit. So, all you fans, hold off again on changing all those signs to reflect 27 World Championships.

Remember, the Yankees were the team built from the top to the bottom of the order to win now. Problem is one through five -- the pitching staff -- is largely being ignored.

With a 19-win season, Chien-Ming Wang established himself as the ace of the staff. After that, the staff would be one of the best in baseball ... if it were 1997. Randy Johnson cannot do it anymore at age 43. All you needed to see was him laboring in Game 3.

Future Hall of Famers need to recognize when it's time to call it a career.

Mike Mussina? Cory Lidle? Jaret Wright? Do any of these players truly strike fear in batters today? Apparently not.

It would be easy to pile on A-Rod, but that is a subject that has been beaten around far more than it deserves to be -- .071 batting average, failed to drive in a run for the second straight postseason.

He needs to get out of New York -- whether it's his choice or the Yankees', it's time to cut the cord. A-Rod will challenge for Hank Aaron's home run record. When he shows up at spring training, he'll still be just 31 and need only 291 homers to move atop the list, but it's clear he can't do it in a Yanks uniform.

The worst thing A-Rod did was leave Seattle. He was the big fish in the small pond there. Had his contract not been worth $252 million when he signed with Texas, he would have been in the same situation.

Instead, the spotlight was turned on him because of his landmark deal. Going to New York only turned up the heat. Forget what you read about him, he's clearly a very sensitive man -- when he reads the comments in the papers and hears what people say about him on sportstalk radio, you just know they stay deep in his psyche.

Maybe A-Rod likes barbecue or day trips to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame or Mall of America. Fisherman's Wharf also is a nice place to visit.

It's time.

From the ice and the diamond

You could see this coming ... the Carolina Hurricanes are still hung over from bringing the Stanley Cup to the Tar Heel State.

After losing their season opener in a shootout on Thursday, Carolina was overmatched in a 4-0 defeat to New Jersey on Friday. Conn Smythe Trophy-winning goaltender Cam Ward looked bad in giving up three first-period goals.

Both losses have come at home, where Carolina enjoyed a decided advantage in going 31-8-2 last season at the RBC Center ...

Congratulations to Martin Brodeur. The future Hall of Famer made 29 saves for his 81st career shutout and 447th win tying him with Terry Sawchuk for third on the all-time list.

It will take a couple, three more years, but Brodeur will pass Patrick Roy to become the NHL's leading winner among among goaltenders. Roy, headed to the Hall of Fame next month, recorded 551 wins with Montreal, Quebec and Colorado ...

Confidence-breaker of the night? Columbus' Pascal LeClaire gives up two third-period goals and OT tally in 3-2 loss to Vancouver. LeClaire became the Jackets' starter after Marc Denis was shipped to Tampa Bay, and the newbie will need a short memory.

Columbus travels to Chicago to meet the Blackhawks on Saturday. Chicago, opening its home slate, recorded its best offensive output in 3 1/2 years with an 8-6 win over Nashville on Thursday ...

Farewell, Buck. Whenever an APNewsAlert comes across the wire, it's almost certainly bad news.

CORE ^^*2080< ^AP-APNewsAlert<,0024<¶ KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ Buck O'Neil, former Negro League star, has died at 94.

I met O'Neil nine years ago at a journalism workshop in Kansas City. Soft-spoken, but a very powerful man.

What was the bigger injustice, though -- not being able to play in the majors for being black or falling one vote short of enshrinement to the Hall of Fame?

You bet

It was a good run while it lasted.

The Minnesota Twins had a chance to evoke memories of 1987 and 1991, but instead were sent packing after an 8-3 loss to Oakland in Game 3 of the AL division series on Friday.

Here's what the Twins can take into 2007, though ...

-- Joe Mauer, the former Cretin-Derham star from St. Paul, will be back as the reigning AL batting champion.
-- Justin Morneau finally showed what kind of player he can be. Easily their best at first since Hrbek.
-- Johan Santana will likely head to spring training with his second AL Cy Young Award safely tucked away.
-- IF all is right with the world, Francisco Liriano's arm will be sound again.
-- Matt Garza and Boof Bonser will no longer be rookies. No better way than to get rid of those first-year jitters than to be caught up in a playoff race.

This team was 12 1/2 games back in May and 10 1/2 back as late as Aug. 7, and STILL won the division. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise ... 2006 was a success in Minnesota.

The rest of the night on ice

0155 a.m. CDT

Some more bits and pieces, now that all is over and I can breathe:

...very nice effort from the Blues in a 5-4 overtime loss to San Jose. Bill Guerin, coming off a bad season in Dallas in which his contract was bought out, scored the game-tying goal with 5.6 seconds left.

St. Louis' streak of 25 postseason appearances ended last season when they finished in last place in the Central. How bad was it in the Gateway City? The Blues had 57 points -- 67 behind first-place Detroit.

New ownership, led by former New York Knicks and Madison Square Garden boss Dave Checketts, and new president John "Ohh-h-h-h-h, baby!" Davidson have to be somewhat pleased.

... your shots on goal by period, Atlanta, in a 3-2 shootout loss to Tampa Bay. Six. Two. Two. One. That's the last four digits of a Social Security number. Not gonna git'er done much with 11 shots in a game.

... very impressive, Marc-Andre Fleury. A 40-save shutout to beat hated cross-state Philadelphia is a nice way to introduce yourself to your new owner.

Games to keep an eye on for Friday include New Jersey vs. Carolina in a rematch of an Eastern Conference semifinal from last season. Also, Anson Carter, a 33-goal scorer for the Canucks last season, faces his former club for the first time when Columbus meets Roberto Luongo and Vancouver, which you can read about here

I may be making my first road trip of the season on Monday: Phoenix vs. Columbus.

Thursday night in the newsroom

1030 p.m. CDT

The Chicago Blackhawks scored eight goals in their season-opening win over the Nashville Predators.

It was their most in one game since 2003, and I know ... it's one game ... but as someone who's lived in the Windy City for just a year, this is gratifying because media coverage of the Blackhawks in this town is non-existent. The AHL's Wolves get more ink and more coverage than the 'Hawks -- one of the Original Six teams.

May be time to jump on the Martin Havlat bandwagon.

... End of two in the desert, Isles goalie Rick DiPietro has already allowed six goals. For $55,284.55 a game, can you stop a piece of rubber, for the love of God?

...For years, the New York Rangers had a bad habit of picking up aging superstars. Phil Esposito leaps to mind. So does Marcel Dionne. So, it's good to see Brendan Shanahan score two goals -- including the 600th of his career in a 5-2 win over Washington.

...BlackBerrys for all! Hours after reaching an agreement to be sold to a Canadian businessman, the Penguins shut out Peter Forsberg and the Flyers 4-0. Jim Balsillie -- love that name -- has agreed to buy the team from HOF'er Mario Lemieux for $175 million.

Pittsburgh needs a new arena in the worst way -- Mellon Arena is a barn in the middle of downtown. I still think this team is on the move regardless of what Gary "The Keebler Elf" Bettman says.

Opening night notes

I have one thought from opening night ... anyone who thinks Colorado goaltender Jose Theodore is the second coming of Patrick Roy, guess again. You cannot be giving up game-winning goals to the likes of Darryl Sydor.

In overtime.

On a breakaway.

As he comes out of the penalty box.

Skating like he's in cement.

Now, to answer noted column castigator Chris Altruda, when we move offices, the M.G. will become "the NB." As far as picking the Caps to win the Southeast ... dare to dream.

Puck drop

Let the season begin with some quick hits.

ATLANTIC DIVISION

1. NEW JERSEY DEVILS: Martin Brodeur was inconsistent at times, but still led the league with 43 wins ... Harvest's husband, Brian Gionta (affectionately known by column castigator Chris Altruda in the M.G. as "that widget") will top 50 goals and 100 points for the first time ... Patrik Elias is healthy again.

2. NEW YORK RANGERS: What more can Henrik Lundqvist do in net during his second season? Get the Rangers past the quarterfinals ... Petr Prucha burst on the scene with 30 goals in his rookie season, and needs to avoid the sophomore slump ... Jaromir Jagr was nosed out by Jonathan Cheechoo for the Maurice Richard Trophy and Joe Thornton for the Art Ross Trophy after a 54-goal, 123-point season.

3. PHILADELPHIA FLYERS: Peter Forsberg and Antero Niittymaki must stay healthy -- and that's not a given ... Simon Gagne was three goals short of 50 last season, and may be hard-pressed to duplicate that ... Did Mike Knuble really have 13 power-play goals last year?

4. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS: At some point this season, they will likely have one of the top two picks from the last four drafts -- Marc Andre-Fleury (No. 1, '03), Evgeni Malkin (No. 2, '04), Sidney Crosby (No. 1, '05) and Jordan Staal (No. 2, '06) -- in the lineup at the same time. They're still not going anywhere, except eventually to Kansas City or Winnipeg.

5. NEW YORK ISLANDERS: Major applause for bringing back Ted Nolan to coach in the NHL. He may want to quit by Christmas ... Rick DiPietro will be laughing to the bank. He needs to find out what branch Alexei Yashin (the "petulant Russian prick," according to the column castigator) uses ... Biggest offseason move was signing Mike Sillinger. He joins his 12th team in 15 seasons, and he's scored more than 20 goals just twice.

NORTHEAST DIVISION

1. BUFFALO SABRES: Beware the Buffaslugs ... Goaltender Ryan Miller missed 18 games last season with a broken thumb and still found a way to win 30 games ... Daniel Briere has 25 goals and 33 assists in an injury-shortened season a year ago. If they stay healthy, they win.

2. OTTAWA SENATORS: "Swiss Miss" Martin Gerber is in net after the Dominik Hasek experiment fails ... Daniel Alfredsson and Dany Heatley will fight tooth-and-nail again for the scoring lead ... the loss of Zdeno Chara (forever known as "Alice the Goon" in the M.G.) will hurt some ... Andrej Meszaros was a plus-34 last season. I would be too on that team.

3. MONTREAL CANADIENS: "Les natifs" are getting restless for another Stanley Cup ... After seven shutouts in 36 games a year ago, Cristobal "Baby" Huet was the real deal. Now do it again ... Underachieving Sergei Samsonov replaces Mike Ribeiro.

4. BOSTON BRUINS: Just getting rid of the gold "Winnie the Pooh" jerseys means they're headed in the right direction .... Zdeno Chara will become a fan favorite ... Phil Kessel leaves the University of Minnesota for Beantown ... Tim Thomas and Hannu Toivonen? Remember the name Tuuka Rask.

5. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS: New coach Paul Maurice was born the year the Leafs last won the Cup -- 1967 ... Fans will soon learn Andrew Raycroft is more like Jim Carey than Ed Belfour ... Mats Sundin is coming up on 500 goals and that may be the only reason to watch.

SOUTHEAST DIVISION

1. WASHINGTON CAPITALS: Surprise. Alexander Ovechkin really is God ... Washington will win, but also will give up a lot of goals ... Chris Clark and Matt Pettinger are underrated, but will score 20 each again.

2. CAROLINA HURRICANES: Cup hangover hits Raleigh ... Cam Ward was exceptional in a short postseason -- welcome to the regular-season grind ... Josef Vasicek will be missed more than they think ... Eric Staal doesn't reach 100 points this season.

3. ATLANTA THRASHERS: If Ovechkin is God, what does that make Ilya Kovalchuk? ... Noted whiner Marc Savard is gone but so are the 97 points he scored last season ... Marian Hossa continues his development as a finesse player; his goal totals have gone down while his assists have gone up each of the last two seasons.

4. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING: Anyone feel like hitting a bar with coach John Tortorella after a loss? Plenty of chances this season ... Unsung hero Fredrik Modin -- 60 goals, 17 PPG over the last two seasons -- will be missed ... Martin St. Louis needs to improve on a 61-point season from last year.

5. FLORIDA PANTHERS: Could challenge the Islanders as the worst team in the East ... Roberto Luongo was a rock in net, not so sure about Alex Auld ... Player to watch: center Rostislav Olesz. Trust me.

CENTRAL DIVISION

1. NASHVILLE PREDATORS: The trendy pick to win this season and for good reason ... Paul Kariya gets help on offense from newcomers Jason Arnott and J.P. Dumont ... Another name to remember: Alexander Radulov ... Tomas Vokoun's health still a concern after blood clotting.

2. DETROIT RED WINGS: The last go-round of success in Hockeytown ... With Steve Yzerman now in the front office and Brendan Shanahan in New York, Nicklas Lidstrom becomes the face of the franchise ... He's 41 and injury-prone, but he's still Dominik Hasek.

3. ST LOUIS BLUES: They're not making the playoffs, but they will improve over last season's 57-point debacle ... Manny Legace gives them a legit starting goalie perhaps for the first time since Greg Millen ... Bill Guerin comes over from Dallas and Doug Weight returns from a Cup winner in Carolina ... New ownership led by Dave Checketts and new president John Davidson provide stability.

4. COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS: The Pascal LeClaire show gets underway in Ohio, but watch for backup Fredrik Norrena ... Fredrik Modin and Anson Carter provide another offensive dimension besides Rick Nash and David Vyborny ... Is Nikolai Zherdev worth the money and the trouble? Ten of his 27 goals last season on the power play.

5. CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS: Will Tuomo Ruutu play an injury-free season? No ... Can Bill Wirtz die soon enough so "Islanders Midwest" can become relevant again? No ... After wearing No. 53 last season, Nikolai Khabibulin hopes No. 39 will be a little luckier ... Martin Havlat, welcome to NHL Hell.

NORTHWEST DIVISION

1. CALGARY FLAMES: In Miikka, we trust -- Kiprusoff logs 12 shutouts this season ... Jarome Iginla finally gets help with the arrival of Alex Tanguay ... Flames won the division last season despite third-fewest goals in the West .. watch Dion Phaneuf play and count how many Norris Trophies he will win.

2. MINNESOTA WILD: No one will be happier to see Pavol Demitra on the ice than linemate and countryman Marian Gaborik ... Not sure if Brian Rolston will duplicate his career-best 79-point season or if Pierre-Marc Bouchard can build off his breakout season a year ago.

3. EDMONTON OILERS: Too many pieces to the Stanley Cup puzzle left -- Chris Pronger to Ducks, Michael Peca to Leafs, Sergei Samsonov to Habs ... Dwayne Roloson and Fernando Pisani need to show last season's playoff magic was no fluke ... Joffrey Lupul will feel no pressure playing in front of the hometown fans.

4. VANCOUVER CANUCKS: Welcome coach Alain Vigneault and goalie Roberto Luongo ... just not having the presence of Todd Bertuzzi around makes them better ... Anson Carter's 33 goals will be missed ... Can one of the Sedins become a 30-goal scorer?

5. COLORADO AVALANCHE: So not sold on Jose Theodore ... Joe Sakic will reach 1,500 career points this year, but this also will be the season he starts to show his age ... Wojtek Wolski and Marek Svatos begin to assert themselves as stars ... Toughness added with waiver pickup George Parros.

PACIFIC DIVISION

1. SAN JOSE SHARKS: Cheechoo is level-headed enough not to live off his 56-goal season from a year ago ... the Vesa and Evgeni show needs to be settled in net. Nabokov will head to an Eastern team and I'm thinking Washington ... Patrick Marleau had nine preseason goals ... Watch for Steve Bernier.

2. DALLAS STARS: Mike Modano becomes the all-time leading U.S.-born scorer ... Marty Turco is great in net during the regular season, but not a sure thing come playoff time ... Jere Lehtinen is still vastly underrated ... Jussi Jokinen is a lot of fun to watch in a shootout.

3. ANAHEIM DUCKS: Chris Pronger joins a loaded defense ... like in San Jose, the Ducks need to settle on Ilya or J.S. in net, unless coach Randy Carlyle decides to go with the hot hand ... No way Teemu Selanne has 90 points again this season.

4. PHOENIX COYOTES: Glendale Arena's new nickname -- "The Retirement Community" ... Jeremy Roenick? Owen Nolan? Did they learn anything from Brett Hull last season and is Wayne going to lace them up again? ... Ladislav Nagy has missed 66 games over the last two seasons and has yet to score 25 goals ... CuJo is 39.

5. LOS ANGELES KINGS: Dan Cloutier brings a fiery personality to laid-back southern California ... Rob Blake comes back ... rookies Patrick O'Sullivan and Anze Kopitar are reasons to watch ... Lubomir Visnovsky had 41 of his 67 points a year ago on the power play.

Buck begone

So much for contract extensions.

The Texas Rangers on Wednesday announced that Buck Showalter has been let go as the team's manager, making him the fourth skipper this week to lose his job.

After an 89-win season -- and third-place finish -- in 2004, Rangers owner Tom Hicks signed Showalter to a contract extension through 2009. Two more third-place finishes have followed. Hicks, speaking to a Dallas radio station on Friday, said he would meet Showalter and general manager Jon Daniels on Tuesday.

"It may take us a while to sort things out," Hicks said. "I am not going to lean any way until I get a chance to talk to him. He was Manager of the Year two years ago. Things haven't gone the way we wanted to this year, and I want to sit down and figure out why."

Since winning a franchise-record 95 games in 1999 -- the last time they appeared in the postseason -- the Rangers have reached 80 wins only twice. Texas was tied for first place with Oakland coming out of the All-Star break, but went 7-11 to start the second half including a six-game slide from July 23-29.

Next?

Quick turnaround

The Marlins didn't wait for the grave to get cold. Hours after cutting ties with Girardi on Tuesday, Fredi Gonzalez was named manager.

Girardi a goner

This will be one of those moves that, years from now, people are going to look at and question just what the Florida Marlins were thinking.

The Fish today fired manager Joe Girardi after one year -- one highly successful year -- on the job. This came two months after a highly publicized rift with owner Jeffrey Loria boiled over into an on-field confrontation. The Marlins already have targeted Atlanta third base coach Fredi Gonzalez as their new skipper, and probably name him this week.

Florida was expected to lose 100 games this season. They had the lowest payroll in the majors -- roughly $15 million -- an inexperienced pitching staff, a rookie-laden lineup and had no hope of competing. An 11-31 start reinforced what many thought.

Here's what the Marlins did under Girardi:

-- Finished with a 78-84 record, and stayed in the wild card race until the final week of the season.
-- Had four rookie pitchers each finish with more than 10 wins, including Anibal Sanchez who tossed a no-hitter.
-- Nurtured the development of Miguel Cabrera (.339 average, 185 hits, 114 RBIs) as a superstar, and Hanley Ramirez (51 steals, 185 hits, 119 runs) and Dan Uggla (172 hits, 27 homers, All-Star berth) as stars in-the-making.

Yeah, I'd fire him too.

Girardi apparently talked himself out of Florida when he chided Loria for berating umpires during a game. And while Loria does sign the paychecks, he does have the right to do what he chooses. Given Girardi's success, you'd think he would have built up some equity.

Short-sighted. Very short-sighted, Jeffrey.

My call ... Girardi ends up in Chicago, turns around a moribund Cubs franchise and is considered a latter-day Joe Torre. Considering he played for Torre and briefly was a coach for him, it stands to reason the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Senior circuit predictions

I'll be brief-ish

3. Los Angeles Dodgers vs. New York Mets. I have a friend who's incredibly bright, but loses a sense of reality when it comes to his beloved Mets. To him, this season's team is Murderer's Row, the Gashouse Gang and the Big Red Machine all in one.

But were they? He's not going to like the answer.

Yes, New York had 97 victories and was a runaway winner in the weak East, posting its best season since 1988 -- when they lost to Los Angeles in the NL championship series. But in 2006, the Mets as a team batted .264, good for a tie with Florida for eighth in the league. New York did hit 200 homers, 47 more than the Dodgers, but it doesn't really matter how many homers you have if you cannot get the bat on the ball consistently.

Los Angeles scored the fourth-most runs in the NL with 820, just 14 behind New York. The Dodgers led the league in hits (1.558), batting average (.276) and on-base percentage (.348), meaning they're patient at the plate. That doesn't bode well for a Mets pitching staff that suffered a major blow last week when it was announced Pedro Martinez would be lost until the middle of next season due to rotator cuff surgery and to repair a torn tendon in his calf.

Pedro was the key. When the Mets signed him nearly two years ago, it specifically for him to get them to the postseason. My friend tells me that New York will be fine without Pedro. I think this is where he steps away from reality. Steve Trachsel is attending to a family emergency and may not be available either. I'm not sold on Tom Glavine and Orlando Hernandez as postseason stars at this stage of their careers, and the back end of the rotation is a mess -- John Maine? Please. This staff is going to be overworked.

New York and Los Angeles were ranked third and fourth in the NL in ERA. Momentum will be a key. Los Angeles enters the postseason on a seven-game winning streak, and they bounced back well after coming out worse than flat after the All-Star break. The Dodgers dropped 13 or 14 before going on a 17-1 tear.

Oh, and they picked up a pretty good pitcher at the trading deadline. Look up the word "crafty" in the dictionary, and there's a picture of Greg Maddux -- 6-3 with a 3.30 ERA after being rescued from the Cubs.

Bottom line is the Dodgers were a better battle-tested team this season, and that's going to carry them. Dodgers in four.

4. San Diego vs. St. Louis. This will be easy. The Cardinals have Albert Pujols coming off the best season of his career, but their pitching staff is a mess -- no closer in Jason Isringhausen (gascan-like as may have been this year), no No. 2 starter in Mark Mulder. Jim Edmonds is dealing with the aftereffects of a concussion, and having Preston Wilson and Juan Encarnacion as your corner outfielders always is scary.

Add to that the Cards nearly blew a 7 1/2-game lead in the final 11 days of the season and they needed help to back into the postseason. St. Louis was the last in, and it'll be the first out ... unless Pujols develops a 97 mph fastball. Padres in three.

Adios, Senor Felipe

See ... it's amazing how the stress in dealing with Barry Bonds just melts away when you no longer have to manage him.

After four seasons, the San Francisco Giants on Monday cut ties with Felipe Alou, ending a relationship that dated back to 1958 when he joined the team as a player. Ironically, it was Alou who replaced Dusty Baker -- who hours earlier was told he would not be offered a new contract by the Cubs.

Wake me up when September ends

How's that for a self-portrait? This is what I look like -- for the most part -- especially after my first baseball season back in the STATS end of the business. After all, look at the circles under the eyes. Those, my friends, are homegrown.

And thanks to the Goddess In Training (she's almost got it down now) in Kansas for the site that let me create myself.

Baseball's regular season, mercifully, is over. No more turning around 15 previews in just a couple hours on a Friday night. No more whining from Cubs and White Sox fans -- yes, I said whining -- about how poor their teams play.

This is funny only because it illustrates the reasons for their consternation ... the White Sox post back-to-back 90-win seasons for the first time in more than 40 years, and it's considered a failure because they didn't get back to the World Series. To quote a coach from another sport: "You play ... to win ... THE GAME!" So, going 33-40 after the All-Star break, and trying to hold off a determined Minnesota team while waiting for the three-run homer each time doesn't help much.

ChiSox fans learned something this season ... winning it all one year doesn't entitle you to a return performance. Don't start turning into Yankees fans.

As for the Cubs, and their NL-worst 96-loss season, the bloodletting has just begun.

Minutes after beating Colorado in the season finale, CEO Andy MacPhail quit after 12 years. He helped the Twins to unlikely World Series titles in 1987 and 1991, but was unable to bring that success south. While the South Siders ended an 88-year championship drought a year ago, a World Series hasn't been played at Clark and Addison since 1945, and the Cubs haven't won one in 98 years.

In a matter of hours, the Cubs probably will announce the end of Dusty Baker's four-season stint as manager. While with the Cubs, he was four games under .500 at 322-326, but that's not enough to save his job. Even if he was winning more, they've had just to much too overcome, especially this year: injuries to Kerry Wood, Mark Prior, Derrek Lee ... an abysmal pitching staff, most of whom still should have been with the minors.

Assuming Baker is not back, here are five other managers that I think will be shown the door: Joe Girardi in Florida, Buddy Bell in Kansas City, Clint Hurdle in Colorado, Ned Yost in Milwaukee and Eric Wedge in Cleveland. I didn't add Washington's Frank Robinson to the list because the Nationals officially announced Saturday that he would not be coming back.

Girardi -- as good a motivator as he is to have kept the Marlins in the wild card race until the final week of the season -- will never be able to co-exist with owner Jeffrey Loria, especially after essentially telling his boss where to go during a game. I expect Girardi to be guiding the Cubs in '07.

Bell was forced to leave the team last week after a cancerous growth was discovered on a tonsil. Kansas City ended up losing 100 games for the third year in a row, and though they have plenty of good prospects in the pipeline, there is no way this team will be able to contend until 2009-10 at the soonest.

Hurdle, Yost and Wedge will be held accountable for underachieving seasons. Two others who may be asked to leave the island are Texas' Buck Showalter (regardless of the contract that runs until '09) and Arizona's Bob Melvin.

And now, the first-round series in the American League ...

1. Minnesota vs. Oakland. This will be one all baseball fans should watch. If you've never seen players like Justin Morneau, Johan Santana, Joe Mauer, Nick Swisher, Eric Chavez and Huston Street, consider this your introduction. These are not the uber-stars you'll see on a team like the Yankees.

Oakland has had it pretty easy for much of the season. Having the Los Angeles Angels, Texas and Seattle was good was 34 wins in the division. Minnesota looked dead in the water in May -- trailing first-place Detroit by 12 1/2 games. On Aug. 7, the Twins were still 10 1/2 back, but chipped away (and took advantage of the Tigers' late-season swoon, but more on that later) and head into the postseason as division champs ... which means they don't have to face the Yankees in the first round.

Santana rarely loses in the Metrodome, and seeing that he starts Game 1 there Tuesday, I have no reason to think he's going to start now. Minnesota also was 5-1 this season at home against Oakland. Twins in four.

2. Detroit vs. New York Yankees. The Tigers were baseball's darlings for much of the season. Two years after a 119-loss season, and now under Lucky Strike spokesman Jim Leyland, Detroit was running away from the pack. On Aug. 7, the Tigers were an unfathomable 40 games over .500 at 76-36, and had a double-digit lead in the AL Central.

By the end of the season, they were a wild card thanks to a 19-31 fade. Five losing streaks of at least three games, including a five-game slide to end the season gets them a date with the Yankees instead of an easier opponent in Oakland.

Time for your minutiae: Tigers' pitchers had a 4.21 ERA, blew seven of 13 save opportunities and had a .279 opponent batting average over the final 50 games. Compare that to 3.68 ERA, converting 40 of 49 save chances and a .246 OBA. At the plate, the Tigers batted .281 through Aug. 7, but saw that drop 20 points with the fade.

Getting swept by Kansas City in the final series of the year doesn't help when you're next facing one of the most potent lineups, one through nine, in baseball. Randy Johnson's back injury and Mariano Rivera's tender elbow are concerns, but when you have the ability to mash the ball like the Yankees can, they won't have a problem winning games 12-7 so long as they're on the winning side.

Matsui and Sheffield are healthy again after wrist surgeries. Cano established himself as a hitter. They added another offensive weapon in Abreu, allowing Sheffield to move to first and keep Giambi's bat in the lineup. Jeter has done this before.

New York had only two three-game losing streaks in the second half of the season, and still has a pretty big chip on their shoulder after what the hated Red Sox did to them in 2004. The Yankees also took three of four in Detroit in May and June when the Tigers were on their amazing run. One thing about New Yorkers ... you're not going to intimidate them much. Yankees in three.