The Billiken's Bluff

The Fates are striking Mets pitchers down 2 at a time in an effort to derail this late October matchup.



The Yankees have drawn a Tigers team who has only won 19 of last 50 and doesn't have one player on their roster that would crack the Yankees lineup. The Yankees have Alex Rodriguez batting 6th followed by Matsui 7th, and batting 9th, Robinson Cano, who finished third in the American League in hitting with a .342 batting average. I'm blown away, blown away, as Larry David doing his best George Steinbrenner would say.

A Mets/Yankees World Series still seems more likely than not, despite the Mets dearth of pitching and a likely game 1 start tomorrow by rookie John Maine.



But what I really wanted to comment on was a TV ad I saw last night while falling to sleep. I thought I might have dreamed it but confirmed it to be true today. Golden boy Derek Jeter, Mr. MVP candidate despite numbers that are dwarfed by David Ortiz, has an advertisement with Movado watches with the following copy:

Derek Jeter: Humanitarian, Leader, Athlete.



And to compare the polar opposites. A-Rod's career postseason numbers: .305 BA/.393 OBP/.534 Slg.; Derek Jeter's career postseason numbers: .307/.379/.463.



A-Rod is characterized as an overpriced head case. Jeter crowned Mr. October, Mr. Intangible (the hardest of all stats to track),



and now marketed as a Humanitarian!!!

The Billiken will heartily root for A-Rod to right his wronged name and for the depleted, and suddenly underdogged NY Metropolitans.



Quote Shakespeare:

Good name in man and woman, dear my lord,
Is the immediate jewel of their souls:
Who steals my purse steals trash; 'tis something, nothing;
'Twas mine, 'tis his, and has been slave to thousands;
But he that filches from me my good name
Robs me of that which not enriches him
And makes me poor indeed.