MORNING BRIEFING

It’s World Series time and the ideal moment to review the top 10 reasons why baseball has gone from the best sport 40 years ago, for me and America, to a farce:

1. The Yankees buy championships. One team hoards the best players while most have no fair chance to compete.

2. Teams used to keep eight pitchers and the game ran smoothly with few pitching changes. Now teams have 13 pitchers and games take forever.

3. Steroids.

4. Closers. Rarely a chance for exciting finishes, unlike football. Games essentially over by the eighth inning.

5. Baseball past mid-October in the freezing cold.

6. Baseball only on late at night that can’t be seen on TV by kids.

7. DH rule still waters down one league.

8. Balk rule that nobody understands, still in effect.

9. Rarely an exciting pennant race.

10. Bad music at the ballpark.

Good job, Selig. Keep those ratings plummeting!

Rick Wallace

Malibu

::

November’s a key Nielsen rating,

So MLB keeps the fans waiting

So Fox wins the sweep

While kids are asleep

In weather that’s prime time for skating.

John Dillon

New Haven, Conn.

::

When did I become a huge Philadelphia Phillies fan? About a nanosecond after the Angels were eliminated by that “other” team.

Luke Aiello

Mission Viejo

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As our two local teams came up considerably short in the Freeway World Series quest, perhaps we could have a consolation Freeway Series. The team that committed the most astonishing errors in the postseason has to open on the road. Looks like the Dodgers get home-field advantage again.

Ron Reeve

Glendora