Print   Recommend

The baseball season is a marathon. A long, drawn-out struggle to get to the 162-game finish-line. This sort of tortoise-type pace can drive even the sanest of sports fan batty (all puns intended). When comparing to the other major pro sports, seasons are 10K sprints compared to America's Pastime.

But the Grand Old Game does a 180 when playing the postseason. Call it a sense of destiny. Maybe the fact that money makes the David vs. Goliath analogy exist more frequently here. Perhaps the quick-paced intensity is payback for months of living in an unenthusiastic matrix. Whatever the reason, the MLB playoffs give baseball a leg-up on most of its other pro brethren.

The best thing about the postseason going on right now is the continuous feel. The series themselves are short and sweet, thanks to home games being played on back-to-back days. In all, the division series will take less than a week to play.

There's certainly a different level of physicality when comparing the sports, but games on consecutive days isn't only reserved for baseball. Remember when the Minnesota Wild played two nights in a row twice during the Stanley Cup playoffs? Ahh, the classic memories from ... April and May.

With the limited spacing of days, the drama only builds for the man that controls the game's flow. Other than the quarterback, no one on-field position has more authority over an outcome than a pitcher. Like goaltending in hockey, pitching usually carries teams to the World Series. Just look at the Braves and Red Sox, whose spectacular offenses have been basically shut down by opposing staffs.

The intensity of continuous play also flows over to the mistakes made on the diamond. The Yankees' misplays Tuesday, Red Sox and Twins' errors Thursday, and the Giants' outfield gaffs throughout the week helped to directly decide their games. Now, mistakes hurt teams anytime, anyplace, any sport. However, for the several mistakes that cause damage in other sports, one of baseball's errors can be deadly.

Along with death by dropped ball, heart-stopping heroics are in the MLB postseason definition (at least they should be). There's only so many Robert Horry shots, Adam Vinatieri field-goals, and Martin Brodeur saves in the sports realm.

It's safe to say, though, that for the next few days, Pudge Rodriguez will own South Beach. Ivan provided drama not only with his bat, but with his all-star, Gold Glove defense. The Marlins' catcher was directly responsible for carrying his team to not one, but two victories this week. With that performance, he made everyone who questioned his move to Miami look as foolish as the stars of "Gigli."

Baseball, like any sport, can't please everybody. The flaws are too numerous to count. But for one month, the diamond shines brightly over all of sports. The worth it has against the puck, roundball, and oddball, makes its playoff season all the more special. And there may even be an added bonus this year, where one team's curse might well turn into that same city's joy.

Have something to say? Visit the message boards and discuss this article. Comments? Agree? Disagree? Send in your feedback about this article.