OCTOBER IN THE MIDWEST--THE BEST TIME OF THE YEAR

OR WHO SCREWED UP THE WEATHER THIS TIME AROUND--GAME FOUR: POSTPONED

It used to be easy to tell non-Midwesterners when the best time to visit was. September still carried with it much humidity and stickiness as it refused to give up its hold on Summer. May, for some reason, is usually too cold and wet. A dreary month because of anticipation. Ditto April except for the anticipation. March still thought it was a Winter month much like its opposite, November. And Summer--well, forget it unless you love to sweat.

So what the heck happened? The year that baseball gives us two great Mid-American teams and we can't show off the weather. Not that anyone cares according to the tv ratings. Maybe more should follow the Tommy LaSorda commercials about the love of the game. It's one of the very few commercials that are any good at all during this World Series. If I see anymore Star Trek commercials, or tv plugs for House and Prison Break, it's only because I can't reach the remote. And just maybe that's why the rating are so low.

Described as "The World Series Nobody Wanted to See" by a New York writer, this one is a dandy. From featuring cast-offs, to rookies, to fading stars, to the game's best, to Mensa-type managers, to great fans, to dyed-red imperial or "Spiezer," to controversy, to great bullpens, to great ballparks, all that is lacking is the weather and good broadcasters.

Maybe they can play tonight. Or Friday night. Or certainly Saturday. While the colors of Fall may not be what they were in the past, I sure hope the main color is Cardinal red in 2006.

Go Cardinals!