Growing up a die hard Orioles fan, I thoroughly rememebr each and every world series appearance the O’s made.

The first was in 1966, I was in my senior year at the University of Florida.

I was in Gainesville that October watching game four in the housemother’s room of my fraternity because it was a weekend and the only TV in the main room was tuned to Florida football.

The Orioles were 8-5 underdogs to the Dodgers, and I bet $10.00 to win $16.00 from dorm rat Richard Melker.

After the Orioles swept the Dodgers that day in four, I celebrated by hugging the septugenarian Mrs. Stern, who didn’t know why I was so ecsatic seeing a baseball team win the series.

It was a moment I’ll never forget.

The Angels are in for the first time in their 42 seasons. For me, I was an Orioles fan from 1954 (I liked the Bird on the hat) so waiting to see my team in the Fall classic was not as torturous.

Angels fans from 1961 thru the present now have gotten the ultimate thrill seeing their team get into the the World Series, there is nothing like it for a fan.

The Giants have won two pennants on the West Coast, 1962 and 1989. A third will be special since the team always seems to fall short of the series. The Giants teams in the 60’s were excellent baseball teams, but they could never get past the Dodgers.

The 2002 Giants have the greatest player of the last 50 years on their team. Barry Bonds and friends are enough to bring this team to the Series

Will they do it tonight?

Matt Morris, who spent his pregame yesterday playing wiffle ball with Daryl Kile’s son in the Pac Bell outfield, is a very capable pitcher, the best the Cards have.

If anyone can slow Benito Santiago and JT Snow down, Morris can do it. The Cardinals, like many losers in the postseason, can point to one pitch or one missed hit, to explain their losses.

Last night, with a 2-0 lead put on the board by the fine pitching of Andy Benes, the Cards let the sixth inning get away, surrendering a huge two out double to JT Snow.

Second guessing is only that when you don’t say something at the time of decision.

Here’s what I said as the inning unfolded. I was sitting with Hall of Famer Leonard Koppett.

With runners on first and second, the lefthanded hitting Snow came up. Two out and Rick White, a righty on the mound. A single would only drive in one run, thereby preserving the lead.

Tony Larussa opted to stay with White to face Snow. I said to myself, I’ve seen Snow bat thousands of times during his career and he has alwyas struggled noticeably against lefties. If the Cards let the Giants back in the game now, a game ST. Louis must win, it is all over.

Lefty Jeff Fassero was warm and ready to face Snow. I looked to the bull pen, Fassero had sat down. La Russa explained later that evening that Snow was 3-5 off of Fassero in the past.

You would have to tell me when those hits occurred. Was Fassero healthy at the time, what year, what were the circumstances, were they homers or extra base hits? Did Snow hit lefthanded at the time?

So, you know what happened. Snow drilled a monster double off the wall in left center, a place he never would have hit a lefty, two runs scored and the game was tied and over as far as I was concerned.

The coup de grace was delivered when Santiago homered with two out, believe it or not off of Rick White who was still in the game in the eighth inning, giving the Giants a 4-2 lead and eventually the game 4-3.

St. Louis has more pitchers on the roster than NBA players have childeren running around the country. Inexplicably, La Russa didn’t use his pitching staff, while Dusty Baker was making moves all over the field.

So much for the genius of La Russa.

Tonight Kirk Reuter will have the crowd behind him, begging for their third pennant jewel in 44 seasons.

Morris will put the brakes on the Giant pennant express tonight, much to the dismay of the fans, when he takes his team deep into the game and allows his manager to bring in the right people to shut the door because tonight there is no tomorrow for St. louis.

Giant fans need not despair, they will have their date with the Angels this Saturday in Anaheim when Jason Schmidt takes care of business on Tuesday night.

Sometimes the last win is the toughest.

Just ask the 1979, 1982, and 1986 Angels, the monkey is finally off their back, and now on the Anaheim scorebaorad in the form of the Rally Monkey.

I wonder what the Cowboy, Gene Autry thinks now.