And the Orioles fell to the Yankees, too. Oh well. Hey, great baseball story in the NYTimes the other day -- in case you missed it:

Big Train Is Still Rolling
By Hillel Kuttler

WASHINGTON — A stranger recently telephoned Carolyn Thomas to ask how old she was when her father died. Twenty-three, she replied.

Oh, you knew him!” the man, greatly impressed, responded. Thomas could only laugh.

For sports fans in this city, Thomas’s father, Walter Johnson, remains royalty 85 years after his sidearm fastball last whizzed past a helpless batter and 66 years since his death. The Washington Senators’ pitching ace, Johnson won 417 games, the second most in baseball history, and his 3,509 strikeouts stood as a major league record until 1983. The Big Train, as he was known, retains numerous baseball career marks, with perhaps the most impressive being his throwing 110 shutouts and 531 complete games in 21 seasons, all with Washington.

Con't at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/10/sports/baseball/walter-johnsons-daughter-links-washington-to-its-baseball-past.html

Washington belongs in the American League.

I agree that Washington belongs in the American League, though that can never be because the Orioles will have nothing of it. I can still remember seeing Frank Howard play for the Senators in old Comiskey Park, playing the White Sox. I was in awe of his size, presence and power. I don’t think I had ever seen anyone quite so large.

The Nats playing in the National League did afford an opportunity to take my kids to see them play the Mets at Nationals Park the summer before last. It’s a pretty neat place to watch a game, with from the stands vistas up South Capitol Street to the US Capitol and across the southwest quadrant of DC to the Washington Monument. It occurred to me that the last time I had seen the Mets play in person was October 2, 1969 (my 16th birthday), when the Mets closed out the regular season in Wrigley Field. I purchased tickets for closing day in mid August, when it appeared the Cubs had the Eastern Division title in hand. Ha, Ha! I thought it was going to the celebration of a successful season for a special team. Indeed it was – for the Miracle Mets.

The memories from Major League Baseball are special. But it just ain’t what it used to be.

You're both right. Especially Newleaf in the conclusion.

That epic 9th inning was the talk of the Roseway Barber Shop this morning...

Even those who are not die-hard baseball fans enjoyed it.

I'd have liked an AL team too, but if it had to be an NL team, they should have named it the Grays...a wonderful fusing of traditions.

Giants and Cards both had miraculous comebacks in the NLDS. Who says baseball is slow and boring. This post season in both leagues has been wild! SF and StL now get to face each other to see who goes to the Fall Classic. SF wins in 6 unless Musial suits up.