FanHouse Carlnotlenny

The playoffs are almost over and the stage is set for the defending World Champion Philadelphia Phillies to face the dreadnought New York Yankees ... or the Los Angeles Angels Angels, pending a dead Christopher Lloyd-style miracle.

The bottom line is this: the World Series is like one block to our left, and we're going to have to start buckling down and making some declarative statements. Before we do that, though, today's Dugout features some pre-ALCS decision arguing and some sad realities.

Just when Jason Giambi was becoming one of the more likeable Yankees, he goes and does something stupid like not live up to the forty billion dollar club option left on his contract. Tisk tisk.

He did steroids, admitted it (kinda), and still got to doff his cap in the final game at Yankee Stadium. That rules. I guess that's all I really saw in the guy.

Mr. Giambi and Carl Pavano both had their contracts extinguished by the Yankees yesterday, as the club options left on each of them were pricey to say the least. Giambi would have been given $22 million and Pavano $13 million, both far beyond what either can expect to make testing the waters of free agency. The front office in New York said that it shouldn't surprise anyone, but come on. When have nickels and dimes stopped the Yankees from doing anything? I'm surpised if only to make the front office wrong.

So, good luck guys. I doubt either of you will ever matter again.

Mike Hampton has lasted six consecutive starts without injuring himself.

Carl Pavano actually held a baseball and took a major-league mound last night.

Rocco motherhubbarding Baldelli hit a home run Friday night.

These are players we all wrote off; whose health circumstances were so odd and frustrating that they were laughingstocks first and players second. Their frequencies of calamity were so reliable, so consistent, that they became universal tenets. The sun rises, these guys sit on a couch, the sun sets. This is no longer true, and the Grand Wheel of the Universe has lost three of its spokes. It cannot continue to spin. The end is nigh. Tell your family you love them. Wake up early tomorrow and cook up some Eggs Benedict, like you always told yourself you would, because our mornings left are few.

Has the Lord God grown preoccupied with other matters? What is happening here? Today's Dugout is after the jump.