Three and ...

Heading into the final series of the regular season, the Dodgers find themselves with a two game advantage on the Philadelphia Phillies for the NL wild card and a game out of first in the west. Everything looks good right? Not so fast. The blue left Colorado yesterday triumphant after dropping 19 on the Rocks headed for the Northern California Coast and the dreaded McCovey Cove. Sure, the Dodgers have faired a lot better at Pac Bell/Monster/SBC/AT&T/CIA/NSA Park, however all that goes out the proverbial window as the Dodgers and the Giants meet again in what will make or break the blue's season.

Am I geeked, oh hell no. I'm going to be locked away somewhere well out of view of a television of far from earshot of a radio. No, the anticipation and anxiety won't allow me to bring myself to enduring what plans to be a series that tests your blatter's ability to keep liquids tucked away. This weekend is shaping up to be one of the most difficult periods I have had to endure in a while and I don't know if I can keep sane this weekend at all. OK, enough dramatics, on to the point of all this. What I fear most is not what happens on the field, what worries me is history.

Remember back in 1982 when that little sawed off bastard Joe Morgan and his chicken wing flap hit one at Candlestick to knock the Dodgers out of contention for the playoffs? How about that infamous Bobby Thompson shot back at the Polo Grounds that 'won the pennant!!!' for the freakin' Giants. In short, stranger things have happened and with this Dodger squad, a four game lead with three to play wouldn't be safe, (SARCASM).

Nothing would please the Giants and all of their small minded Barry Bonds fans more then to knock the Dodgers out of the playoffs with the effects of that 2004 collapse on the next to last day of the season at Dodger Stadium still lingering with the organization. Steve Finley is now wearing the other uniform, however the slam he hit in that game forever put him in the anolls of Dodger lore, and that will be a main motivator for the Giants and their faithful. Of course, you knew it would have to come to this, when the schedule was released late last year, a smart fan would forget about the opener and go straight to the last series of the year. 'Oh shit, it's against the Giants in San Francisco," was probably what was collectively said when everyone clicked on dodgers.com to check out the scene. A more optimistic fan would say that they wouldn't want it any other way and that it would be sweet to secure a playoff spot in the house that Kevin Elster christened in the 2000 season. A more pessimistic person, or one living in the reality based community, would argue that this weekend is tailor made for an ambush and a total reversal of fortunes for the blue.

For the sakes of millions of Dodger fans and their sanity, I hope that tonight the team goes out there and waxes the Giants while the Marlins take care of the Phils. That is the perfect scenario that everyone hopes and prays for. The nightmare the I keep getting however sees us dropping all three, much like in 1996 when all we had to do was win one against the juiced up Ken Caminiti and and dropped all three to finish with the wild card. Still the playoff yes, but a 3 game blasting by Atlanta was not as rewarding as an easier stroll in the park against the Cardinals. After that, a long plane ride home another off season of asking why. For all of our sakes, Hong Chi-Kou better have it tonight.