World Series

I just cannot muster any excitement about a Tampa Bay Rays-Philadelphia Phillies World Series. If only the Fall Classic could be more like WrestleMania. By that, of course, I mean scripted. One of the reasons WrestleMania rarely disappoints is that Vince McMahon and his creative team are pulling the strings to ensure star-studded matchups and intriguing story lines. (For more, go to baltimoresun.com/ringposts)

* Mark Teixeira, right, and Hideki Matsui homer off Pedro Martinez, helping New York to a 3-1 victory, tying the World Series at one game apiece heading into Saturday's matchup in Philadelphia. Yankees starting pitcher A.J. Burnett gave up four hits in seven innings, and Mariano Rivera earned a two-inning save. PG 7

The Manor Tavern team from Baltimore County is on its way to the National Softball Association's Class D World Series in Drifton, Pa., Sept. 13-15.Manor Tavern won the Northeast Regional tournament in York, Pa., last weekend in impressive fashion, racking up a 6-0 record. Manor Tavern is now 68-21 on the season for manager Steve Morlock.The Baltimore team clinched the regional title with a 15-4 pasting of Walters Electic of Rochester, N.Y. Top individual performances came from Daryl Walters, who had a .750 average for the six games, and Norm Rockwell, who drove in 12 runs.

The Ripken Baseball Complex in Aberdeen is going to be busy for the next week, much to the delight of Cal and Bill Ripken. Opening ceremonies for the seventh Cal Ripken 12-and-under World Series, the fourth in Aberdeen, are set to begin at 9:45 a.m. today with team introductions followed by skills competitions, a home run derby and a picnic. The games start tomorrow at noon. Five international teams - Australia, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and the Republic of Korea - and 10 from the United States, including Harford County champion Hickory/Fountain Green, will play at Cal Sr.'s Yard and its three adjoining fields at the Ripken Academy.

In winning five straight games for the North Atlantic Region championship last weekend in Pikesville, the 13-14 Yankee Rebels improved their winning streak to 27 games.The Rebels (61-5) outscored their opponents by a combined 68-13 to earn a berth in the World Series in Miamisburg, Ohio, today through Monday.The Rebels, winners of the Baltimore Metro League with a 38-1 record, already had qualified for the Continental Amateur Baseball Association World Series in Dublin, Ohio, by winning the CABA state tournament two weeks ago."

Any politician can pander to the voters by offering them the good life, hiding from the problems or making fuzzy promises and tossing out easy solutions.But it takes courage to look the voter square in the eye and say, "No, life isn't always easy, sometimes it is hard. And sacrifices have to be made, comforts surrendered."It seems President Bush has just made liars out of those who had accused him of not having the courage to tell people these painful truths.In life, choices have to be made.

LOS ANGELES -- It was Joan Collins who put the nasty in "Dynasty" and, thanks to CBS' billion-dollar investment, she and it are back on ABC.The billion-dollar investment -- $1.06 billion, to be precise -- was the amount CBS pledged in 1988 to Major League Baseball for four seasons of ballgames.It was the prospect of competing against the World Series that led ABC to single-handedly revive the slumping wardrobe industry, bringing back Ms. Collins, John Forsythe, Linda Evans and others to tie up those ends left loose when the once-popular costume drama expired abruptly in 1989.

1B Mark Grace vs. Tino Martinez: Diamondbacks veteran Grace has waited a long time for the chance to perform in the postseason and he didn't squander the opportunity in the first two rounds. He has appeared in nine games and is batting .300 in the playoffs, but came out of the final game of the National League Championship Series with a hamstring strain. He claims he'll be ready, but he has to be considered questionable. Erubiel Durazo took his place in Game 5 and hit a big home run. Greg Colbrunn also can play there.

New York - Shortly before 5 p.m. yesterday, detectives from the local precinct swept the three-card monte dealers off the corner of 44th Street and Broadway, making chess, as in the world championship, for a moment the most popular contest in midtown.Well, it wasn't like the World Series or the Stanley Cup. Champion Garry Kasparov and challenger Anatoly Karpov don'tyet rank in the league of Ali, Frazier or Colts-Giants, at least not here, not yet. The local enthusiasm wasn't obvious, and the crowds were just the ordinary Times Square mess.

Orioles fans, who remember 1989, understand the wild implausibility of a team going from last place one season to first the next. Those Orioles came, perhaps, within one bounced curve ball of that worst-to-first feat. This year, it was finally accomplished for the first time, not just by one team, but by two, the Atlanta Braves and the Minnesota Twins.It seemed that postseason play could not provide as compelling a story as the regular season wins by the Braves and Twins in their respective divisions.