Mother Nature takes center stage in baseball's post-season

So, there's a good chance that heavy rains will force postponement of Game 6 of the American League Championship Series tonight in New York. Which, again, raises the question: Why are we still playing baseball this deep into October? The scary thing is that this might only get worse, weather-wise, as we prepare for a November World Series between teams from New York and Philadelphia, where it's been known to snow this time of the year.

Sadly, this is a situation that could be easily rectified by having teams play seven scheduled double-headers per year, just as they used to do. That would enable the regular season to end in late September and the post-season to end well before November, when weather can become a serious issue in more than half the big-league cities.

I know the union would grumble about unfair this would be to the players, but given what they're making I think they could suck it up a little. And you could placate the owners by designating these as day-night doubleheaders so they'd still be able to milk the fans for two gates each time the schedule-makers pulled an Ernie Banks and said "Let's play two.''

Of course, FOX and the other television networks would blanch at ending the post-season any sooner. And we know that they - and not the alleged commissioner of the game, Bud Selig - call the shots.

I can see it now. Terrible fall weather in the Northeast results in the World Series being pushed back all the way to Thanksgiving. And the brilliant Selig, as he did in that All-Star Game a few years ago, declares the Phillies and Yankees co-champions. Or maybe Bud Light could flip a coin or have the managers play a best-of-seven game of rock, paper scissors to determine the champ.

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The Phillies obviously are rooting for the Angels to force a Game 7 because that means the Yankees would have to pitch C.C. Sabathia, and he would only be able to make two starts instead of three in the World Series if the Bronx Bombers advanced.

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Despite the crankiness of my first item, I think a Phillies-Yankees World Series would be a dynamite matchup. And the atmosphere would be enhanced by two of the most passionate sets of fans in all of sports.

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Syracuse resumes play today against the 1-5 Akron Zips in the Carrier Dome, and they should romp. Akron suspended its starting quarterback for violating team rules earlier this season, then lost its backup QB to an injury, prompting the Zips to take out an ad in the student newspaper asking any former high school QBs on campus to contact the football coaching staff for tryouts.

SU began the season in promising fashion, but things regressed as the Orange men started producing more turnovers than your local bakery once the Big East Conference schedule opened. Expect coach Doug Marrone to have a short leash with quarterback Greg Paulus this afternoon. The former Duke point guard has been a turnover machine in recent games, and if he throws a pick early, red-shirt freshman Ryan Nassib will be under center. Call it 'Cuse 34, Akron 16.

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I wondered in my last blog if A-Rod's girlfriend Kate Hudson would receive a Series winner's share should the Yankees go the distance. That prompted reader Alana to wittily ask: "If Kate's next movie is a dud, does that mean it's an A-Bomb?''