A Fiddler on the Roof

Translation: It helps us a lot. Like at least part of the astronomical difference between 40-17 and 15-11.

Oswalt, from Weir, Miss., where he is known for his modesty and restraint, made an entire news conference presentation on the subject, a doubly dangerous decision when you may have to start the game with the roof open.

"We've been playing with it closed all postseason," he said. "I don't see why we should open it now. It's our field and it works for our advantage with the loudness of the crowd. I don't think they should step in and tell us what to do in our field, because it's our home-field advantage now.

"I think Chicago had their advantage there -- cold, windy. They've been playing in it all year, we haven't. So let's bring it back home and give the advantage to us now."

In April and May, the Astros frequently kept their roof open because the weather was nice, rather than the normal Texas swelter that contaminates most of the season. As warm weather arrived, the dome was, quite logically, closed for the sake of comfort. That's why the word "retractable" was part of the $250 million price tag for Minute Maid Park. However, the more the Astros won, the more the Astros like the concept of thermostats, even though they had set a precedent of closing the roof only when it was more than 80 degrees before game time.

"This fits their criterion, not ours," said Selig, invoking the 80-degree rule. "Weather is the determining factor. Let me say again so there's no doubt: Weather is the determining factor."

Some, including Astros catcher Brad Ausmus, had said that the decision was motivated by baseball's desire for pretty aerial pictures of the Series. Unfortunately for this argument, Fox does not have a blimp, although it does have several tall cameramen.

"There isn't a cloud within 800 miles of here," fumed Selig after his day of Weather Channel study. "In 2001 Arizona wanted to close the roof and they were told they couldn't. It was quiet. They were very nice about it. They were tough. But they knew they had to keep the roof open. So there's precedence," said Selig, who presumably no longer thinks of the Astros as entirely nice or quiet.

This entire postseason has both conspired to help the White Sox, while simultaneously tending to deny them proper credit. True, Boston's Tony Graffanino let a ground ball go straight between his legs immediately before a three-run homer by the White Sox. But many infield errors are comical. Graffanino's drew attention because it was Buckneresque. True, A.J. Pierzynski reached base against the Angels on an umpire's mistake after he struck out. Then his pinch runner scored the winning run. But even if he'd been called out, the game would merely have gone into extra innings. And, true, Jermaine Dye reached base on Sunday when he wasn't really hit by a pitch. The pitch was a foul tip. Then Paul Konerko immediately hit a grand slam. But, if this had happened in June, every player on both teams would have focused on the home run, not the 75th replay of Dye.

As this Series comes to a conclusion, no matter what the outcome, we should stop enjoying our little controversies so much, stop indulging in the 100th discussion of the virtues of instant replay in baseball (none) and, instead, pay attention too -- oh, what is that team's name? Yes, that's it, the White Sox.

They're playing quite well, you know. So well, in fact, that if the Red Sox, Angels and Astros had gotten the breaks this October instead of the Sox, it's possible that Chicago might still have a well-deserved world title squarely in its sights.