Baseball’s have-nots crash party

It might be too early for baseball commissioner Bud Selig to jump for joy over the parity among this season's playoff teams.

But at least for today's first pitches, Selig can be thrilled by the presence of small-market teams in the postseason.

Yes, the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies will open play today, but so will some of the league's most frugal teams.

Texas, ranked 23rd according to the major leagues' latest payroll figures, won the American League West. Tampa Bay, 20th in payroll, beat out the high-spending Yankees and Boston to win the AL East.

No. 12 Cincinnati won the National League Central, and No. 16 Atlanta won the NL wild card.

It's the first time since the playoffs expanded in 1995 that as many as four of the eight postseason teams came from the bottom half of the payroll rankings.

"You don't see people giving up as many of their (former) draft choices as they used to," Twins president Jerry Bell said. "George Steinbrenner, he didn't care. Everything was about 'win now.' "

If the Yankees win it all for the second straight year, the sound you'll hear early next month will be Steinbrenner laughing from his grave.

■ BEATS FOOTBALL -- Fans in the cities of baseball's playoff teams can relish a respite from the NFL season.

The NFL teams representing those cities are a combined 13-16, and that includes the surprising Atlanta Falcons at 3-1 and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 2-1, the only ones above .500.

■ BRAIN DAMAGE -- The headaches that forced Baltimore second baseman Brian Roberts to miss the final six games of the season might have been self-inflicted.

"In frustration, I whacked myself on the head with my bat. I had my helmet on. It's something I've done a million times," Roberts said. "I still can't tell you for sure if that was it."

He might have been suffering short-term memory loss after connecting with his head for the 500,000th time. Too bad Roberts isn't better at connecting with the ball.

■ DANICA TIME -- Tissot, a Swiss watch manufacturer since 1853, is the newest sponsor for NASCAR racer Danica Patrick.

Tissot will be the major sponsor on Patrick's No. 7 entry for Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s team in Saturday's Nationwide Series race in Fontana, Calif.

Patrick, who finished second in this year's final IndyCar race last weekend, has started seven Nationwide races and struggled to an average finish of 34th in her rookie season.

Tissot must be planning to use Patrick to promote a new line of hourglass or sundial.

■ IN OTHER WORDS -- Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel would like to take back a comment he made Tuesday in his weekly news conference.

Describing his desire for more footballs to be in play so he could utilize more offensive players, he said: "I wish we had more balls."

Tressel quickly interjected: "That sounds terrible. Man, I am getting old. But you know what I'm saying."

COMPILED BY JEFF WOLF
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL