Dear Gods of Baseball:

First of all, thank you for giving us fans a wonderful season. So many of us had our prayers answered that I know you must have been listening. Thank you for not letting the Tigers lose 120 games, or the Devils Rays 100. Thank you for the Rocket's many milestones and the drama that it provided. Though we don't have "pennant" races anymore, the final week of the season was one of the most exciting in my lifetime. The Fish rose up and bit the Phillies. The Cubs had a magic double-header. The Royals kept it interesting well into September. Thank you for making the Red Sox/Yankees rivalry a thing of greatness this year, too.

And thank you, too, for an amazing first round of October. Thank you for the incredible rise of Pudge Rodriguez and the re-creation of Derek Lowe. You gave both the A's and the Red Sox their chances to win and the Red Sox ultimately grabbed it. Thank you for the lovable Cubs vanquishing the not-so-lovable Braves. You humbled the Yankees for a game, and then let them rise back to greatness.

But hear my October prayer. The Red Sox and Yankees begin their series tonight. Everyone is expecting a wild ride, the resurgent Red Sox against the Yankee machine. I ask not for you to favor my team, but for something else.

I pray for clean games, free of injury. Please help Johnny Damon recover fully from the concussion he suffered on the field the other night. Dear gods, we have already had Derek's shoulder, Bernie's knee, Giambi's eyes, Nick's hand, Mariano's arm... please no more for this year. Please allow every player to play to the top of his ability, to be the best that they can be. When these two teams meet, anything can happen. We remember Bryce Florie and even Bill Lee. We remember Derek and Sori being pegged earlier this year. We remember Mike Piazza, too. Please let the game be played on the field, between the lines. Keep the eyes of the umpires clear and the weather fair.

And may the best team win.