MVN: Most Valuable Network

No, Joe, it never gets old. I have to throw my two cents in with my esteemed colleague; there is nothing quite like watching your team clinch. And, again to agree with Joe, it is especially wonderful after watching your team play like crud for more than a decade.

Four division titles in five years. Not too shabby, especially when you consider:

A rash of injuries that always seem to hit this team at the worst moment;

A bullpen in 2008 that showed signs of considerable weakness;

An offense that could barely scrape together two runs on a night;

A team that has had to battle years of the likes of Mo Vaughn, Von Hayes, Lee (Don't Call Me Connie) Stevens, Kevin Appier, and too many more for me to name while sober;

Bus accidents (OK, only one);

A curse (a little-known one, sure, but you never know...);

Disney ownership;

Cookie Rojas as manager;

Periwinkle blue uniforms.

I won't go on. Suffice it to say, this is a great feeling as a fan. There will now be a lot of scoreboard watching, since large groups of fans have their opinions on who it would be better to face in the American League Division Series. Will it be Boston? Tampa Bay? Chicago? None of these options please me in a best-of-five series, but the point is, we've clinched -- the first team to do so -- and for the rest of September, we can revel in it.

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Thank you to anyone who has had patience and waited for me to post. I have had some very bad family issues to attend to in southern California (no, nothing relating to my family being Dodger fans -- 'cause they're not!). I'm sorry I have not been around lately, but if you all will have me, I'm back.