THE HUNT FOR RED-HOT MR. OCTOBER

Derek Jeter, NY Yankees Shortstop, is not called Mr. October for nothing. Time and again he showed during the pennant race - Major League Baseball's October to remember, the path to the World Series - who was the man and who were the boys. Funny how every October of the last 5 or so years Derek did not carry his last name, i.e., if you spelled it as Jitter; he showed consistently in each October game with the perennially contender Yanks that for some playoff reasons he became as tough as a baseball bat, as well-rounded as a, well, baseball.

But this October, I can make a case for two things: First, Derek Jeter no longer dominates October; and second, the term World Series no longer smacks of "imperialism" of the American sports capitalist.

Look at the other contenders: Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Florida Marlins, Oakland A's. Each of them has 3 or 4 Derek Jeters: all fundamentally sound in their respective positions; all possessors of a quality offense: patience and power at the plate, speed and timing from base to base. And this is because MLB has scouted the world: Japan is more than Ichiro Suzuki; B.H. Kim proudly carries South Korea in his pitching arm; Colombia, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Mexico, Puerto Rico and even Canada are represented by their their very best, scattered among the MLB teams. And this, thus, brings a strong argument for the World Series to be truly a baseball game between the world's 2 best teams.

And so may I ask, If you are a baseball fan, if you are a Major League Baseball fan, which team - this October - are you rooting for?