Gio gets his 20th win

What did I tell you guys early in the season? I said Gio Gonzalez is the man. Well, yesterday he got his 20th win for the Nats. He's the first pitcher to do this in 2012, in either league. I'm so happy for him.

It was also a big day for my other favorite pitcher, R.A. Dickie, who logged his 19th win for the Mets. He's fun to watch, especially when you knew him from his pre-knuckleball days. The guy wasn't very good and everyone thought he was washed up. And now, he might get the Cy Young. I love reversals of fortune. These two pitchers made this an exciting season for fans like me.

As for the players, Bryce Harper, the Nats' outfielder is my favorite. The kid's great to watch. He's baseball personified and I have no doubt he'll end up in the Hall of Fame. It may seem dumb to say this about someone who's only 19, but even the pro's seem to feel this way about him. They're fired up each time they watch him play. The kid is Mr. Baseball, despite his age. There's no doubt about this.

Aaaargh. The season's almost over. I'm glad that I finished writing Xmas Carol so I can devote myself to the post-season games. I will watch every single game. (And then I will quietly slip into my usual post-season depression. But it was grand while it lasted.)

Mr. Baseball

Mr. Baseball, the baseball god, inhabits only one player at a time, imbuing him with supernatural baseball powers. He was in Josh Hamilton this week when he hit those four homers. You can't deny this. It's obvious.

Usually it's difficult to predict where Mr. Baseball will pop up, though he stayed inside Jose Reyes for over a month last year. The baseball priests had never seen such a lengthy visitation. They had to amend the Baseball Bible. But typically, Mr. Baseball's visits last only as long as a game.

Until now, that is. There's a pitcher named Gio Gonzalez who has a direct line to Mr. Baseball. Each and every time he's on the mound, Mr. Baseball magically transforms his game. If you want to see pitching like nothing you've ever seen before, check this kid out. He starts for the Nats tonight at 7 pm ET.

Amen. (And Gio, after this plug you'd better have a good game. Just saying.)