Choke on this.

"Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen seems to be implying that it's the Indians who are the chokers." (David Richard / Lorain Journal / Associated Press)

This photo says it all. Yeah, a team is "choking" and "backing into the playoffs" when they go 31-28 in the last two months, and still go 18-12 after September 1. Teams can't pick when they have their dry spell (for example, the 2001 Mariners, who went 116-46, had theirs in the ALCS). It only looked worse because the Indians played some fantastic baseball for two months, then had their own Don Young/Brant Brown moment with Grady Sizemore losing the ball in the sun. Oh well, they are absolutely poised for twenty-aught-six.

I ain't saying nuthin' 'bout the playoffs, 'cause this team hasn't won a postseason home game since Richard J. Daley was mayor, and haven't won a postseason series since the war. As in the War to End All Wars.

And for anyone who mentions the word "curse," I got a sock full of pennies with your name on it. ...Well, I will, if you give me a marker first.