Wild Card Playoff Game Demon (A Dialogue)

M: Moi.

D: Demon.

Clearly.

M: Wild Card Playoff Game Demon, don’t tempt me with your ease:

D: You’re already in the playoffs! Rest your starters! Eat, drink and be merry!

M: Oh, I know, as sure as I know the rest of it, that to toss an ace in a one-game playoff means I’ve got to begin the wild card round with my second, third and fourth-best pitcher.

D: But it’s only the Cubs.

M: You’re lucky it’s not the Sabbath with that talk. But since you brought it up: they’re good.

D: But I cursed them with a billy goat named Murphy in 1945, and they haven’t been back to the Series since!

M: Someone ate a goat in order to rid the Cubs of the curse. They’re animals, all of them.

D: (Pauses.) Surely you’ll think of some way to bring St. Louis its own luck to compensate.

M: Wild Card Playoff Demon, I wrapped myself in Cardinal cloth to resemble a goddess during the playoffs last year. It didn’t work.

D: So you’re the curse.

M: No. The curse is losing another starter in September.

D: Sounds like St. Louis could use some … rest. Some … peace.

M: Don’t start. It’s almost October.

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