The first installment of this three part series focuses on pitching.

Yes, that's your 2005 World champion Chicago White Sox. That's following on the heels of your 2004 World champion Boston Red Sox.

As the guys in Ghostbusters said so many years ago, it's "real wrath-of-God type stuff. Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies. Rivers and seas boiling. Forty years of darkness. Earthquakes, volcanoes... The dead rising from the grave. Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together -- mass hysteria."

So, what's next for baseball? The 2006 World champion Cubs? In a tight seven-game series with the D-Rays? AL MVP and Triple Crown winner Dave Berg? NL Cy Young Award winner Danny Graves? The Yankees not having the highest payroll next season?

Now's your chance to look like a genius 12 months from now ... what unlikely event will take the baseball world by storm and shock us all in 2006?

A few interesting items crossing the wires... and there's a game tonight, I understand?

Scott Podsednik hit a walk-off home run to win a World Series game tonight, making him just the 14th player ever to do so. Was it the least likely walk-off ever?

The White Sox prevailed in a game that didn't seem to be as close as it was. Joe Crede and Bobby Jenks have the early lead in our POTG poll, I thought Contreras was only average, while Neal Cotts was outstanding.

Back in September 2004, Batter's Box ran its first unofficial Write Your Own Headlines contest; later re-christened the "Splashy Headlines Contest," we ran versions again in May and again in July of this past season; see those for inspiration.

This Special World Series Edition has a few simple rules: write a New York Post or New York Daily News-style banner headline about something that might occur in this World Series; a second "subhead" is permissible, but feel free to offer an explanation for the headline to clarify if necessary. No "Rocket" puns will be eligible for prizes. Did we say prizes? Oh yes ... the winner of the "Best Headline" offered before the end of the series earns fifty billion Batter's Box points, good wherever Batter's Box points are accepted. And Mike Moffatt will prepare your family of six (or you and five guests) a special fried cuttlefish sandwich barbecue next summer!

The obvious ones -- "Andy's Dandy, Pettitte Hurls Shutout," and "Great Scott! Podsednik Leads Sox to Win" -- are too easy and should be avoided. A few examples to get you started, then ...

According to our latest poll, Bauxites-- by a margin of about 3-1 -- are rooting for a mimosa (champagne and Minute Maid) World Series celebration. But just for a minute, forget about the winners and losers -- what would you most like to see happen in this World Series?

For example ...

Disclaimer/Confession: I finished writing this about 45 seconds before Pujols hit the homer Sunday. I'm glad I can post it, unedited, now, and with no sense of irony or further fear of jinxing involved.

The Houston Astros, in their 44th season of existence, are headed to the franchise's first World Series. The best man of the World Series dropped to one knee tonight and offered up a promise ring -- one with a (baseball) diamond attached, of course.

Now maybe Toronto fans, spoiled by multiple World Series within their team's first two decades of existence, can't appreciate the magnitude of that statement ...

Before last night, the most memorable homers of this post-season had been hit by Brad Ausmus and Chris Burke. Not your most likely suspects.

Albert Pujols. That's a little more like it.

For just the second time since the Black Sox scandal, the Chicago White Sox are going to the World Series.

Almost two weeks of sitting around and waiting his turn didn't bother Jon Garland very much.

Houston got the win in St. Louis that they needed, and the White Sox are going to need to win a game in Anaheim.

Hey, all you Bauxites who are sure you could do it better than JP, are smarter than that Harvard guy Keith Law, pine for the days of Stand Pat Gillick ...

Look what's posted over at MLB.com:

OK, OK, I'll drag myself away from the Data Table I'm working on...

The Angels win the first one, behind Paul Byrd.

No truth to the rumours that Chuck Finley is starting the second game.