I am watching the major league baseball divisional playoff series. The battles for National League and American League pennants are, this evening, at a fevered pitch.

No, not all of you are fans, I understand. So, indulge me for a moment, if you would. You know that I would reciprocate if you were a professional Tiddlywinks fan.

It is, after all early October. Baseball at its best is oozing all over the nation. Just tonight, cities represented by teams in the playoffs are New York, Washington D.C., the twin cities of Minnesota, Houston, Tampa Bay, Atlanta and St. Louis.

If you are a fan, have you noticed the bearded player phenomenon of late ? Wait a minute. How could you not have noticed ? It’s almost a competition in and of itself. There was one tonight who almost looks to be staged with such an outlandish-looking beard.

It is a bit of a distraction. Who sits down to watch tonight’s game and expects to see, there in the on deck circle, Grizzly Adams or, better yet, John, Liver-Eating Johnson ? Are they swinging baseball bats or common, ordinary clubs ?

Distraction, did I say ? Well, witness the fact that here I am writing about this phenomenon and not Luis Severino’s wicked slider.

The Yankees won, by the way.