So the big Cubs-Yankees series begins today. It will be the first time the two teams have matched up in a non-exhibition game since the evil, evil Yankees swept the Cubs 4-0 in the 1938 World Series.

There are many reasons to dislike interleague play, but one of them surely is that now a Cubs-Yankees World Series, if it ever came to pass, would be a little bit anti-climactic. Cubs fans have often fantasized of their dear Cubbies beating the Yankees in the seventh game of the World Series in Wrigley Field.

Nothing would greater symbolize the Cubs’ finally having arrived than a matchup against baseball’s all-time winningest team.

But there is another factor: fear. At least a pennant-winning Cubs team would be a team worthy of the competition, unlike this year’s team, which has strong pitching and not much else.

I don’t hope for much, really. I’ve had enough joy for several lifetimes. All I hope for now is to avert the sharp thrusts of pain I’ll surely feel every time the Cubs lose to the Yankees. If there’s any of that good ol’ cosmic justice in this world, please let the Cubs sweep this series.

Please.

Please.

Please.

In my mind, judgment on the Sammy Sosa corked-bat incident really had to be withheld until the results of major-league baseball’s examination of the 76 bats they confiscated from his clubhouse was concluded.

The conclusion: they’re all clean.

This goes a long way toward backing up Sosa’s story that he unintentionally used a corked bat he had reserved for batting practice. And the truth is that if he had been corking he’d have been found out a long time ago. Bats seem to break in every game and I can remember at least a dozen previous occasions when Sosa’s splintered bat went flying into the infield.

Sosa made a very expensive mistake. He’ll still be suspended for a number of games and he should be ashamed for allowing his ego and desire to please the fans in batting practice for interfering with what should be his primary goal: helping his team win.

The risk of confusing a BP bat with a game bat is not worth it. He of course knows that now. But all the talk of Sosa’s reputation being ruined seems a little overhyped to me. After all, corking a bat doesn’t really do much to help a batter hit.