I believe it was the late Bart Giamatti who said that baseball, the sport whose major league season begins amid the renewal of springtime and ends with the chill winds of autumn, was the game that was meant to break your heart.
The Diamond Dogs certainly have been true to that axiom this season. Much like Buttercup, they build me up just to let me down and I, much like Michael Corleone in "The Godfather, Part III," feel as though, every time I try to get out, they pull me back in.
All three "Godfather" movies are available in a three-film, five-disc box set. If you pay extra, they won't make you take home "Part III." A similar deal is available if you want to get the Indiana Jones movies but don't want to have to face the indignity of owning "Temple of Doom."
The Red and Black did not go quietly at Foley Field this afternoon. Georgia led the Rebels by margins of 2-0 after one inning and 4-3 after two innings. When Ole Miss carried a 6-4 edge into the bottom of the fifth frame, the Bulldogs began clawing their way back.
Nevertheless, although the Red and Black tacked on five runs in the final three innings, they allowed as many scores over the same span, culminating in an 11-10 Mississippi victory over the Diamond Dogs. The one-run game ended when Georgia's Gordon Beckham flied out to left field with a runner on third.
Georgia will attempt to salvage the series with Ole Miss on Sunday afternoon. They'll probably win that game and revive my hopes just enough to disappoint me yet again.
Go 'Dawgs!