In The Opposite Field, author Jesse Katz writes about baseball, sure. But Katz’s extraordinarily candid memoir is really about fatherhood, community, and life’s bumps and road-blocks.

As we wait to see which two teams will meet in the fall classic beginning next week, Bill has found himself thinking about a time when the World Series had fewer neighbors.

It’s lovely Los Angeles against frigid Philadelphia and agreeable Anaheim versus nippy New York. This week on Only A Game, the latest in Major League Baseball’s Climactic Shock Series. I’m getting the sniffles just thinking about it. And chills, too.

Like the music you heard on this week’s show? Hate it? Completely mystified by it? Get the inside scoop on this week’s musical selections.

Currently in his second stint playing soccer at UMass-Lowell, John O’Brien isn’t your average college student. While playing at UMass-Lowell in 2003, O’Brien decided to take a break from school, put his soccer career on hold and join the Army. O’Brien was awarded a Purple Heart after serving four years in the U.S. Army, returned to the U.S., and has since re-joined the UMass-Lowell soccer team. Only A Game’s Karen Given has the story.

There are always more mountains to climb. In his book K2: Life and Death on the World’s Most Dangerous Mountain, author and climber Ed Viesturs deatails his climb to the top of the world’s most menacing summit.

In various cities fans are coming to terms with the disappearance of their baseball teams from the playoffs. According to Bill, for some of those fans, there’s solace in other games…for others, not so much.

This week on Only A Game, the on-again/off-again winter migration plans of the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes. Also, the latest divisional series baseball news, and a look at the best sports movies, unless they’re the worst.

This winter will mark the first season for NBA Development League team the Maine Red Claws. Only A Game Associate Producer Doug Tribou puts his hoop dreams to the test as he tries to make the team.

Only A Game’s Senior Producer Gary Waleik selects the music for each week’s show. Here’s why: