We have become so stat conscious that we forget the teams still have to play each other on the field.

Some of the things I have learned since playing in the playoffs and World Series is the importance of having a solid game plan and sticking to it. Let's just take the Tigers and A's in Game 1 of the ALCS.

What many people may not know is that both teams have been scouting each other for a month leading up to the series. Teams that think they may be going to the playoffs send out advance scouts a month before the end of the season in preparation for the postseason. Knowing that might help you understand why the Detroit batters knew exactly what to look for and how to attack Barry Zito and the A's at the plate.

It's the little things that may help you win a ballgame ... what count Zito throws his curve the most, what count he throws his changeup, etc. Not that you want your players to overthink while they are in the middle of the game, but prior knowledge is huge when you're in a seven-game series. Much of this information isn't as easily obtained during the course of the year.

Yes, we've all heard about Kirk Gibson knowing when Dennis Eckersley was going to throw his backdoor slider. To get tiny but important details like that, as many as three scouts per team follow possible playoff teams for the last month of the season.

I spoke with Phil Garner yesterday about last year's NLCS and the Astros' approach to beating his opponent. As it turned out, it was very much like our team approach when the Reds faced the Pirates and A's back in 1990. It's not just formulating a game plan. It's making adjustments on the fly because every out, every pitch can have such a huge impact on one week in your baseball life.

Against Pittsburgh, we wanted to take Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla and Andy Van Slyke out of the equation. If we could stop them, we would take our chances with the rest of their lineup. Against Oakland it was Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco, Carney Lansford and Dave Henderson. We knew Ricky Henderson would do his thing, so we let him. We knew we had to get to Dave Stewart and Bob Welch early to take their bullpen out of play.

The numbers are great to know, but knowing how to pitch to someone, how to set up your defense and make sure you pitch to the other team that way are things that can win you a championship. I know, I was blessed to be a part of such a team.

Just so you know, Bonds, Bonilla and Van Slyke went 12-for-63 against us in the World Series. Canseco went 1-for-12 with a home run and McGwire was 3-for-14 with no homers or RBIs. Lansford went 4-for-15 and Dave Henderson went 3-for-13. Rickey Henderson went 5-for-15 with three stolen bases.

In a recent Harris Poll, 33% of the adult sports fans said they like football the best. Only 14% said baseball was their favorite sport. It's not surprising, football is the king of sports in this country. But baseball is always going to be America's pastime.

With the Collective Bargaining Agreement up in December this year, maybe baseball should look at going back in time to make a few slight changes that could get more adults to pick baseball over football.

It's easy to say from my point of view that the season is way too long. I do a daily show on XM with Kevin Kennedy 12 months a year Monday through Friday ... 3 hours of baseball. Now Kevin and I love the show and so do our listeners, but I'm talking about the passive fan, the family man, who when his teams in baseball are out of the playoff picture September 1st and has to choose where to spend his or her hard-earned money, he will go to football games, college and/or pro. 

I don't blame him. What, after 140 games and 30+ spring training games, they are supposed to keep watching meaningless games? No way ... it's time to be proactive.

Lets go back to 1961, when baseball went from a 154-game schedule to 162. Let's keep interleague play and wild-card teams, but let's shorten the season and add another round of the playoffs and two more wild-card teams. That way we don't lose fans to football because more teams and their fans will have hope after September 1st. Nothing beats playoff baseball, not even the NFL in the beginning of the season.

Greg Maddux may prove to be the best trade deadline move of them all.

 I've known Greg for more than 20 years going back to when we played against each other in the minor leagues. It's funny to hear people only talk about how professional he is. The Greg Maddux that I know has always been one of the most fun-loving, off-the-wall people that I've ever met. I only mean this in a good way.

When most teams are as boring as watching the paint dry, Greg will keeps things loose in L.A., as well as provide the Hall of Fame leadership that he is known for. For a player with four Cy Young's, 20 postseason series appearances and 15 Gold Gloves, and all his wins, the one thing I respect the most about Greg is that he has never taken himself too seriously.

When he was traded to L.A., everyone was like, "great, he can teach all these guys how to be like Greg Maddux." Please, there is only one Greg Maddux. And even Greg said, "I'm not here to coach, I'm here to pitch and win ball games for The Dodgers."

For Brad Penny, Derek Lowe and the other pitchers and position players to learn from him, is to have fun. Yes, give yourself every chance to succeed by being ready, but don't be a gloomy jerk like Jeff Kent, the man who has said he doesn't want to have any friends when he leaves baseball. Hey Jeff, I think you have that one covered.

Greg Maddux leads by example, but he also has a heck of a time playing the game too. This should be the best example of one of the greatest players ever to play baseball, being one of the best guys you'll ever meet.

Great job Ned Colletti.