Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has announced that he is bringing down the
curtain on his football playing career, a career ended by the
persistent knee injuries that have blighted him over the past few
seasons. Although never seen as one of Manchester United's superstar
players, he has consistently proved himself to be one of their most
important. But his true worth can be summed up by this one fact –
no-one, whether inside or outside of Old Trafford, can think of a bad
thing to say about him. Although opposition supporters always
disliked his habit of scoring the goals that won United matches, once
club loyalties are set aside, he will get only praise and respect from
all football fans.

Never one to be all over the media because of his private life,
Solskjaer only ever made the headlines for his performances on the
field. No-one who saw it, whether United fan or not, will ever forget
the sight of his sliding across the Nou Camp turf on his knees after
scoring the goal that won the 1999 Champions League final against
Bayern Munich, although his performance that most sticks in my mind
was when he came on as a substitute with 20 minutes to go and scored
four goals in Man Utd's 8-1 victory away at Nottingham Forest.

His figures of 126 goals in 366 appearances for United speak for
themselves and not only Manchester United, but English top flight
football as a whole, has sadly seen injury end the career of one of
the most underrated players of the last decade. I, for one, am sad to
see him retire (and I say that as a Liverpool fan) and I'm sure
there's far more besides.

As those of you who remember a previous Post sports column 'Sporting
with Egon' will know, the sport of Baseball featured regularly in his
column, and it will again in mine. With this in mind, here is an
introduction to the top level of America's National Pastime, Major
League Baseball

Major League Baseball is the world's best-attended sports league,
displaying the highest level of professional baseball. It has become
an international phenomenon, bringing together players from more than
twenty different countries. The league is made up of 30 teams
featuring such world renowned clubs as the New York Yankees, Boston
Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs. In
fact, the New York Yankees have the most recognizable logo in sports.

The League's 30 clubs compete in a season that runs for 162 games from
the last day in March until October. The teams are divided into two
leagues: the National and American league. Within each league, the
clubs are separated into three divisions (East, Central and West) with
about five clubs per division. The goal of each club is to have the
best won/loss record in its division guaranteeing the club a place in
the playoffs.

The schedule is rigorous and the players can sometimes go weeks at a
time without a day off. In July, the players get a break from their
gruelling schedule when the most talented players come together for
Major League Baseball's All-Star Game. Fans from around the world vote
for the best players in each league, creating two teams of superstars
who compete against each other on an international stage.

After the All-Star Game the players return to the regular season
schedule and compete against each other until the playoffs. In
October, the playoffs begin and the tournament climaxes with the World
Series - a high-pressure event that pits the champions of the National
and American Leagues against each other in a best of seven game
series. In 2004 the Boston Red Sox swept the St. Louis Cardinals in
four games, shocking the world by ending a championship drought that
had lasted 86 years.

The World Series and many regular season Major League Baseball games
are broadcast in more than 240 countries including at least 20 nations
in Europe. This international coverage of the sport has made some of
Major League Baseball's leading personalities among the world's
best-known athletes. Barry Bonds, Derek Jeter, Ichiro Suzuki and Alex
Rodriguez all have appeal that stretches well beyond America's
borders.

El Mundo Del Deporte
Archive

Alfredo Marquez

20.09.07 Front Page

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