NOT BITTER: Just disappointed at how the Phillies' season ended. Look: this was a marvelous season, and it was wonderful being able to come home every night and watch a really good team composed of likable, outstanding players usually win.

We knew they could have been a little better offensively, but that was the reason that Hunter Pence was added to the team, and on the whole he did not disappoint. In a five game series, weird stuff happens.

So Raul's gone, and Roy Oswalt's not quite worth the $16M his mutual option requires. (Would he sign here for less?) Ryan Madson should be re-signed. The big question, obviously, is Jimmy. JIMMY!! And I don't know what to say. He is not worth the five-year deal he seeks at this point in his career, yet someone will offer it to him. If that's the case, so be it, and I will be grateful for the years he's been here. But short of Jose Reyes, anything else will be a severe talent downgrade.

In the meantime, apparently the playoffs can proceed without any AL/NL East teams. Who knew?

BEYOND THE BARRICADES: Suggestions of additional locations to consider occupying:

Easy Street
42nd Street (but only if you bring spangles and tap shoes)
Jump Street
Elm Street
Hill Street
Lonely Street
Baker Street
Coronation Street
Homicide: Life on the Street
Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (I think there's still a few coin-op machines down in Chinatown)
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Peyton Place
Knots Landing
Wisteria Lane
Where the Streets Have No Name

Add as appropriate, though you know the rules.

IN THE REGULAR SEASON IT IS WRITTEN, AND IN THE PLAYOFFS IT IS SEALED. BUT STARTING PITCHING, SOLID DEFENSE AND TIMELY HITS CAN ANNUL THE STERN DECREE:  The Philadelphia Inquirer recounts a tale told by deli manager Harry Zeisler:

"I have this customer," begins Zeisler. "He calls his Rabbi and says, 'Rabbi? I have a problem. I have tickets to the Phillies/St. Louis game and it's Yom Kippur. What should I do?'"

"No problem," says the Rabbi. "You can record it!"

"Oh!" the customer cries. "That's great! I didn't know you could record Kol Nidre!"

Forgive us, pardon us, grant us a slot in the League Championship Series. HT: #yomkippurbaseball.

Related: FanGraphs on Jews playing baseball on Yom Kippur.

Added:  My Rabbi speaks:

Rabbi Avi Winokur, of Society Hill Synagogue, says American Jews have a rich history with baseball.

“The relationship of Jews to baseball is a really fascinating one. Baseball was for Jews, and for many immigrant groups in those days, a way that they learned how to become American,” Winokur said.

Winokur says he will not be policing his congregation to make sure they are not checking the baseball score but he hopes they will have their minds in the right place.

“I hope and pray that the members of my synagogue, while they’re in synagogue, will keep their mind on their prayers,” Winokur said.

WICKED CRAVING FOR A FRIBBLE:  Friendly's has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, leading towards a potential unhappy ending for the venerable chain.  (I didn't realize that Perkins & Marie Callender's Inc as well as Fuddruckers had also taken the plunge this year.)

As part of the announcement, these 63 restaurants have served their final Fishamajig®, leaving 424 to hopefully celebrate many Jim Dandy™ days to come.

A LIFE OF MEANING AND WORTH: In addition to Steve Jobs' death yesterday, we should also note the passing of two major figures in the Civil Rights movement--Fred Shuttlesworth, who helped Martin Luther King, Jr. organize the demonstrations in Birmingham, and Derrick Bell, who introduced critical race theory into the legal academy as well as giving the legal academy a new way of seeing and analyzing problems. I was lucky enough to take Constitutional Law with Professor Bell my 2L year, and, while I didn't agree with all of his views (a common joke was that "racism" was the answer to any and every question that might be asked), his class was genuinely engaging and challenging, particularly at a school where so many folks (myself included) ultimately find their way into BigLaw.

WHY DO THINGS COST THINGS? On why The Simpsons may be worth more money to Fox dead than alive.

LUCKY CLOVERS: Two things worth noting about Ben Stiller's return to SNL this weekend:

• Yes, this is his first time hosting since October 24, 1998, but do you know why? Stiller was supposed to host the second episode of the 2001-02 season. After the September 11 Attacks, however, Stiller's agent called SNL producer Marci Klein late Friday of the week before (i.e., the day before the Reese Witherspoon/Rudy Giuliani season opener) to announce, without apology, "Ben is dropping out of the show."  Why?  Live from New York tells the story.
• It has led to strong rumors that his Tower Heist co-star, Eddie Murphy, will be joining him as well.  It would be Murphy's first participation in anything SNL-related (show, reunions, documentaries, the Shales/Miller book) since 1984.