Sport and Cinema.com

At the start of this season I had one team from the 2010 World Series returning to the Fall Classic. The Giants. While I missed that, look for the other team, the Rangers, to win their first title in its 50 year history as they take on the St. Louis Cardinals beginning Wednesday in the 107th Fall Classic.

It is time for the 49ers offense to step it up and match the consistently good play of the defense. In order for that to happen, conservative head coach Mike Singletary must allow offensive coordinator, Jimmy Raye, to be at least selectively aggressive. After all that was Mike’s trademark in his defensive playing days.

Baseball’s Midsummer Classic returns to Anaheim Tuesday for the third time since the All-Star Game began in 1933, but the event has changed quite a bit since the city first hosted the exhibition (in 1967 when the NL won in dramatic fashion on a Tony Perez home run in the 15th inning).

Coach Mike Singletary has got his team buying in to the ball control run-oriented offense, though Frank Gore’s recent injury could put veteran quarterback Shaun Hill in a tough spot to have to be a playmaker. Defensively the Niners are led by All-Pro linebacker Patrick Willis and if he can stay healthy, an emerging star in safety Dashan Goldson.

Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Paula Creamer and Michelle Wie striding in alongside Michael Phelps as part of the American team in the parade of athletes entering the main stadium for the Opening Ceremonies?

On the heels of news about the resurrection of the baseball drama, “Moneyball”, actor Billy Bob Thornton has announced he will return to the diamond on the silver screen as well, this time as a producer.

Lou Piniella hopes to erase the early exit from the first round of the playoffs to the Dodgers and with much the same lineup that led the national league in runs scored, walks, slugging and on-base percentage, the Cubs are poised to win a third straight central crown.