To many of us, the onset of fall means shorter days, colder weather and returning to the grind of school and work. By the middle of September we already begin to wax nostalgic for the fast-departing summer. Happily, though, we do have something to distract us, to help us combat the melancholy of impending winter: baseball. Of course, not everyone gets pumped up for the late-season nail-biters that lead seamlessly into the playoffs and, ultimately, the World Series. But those of us who do love this time of year like no other -- summer may be gone, but at least it gives way to the "Fall Classic." To honor autumn baseball, I've unearthed some truly neato Web content -- some serious, some whimsical, but all worth checking out. You don't need to be an aficionado, after all, to appreciate Yogi Berra's unknowing wit or the drama of Reggie Jackson's performance in Game Six of the 1977 World Series. Or to be choked up by the simply elegant lyrics to "Catfish,"Bob Dylan's obscure old song about the recently deceased Yankee great.

Professional ballplayers are never given credit for being the most eloquent bunch. But due to their celebrity, they quite often have microphones shoved in their faces anyway. It is therefore nice to know that some athletes (not just Berra, though he'll be remembered as one of the best interviews) are funny, incisive, and frequently very wise. Many times the greatest players are the most quotable. For example -- as if anyone would ever question his love of taking the field every day -- Pete Rose gushed: "I'd walk through hell in a gasoline suit to play baseball." Likewise, the mighty Babe Ruth was seldom at a loss for words: He once justified his mortal batting average by boasting, "If I'd just tried for them dinky singles I could've batted around .600." Never much for humility (though he did say, "I was reminded that when we lose and I strike out, a billion people in China don't care."), Reggie Jackson just cuts to the chase: "I am the best in baseball." Even so-so players utter some pretty clever words, like when the self-effacing knuckleball catcher Bob Uecker admitted, "I had slumps that lasted into the winter."

Let's not forget Ty Cobb, a man who had accumulated 1000 hits by age 24 and who earned nine of his twelve batting titles in consecutive years (but never won a World Series). Quotes from the "Georgia Peach" offer fascinating insight into the game of baseball. "The great American game should be an unrelenting war of nerves," said the first inductee into the Hall of Fame in 1936. Famous for playing dirty, Cobb also claimed, "When I came to Detroit I was just a mild-mannered Sunday-school boy." Know that there's more to Cobb's story than the hysterics included in the largely unflattering Hollywood portrait of his later years -- the facts and the numbers bring Cobb's true greatness into sharp focus.

Now, with the World Series right around the corner, let's take a close look at the history of the for-all-the-marbles climax to the baseball season. The Sporting News has assembled a dynamite site that allows you to select a certain World Series by clicking on any year from 1903 to 1998. What follows is a succinct, well-written essay (with photos) that spells out the highlights and outcomes from that year. Though they're all excellent reads, my favorites cover the unforgettable contests of 1956, 1975, 1977, 1986, and 1996.

So are we now properly psyched for the magic of October baseball? If not, I've got one more trick up my sleeve. I'll give you a hint: Abbot and Costello. If that doesn't do it then I'll let you get back to your arena football match. Sorry for wasting your time.