The Central League's other shoe finally hit the floor.

When CL officials came out with the line about finally staging a postseason, the E-List knew something strange was afoot, something strange and sinister. Something left-handed, as Rico Brogna's dad could tell you.

The Pacific League playoffs last season were highly successful, and when the CL said it wanted in on the action -- a no-brainer after Hanshin was humbled in the Japan Series by the seasoned Chiba Lotte Marines -- it seemed too good to be true.

So the Japan Times' sports department turned over the hourglass, just waiting to see how long it would take for the other-shoe factor to kick in. When Mom and Dad ask if you want to play a game, you just know someone is cleaning out the garage before "The Secret World of Alex Mack" that night.

Now a new postseason proposal is on the table, which would have the top two teams from each league play against the No. 2 seeds from the opposite league, meaning that the Marines could defend their Japan Series championship by beating Hanshin and the Yomiuri Giants, if the season ended today and the CL team who played Softbank won its series.

As in, Lotte would not have to play a meaningful series against the Hawks or anyone else in the PL. What a brilliant idea, huh? Spend the whole season stoking the fire of an intense rivalry only to give your most familiar foes a sayonara until next season. The suits in Ginza must have a lot of sisters to kiss. Then again, this is the land of tie games.

The real reasoning behind this -- as many know and have pointed out -- is money, and the best way to make money in Japanese baseball is to get the Tigers and Giants involved.

The most storied rivalry in Nippon Professional Baseball brings two of the larger stadiums, the two largest fan bases, etc., blah, blah, blah.

The CL is not exactly a progressive organization, to say the least, and any time a PL innovation becomes a good enough idea to institute, it has to be mutilated so the old boys don't have to give anyone credit.

Now there's a new hourglass running in the JT's sports department: the one counting how long it will take the CL to get a clue. If this proposal goes through, the PL will come out looking better, the List is quite certain, and the final product will look much worse.

MARINES MANAGER Bobby Valentine made a new friend before last Thursday's game with the Yakult Swallows.

Shunsuke Watanabe came over with a surprise tucked away in his signature Mizuno model: a small bird. Maybe not a swallow -- definitely not a Yakult Swallow -- which may have had something to do with why Valentine took to the seemingly flightless creature.

Watanabe placed it on Valentine's shoulder, where the loquacious Valentine let the bird stay as he continued an interview. Valentine eventually wanted to lighten the load and leaned down to have the bird -- which apparently could not flap its wings -- step onto the bench in the dugout, but his new friend wouldn't budge.

Valentine then got down on the ground in the dugout and leaned all the way down, giving the bird another chance to climb off. Instead, the bird walked down to the middle of Valentine's back, where it stayed until he slowly started to stand up.

Marines beat writers snapped photos with their kaiteis, and finally Valentine headed for his office, saying, "OK, you're with me," to the bird before eating his pregame meal.

The List hopes chicken wasn't on the menu.

AS THE WORLD CUP looms, the List made one final soccer wager with Japan Times footy scribe James Mulligan, bringing the green tea tally up to three bottles.

Before hopping on a plane for Germany, Mulligan accepted a third bet, on the England-Sweden match. If Sweden wins, it will be another bottle Leicester's finest will have to buy for the guy from Ohio who knows nothing about soccer.

And barring a Sweden-England draw, this ensures the Mulligan-List contest must have a winner. Other tea-yielding opportunities involve the United States' matches against Italy and the Czech Republic.

By the time Mulligan-san is back in Tokyo, he will have more than jet lag to worry about. He will be out three bottles of tea. Like taking scones from a Devonshire bakery.

SO THE YOMIURI GIANTS are human after all. What impresses the List is Koji Uehara, who struck out 11 in his return from the disabled list. What a bad man.

THE MAN WITH THE long hair and skull ring is moving in with Shuji and the gang at BarOURS in Aobadai for the duration of the World Cup. Drop the List a note at [email protected] if you need a seat saved.