October is hardball season, when both sides give it their all and leave everything on the field.

And I'm not just talking about the 2-2 series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers. I'm also talking about the battle between Councilman Jeff Smith and his Nov. 8 opponent, Mayor Jeff Graham.

A news conference has been scheduled to discuss the future of the Watertown Wizards, the city's collegiate baseball team. The team's owner (and a former city councilman) Paul Simmons said he's putting the team up for sale, because he's tired of the battles with City Hall and City Council.

It's not entirely clear what he's going to say tomorrow. Maybe the team is no longer for sale? Or maybe it's found a buyer. We don't know. What we do know is that its effect on the Watertown mayoral contest, especially for the incumbent mayor, could be huge. Mr. Graham and Mr. Simmons have wondered whether a dispute about beer sales "got personal."

Mr. Graham has said that his big mistake was underestimating Mr. Simmons' ability to ruin his day. Is tomorrow's presser an extension of that? We'll see.

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