Just sitting here watching the pre-game show for the NLCS.
WOW…are these the two most anonymous baseball teams to ever grace the October stage?
Most of these guys, I’ve honestly never heard of before tonight.
Eric Brynes — an Oriole for what felt like 15 minutes — is now a star. LaTroy Hawkins, given up for dead on many occasions (also a 15-minute Oriole and a really good dude) is involved. Todd Helton was always one of the really nice guys at the All Star Games I covered, so I can root for him.
This kid Brandon Webb looks like he’s gonna be fun to watch. The big left-handed kid from Colorado, Jeff Francis, also looks intriguing.
So many unheralded players and someone is gonna become a star this week. I’m gonna tune in to find out which one.
But there’s no bad guys, no bloated payrolls, no big markets — and they both seem like "good guy" teams. Kinda like watching Ivan Putski wrestle Bruno Sammartino. You couldn’t root against EITHER of them. And you can’t feel too emotional either way.
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At least with Boston and the ALCS, you either love them or hate them. Or of course, if you’re like me, you kinda hate them both sorta equally.
I’m sick of the Boston thing but at least their fans will have fun with it. The Cleveland fans I got a dose of two weekends ago. I will be rooting for the NL in some fashion in the World Series.
And, really, do the Diamondbacks fans really appreciate their team? They bought a title, and they feel like a pretty lame franchise to me. How many freaking jerseys have they gone through in 10 years? Just a bunch of whores, if you ask me. And they DITCHED purple! Pretty lame if you ask me.
So, I’m "rooting" for the Colorado Rockies. Their run over the last month is simply amazing.
It would be the best "story" if the Rockies win. And I think that city really turned out for the franchise from the beginning, when they were putting 90,000 in Mile High for baseball games.
The crappy lunar environment for baseball. All of the bad, big money free agent signing of pitchers — it’s like a burial ground. Almost ORIOLE-like in its ineptitude and lack of dollar for dollar production (see Denny Neagle, Mike Hampton, etc.).
Their fans have endured a lot trying to get something beyond crappy baseball.
8I’ve only seen one game in Denver — the 1998 All-Star Game at Coors Field. The fans there were beyond decent baseball fans, and the Rockies were still "sexy" then in LoDo. Crazy, but all I remember is people offering me crisp $100 bills for my special "All Star Game" beanie babies. I now feel like an idiot for not taking the money!
Bob Brenly and Tony Gwynn calling the game. Cal Ripken on the pre-game. Great analysis is coming on TBS.
A perfect fall night for baseball.
The only thing missing is a real baseball team here in Baltimore, one that could bring this kind of excitement and joy and pride here on a chilled autumn evening.
I just had to get that in…
(BTW: TBS just rolled The Who’s classic song "Who Are You?" going into the break. My sentiments EXACTLY! Well, we’re gonna find out! Let’s play ball!!!)
