Thoughts on the 2019 Hall of Fame class

This year's inductees to Cooperstown are a tale of two electoral bodies. While I hate the media, I'll give the BBWAA credit for getting this year's election right: Mariano Rivera, Edgar Martinez, Mike Mussina, and Roy Halladay are all, in my mind, worthy of induction, so congratulations to them. It was well deserved.

The Veterans Committee, on the other hand, laid a giant egg. Harold Baines and Lee Smith were both fine players, but neither one reached the heights I would expect from a legitimate Hall of Famer.

I suppose you could make the argument that Lee Smith was one of the most dominant relievers in the game in the '80s, but once the '90s came around, he became a consistent-but-not-dominant one-inning closer. To me, that makes him nothing but a guy who had a good career. By the time I started following baseball in the '90s, I don't recall anyone talking about him as though he were a legend. He was most notable for being the all-time saves leader for a while, but then, so was Jeff Reardon. Granted, it's not as though a great player can't slip below the radar, but in this case, I think the general perception is about right.

Baines is another guy who got a lot of talk but ultimately no induction from the writers. He was a beloved player on Chicago's South Side during the '80s, and in the '90s he made a good career out of being a veteran bat for potential contenders to round out their lineup with. Like the word "feared" with Jim Rice, the label Baines acquired was "professional hitter." It suited him well, as he was primarily a DH from 1987 on, and he was pretty consistent year after year. He was never, however, a serious MVP candidate, nor did he ever hit more than 29 homers in a season. According to Baseball Reference, his 162 Game Average is 22 homers, 93 RBI, and a .289/.356/.465 batting line. Not bad, but when the only reason you have a job is to wield the lumber, you need to do much better than that if you want to be considered an immortal. Really disappointed in this choice, even more so than Smith.

The Hall of Fame voters have made a lot of blunders over the years, and the more they make in this era of better data, it gets harder for me to take induction all that seriously. Still, it's nice to see the truly great players get recognized, so my hat is off to them.

The Hall of Famers' First Major League Home Runs post has been appropriately updated.

Oldest Ringless Players & Playoff Predictions: 2017 Edition

Yes, it's that time of year again. We're here to look at the soon-to-start postseason and the players who've been waiting the longest for that elusive championship ring. Here we are with the postseason teams (including the stupid second Wild Card that nobody wanted) and their oldest bare-fingered roster occupant:

Arizona Diamondbacks: Fernando Rodney (March 18, 1977)
Boston Red Sox: Rajai Davis (October 19, 1980)
Chicago Cubs: Brian Duensing (February 22, 1983)
Cleveland Indians: Edwin Encarnacion (January 7, 1983)
Colorado Rockies: Ryan Hanigan (August 16, 1980)
Houston Astros: Carlos Beltran (April 24, 1977)
Los Angeles Dodgers: Rich Hill (March 11, 1980)
Minnesota Twins: Bartolo Colon (May 24, 1973)
New York Yankees: Chase Headley (May 9, 1984)
Washington Nationals: Ryan Raburn (April 17, 1981)

Not a bad list. Several names that have showed up here before. Bartolo Colon and Carlos Beltran are two of the three still-active 1990s players (Adrian Beltre is the third), and neither one has managed to add a World Series title to his resume in all that time. If you needed another reason to root against the Yankees (as if there were a shortage of those), there's the fact that their oldest ringless player is the youngest of the bunch.

Now let's shift gears and head to the prediction portion. How do I predict these playoffs will play out? Here you go:

Wild Card Round

Diamondbacks over Rockies
Yankees over Twins

Predicting the outcome of a single game is like predicting the outcome of a coin flip, but since I think both home teams are significantly better than the road teams, the odds would favor them. While it'd be funny to see an upset, since I don't particularly like either top Wild Card, it would also go against my anti-second Wild Card principles, so the fact that both second Wild Cards are more interesting and likable can't be allowed to sway my rooting interest too strongly.

Division Series

Dodgers over Diamondbacks
Cubs over Nationals
Indians over Yankees
Red Sox over Astros

The Dodgers have been up-and-down over the course of the season, so it's hard to know how much confidence to place in them. I'll say they get hot in October though, because they righted the ship at the end.

While I personally love both the Cubs and the Nationals, I feel like Washington is one of those franchises that's snakebitten in October, and it's hard for me to predict them winning a playoff series until I see it. I think the Cubs are confident after last year's run, so they'll take this series for a rematch of last year's NLCS.

I love the Indians too, so it makes me a little nervous to see them facing the up-and-coming Yankees. When October rolls around, there's always that fear that the more favorable media team will get the wind to its back and ride it to an undeserved deep playoff run. I think these Indians are legit though, so they're definitely capable of putting them back in their place. But on that note...

Both the Yankees AND the Red Sox losing in the first round? I won't push my luck that I could ever be so fortunate. Yes, it happened in 2005, but that was 12 years ago. As great a season as the Astros have had, and as great a narrative as it would be to win in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, I think it's inevitable that some fanbase's heart is going to get broken big time. The Astros deserve so much better than this, but it is what it is.

League Championship Series

Dodgers over Cubs
Indians over Red Sox

I think the Dodgers and Indians are simply the best in their respective leagues this year, and they have what it takes to win their respective pennants, and the respective respect of their respective competition.

World Series

Indians over Dodgers

In 2004, the Red Sox exorcised the Curse of the Bambino. In 2005, it was the White Sox getting the 88-year monkey off their back. In 2010, the Giants won for the first time since Willie Mays was a youngster manning center field in the Big Apple. And perhaps most memorably, the Cubs in 2016 put to bed any talk of goats, black cats, inopportune fan interferences, or Merkle's Boners. That leaves one franchise with a drought going back to the pre-expansion era, namely the Cleveland Indians, whose fans have been waiting for another since 1948. Is this the year they finally get that one more run that Terry Pluto says they always need? Well, let's just say that they have as good a chance as any Indian club in the past 69 years, and personally, I'm hoping they get it. Good luck, Tribe. Let this be the year.

The Oligopoly is Dead

After ten years, the Kansas City Royals have finally vanquished the Oligopoly. May it never show its ugly face again. Yes, we'll hear another year of Met fans whining about how much they've had to suffer without a World Series title (30 whole years! Boo-freaking-hoo!), but it's a small price to pay.

The Royals were a joke for most of my baseball fandom. The winning season they had in 2003 was the first I ever saw from them, and at that point, it was a novel occurrence. They immediately followed it with another string of losing seasons, most of which only caught the attention of baseball fans due to Joe Posnanski's blog. They had become emblematic of the small-market franchise struggling to compete with the big dogs.

In the early 2010's, their minor league system was the talk of baseball, and things seemed to be looking up at last. But there was still the question of how or when these guys would mature. And of course, the postseason being as fluky as it is, could they defy the odds and win the World Series?

It looks like the script couldn't have played out any better: K.C. did it with their homegrown guys, overcame deficit after deficit, and made it to the top of the hill. It was the culmination of a long process, and a dream ending for every small-market club that needs to invest heavily in scouting and player development just to contend at all. They've given a glimmer of hope to a lot of fans who've had to watch the big-ticket squads take the trophy in recent years.

Now that the Oligopoly has been squashed, 2016 might be worth looking forward to. Let's hope next year's World Series champion will be another group as likable and interesting as this one.

Congratulations, Royals!

Playoff Predictions 2015

Would this be a real baseball blog if it didn't make predictions for how the postseason would play out? Like all other fans, I have a duty to make my picks. I'll lay them out here and explain them below.

Stupid Wild Card Game That Nobody Wanted:

Yankees over Astros
Cubs over Pirates

LDS:

Cardinals over Cubs
Dodgers over Mets
Yankees over Royals
Rangers over Blue Jays


LCS:

Cardinals over Dodgers
Yankees over Rangers

World Series:

Yankees over Cardinals


OK, so now the big question is how I came to the conclusion that this mediocre Yankee team is destined to take home the hardware yet again.

When making playoff predictions, the first thing to consider (at least for me) is the Oligopoly. Of this year's crop, the AL has one Oligopoly team (the Yankees), and the NL has four of them (all but the Pirates). So we know that only those five have any shot of winning the World Series.

This decade has seen an alternating pattern between the Giants and Cardinals for the NL pennant, so if that pattern continues, it's the Cardinals' turn this year. However, the Cardinals have an outstanding team this year, and if you look at the pattern since the 1980s, the Cardinals' outstanding playoff teams never win the World Series. Their less-impressive teams are always the ones that win the whole shebang. So we know up front that the Cardinals will represent the NL in the World Series and lose.

The Yankees are the only Oligopoly team in the AL playoff picture, so that makes them the only team the Cardinals can lose to. Hence, the Yanks will beat the Cards in the Fall Classic.

What a rotten ending to this season, huh?

Playoff Predictions 2014

All righty then. Tomorrow the postseason officially begins with the stupid Wild Card Game That Nobody Wanted. Before I make any predictions though, I'd like to rank the teams in order of my preference to see them win the World Series:

1. Washington Nationals. I've been following this team all season, and besides that, they've never won a World Series, even when they were the Expos. I always had a soft spot for the Expos, as they were the first team I considered my own (long story), and now I live in an area where their games are broadcast. Nothing could be more awesome than to see them claim their first World Series trophy.

2. Baltimore Orioles. Here in the Mid-Atlantic region, I've had access to their games all year too, and they've given me plenty of exciting moments. I feel a special connection to this year's Oriole team.

3. Pittsburgh Pirates. A small market team that's been waiting a long time, and has a lot of uncertainty going forward. Their window to win might not be that large.

4. Kansas City Royals. Pretty much the same as what I said about the Pirates. It's exciting to see them in the playoffs for the first time in my fandom.

5. Detroit Tigers. I like the Tigers, and would love to see them win their first World Series in 30 years, but they'll likely still be competitive for several years more, and there's no sense of urgency about this team.

6. Oakland Athletics. I just don't get much of a charge out of them. They have some small-market, clever-roster-construction appeal, but they don't grab my fancy like the teams above do.

7. Los Angeles Dodgers. A big market team that'll likely be in contention for years. I'd be happy for them, because I've never seen them win it, but being a glamor franchise, it's not as fun to root for them. No underdog appeal.

8. Los Angeles Angels. Saw 'em win it in 2002. Though this team is completely different than that one, I want to see a new franchise as champion.

9. San Francisco Giants. Though they've won it twice this decade, and more recently than the next team, they at least have fans that are generally cool and not self-congratulatory clowns.

10. St. Louis Cardinals. There's nothing likable about this team. Nothing whatsoever. They are the epitome of evil.


OK, that said, how do I think it's actually going to play out? Well, the bottom four teams above are all part of what I call "The Oligopoly," so I believe one of them will win it in the end, unfortunately. So here's what I'm going to predict:

Wild Card Games:

Kansas City over Oakland  (I don't think Oakland's that good, and Kansas City will be pumped up at home)
San Francisco over Pittsburgh  (Just a feeling about this one, since Pittsburgh in the LDS two years in a row would be crazy)

Divisional Series:

LA Angels over Kansas City  (The Royals will probably give 'em a good fight but come up short)
Baltimore over Detroit  (Detroit's bullpen is concerning, and Baltimore has had its share of late inning heroics this year)
St. Louis over LA Dodgers  (I just can't pick against the Cardinals. They're most dangerous when you count them out)
San Francisco over Washington  (I love this Nats team, so it's hard to believe they could get past a media darling like the Giants)

League Championship Series:

Baltimore over LA Angels  (I have a feeling about the Orioles this year...that they're destined to be 2014's dangling false hope, like the Tigers were in 2012)
St. Louis over San Francisco  (The Cardinals always get the last laugh, and some are still bitter over 2012)

World Series:

St. Louis over Baltimore (Of course)


The only alternate scenario I could see would be the Dodgers taking the place of the Cardinals. First they'd beat St. Louis, then defeat the Giants in a battle of lifelong rivals, and then cap off Kershaw's magical year with another victory for the Oligopoly. So really, that first round series between the Dodgers and Cardinals is the one the postseason hinges on. You heard it here first.

Isn't it fun being bitter and cynical about the game you love?

The 2014 Hall of Fame Class is Stacked

Congratulations to this year's six newest Hall of Famers: Joe Torre, Bobby Cox, Tony LaRussa, Frank Thomas, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine! All are worthy additions in my book, and it's only a shame that several other deserving candidates aren't joining them this year. I'm also glad that one very undeserving candidate, who's been a cause célèbre for the last several years, didn't make it, but this isn't a time for disparagement.

My favorite of those to be inducted is Frank Thomas, as I grew up watching him during his prime years with the White Sox. At this point, the narrative that seems to have been written for the Big Hurt is that he was poised to become the greatest right-handed hitter of all time before he had his decline around the age of 30, but boy, his peak was incredible to watch. In the hearts of White Sox fans, though, he'll always have a place as perhaps the franchise's all-time greatest player.

All the home runs and big hits were fun, but my favorite memory of him remains one that I witnessed firsthand when my father took me up to Milwaukee to see the Sox face the Brewers in 1995. We had mezzanine seats at Milwaukee County Stadium, which gave us a good overview of the field. Between innings, the Brewer pitcher was taking practice throws, and one got away from the catcher and rolled over to the stands. The fans leaned over to try to pick up the ball, but Big Frank, who was in the on-deck circle, picked up the ball and handed it to them. It wasn't a huge thing, but to a kid like me who happened to see it, it made me think of Frank Thomas as a really cool guy. I could just imagine how special it would be if I had been sitting there and this superstar ballplayer handed me the ball himself.

Even though he was injured for most of the year, I was so glad that Thomas got to be part of the 2005 World Series Champion White Sox, in what turned out to be his last year with the team. Although he didn't play in the World Series, he got to be there, and he was able to get a ring out of it. It wasn't a perfect storybook ending, but as Chicago baseball goes, it's better than most of our great players get.

Although Greg Maddux started his career with the Cubs, by the time I became a baseball fan he had already signed with the Braves. I didn't get to see him as a Cub until he rejoined the team late in his career. My best memories of Maddux are the times he spent paired with Tom Glavine atop the Braves' rotation. While I hated those Braves (because they were so good), I look back on them fondly now. They truly were a great team, and they have my eternal respect.

There aren't many managers who have truly captured my imagination, so there isn't a lot I can say about Cox, LaRussa and Torre. All have their share of critics (what manager doesn't?), but they all had success over long periods of time, so hey, they must've been doing something right.

Bobby Cox has my respect, because he was the main architect of that outstanding Braves team that was the NL's Team of the 1990's. While he's remembered by many for his teams' underachievements, he deserves credit for getting them into the position where those expectations could even exist. He set a good tone for the organization, and the Brave brand has much more cachet today than it did in the days of old.

Joe Torre was just a pretty-good manager before he found his niche as skipper of the Yankees. His record outside of New York makes good resume-padding, but by itself it doesn't deserve enshrinement. However, as we all know, the Yankee managerial post isn't an easy one, and he handled it with aplomb for 12 years. Sometimes success is just about being the right guy at the right time, and Joe Torre was certainly that for New York. There has been some debate about whether Torre deserves enshrinement as a player as well, since he had a darn good playing career. I doubt the distinction is an important one at this point, because now that he's in, he's got his lifetime achievement award.

I'll admit to hating LaRussa a bit, mainly due to his association with the Team That Destroyed Baseball, AKA the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals. I don't want to make this post into a personal pity party, but my life as a baseball fan has pretty much all been downhill since David Freese became a St. Louis legend. Tony LaRussa, you deserve the Hall, but I don't want to think about you.

So congratulations all around! The first Major League home runs of all our inductees-to-be have been added to the master list.

The Oligopoly Continues

It would be funny if it weren't so predictable. I've been predicting a Cardinals-Red Sox World Series for a while now, and whaddaya know? I was absolutely correct. The 2005 Chicago White Sox will remain the last non-media favorite to win the World Series for yet another year.

My streak of the team I root for in the World Series losing is going to continue as well, since I'm rooting for both teams to lose. Technically, if I could decide who wins, I'd pick the Red Sox because they've won it less recently, but I still loathe them, so that wouldn't really count as a victory. Rooting against someone less is not the same as rooting for someone.

I quit following the NBA and the NFL because I felt that they were essentially media-favorite oligopolies. I tend to hate media favorite teams, since they get shoved down your throat more than others, and I don't like feeling as though someone's telling me who I'm supposed to support. Even a lot of casual fans buy into it, and decide that certain teams aren't interesting because "they have no history," or they just aren't glamorous enough for them.

I mean, look at the NBA. Which teams ever win championships? Heat (a city with famous beaches that's attractive to stars), Lakers (the NBA's glamor team), Celtics (the team with the hallowed history), Bulls (big city Chicago), Spurs (the perfect team to counter the league's "bad boy" reputation), Pistons (big market for blacks, the same demographic that dominates the league). Maybe once in a while some big-market oddballs like the Rockets and Mavericks overcome the odds, but it's pretty predictable otherwise. I'd venture to say that the 76ers and Knicks would also be members of the NBA's oligopoly circle, and the league wouldn't have a problem with either of those teams winning a title. Maybe the Clippers and Nets too, if they had the right players. Bottom line is, after I realized that new and interesting teams pretty much never won, I decided to stop following the NBA, and I've never regretted it.

What about the NFL? Once again, it's very oligopolistic. I once decided there were five teams I hated: the Patriots (the model franchise that does everything right), Steelers (the standard-bearers of old-school football), Giants (New York, baby!), Cowboys (America's Team!) and Packers (the team with the hallowed history). There were also some teams I had a second-tier hatred for, namely the 49ers (the team that used to be the NFL's model of perfection) and the Jets (I still hate New York, although the Jets are more like the NFL's biggest pity party). Basically, they were the teams the media were most likely to love, and with that love usually came previous success that they didn't need more of. Somehow, like magic, one of those teams won the Super Bowl nearly every year.

OK, OK, I know you're going to dispute that, and rightly so. What about the Ravens last year? Or the Saints in 2009? Or the Colts in 2006? Or the Buccaneers, Rams, Broncos...yes, yes. I get it. Really, I feel like the oligopoly is a recent development. After the Patriots won their second, that's when it really began. I was happy for the Colts when they won it, but because I was rooting for the Bears, it was hard to enjoy it too much. The Saints and Ravens won it after I stopped following the NFL (due to loss of interest rather than conscious choice), and in between, some of the teams I loathe won it. Maybe we could say that every three years or so the NFL ends up with a decent champion, but I don't like the game enough to endure those two years in between.

But there was always baseball. Baseball wasn't like those other sports. The big dogs could spend a ton of money and get all the hype, but in the postseason it was anybody's game. If you liked underdogs, baseball gave you a chance!

At least, that's how it used to be. As I outlined here, there's now a media-favorite oligopoly in baseball too, perhaps as a punishment for me getting to see the White Sox win it (hey, it coincides with it, who knows?). Which teams are members of the oligopoly? Allow me to list them:

Yankees (baseball's "hallowed history" team)
Red Sox (another obvious one)
Cardinals (the media looooooooves to talk about what a model organization they are)
Phillies (the City of Brotherly Love is right in the shadow of New York)
Giants (they have a history in New York, and a rivalry with another member of the oligopoly...)
Dodgers (the glamor team)
Braves (I'm not totally sure of this one, but I'm pretty sure they're a member)
Mets (New York gives instant marketability)

The Cubs are also a media favorite, but I'm starting to wonder if for narrative purposes, they'll ever be able to win the World Series. The story of the Cubs' inability to win the World Series has become such a big part of baseball lore that it's almost hard to imagine baseball without it.

So am I saying that any team outside of this select group will never win the World Series? Well...I like to be optimistic and hope that this whole oligopoly thing is just a period baseball is going through, and that it will end soon. Like next year soon. Until it does though, I'm going to be skeptical of any team outside this group's chances. It's just my way of cushioning the blow of disappointment. Eight years of this crap has taken its toll on me.

The Pittsburgh Pirates Are Doomed

Blunt title? Sure it is. But I figured I might as well get straight to the point.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have been a great story all season. Indeed, they're almost certainly the team I've most enjoyed following this year. I attended my first ballgame in 1993 and became a true baseball fan in 1995, and only now am I finally seeing a Pirate team that has a winning record and is participating in the playoffs. Pittsburgh has had one of those special seasons that fans cherish for a lifetime. As cool as it would be to see this team go all the way to the World Series and even (dare I suggest?) win it, it has absolutely no chance of happening.

The reason is because the roadblock standing in their way is that notorious crusher of dreams, the St. Louis Cardinals. So what? While the Cardinals are certainly favored on paper, we all know that in a short series, anything can happen, right? Theoretically, yes. When the Cardinals are involved though, the normal rules don't apply.

At the risk of sounding solipsistic, I ought to explain the grand unifying theory that underpins my thinking.

I'm from the Chicago area, and I like both Chicago teams. Before 2005, both Chicago teams held their leagues' respective longest World Series title droughts, as you probably know if you're reading this. When the White Sox had their great season in 2005, it was natural for Chicago fans to expect the worst. After all, our teams had a history of blowing it. As I watched the Sox' playoff run, I said to myself, "Boy, if only I could see the Sox win this one, I'd accept 15 years of baseball disappointment." I'm not sure how sincere I was. It's not like the baseball spirits and I signed any sort of contract. Still, it's hard to argue with subsequent developments.

The 2005 White Sox indeed won the World Series, and since then, not a single team I've rooted for in the World Series has won it. No joke. Not one. Admittedly, I was happy for the 2008 Phillies and the 2010 Giants, but I was rooting for their opponents both years.

Not only that, but every team that's won it since then has been a media favorite. We've seen the Cardinals, standard-bearer of all that's good and classy about the game, whose fans are just so doggone loyal and nice (according to the media, who, as usual, have it completely wrong); the Red Sox, the longsuffering characters whose fans are more passionate and knowledgeable than any other (again, sez the media); the Phillies, who snapped a (OMG!) 25-year major sports championship drought for their city in 2008 (Cleveland fans must have been weeping for them); the Yankees, baseball's most hallowed franchise, and one that needs to win the World Series periodically to save the sport from going down the toilet (according to the media and ignorant fans); and the Giants, from the beautiful left-wing utopia of San Francisco, whose history dates back to New York, and who form half of a historic rivalry with the Dodgers, another grand old franchise.

During this time, the Cardinals in particular have demonstrated a knack for stomping on any non-media favorite that looks like a potential champion.

In 2006, an injury-riddled 83-win Cardinal team squeaked into the playoffs by virtue of a weak division, and the first team they beat was the title-less Padres. No one was really expecting anything from that Padre team, but it would've been cool if they'd won it, of course. After beating the Mets (who were a media favorite and not that great of a story), they met the Tigers in the World Series. Now the Tigers, they were a great story. They had just come through the worst period of perennial losing in their history, which reached its lowest point with 119 losses in 2003. Three years later, here they were in the World Series! What a great addition to the pantheon of champs they would've been! Unfortunately, the Cardinals beat them in five error-filled games, a pathetic end to a great season.

In 2009 the Cards faced the Dodgers, but the Dodgers swept them. My theory is intact though, because not only were the Dodgers a media favorite, they had also had no compelling story. They had the loathsome Manny Ramirez too, which made it impossible for me to root for them. So the Cardinals can lose if they face an unlikable media favorite.

2011 was the worst of them all. The Cards upset the powerhouse Phillies in the first round, then faced the title-less Brewers. The Brewers were a small-market club that had gone all in that year, since Prince Fielder was an impending free agent, and they knew they wouldn't have the resources to bring him back. They also had a fun collection of personalities, and an engaging esprit de corps, which would've made a beautiful chapter in MLB championship history. But of course, they were facing the Cardinals, so you know what happened.

Their World Series opponent was a title-starved Ranger team that had a terrific blend of vets and franchise icons. They would've been the perfect team to hoist Texas' first World Series trophy, and they almost did, except for the fact that the Cardinals made two incredible late-game comebacks against them in Game 6, and then won Game 7. At that point, I knew there was something very real about this evil force backing the Cardinals.

In 2012 this new second Wild Card playoff format that nobody wanted was added. Under the old system, the Cardinals would've missed the playoffs, but instead, a slot was theirs, and they took full advantage of their illegitimate participation by beating the Braves in the one-game "play-in."

Next up were the Washington Nationals, making the city's first postseason appearance in 79 years, and the franchise's first since 1981, when they were the Expos. Once a doormat, they were now the top seed. What a potentially great story! In the deciding Game 5 of the Division Series, the Nats jumped out to an early 6-0 lead. However, never for a minute did I think they could coast the rest of the way, because these were the Cardinals they were facing. I stopped following the game in the late innings when the score was 6-4 Nationals, because at that point I knew the result was inevitable. I checked MLB's website later and when I saw it previewing the Cardinals-Giants NLCS my reaction was a frustrated "how is it possible that I knew that was going to happen?" As I found out later, a four-run ninth killed Washington's season. With the Cardinals, that's how it always goes.

Those Cardinals did eventually lose to the Giants, but since the Giants were just a rerun from two years earlier, there was nothing interesting about them. Therefore, it was possible for them to beat the Cardinals.

So you can see what the Pirates are up against. Their scrappy underdog status assures that they'll become another notch on the belt of the St. Louis Dream Squashers, and there's nothing they can do about it. For what it's worth, Pirate fans, I truly feel bad that your incredible season is going to have to end like this.

In my previous post I guaranteed that the Cardinals would win it all, but I suppose there are other possibilities. As previously mentioned, as long as a media favorite is facing them, the Cardinals are beatable. Among playoff participants, I would consider the Red Sox, Braves and Dodgers to be media favorites as well, so there are four potential champions. Since the Dodgers are the only one of those teams I haven't seen win the World Series, I guess they're my only hope of seeing a new team win it. The Rays, Athletics, Tigers and Pirates don't have the media blessing.

Some of you probably think my theory is a bunch of baseless hokum. I know it looks that way, but to me, it sure feels real. I would love, love, to see it proven wrong, believe me. Until it is though, I'm going to stand by my belief that the media's ring of favorites has a monopoly on World Series titles.

Ah...the sadness of lost hope.

Playoff predictions 2013

Since tonight is (technically) the first day of the Playoffs, I thought I'd rank the ten teams participating in what is officially recognized as "the postseason" by how great a story they'd make if they won the World Series:

1. Cleveland Indians

A team that hasn't won the World Series since 1948, a city that hasn't seen a major sports championship since 1964, a franchise that had been losing for several years before striking gold with some free agent signings and bounceback seasons this year...just imagine how much it would mean to the fans in Cleveland if this was the year for them. 

2. Pittsburgh Pirates

What a ride! Ever since Francisco Cabrera's pinch-hit single in Game 7 of the 1992 NLCS it had all been downhill. A record 20 consecutive losing seasons was finally snapped this year with 94 wins, and Pittsburgh is excited about baseball again. This team has had a great season thanks to several shrewd moves that paid off, and the organization has made its way back to respectability. If the Pirates could win their first World Series since 1979, that'd really be something. 

3. Detroit Tigers

The Jim Leyland era has been one of restoration for the Tigers. Detroit has seen several great and very good players pass through since 2006, but it hasn't been able to win that elusive World Series title. After getting swept by a rerun Giants team last year, a championship this year could give this core of players redemption, and also solidify Leyland's Hall of Fame credentials. 

4. Los Angeles Dodgers

Remember back in June when there was talk of Don Mattingly getting fired? Who would've thought back then that the Dodgers would end up running away with the division? With several veterans seeking out their first rings, and exciting youngsters like Yasiel Puig and Clayton Kershaw, plus the fact that L.A. hasn't won it since 1988, this could be a cool team to see win it. 

5. Oakland Athletics

Billy Beane's boys continue to defy the odds. Oakland hasn't won the World Series since 1989, and while the current A's don't have many household names, they've got a nice little perpetually-overlooked team. I wouldn't mind seeing them get it. 

6. Tampa Bay Rays

I love the Rays. The team with no financial resources to speak of manages to be competitive year after year while sharing a division with baseball's richest teams. While they haven't been able to assemble any outright powerhouses, they're always in the mix. I'd love to see these guys get a championship. The only reason I can't rank them higher is because they're the second Wild Card team, and it would feel wrong if such an illegitimate entry to the postseason was how they got their trophy. 

7. Cincinnati Reds

Like the Rays, the Reds have to be ranked low due to entering the postseason in a playoff spot that shouldn't exist. Other that that though, Cincy has a cool core of players who I could back under normal circumstances. 

8. Atlanta Braves

They aren't the consistently-great Bobby Cox teams of the 1990's, but they've built a solid nucleus of young players that have something to prove. The Braves won the first World Series I ever saw, back in 1995 when I became a fan, so I can't pull very hard for them, because I want to see someone new win it. Still, they're far, far preferable to either of the remaining two teams on this list. 

9. Boston Red Sox

I guess it is a new era in Boston to some degree, since most of the 2007 team is gone. Still, I loathed few World Series winners as much as those 2007 Red Sox, and I still hate the city of Boston's sports teams with a passion. The last thing we need is another October-long Boston droolfest. Someone ought to do us a favor and eliminate these guys. 

10. St. Louis Cardinals

There is nothing remotely likable about the St. Louis Cardinals. After the 2011 World Series, a small piece of me died, and I will never forgive them. This team deserves every bit of scorn you can muster.

Being the pessimist I am, in any matchup, I'll presume that the team with the higher number on this ranking is going to win. That means that the last team standing should be St. Louis, and they'll be avenging 2004 in the World Series. I would consider anything else a miracle.

Ian Controls the Universe, Part 2

Some of you might remember a little post I did two months ago that allowed me to manipulate on-field results, namely by dictating the next ten World Series. It was a fun exercise, but you know...it just wasn't enough. Once you've tasted omnipotence, your hunger for more becomes insatiable.

I got to thinking...what if instead of just dictating the future I could dictate the past as well? What if I could go back in time and allow some teams to win the World Series that never did (and likewise prevent some teams from winning it)? After all, plenty of great players and teams never tasted the ultimate championship, and it's a darn shame. What if somehow I, and I alone, had the power to give it to them? What kind of guy would I be if I didn't at least consider it?

The only thing that gives me hesitation is the fact that there are many World Series champions that it's hard for me to picture not having won it, since almost every champion had at least one notable player who never won a championship anywhere else. If those teams hadn't won it in the first place, hey, that's that, but since they did, I'm in a position where I'm forced to take it away from them. By the time I'm done, perhaps a few all-time greats will have lost their only rings. As I fight back the tears though, I shall find the strength to act in the interests of the greater good!

Lest you think otherwise, I'll try to be somewhat fair. I'm not a fan of dynasties, but if a team was legitimately great for a significant period of time, I'll let 'em keep a few of those titles. For teams that have plenty of titles to spare though (I'm looking at you, New York Yankees), I think we can safely take a few of them away without hurting anybody.

Now that I've suddenly been granted this power (in my fictitious blog post world), here's how the new history of the World Series looks:

1903 Boston Americans over Pittsburg Pirates
1905 New York Giants over Philadelphia Athletics
1906 Chicago White Sox over Chicago Cubs
1907 Chicago Cubs over Detroit Tigers
1908 Chicago Cubs over Detroit Tigers
1909 Pittsburg Pirates over Detroit Tigers
1910 Philadelphia Athletics over Chicago Cubs
1911 Philadelphia Athletics over New York Giants
1912 Boston Red Sox over New York Giants

As you can see, I haven't changed a thing so far. I've got no real beef with any of these results, as they allowed some worthy teams to win championships, and some good storylines got to play out. The changes though, they're a-comin'!

1913 New York Giants over Philadelphia Athletics

The Philly A's didn't really need this one, and the 1911-13 Giants were worthy of at least one World Series championship.

1914 Boston Braves over Philadelphia Athletics

One of my favorite underdog stories. The Miracle Braves never had to sweat for a second.

1915 Detroit Tigers over Philadelphia Phillies
1916 Philadelphia Phillies over Boston Red Sox

In real life, the Tigers of Ty Cobb, Sam Crawford and Hughie Jennings are a sad omission from the list of World Series champs. The 1915 Bengals won more games than any other Detroit team from that era. The mid-1910's Phillies were an interesting yet relatively forgotten group. Both of them now get to taste the champagne.

1917 Chicago White Sox over New York Giants
1918 Boston Red Sox over Chicago Cubs
1919 Cincinnati Reds over Chicago White Sox
1920 Cleveland Indians over Brooklyn Robins
1921 New York Giants over New York Yankees

Another stretch of results I'm fine with.

1922 St. Louis Browns over St. Louis Cardinals

While the Browns are still mostly remembered today for their lack of success, they now have one flag that flies forever. Not only was the 1922 club probably the best St. Louis Browns team, it was arguably better than the Yankee team that beat it out for the pennant. Such an injustice no longer exists.

As you can also see, the famous all-St. Louis World Series happened 22 years earlier than in real life, this time without war-depleted rosters. The actual '22 Cardinals, led by a monster year from Rogers Hornsby, stayed in the race most of the season before fading in August. This time they held on long enough to reach the October promised land.

1923 New York Yankees over New York Giants
1924 Washington Senators over New York Giants
1925 Pittsburgh Pirates over Washington Senators
1926 St. Louis Cardinals over New York Yankees
1927 New York Yankees over Pittsburgh Pirates
1928 New York Yankees over St. Louis Cardinals
1929 Philadelphia Athletics over Chicago Cubs
1930 Philadelphia Athletics over St. Louis Cardinals
1931 St. Louis Cardinals over Philadelphia Athletics
1932 New York Yankees over Chicago Cubs
1933 New York Giants over Washington Senators
1934 St. Louis Cardinals over Detroit Tigers
1935 Detroit Tigers over Chicago Cubs

At this point you're probably saying "Come on, man! You've hardly changed anything! Is there really a point to me reading this?", to which I must reply: "You have a legit gripe, but there's method to my lack of madness." I'm fair enough to concede that most of these teams deserved to win it, but even more importantly, certain teams wouldn't be so much fun to hate if they didn't have so many championships. Folks, I'm just a-settin' 'em up to bring 'em down later! You know that Yankee dynasty that's at hand? Check out what happened instead!

1936 Chicago Cubs over New York Yankees

The Cubs got revenge for 1932, and the fine Cubbie club of Hack, Herman, Hartnett, Cavarretta, Root and Warneke got a championship.

1937 Chicago White Sox over New York Giants

The not-great-but-more-interesting-than-they-often-get-credit-for Pale Hose club of Appling, Lyons and Dykes got a championship.

1938 Pittsburgh Pirates over New York Yankees

The "Homer in the Gloamin'" never happened, and the fine Buccaneer club of Vaughan and the Waner brothers got a championship.

1939 New York Yankees over Cincinnati Reds
1940 Cincinnati Reds over Detroit Tigers

That '39 Yankee team's legacy was too great to be erased, and those Reds were a charming little club too.

1941 Brooklyn Dodgers over New York Yankees

In real life '55 was a massive relief, but I figured there was no reason Brooklyn's first title couldn't have happened sooner. With significantly different personnel than in the "Boys of Summer" era, the '41 Dodgers can be thought of as a unique group.

1942 St. Louis Cardinals over Boston Red Sox

Too many Yankee World Series losses makes them somewhat pitiable. There shall be none of that in my narrative! The Ted Williams Red Sox won their first pennant this year, only to lose to an outstanding Cardinal team.

1943 New York Yankees over St. Louis Cardinals

Like I've been saying, the Yankees need to keep some of their titles to remain legitimately hatable. This result stands.

1944 Detroit Tigers over Pittsburgh Pirates

The '45 team got its ring a year earlier, led by twin aces Hal Newhouser and Dizzy Trout. The Browns don't feel gypped, as their title in '22 is much more meaningful than one won by a bunch of wartime scrubs would've been. The Tigers also got to avenge their World Series loss in 1909, for good measure.

The '44 Pirates were a distant second in real life, but they had some better luck this time, and Rip Sewell's "Eephus" pitch received a showcase in the Fall Classic.

1945 Washington Senators over Chicago Cubs

Few realize how close Washington came to getting a title during the wartime years. I decided to let them have it.

1946 Boston Red Sox over St. Louis Cardinals

Ted Williams' greatest club is way more interesting than another boring old St. Louis championship.

1947 Boston Braves over New York Yankees

There was no way I was going to deny the '48 Indians their title, but I've always liked the Billy Southworth-era Braves, and if they couldn't have '48, '47 wasn't a bad consolation prize. MVP Bob Elliott truly had a season for the ages.

1948 Cleveland Indians over Boston Braves
1949 New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers

Like I said above, the '48 Indians were too great a story to deny them their title. The '49 Yankees had a good enough story (overcoming injuries and such) that I let them keep their championship.

1950 Philadelphia Phillies over Detroit Tigers

The "Whiz Kids" got the ring, and the Red Rolfe Tigers who came so close to toppling the Yankees got to play in the World Series.

1951 New York Giants over New York Yankees

After "The Shot Heard 'Round the World" you'd better believe those Giants completed their destiny.

1952 New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers

You know my reasoning. Let's move on...

1953 Brooklyn Dodgers over New York Yankees

The '53 team was better than the '55 team, and it included notables such as Billy Cox and Preacher Roe, who missed out two years later in real life.

1954 Cleveland Indians over New York Giants

The Giants got theirs in '51, so the 111-win Indians are now remembered as one of the all-time great championship teams.

1955 Chicago White Sox over Brooklyn Dodgers

After getting '53 the Dodgers didn't need '55. The Go-Go White Sox deserved a ring, and '55 allowed them to get it with Minnie Minoso and Chico Carrasquel included.

1956 Cincinnati Redlegs over Cleveland Indians

The Redlegs tied the 1947 Giants' team homer record and their roster included several classic Cincy players like Kluszewski, Bailey, McMillan, Temple, Post, Bell, Lawrence and Nuxhall. There was also a prized rookie named Frank Robinson who contributed 38 homers to the team total, and they were managed by one of my personal favorite semi-obscure baseball lifers, Birdie Tebbetts. Such an interesting bunch sure looks nice among history's champions.

I threw the Indians another pennant too, resulting in the first all-Ohio World Series.

1957 Milwaukee Braves over New York Yankees
1958 New York Yankees over Milwaukee Braves

The '57 Braves are one of my all-time favorite champions, and they get to remain as such. The '58 Yankees? Well, like I've been saying...

1959 Chicago White Sox over Milwaukee Braves

Confession time: I have a rooting interest the White Sox, although really, I'm a fan of the game first and my teams second. Was I too generous by giving the Go-Go Sox a second title in five years?

Sorry, but I couldn't not give 'em this one. I've always loved the '59 team, and unlike the '55 team, this one included Hall of Famers Wynn and Aparicio (borderline selections, I know, and champions with other clubs in this alternate world, I know, but Hall of Famers nonetheless), and truly-legit Hall of Fame manager Al Lopez. Baseball deserves to have them win the ring in '59.

Oh, and I thought it'd be nice to have an All-Northern-Midwest Series too. The Aaron-Mathews-Spahn Braves are now even more dynastic than in real life.

1960 Pittsburgh Pirates over New York Yankees

A storybook title that only a hard-hearted tyrant would've erased from history.

1961 New York Yankees over Cincinnati Reds

Like I've been saying...

1962 San Francisco Giants over New York Yankees

In the immortal words of Charlie Brown, "Why couldn't McCovey have hit the ball just three feet higher?" Whaddaya know? In this universe he did!

1963 Los Angeles Dodgers over New York Yankees
1964 St. Louis Cardinals over Baltimore Orioles

I didn't begrudge the '63 Dodgers and the '64 Cards their titles. I decided to throw in the first Baltimore Orioles pennant just for the fun of it though. The Battle of the Birds made a good gimmick for the media.

1965 Minnesota Twins over Los Angeles Dodgers

Those Twins are one of my favorite World Series losers.

1966 Baltimore Orioles over Pittsburgh Pirates

I'm fine with the real-life winner, but there were too dang many of those Dodger pennants floating around. The '66 Pirates were a fine squad, so now the World Series history between these two franchises starts five years earlier.

1967 Boston Red Sox over San Francisco Giants

"The Impossible Dream" is completed! However, since I didn't want anyone to feel too sorry for the Cardinals, someone else had to get the privilege of losing the World Series. Lo and behold, the Mays-McCovey-Marichal Giants have now bagged their second pennant!

1968 Detroit Tigers over St. Louis Cardinals

The '68 Tigers have another one of those stories that was just too perfect to erase from history.

1969 Chicago Cubs over Baltimore Orioles

I'm sure Met fans are cursing me right now, but hey, this is my world. The Banks-Jenkins-Santo-Williams Cubs deserved a ring, and now they've got it.

1970 Baltimore Orioles over Cincinnati Reds
1971 Pittsburgh Pirates over Baltimore Orioles

I was cool with these, especially with the Pirates avenging '66.

1972 Chicago White Sox over Cincinnati Reds

I'm sure I've set myself up for some serious accusations of White Sox bias. Dick Allen seriously needed a ring though. There was also the whole 1919 rematch angle. What can I say? It works.

1973 New York Mets over Oakland A's

All the Met fans who cursed me for taking away '69 can take solace in the fact that the "You Gotta Believe" team won it instead of the "Miracle" team. Tom Seaver won't end his career without a championship he deserves, and other Met favorites like Matlack and Staub got to be included. I suppose it might seem heartless of me to take away Nolan Ryan's only ring, but fear not. He'll get his eventually...

1974 Oakland A's over Los Angeles Dodgers

And finally Charlie O.'s Swingin' A's have their ring.

1975 Cincinnati Reds over Boston Red Sox

And finally the Big Red Machine has its ring.

1976 New York Yankees over Philadelphia Phillies

Whoa, whoa, WHOA. Hold the phone. Did I actually give the Yankees a title they didn't win in real life? You bet I did. Why? Well, personally speaking, I've never been a big fan of the "Bronx Zoo" Yankees, but I'll give 'em credit for being a fine ballclub. While Reggie Jackson is the most well-remembered player from that era, some people don't realize that they were already a pennant-winner before he and his massive ego joined them. In a way, that '76 team is the most interesting of the Bronx Zoo period. Yes, it was built by financial power to a large degree, but it was before George Steinbrenner went off the deep end with his spending. I figured the '76 club could have the title and future editions could drown in their self-importance.

Oh yeah...since the Big Red Machine got its title, I let the Paul Owens Phillies add another pennant to their collection.

1977 Los Angeles Dodgers over Kansas City Royals

When the real-life Dodgers won it in '81, it was a redemption for all the times they'd come up short. They don't need redeeming though, now that they've gotten their title in '77. In this case, Dodger icon Don Sutton and famous surgery namesake Tommy John got to join in the fun.

Also, the Whitey Herzog Royals now have a World Series appearance to their name.

1978 Milwaukee Brewers over Los Angeles Dodgers

'82 was great, but Molitor, Yount, Cooper, Oglivie, Thomas and Gantner (no, he wasn't much of a slugger, but he was a longtime Brewer favorite) were all part of the team in '78 too. "Bambi's Bombers" surprised a lot of people by emerging as contenders that year, and here they rode the magic all the way to the end of October.

1979 Pittsburgh Pirates over Baltimore Orioles
1980 Philadelphia Phillies over Kansas City Royals

Come on, man, the "We Are Family" Pirates were just too cool to take away. 1980 worked out well for the Paul Owens Phillies to win their lone World Series too. I decided to let these be.

1981 Montreal Expos over Oakland A's

No longer is my heart broken because the Expos had such a good organization for so many years and never got so much as a pennant to show for it. The '81 team came the closest in real life, and also featured the strongest mix of Montreal's most famous players (Dawson, Raines, Carter, Rogers, Wallach). They were the best choice to represent Montreal in the title department.

Billy Martin may have overworked his young pitchers on the A's for a brief flash of success, but hey, at least it paid off with a pennant!

1982 St. Louis Cardinals over Milwaukee Brewers
1983 Baltimore Orioles over Philadelphia Phillies
1984 Detroit Tigers over San Diego Padres
1985 Kansas City Royals over St. Louis Cardinals
1986 New York Mets over Boston Red Sox

All good stories, all worthy champions. I left them alone.

1987 San Francisco Giants over Minnesota Twins

Giant fans have always seemed particularly fond of the Roger Craig era. While the real-life '87 Twins gave some good players their only rings (Frank Viola, Gary Gaetti, perhaps Don Baylor, though he might have gotten one with the '70 Orioles, Jeff Reardon, though in this world he got one with the '81 Expos), they still were one of the weakest champions ever, and besides that, several of the same core players (Kirby Puckett, Kent Hrbek, Greg Gagne) were part of the much-better '91 squad. Sorry, Metrodome denizens. San Fran gets this title and you get yours in four years.

1988 Los Angeles Dodgers over Oakland Athletics

Speaking of weak championship teams, I let the Dodgers keep this one. Kirk Gibson and Orel Hershiser made them worthy of their place in history.

1989 Oakland Athletics over Chicago Cubs

LaRussa's Athletics now have theirs. The Cubs got a piece of the World Series action instead of the less-hungry Giants, however, and the Loma Prieta earthquake is now of lesser consequence to baseball, since the Series was in Chicago when it hit. Perhaps if the Series had returned to Oakland there might have been some issues.

1990 Cincinnati Reds over Oakland Athletics
1991 Minnesota Twins over Atlanta Braves

I was perfectly happy with both results. I didn't change them.

1992 Toronto Blue Jays over Pittsburgh Pirates

It goes without saying that I was only going to let one of the two Toronto teams keep its title. I decided the '92 team had more unique quintessential Blue Jays (Jimmy Key, Kelly Gruber, Tom Henke, Manuel Lee, Dave Stieb, Rance Mulliniks), so I went with them (sorry, Tony Fernandez!). As for their opponent, I let the Barry Bonds Pirates get at least one pennant, and I prevented them from being saddled with the memory of Francisco Cabrera ('cause no one deserves that).

1993 Philadelphia Phillies over Chicago White Sox

This year was the toughest choice for me. The Blue Jays got theirs in '92, so they didn't need this one. I had the Braves winning in '95 so that Chipper Jones could be a contributor. The Expos were a contender in '93 and might've been a cool winner, but they really didn't look like a championship-caliber club. If I'd let the White Sox win another World Series I probably would've gotten complaints about homerism (maybe I'm being too self-conscious about that). The Giants winning would've allowed Barry Bonds to get a ring, but after '87 I felt they could live without it.

That left us with the Phillies, the "Animal House" cast of rough-hewn characters. Since I allowed the Gashouse Gang to win it, I could allow them to win it too. As a Sox fan I would've loved to see them win the whole shebang, but in the interest of fairness, I only let them have the AL pennant.

1995 Atlanta Braves over Cleveland Indians
1996 New York Yankees over Atlanta Braves

It's all good.

1997 Florida Marlins over Baltimore Orioles

The '97 Marlins had many veterans that I was happy to see get rings. It was a shame that in real life they had to get them at the expense of the Indians though, so now they victimized the Orioles instead.

1998 San Diego Padres over New York Yankees

The scrappers from San Diego pulled off a massive upset, they did.

1999 Cleveland Indians over Atlanta Braves

The Mike Hargrove Indians finally got their title, as well as revenge for 1995.

2000 Seattle Mariners over New York Mets

The 2001 World Series was a classic, so I wasn't going to mess with it. That left me with the dilemma of the 116-win 2001 Mariners though. My solution: Give Seattle the 2000 title to take comfort in when they fall short the next year.

So how do you like that? After trading away franchise icon Ken Griffey Jr. these guys finally won the whole thing. Who would've thought?

2001 Arizona Diamondbacks over New York Yankees
2002 Anaheim Angels over San Francisco Giants

Both champions still feel like teams of destiny.

2003 Chicago Cubs over New York Yankees

The Prior/Wood Cubs capitalized during their tragically brief window of opportunity, and those abominable Marlins are all but forgotten today.

2004 Boston Red Sox over St. Louis Cardinals
2005 Chicago White Sox over Houston Astros

Two more stories I couldn't imagine not having as part of baseball history.

2006 Detroit Tigers over New York Mets

The Cardinals? Yeah, I remember them. They won 83 games this year. Why do you ask?

2007 Colorado Rockies over Boston Red Sox
2008 Tampa Bay Rays over Philadelphia Phillies

They were teams of destiny, I tell you!

2009 Philadelphia Phillies over Minnesota Twins

It was a shame to take away the '08 Phillies' title, but no worries, they got '09. MVP Joe Mauer finally helped the Twins beat the Yankees in the Division Series, and he carried them all the way to the World Series.

2010 San Francisco Giants over Texas Rangers

I know I've been pretty generous to the Giants, but what the heck. The 2010 team was worthy.

2011 Texas Rangers over Milwaukee Brewers

The Rangers got the title they deserved last year, Nolan Ryan got his ring, and the Brewers were rewarded with a pennant for going all in. Since the Brew Crew won it in '78, it didn't hurt as much to lose the World Series as it would've if they'd never won it before. Optimal result? You bet it is.

As I said last time, I realize that my scenarios are absurdly unrealistic, but hey, a mere mortal like me isn't inclined to use omnipotence to maintain predictability. If I had my way, the Rangers would be entering this season trying to be the first team since the 1929-30 Athletics to repeat. Is that ridiculous or what?

So how does the distribution of pennants and championships look now?

Franchise      WS   PEN

Yankees        12    27
Giants          8    17
White Sox       7     9
Athletics       6    14
Cardinals       6    14
Tigers          6    12
Pirates         6    11
Red Sox         6    11
Cubs            5    13
Dodgers         5    12
Phillies        5     9
Reds            5     9
Braves          4    10
Orioles         4     9
Twins           4     8
Indians         4     6
Mets            2     4
Brewers         1     3
Royals          1     3
Padres          1     2
Rangers         1     2
Angels          1     1
Blue Jays       1     1
Diamondbacks    1     1
Mariners        1     1
Marlins         1     1
Nationals       1     1
Rays            1     1
Rockies         1     1
Astros          0     1

Poor Astros. They're the only ones I couldn't find a title for, but hey, 29 out of 30 ain't bad. At least the Astros give us an underdog team we can all pull for. Overall, I'm pleased with these results. The Yankees are still hatable without being wearyingly loathsome, and the teams with the richest histories still manage to find themselves at the top. If there's any significant stratification, it divides the expansion teams from the "Original 16," which is hardly objectionable.

If only my fantasy were reality. Why don't the people in charge of the universe hire me?

Ian Controls the Universe

At some point in our lives most of us undoubtedly have had the desire to control that which we cannot. As a diehard baseball fan is apt to do, I believe that things would be much better if I were in charge of MLB (and no one would be swapping leagues on my watch!). Megalomaniac that I am though, I'm not content to stop there. I often find myself wishing the on-field results could bend to my every whim.

Obviously, dictating the results would be meaningless in real life, as it'd produce nothing but hollow, unearned accomplishments. What if, however, I possessed covert omnipotence that allowed me to see whatever result I wanted? Tantalizing idea, is it not? While I wouldn't get to experience the joy of watching everything unfold, I could experience joy vicariously through the fans who did.

I got to thinking: what if I were granted this power for the next ten seasons? What would the next ten World Series look like? While it'd be tempting to go back and remove moronic rules like the Astros moving to the AL and a second Wild Card being added, I think it'd be a lot less complicated for me to play it as it lies. Not only will I go by the rules already on the books, but I'll choose my immediate champions based on what could realistically be expected from the organizations as currently constructed. After all, it'd be ridiculous to make teams simply get lucky; the players and management would have to produce situations where such results were reasonably within the realm of possibility. By announcing the results in advance I'd give these teams time to set themselves on the right path.

Before I announce my picks, I'd like to make something clear to anyone who isn't familiar with my thinking: I'm a fan of the game first, and my teams second. I root for both Chicago teams, yet the two of them would combine for one pennant in the next decade. I love seeing teams win their first championships, or at least their first in a long time. I've been following MLB since 1995, and my plan means I will have seen every team in the World Series by the time my dictatorship expires. Way too unrealistically even-handed? Of course it is, but if you were given this type of power, wouldn't you want to do something extraordinary with it?

So anyway, if I were dictator of all MLB results for ten years, effective January 1, 2012, what could we expect to see?

2012 World Series: Texas Rangers over Washington Nationals

First things first. I love the current Ranger team, and I'm still heartbroken over the way the 2011 World Series turned out. I don't want this core of players to go down in history as a great never-quite-was, so next year I'd have them seal the deal. Yes, the Angels are looking tough right now, but the Rangers are a well-run organization that's by no means ready to concede the division.

As for the Nationals, they have some up-and-coming talent, plus the ability to spend some money, so it wouldn't be a miracle if they contended for the World Series next season. They're one of two current franchises that's never appeared in the Fall Classic, so it'd be their turn get off the board. Why not do it against a franchise that originated in their city?

2013 World Series: Cleveland Indians over Pittsburgh Pirates

Cleveland is a city well-acquainted with heartbreak, and their World Series drought goes back to 1948. They have some of the best fans in the game, and their loyalty deserves to be rewarded sooner rather than later. They exceeded expectations this year, and it's not a stretch to think that in two years they could be playing with the big boys.

Why the Pirates? Why not? It's been over 30 years since they've appeared in the World Series, and they're a young team with the potential to make some noise in the near future. Besides, Pittsburgh and Cleveland have a pretty intense football rivalry, and I'm sure the long-suffering fans in northern Ohio would appreciate it if they could get their long-awaited championship at the expense of their Rust Belt rivals in a sport that actually matters.

2014 World Series: Chicago Cubs over Kansas City Royals

I apologize to my fellow Cub fans, some of whom might die without witnessing a championship in the next few years, but I figure two things: 1) The Cubs aren't currently poised for a pennant run, and 2) 2014 is fitting in several ways.

First of all, it'll mark the 100th anniversary of Wrigley Field, and what better way to commemorate the century mark than with the stadium's first championship? Second, does anyone else remember the days of the three super droughts? It went: Cubs-1908, White Sox-1917 and Red Sox-1918. The Red Sox broke theirs in 2004, and the White Sox, whose drought began a year earlier, broke theirs the next year, so that means the Cubs, whose drought began nine years before the White Sox', should have theirs broken nine years later. It's almost too perfect.

The Royals haven't been to the postseason since 1985, when they won the World Series, but they've accumulated a boatload of minor league talent in the last few years. 2014 would be the season all that talent finds itself in full blossom and leads Kansas City to its first pennant in almost 30 years. They might be overlooked amidst all the excitement over the Cubs' drought ending, but they'd be good for the K.C. sports scene, and go down in history as a memorable World Series participant.

2015 World Series: San Diego Padres over Minnesota Twins

San Diego hasn't won a major league championship since the Chargers' 1963 AFL title, and they had none before that. It's time for the Padres to get the limelight they've never really had in the baseball world, as both times they've been involved in the World Series they were easily taken care of by a powerhouse from the AL.

The Twins are a nice little franchise, but their having won twice in my lifetime (albeit before I was a fan) means I'm not desperate to see them win it so soon. I would like to see them participate in the World Series at least once during Joe Mauer's career, though.

2016 World Series: Washington Nationals over Toronto Blue Jays

After falling short four years earlier, the Nationals would finally get their redemption. It will have been 94 years since the last title in the nation's capital by then, and baseball will return to its rightful place as the #1 sport in the city. Much-hyped young stars Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper by this point would be proven veterans, and they'd demonstrate the things you can achieve with well-selected #1 draft choices.

Their opponent would be the Toronto Blue Jays, the team with whom the Nationals franchise once shared a country. Still wearing their stitch-perfect uniforms which recall their awesome classic design, Alex Anthopoulos' boys would reward his shrewd management by giving Canada its first glimpse at deep October baseball since before the strike.

2017 World Series: Colorado Rockies over Baltimore Orioles

Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez would be 33 and 32 years old, respectively, by the time the curtain opened on the 2017 Fall Classic, and both would be getting their due accolades as veteran leaders and franchise icons for leading this team to its first pennant in a decade. The former would be generating some Hall of Fame talk by this point as well, and when the Rockies finally got their first sip of victory champagne it would only intensify.

The Orioles would be breaking a 34-year pennant drought, and Oriole Park at Camden Yards would be hosting its first-ever World Series. Hard to believe, isn't it?

2018 World Series: Tampa Bay Rays over Los Angeles Dodgers

Since Andrew Friedman has been running the show he's schooled everyone else in running a top-tier organization on a budget. The lack of a title is the only thing keeping the Rays from a truly amazing place in baseball history. Like the previous year's champs, they'd be redeeming themselves for a decade-old World Series loss here. Of course, if I were controlling more than just the World Series results, I'd have them as a playoff regular in the years leading up to this, which would hopefully mean their fanbase had started supporting them more, and had been anticipating this moment for some time.

The Dodgers, led by 34-year-old Matt Kemp, would be celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Kirk Gibson-Orel Hershiser trophy by finally resurfacing in the Series. For all the big-budget Hollywood hype though, the Rays would make easy work of them.

2019 World Series: Milwaukee Brewers over Oakland Athletics

Milwaukee icon Ryan Braun would be almost 36 by the time he finally led the Brew Crew to the World Series, and the wait would be well worth it. The Seattle Pilots would be a half-century-old memory at this point, and the years of toiling as an also-ran would finally come to an end. The only thing marring the proceedings would be the between-innings interviews of former Commissioner Bud Selig, who now admires his one-time franchise from the Miller Park stands, and somehow manages to be an unavoidable sight throughout the postseason.

Billy Beane would have stepped down from running the A's by now (to seek out new challenges, of course), and the anti-Moneyball crowd (the few who still cared) would use this Oakland pennant as fodder for their argument. On the 30-year anniversary of the earthquake title and the 90-year anniversary of the first Cochrane-Foxx-Simmons-Grove powerhouse title, the A's would come up short of matching those teams' accomplishments.

2020 World Series: Houston Astros over Milwaukee Brewers

The "Killer B" era would be long gone, but those quinquagenarian players would be on hand to throw out a few first pitches. After a 58-year wait, the Astros would finally get to stand on top of the baseball world. They'd be doing it as a member of the American League, however, due to that stupid and unnecessary move foisted upon us by Selig and Co. (have I made it clear enough how I feel about that?).

The Brewers would become the first team to win back-to-back pennants since the 2010-12 Rangers won three in a row, but they wouldn't be able to repeat. In a fun twist, the World Series would feature MLB's only two league-switchers.

2021 World Series: Seattle Mariners over Cincinnati Reds

The Mariners would have spent the last nine years as baseball's only team without a World Series appearance. After waiting 44 years for this day, they wouldn't intend to lose.

The Reds would be seeing their first World Series action in 31 years, but they wouldn't have enough to defeat that upstart team in the Emerald City. Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., now in his early 50's, would famously equivocate when asked who he was rooting for.

Now that every team in baseball has won the World Series and all have appeared in it since I've been watching, how do the title and pennant droughts look?

World Series title:

Pirates: 1979
Orioles: 1983
Tigers: 1984
Royals: 1985
Mets: 1986
Dodgers: 1988
Athletics: 1989
Reds: 1990
Twins: 1991
Blue Jays: 1993
Braves: 1995
Diamondbacks: 2001
Angels: 2002
Marlins: 2003
White Sox: 2005
Red Sox: 2007
Phillies: 2008
Yankees: 2009
Giants: 2010
Cardinals: 2011
Rangers: 2012
Indians: 2013
Cubs: 2014
Padres: 2015
Nationals: 2016
Rockies: 2017
Rays: 2018
Brewers: 2019
Astros: 2020
Mariners: 2021

Is this absurdly equitable or what? In a span of 43 seasons every team would have won the World Series, and the Pirates would be the only one that hadn't won it in my lifetime. Heck, perhaps I could petition for one more year as reality-dictator just so I could give them the 2022 title.

Let's look at the pennants:

Braves: 1999
Mets: 2000
Diamondbacks: 2001
Angels: 2002
Marlins: 2003
White Sox: 2005
Tigers: 2006
Red Sox: 2007
Yankees: 2009
Phillies: 2009
Giants: 2010
Cardinals: 2011
Rangers: 2012
Indians: 2013
Pirates: 2013
Cubs: 2014
Royals: 2014
Padres: 2015
Twins: 2015
Blue Jays: 2016
Nationals: 2016
Orioles: 2017
Rockies: 2017
Dodgers: 2018
Rays: 2018
Athletics: 2019
Astros: 2020
Brewers: 2020
Mariners: 2021
Reds: 2021

Oh, those long-suffering Brave fans! 22 years without a pennant!

I have no illusions about the nearly-zero chance that this scenario would play out in real life. Parity of this sort would be unprecedented in any sport. There's no harm in imagining possibilities, however. Whenever I'm depressed (as I still am over the way this season ended), I can always come back to this post and imagine how much more beautiful it might be.

Another Championship Goes to Waste

The Texas Rangers were perfectly poised to win their first World Series title: They were the better team, they were the more likable team and their fans deserved it more. Everything lined up. This being reality instead of Hollywood though, they lost, and in heartbreaking fashion, no less.

By now we all know that if Nelson Cruz had played just a few steps back, the Rangers would've won the title yesterday. The Cardinals, as luck would have it, got the perfect location on David Freese's drive, and mounted a comeback for the ages. The game made for good drama, but the end result was something baseball could've done without. The last day of the regular season was a thrilling affair, the top two teams (who'd recently won titles) were upset in the first round, the World Series saw some close, exciting games, and what was it all for? A team winning its 11th World Series title. It's hard to get more anti-climactic than that.

I must say, the last three odd-numbered years have not been good. This postseason joins the ranks of 2007 in my book: enough hope dangled to make the crushing conclusion sting with especial poignancy. 2009 was also pretty bad, but the playoff picture itself offered few appealing options, so it was more a case of "little to cheer for in the first place."

For the sixth year in a row, the team I was rooting for in the World Series has lost. I didn't have a huge problem with the Phillies or Giants winning, but I preferred their opponents in those particular years. I guess this is the price I must pay for finally seeing my White Sox win it: six straight years of frustration (and counting). I still remember sitting in my dorm room gazing at that small black-and-white TV when Juan Uribe threw out Orlando Palmeiro by half a step. Had I only known that never again in my 20's would I enjoy a final out like that one...well, perhaps it's for the best that I didn't. The odds say that I should enjoy a similar elation again before my 30's run out, but our emotions tend to be driven by the present, and right now I'm one sad baseball fan.

Cardinal fans didn't need this. Not one bit. They had their year just a half-decade earlier, and Ranger fans have now seen their wait reach the quadruple-decade mark. My only hope is that this isn't this Ranger team's last chance. Yes, they have a great organization, and yes, they look like potential playoff contenders for years to come, but as many great teams that have fallen short can attest, you never know when the opportunity you're presented with might be your last. Hopefully the Rangers can take inspiration from the last team to lose two World Series in a row: the 1991-92 Atlanta Braves. They got their ring three years later, and while those Braves' legacy is viewed as somewhat disappointing, that 1995 flag flies forever. I sincerely hope these Rangers get their year in the near future.

Just so I don't sound like a complete wet bag, I'll say that I'm happy for a few members of the Cardinals:

42-year-old Arthur Rhodes has carved out a solid 20-year career, mostly as a lefty relief specialist, and now, with little likely left in the tank, he finally has a championship. I'm glad that he got to experience something like this before it was all said and done.

Lance Berkman and Matt Holliday are two classy veteran sluggers winning their first titles. Neither is a Hall of Fame lock, but both have the potential to make it some day, depending on how much longer they can play at their current levels. Either way, they've gotten their turn at the summit, and even if they end up as mere Hall-of-Very-Gooders, they can always boast that they were once World Champions.

What the heck, I'm even happy for Corey Patterson, who was left off the playoff roster. I guess I have a soft spot for the Cubs' former top prospect, even if he's turned into nothing more than a journeyman who occasionally shows flashes of usefulness while remaining severely flawed in other facets of the game. He's a popular whipping boy, but he's now a popular whipping boy with a World Series ring.

Thus ends the 2011 season chapter of Major League Baseball. The 2011-12 offseason chapter now begins, and I can have my life back. Hopefully the 2012 season chapter gives us a conclusion worth cheering about.

The Cardinal Narrative and the Ranger Imperative

Oh, those St. Louis Cardinals. MLB's crown jewel in the Midwest. The National League's most storied team from the World Series era. Baseball's classiest organization, with a fanbase that appreciates and loves the game like none other. This is the franchise of Branch Rickey's transcendent organizational acumen, Stan Musial's gentlemanly grace, Ozzie Smith's joyful flair and today, Albert Pujols' all-around dominance and class-actiness. What miscreant would dare speak ill of such a glorious institution as the Redbirds?

That was how I'd perceived the public sentiment toward the Cardinals up until a few years ago. Perhaps the sample on which I based my judgment wasn't as comprehensive as it might've been, but my perceptions shaped my belief that I was a relative minority in hating them. Now granted, I'm a Cub fan, so I was in a position where I was expected to hate the Cardinals. There was more to it than that for me though; there was something deeper involved.

I've always been a fan of the game first and my teams second, so few things warm my heart more than a franchise winning its first-ever championship. Being a true fan of any team is an emotional investment that's often more wearying than it is exhilarating, and I vicariously experience that especial thrill of victory whenever I see those rooters soaking in the triumphant moment for the first time in their lives. The flipside to this brand of empathy though, is that it pains me to see a team with a significant history of championship success win. Sure, their fans love the team and all that, but I know that deep down it doesn't mean nearly as much to them as it would to the fans of those teams with less past glory to comfort them.

My hatred for the Cardinals is rooted mainly in the fact that historically, they're the National League's answer to the Yankees. True, they don't exude quite as much arrogance as those louts in the Bronx, but all the same, their fans are hardly starving for moments they can take pride in.

My own personal feelings aside though, I think the attitude toward the Cards has changed in the last few years, or at least it has within my range of vision. While I knew several people perceived Tony LaRussa as a bit full of himself, he'd always struck me as one of the most respected men in the game. These days, I more frequently hear criticisms of his overmanaging and complaining to the officials (not to mention that whole DUI incident). Mark McGwire, who at one time exemplified St. Louis' grand tradition of exceptional performance and ideal decorum, fell from grace after his evasive testimony before Congress on the steroid issue. Chris Carpenter, whose name at one time was synonymous with Cy Young's, has become better-known as one of the game's biggest jerks. Even opposing players are openly expressing their loathing for the boys in the Gateway to the West. With the internet increasing in significance every year, the less-well-mannered elements of the fanbase have emerged from the woodwork, and Redbird Nation's once-sterling reputation has gradually evaporated. Before we realized what was happening, the Cardinals had gone from a well-regarded symbol of splendor to a reluctantly-respected outcast.

Despite the Cardinals' losing some luster, there seemed to be a sentiment in the baseball world during this past NLCS that rooting for them was every fan's moral duty. Why, you ask? Because their opponent was the Milwaukee Brewers, who acted more like an NFL team than an MLB aggregation. Nyjer Morgan's smack-talking on Twitter, "Beast Mode" hand signals, crazy home run celebrations...yeah, it just turned people off. Never mind that the good citizens of Milwaukee hadn't seen a World Series title since 1957 and that the Cardinals were hardly a likable bunch. The Brewers deserved to lose for committing the unpardonable sin of appearing to think a little too highly of themselves.

I never bought into this anti-Brewer sentiment for a minute. While I'm far from a fan of cocky behavior, I most certainly love a jubilant team spirit, which the Brew Crew has in spades. What one man calls boorish antics another man calls a passion for the game that enhances the experience. Many old-school fans complain that baseball has gotten too boring and slow-paced for the younger generation to take an interest, but these same people will denigrate teams like Milwaukee who try to infuse some excitement into the proceedings. I guess when you're a small-market club without history on your side, you don't get the benefit of the doubt.

Going into the postseason, the Brewers were my #1 choice to win the World Series. Knowing it was almost certainly Prince Fielder's last stand, they decided to go for broke instead of dealing him for prospects last offseason. How could a guy like me root against a team without a World Series title, especially when they might not get another such opportunity for a long time? It was only natural. In the end though, the Brewers' run preventive abilities proved sorely lacking, and the kids with the packed trophy case got to flaunt another one in front of the desperate kids who'd have to dream about their turn for another year. Baseball's made to break your heart, they say, and just when you're tempted to forget, it pops its head up and reminds you.

All is not yet lost, however. Fans of my ilk still have one hope remaining, and it lies in the American League's representative. For the second straight year that would be the Texas Rangers, another title-less franchise. The 2010 World Series, as you recall, matched up the Rangers with the San Francisco Giants, who had yet to win a World Series after over a half-century in the City by the Bay. Needless to say, an oppressive burden was going to be lifted off the shoulders of the winning fanbase. The Giants ultimately prevailed, and after falling short of the postseason in an injury-plagued 2011, perhaps it's for the best that they did. Had they lost, they'd be left with all kinds of uncertainty about how wide their current window of opportunity is open.

In a way, it works out well that the Brewers lost. It's sad for them and their fans, most assuredly, but rooting for the Rangers to lose their second straight World Series wouldn't have been particularly pleasurable for me. As it now stands, the Rangers have a chance to compensate for last year's loss, and the only thing standing in their way is a team no one has to feel bad for if they lose. It's almost too perfect.

If the Cardinals do end up winning this World Series, my immediate reaction will be that we were cheated out of a great story, and that another World Series title went to waste. Still, if you'd told me before the 2010 season that the Rangers would win the next two pennants, I probably would've been shocked. This was a franchise that had never previously made it past the ALDS, as well as a league-mate of baseball's two richest teams. What they've done these two years is undoubtedly impressive, and it's something I'll always cherish as a fan of the game. While the media's narrow focus will probably remain on Boston and New York, it's nice to see their hype trumped by a team that's quietly gone about its business of building a well-balanced winner. As I said about those windows of opportunity though, they can close sooner than you think. The Rangers would be well-advised to capitalize now.

The state of Texas has yet to see a championship in Major League Baseball. At this point, the optimum outcome of this season would be for the Lone Star State to expand its place in baseball lore past the Astrodome and the phrase "Texas Leaguer." For the good of the game, for the preservation of a sense of justice, this needs to be the Rangers' year.

Matters of Races

What a situation we have with the Wild Card races, huh, folks? Over in the American League we have the Boston Red Sox, long a presumptive postseason lock, now tied with the hard-charging Tampa Bay Rays for the Wild Card lead! The Atlanta Braves, who spent most of their season in the same position as the Red Sox, now lead the St. Louis Cardinals by a mere game! With two games left in the season, two impressive comebacks are well within the realm of possibility!

Of course, none of this would be worth mentioning if the allegedly inevitable changes to the playoff system that Bud Selig is intent on inflicting upon us were in place. All four teams would currently be preparing for their spot in the play-in game, or whatever the fool thing's going to be called, and this last week would be devoid of drama.

Selig, I've often tried to give you the benefit of the doubt, but I can't be so charitable here. We have enough teams in the playoffs as it is, and all an extra Wild Card would do is cheapen postseason participation even further. For the good of the game, stop tinkering with stuff.

The Roots of Hatred

The New York Yankees. The very mention of the name evokes many images, some positive, some negative.

On one side you have the image of class. The Yankees are a franchise that's made excellence into a tradition to be respected and upheld. While other franchises have changed with the times, the Yankees have remained constant in many ways, standing as a monument to the game's splendor. Their history is untainted by trendy uniform changes and gimmicky ballparks; they just go out there every year expecting to win, because the Yankee brand symbolizes quality.

On the other side you have the image of a rich bully. The Yankees have built championship teams by drastically outspending their nearest competitors and at various times employing questionable business practices. They carry with them a boorish sense of entitlement, and it's trickled down to a sizable portion of their fanbase. Because they're the Yankees, everything they do is given special attention by the media, and the overexposure is enough to breed resentment from the average non-Yankee fan.

Your opinion of the Yankees is probably reflected in which of these images comes to mind first. If you're familiar with my blog, you know that I most certainly have no love for them. Recently though, I had the occasion to ask myself why. Over on Baseball Fever, my favorite forum for the National Pastime, I participated in a discussion about the Yankees that inevitably turned toward their payroll. I had probably best not recap the entire thing, since it abounded with histrionics and unnecessary taunts (mostly from others, not me), but in a weird way it made me think about what my issues really are with the hated Bronx Bombers.

The Anti-Yankee Hater Movement

Before I mention any points that were discussed, I should say I found it interesting to discover that there are some Yankee fans (and even a few sympathizers) who are extremely sensitive about the fact that people hate their team. They consider it a slight when someone calls them "evil" or accuses them of buying championships, and they refuse to stand for it. Among these people, "Yankee-hater" itself is a dismissive label. You know what I mean, right? "Oh, ignore him. He's just a Yankee-hater."

The implication, of course, is that anyone who hates the Yankees possesses no rational reason for doing so, and is merely reacting with reflexive rage. Now, if you think that sounds ridiculous and completely lacking in self-awareness, I share your view. When arguing with these types though, it forces you to be consistent and clear with your reasoning, so that you don't come across as blinded by emotion.

What is it I really hate about the Yankees? Well, if I had to state my main reason, it's that when I follow a sport I like seeing a variety of champions. I started following baseball in 1995, so that means I've seen five Yankee titles during my fanhood. Over a sixteen-year span, that's pretty significant. If I'm going to devote my attention to a game for seven months I don't want it to turn out I was watching a rerun the entire time. I've witnessed more than my tolerable quota of Yankee success, so if I hate the Yankees, it's because a Yankee title deprives me of the fresh storyline I was hoping for when the season began.

Is there more to it than that, though? I'll confess, I'm certainly guilty of bringing up the Yankees' payroll and referring to them as "evil" at times. Clearly their spending bothers me on some level, but what?

The American Way

I've preferred to keep politics off this blog, since what is baseball, after all, if not an escape from real-world issues? As this is something of an introspective post though, I guess I should reveal a little about my views: I'm a capitalist. Yep, that's right. I think free markets and competition are necessary parts of a healthy economy. I don't believe all rich people are conniving Gordon Gekkos who only achieved anything by trampling others, I believe many of them are good people who earned their fortunes fair and square. Truly then, it'd be hypocritical for me to espouse "underdogma," the idea that the underdog has inherent moral superiority to the overdog.

On the other hand, baseball and the business market are based on different models of competition. In the business world the consumer doesn't care which company is number one, he just wants to get his money's worth for a product or a service. Many similar businesses can coexist just fine regardless of which one is most profitable.

In baseball, the ultimate goal is to be number one in a given year. Sure, a team and its fanbase can enjoy a season that doesn't end with a World Series title, but over time they expect to win at least one. Without that all-important championship, history has a way of undervaluing your accomplishments. That's why I can't help but feel disappointed when a team wins a second championship in the same era. When that team looks back at their season they'll see an affirmation of the greatness they already knew was there; when their competitors look back they might see their best opportunity at immortality missed. While I believe in the power of free markets, it's hard to be a free market absolutist when dealing with a sporting model.

Competitive Balance and All That Jazz

Baseball, of course, doesn't have an absolute free market, due to the Competitive Balance Tax. Does that actually make a difference though? Well, since the CBT went into effect with the 2003 season, the only team to win back-to-back pennants has been the 2008-09 Phillies, and only the Red Sox have won multiple World Series. While certain teams have established themselves as playoff regulars during that span, we've had the variety of champions that I like in sports. If I based my verdict entirely on results, it'd be hard to argue that the Competitive Balance Tax has been bad for baseball.

Still, the CBT ceiling is set so high that only four clubs have ever had to pay it. The Yankees, in fact, are the only ones who pay it annually. Does something that affects so few franchises really have much of an impact? I suppose if nothing else it provides a psychological advantage. The Yankees can still spend far more than any other team, but there's something comforting about knowing the CBT is there as a possible deterrent against certain levels of excess.

Some would argue that our current three-tiered playoff system is responsible for producing more random outcomes, but the same system was in place when the Yankees won four World Series in five years. Interestingly enough, their payroll wasn't nearly as obscene back then relative to the rest of baseball (though they were still accused of buying championships at the time). What does that prove, if anything? Did the Yankees just get lucky? Was it a perfect storm of proper franchise management and financial power? Is it evidence that the CBT allows more teams to get in on the action? Heck, could it be coincidental? Were the lower-budget teams getting smarter at the same time the CBT went into effect? Honestly, I don't have the answers, I'm just asking rhetorically. My hunch though, is that it's a combination of several of these factors.

Get Off Your High Horse

So the Yankees' advantage has been slightly muted in recent years. Is their rich bully image becoming unfair? Hardly. They still have the resources to be in the running for any player they want, and their payroll still dwarfs their nearest competitors'. Still, they've won only one World Series since the CBT went into effect, so how can I say they're ruining the stories I'm looking for? Should I really hate them so much?

To answer this question I think we have to go back to that other image I mentioned up front: the one of class. Honestly, I don't blame the Yankees for spending the way they do. It's only natural to use the resources you have available to be successful. What I resent, however, is the idea that the Yankees are inherently better or more important than every other franchise because of those resources.

For all the Yankee hate that's out there, there's plenty of Yankee sucking up to balance it. Many media members are unapologetic in their desire that the Yankees (and their big market brethren) be perpetually successful, because heaven forbid they should have to pay attention to those trifling teams in the smaller cities. Essentially, it's no different than being a fan of the Kardashians: Possess a lot of bright, shiny objects and people will worship you. In my younger years I might have gotten caught up in the same hype. These days, I recognize it for what it is: elitism.

I can understand why certain franchises get more attention than others. For a team like the Yankees, it's due to their unparalleled success and the fact that they play in a huge media market. I don't see them as any more significant than say, the Cleveland Indians though. The Indians have their own unique place in baseball's rich history, and were it expunged, baseball would be no less poorer than if it were losing the Yankees' history.

A Final Word Amid All This Rambling

As a capitalist, I accept that life isn't fair, and that certain competitors will always have advantages others don't. I don't necessarily like it, but it's the nature of the beast. The Yankees' money doesn't make them evil, it merely makes any story they tell predictable and uncompelling. Even so, they have their place in baseball, and I certainly wouldn't deny them their right to build a winner (as some anti-Yankee haters would claim).

All I ask is that you don't try to tell me the Yankees are so successful because they possess superior business acumen or that they operate on a higher plane of class than baseball's great unwashed. Yes, the current administration has done a decent job running a team with an abundance of built-in advantages, but that in no way proves any moral or intellectual superiority on their part. If more Yankee supporters could admit that, there might be more respect behind the hatred.