The playoffs march on to the LCS, the round a lot of purists wish MLB had kept as the first round 20 years ago. After seeing how bananas the LDS games were it’s tough to agree. Preferring the pre-Wild Card format is of the “get off my lawn” ilk.
To be fair I’m in the new breed of fogeys that hate change. I’m not a fan of the second Wild Card team, but without the Astros and Cubs we would have been deprived of the epic Game 4 in the Astros-Royals series as well as Kyle Schwarber giving the Man in the Moon a black eye. More playoff baseball is probably a good thing. Not so good for my productivity at work, but good in general.
Angels Fan Update
It’s silly we devote so much time praying the Angels will punch a ticket to October because having a vested interest in a team during the playoffs is the worst. Imagine if the Angels blew a four-run lead and failed to advance to the ALCS. I would have locked myself in a shed until April. The playoffs are much more enjoyable when you can laugh at everyone else freaking out. I bet Mariners fans are the most pleasant people in the country every October.
ALCS : Royals vs. Blue Jays
With the welcome exodus of all the unlikable teams from the American League playoffs—Yankees, Rangers, and Astros if you wanted sweet vengeance for them keeping the Angels out—the Royals are now Public Enemy #1 on the Junior Circuit. This dates back to last season’s ALDS when they swept the Angels and a screaming Eric Hosmer with a bro-tastic faux-hawk was etched into our brains forever.
I don’t dislike the Royals, though. Their brand of baseball is a fun distraction from the current Strikeout Era. Their fans are great and the atmosphere from all the games in this series will burst through your TV—you might even have some virtual trash thrown on you from the Toronto games! But I must make a ruling and without any true villainous team in this series I’ll take our friends north of the Wall.
Plus, if you don’t support Toronto Jose Bautista might send a heat-seeking bat flip in your direction. Best to play it safe.
Root: Blue Jays
NLCS : Cubs vs. Mets
Are we sure we really want the Cubs to win the World Series this year? Last week I submitted Chicago should wait a season to save us all from Back to the Future takes and now they’re only eight wins away from making that horror a reality. I would also argue much of the Cubs’ charm goes out the window when they do finally win their first title since 1908. So much of the Cubs’ identity is wrapped up in the lovable loser shtick; their inability to win is why anybody talks about them at all. Sure, playing in one of the largest media markets in the country helps their exposure, but a World Series win turns them into “just another team.” They’d be a more popular Mets. As a fan, seeing your team win a championship is fun, but it’s also a letdown because it can’t rival the anticipation of winning. I suspect Cubs fans will feel the same way if they win it all this year. The momentary pleasure will be a great feeling, but then what makes their club special will die. I’ve always rooted for the Cubs but now that they’re so close I’m not sure I ever want them to win. We’d be losing one of the most interesting subplots in the history of American sports and handing it over to the mundane.
Sorry kid. There’s always next year. Maybe.
Root: Mets
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