The 2021 postseason is weird already. I never expected to see Juan Soto sitting in the stands rooting for my team last night.
But that's a good sign, right? I'm seeing them everywhere. Not only did the Dodgers advance in classic last-minute, late-night style, but two distasteful teams, the Yankees and Cardinals, have been banished within the first two days. Hallelujah! I don't have to view Brett Gardner or Yadier Molina for any more games!
Still, there's plenty of ugly out there. It is the playoffs after all.
So this is where I sort it all out, reviewing each potential World Series matchup -- there are 16 of them -- to see which team I want to win from each. I'm sure you know how this goes, I've done it for a bunch of years already (in what seems to be a recent fall 2021 trend, this post will be massively ignored even though previous versions were abundantly viewed. It's like blogging in the forest lately. Am I making a sound?)
This is my blog version of what the Twitter people are doing, ranking the remaining teams in order of their preference, except this is somewhat more creative and you get to see cards. Sure, I could do the Twitter version. Here it is:
1. Dodgers
2. Rays
3. White Sox
4. Red Sox
5. Braves
6. Brewers
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(only if MLB refuses my petition to invite every minor league team into the World Series)
7. Astros
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(only if MLB refuses my petition to invite every American Legion, Babe Ruth League and Little League team into the World Series)
8. Giants
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9. Padres
Oh, that's right the Padres aren't in contention again. (Their fans sure do talk a lot for a team whose history is mainly losing).
See? That wasn't very creative.
Let's get to that. Well, semi-creative anyway. It's kind of a rehash you know.
Matchups:
1. Dodgers vs. Astros -- the Pedro Baez Series
What's good about it: I'll figure out all the new people on the Astros. I've lost track since the ugliness of 2017. All I know is the annoying people that are still there.
What's bad about it: All those Astros fans believing anyone actually wants them to win. There's one prominent Astros twitterer who said last night that he was torn about last night's game because he didn't want Cardinals fans or Dodgers fans to be happy. That's funny, that's how just about the rest of us feel about Astros fans for infinity.
Who I want to win: Dodgers
2. Giants vs. Rays - the Evan Longoria Series
What's good about it: Clear good vs. evil, without the overwhelming dread.
What's bad about it: If the Giants win, they have something in common with the Dodgers over the last two years and I hate shared experiences between my team and that other team.
Who I want to win: Rays
3. Brewers vs. Red Sox - the Cecil Cooper Series
What's good about it: Memories of NBC's Game of the Week regularly featuring the Brewers and Red Sox battle, back when the two team fielded home run mashers (when home run mashers were more of a novelty than they are now).
What's bad about it: I'll never get over this, but this is still an AL East matchup to me, not the World Series.
Who I want to win: Red Sox
4. Braves vs. White Sox - the Jermaine Dye Series
What's good about it: Two teams that last won a World Series when the year ended in a "5" can claim they won a World Series in a year that ended in a "1," too.
What's bad about it: I'd want both teams to wear their '70s uniforms and that's not going to happen.
Who I want to win: White Sox
5. Dodgers vs. Red Sox - the Nathan Eovaldi Series
What's good about it: I'd get to figure out who the Red Sox start besides Eovaldi. Are they letting hitters pitch, because I never hear about anyone else.
What's bad about it: I just went through this three years ago and it didn't end well and I'm still mad.
Who I want to win: Dodgers
6. Giants vs. Astros - the Enos Cabell Series
What's good about it: I can find something productive to do instead of watching this.
What's bad about it: The 2021 season was a huge waste of time.
Who I want to win: Astros (yuck, yuck, yuuuuuuuuuuuuck!!!!!!!)
7. Brewers vs. Rays - the Willy Adames Series
What's good about it: Fans who like green-themed teams will be thrilled.
What's bad about it: Fox will decide to show reruns of 21 Jump Street because they will pull in better ratings than this series.
Who I want to win: Rays
8. Braves vs. Rays - the Fred McGriff Series
What's good about it: Short travel time saves energy?
What's bad about it: This area of the country cares too much about college football for me to believe they really should be winning a World Series.
Who I want to win: Rays
9. Dodgers vs. White Sox - the Terry Forster Series
What's good about it: This is the series that I am rooting for amid all of the ick.
What's bad about it: Tony LaRussa is starting to resemble the crypt keeper, and although it's seasonably appropriate, I don't think I can watch that for 4-7 games.
Who I want to win: Dodgers
10. Giants vs. Red Sox - the Darren Lewis Series
What's good about it: My brother who somehow has two favorite teams now, and they happen to be these two, would finally have to choose one.
What's bad about it: I like the history of this series a lot so all the modern-ness of the game would especially bug me.
Who I want to win: Red Sox
11. Brewers vs. Astros - the Martin Maldonado Series
What's good about it: I've somehow stumbled upon some rather vocal Twitter fans of each fan base and I'd get to enjoy my popcorn as they tore each other apart.
What's bad about it: I'd need a scorecard. It's very east coast of me (or maybe west coast of me), but I don't know these teams very well.
Who I want to win: Brewers
12. Braves vs. Red Sox - the Felix Mantilla Series
What's good about it: As teams go, I don't mind them. Recent Red Sox success aside, they both have downtrodden backgrounds and have never been super annoying even at their best.
What's bad about it: I can't really find anything. I suspect the games will be long but I have nothing to base that on.
Who I want to win: Red Sox
13. Dodgers vs. Rays - the Carl Crawford Series
What's good about it: We get to see this series with a full complement of fans this time.
What's bad about it: The Rays could win this time 😳.
Who I want to win: Dodgers
14. Giants vs. White Sox - the Ray Durham Series
What's good about it: We'll get to talk about the 1917 World Series when these two teams played each other!
What's bad about it: The Giants will get revenge for 1917.
Who I want to win: White Sox
15. Braves vs. Astros - the Rafael Ramirez Series
What's good about it: It won't snow?
What's bad about it: Again, nobody will be wearing their '70s uniforms.
Who I want to win: Braves
16. Brewers vs. White Sox - the Carlos Lee Series
What's good about it: God love ya, one of you guys is going to win and there's not a single thing the media-darling teams can do about it.
What's bad about it: This is another American League matchup from the '70s/'80s/early '90s and if they don't have Britt Burns and Sixto Lezcano throw out first pitches during this thing I'm going to be really upset.
Who I want to win: White Sox
And that's who I'd want to win in each case.
Of course all of this is secondary to a Dodgers repeat. The rest are just contingency plans.
Comments
I enjoy this analysis every year. Another downside to Brewers-Astros is they both seem to be in the wrong league.
I am happy for you that the Dodgers beat the Cardinals. It was a fun game to watch, even though the team I rooted for lost.
But for you to refer to the Cardinals as distasteful and state you are glad you don't have to watch Yadier Molina any more, well, that's just childish.
I like the Dodgers. I like everybody. They are all amazing. I need to go hang out at a blog that's more positive.
You haven't been around here enough to know what I do or who I am, and certainly not around long enough to tell me how to write.
This one of the few posts I write now in which I let the fan flag fly. There used to be a lot more of these on this blog, believe me. I've been writing this post for years and only recently have people been reacting negatively to my opinions about teams and such. People used to be able to take it. That's what blogging was often-times, friendly jabbing about other people's teams. Now everyone gets all offended.
Perhaps this is why views are down, maybe people have changed. Everyone is so serious and reacts so seriously.
Too bad.
I thought I was actually pretty friendly to the Braves. They're my 5th favorite team of the postseason!
I know you've mentioned Padres fans talking a lot at least once before this post, but among bloggers I feel like none of us talk smack at all. Can't remember the last time I bragged about the Padres. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of Tatis Jr. and I did have high hopes for the team this season. But I don't remember talking smack on my blog. Okay... so I ranked the Dodgers and Giants low on my favorite teams totem pole. But I'm not foolish enough to talk trash. I learned a long time ago that the Padres lose more often than not.
Can't speak for guys like Gavin, Rod, or the other bloggers who root for the Brown & Gold, but I don't remember any of them talking smack either. I could be wrong though. Heck... maybe I popped an extra Benadryl one night and wrote an All Hail Padres post that I forgot about.
A. I've mellowed out with age.
B. I've eaten crow on way too many occasions.
C. Even if I wanted to, I can't because my teams suck. 😂