Preliminaries are out of the way. Eight teams still standing. But who do I cheer for?
8. New York Yankees - Well, this goes without saying, surely.
7. New York Mets - I think they're a fraud and don't belong here. They irritate me.
6. Los Angeles Dodgers - No, the world doesn't need another Yankees-Dodgers series.
5. Detroit Tigers - A nice story? Nah. They're a fraud and they don't belong here.
4. Kansas City Royals - They're just a great, great story, one of the most remarkable Great Leaps Forward in the game's history. I salute what they've achieved. But they're the Kansas City Royals, and I have scars.
3. San Diego Padres - Don't much like them, but it's very amusing to think this is the price they pay for trading away their generational hitter.
2. Philadelphia Phillies - I'd like to see Harper get his ring, and I think it's now or never for this crew.
1. Cleveland Guardians - This would be like the 1983 Orioles. Their legendary manager retires, and the team promptly goes out and wins it all. Fine by me. It's only been 76 years, and they even did the right thing by changing the nickname. Jose Ramirez and Emmanuel Clase win a title? Sign me up for that.
Geez, I don't know. Truth be told, I'll probably just start watching and something will happen, and I'll find myself cheering for someone.
Until then - let me work my way through this. We do have three of the greatest players of our time - Ohtani, Judge, Harper - in quest of that elusive first championship.
But it's a team game...
8. New York Yankees - Well, this goes without saying, surely.
7. New York Mets - I think they're a fraud and don't belong here. They irritate me.
6. Los Angeles Dodgers - No, the world doesn't need another Yankees-Dodgers series.
5. Detroit Tigers - A nice story? Nah. They're a fraud and they don't belong here.
4. Kansas City Royals - They're just a great, great story, one of the most remarkable Great Leaps Forward in the game's history. I salute what they've achieved. But they're the Kansas City Royals, and I have scars.
3. San Diego Padres - Don't much like them, but it's very amusing to think this is the price they pay for trading away their generational hitter.
2. Philadelphia Phillies - I'd like to see Harper get his ring, and I think it's now or never for this crew.
1. Cleveland Guardians - This would be like the 1983 Orioles. Their legendary manager retires, and the team promptly goes out and wins it all. Fine by me. It's only been 76 years, and they even did the right thing by changing the nickname. Jose Ramirez and Emmanuel Clase win a title? Sign me up for that.
