Only a select few ever get to play professional sports; even fewer ever get to experience the ultimate reward: playing on a professional sports championship team. Many great players have come up short in their attempt to reach that goal, but there's something especially heartbreaking about cases where the team wins a championship immediately after a longtime player leaves or is traded. One can only wonder what might have been.

With our most recent Super Bowl champion having lost its star player to retirement last offseason, I thought I'd compile a list of the top ten pro athletes who just missed getting to be part of the celebration. The focus of this list will be players who spent a considerable amount of time with the team before they left, not players who were only there for a few seasons preceding the championship. I'm also excluding players who ended up getting a ring with another team and ones who are still active. Now that we've established those criteria, let's get to the list.

10. John Vanbiesbrouck

Detroit-born John Vanbiesbrouck played his first full season as a goaltender for the New York Rangers in 1984-85. He wasn't the biggest goalie in the league, standing only 5'9", but he made up for it with his quick reflexes and aggressiveness. He had the best year of his career in 1985-86, when he won the Vezina Trophy, was named to the All-Star First Team and helped the Rangers reach the Conference Finals despite their losing record during the regular season. The popular goalie (known as "Beezer" to the fans in Madison Square Garden) required surgery for a lacerated wrist during the 1988 offseason. It was thought that he would miss several months of the 1988-89 campaign while recovering, but he ended up playing in the season opener. In the early 90's he teamed with Mike Richter to give the Rangers one of the league's best goalie duos.

Believing Richter could handle the goaltending duties on his own, the Rangers traded Vanbiesbrouck to the Canucks after the 1992-93 season. Just four days later he was taken by the Florida Panthers in the expansion draft. While Vanbiesbrouck helped the new team in Florida to a respectable inaugural season (and was named to the All-Star Second Team in the process) the Rangers went on to win their first Stanley Cup in 54 years. Vanbiesbrouck's popularity continued in the Sunshine State, and he played in three All-Star Games while a member of the Panthers. He helped the fledgling franchise reach the Stanley Cup Finals in 1996, but they were swept by the Colorado Avalanche. He made it back to the Finals in 2001 as a backup for the Devils, but once again his team fell to Colorado.

Vanbiesbrouck retired in 2002 holding the NHL record for most victories by an American-born goaltender with 374. He also tied Frank Brimsek with 40 shutouts, most among American NHL netminders. In 2007 he was inducted into the American Hockey Hall of Fame.

9. Billy Cox

You've heard of the famous Brooklyn Dodgers infield, right? Hodges-Robinson-Reese-Cox? All were great players, but one of them never got to be part of a World Series winner, and that was Billy Cox. A shortstop with the Pirates, the Dodgers acquired him after the 1947 season and moved him to third base. He was a dazzling fielder at the hot corner who once inspired Casey Stengel to say: "He ain't a third baseman. He's a [bleep]ing acrobat." The World War II veteran wasn't much of a hitter (lifetime .262 batting average, 66 home runs, .698 OPS), but he had a reputation for coming through in key situations. Cox played in three World Series with the Dodgers, but each time they lost at the hands of the New York Yankees.

The Dodgers traded Cox and Preacher Roe to the Orioles after the 1954 season (coincidentally, the same trade that had originally brought Cox to the Dodgers was the same one that had brought Roe). In June of 1955 the Orioles traded him to the Indians, but he chose to retire rather than report to his new team. Four months later the Dodgers finally beat the Yankees to win the franchise's first World Series title.





8. Paul Reinhart

In 1979 the Atlanta Flames used the 12th overall pick in the NHL Draft on a young defenseman named Paul Reinhart. Though defense was his primary job, Reinhart was also a strong puck handler who was versatile enough to play any position on the ice, and he developed into one of the best all-around defensemen in the game. With the Flames (who moved to Calgary after his rookie year) he had two Playoff hat tricks, made an All-Star appearance and helped them to the 1986 Stanley Cup Finals. For all his success, he might have accomplished even more had he not struggled with injuries throughout his career.

The Flames traded Reinhart to the Canucks before the 1988-89 season. At the time of the trade he was the last remaining player from the franchise's days in Atlanta, and he held most team records for defensemen. Despite playing in pain, he made his second All-Star appearance that year and helped the Canucks to a first-round Playoff matchup against his former team. The underdog Canucks stunned the Calgary crowd by winning Game 1 in overtime, with Reinhart scoring the deciding goal. The two teams battled their way to seven games, but the Flames ultimately weren't going to be denied their first Stanley Cup that year. Reinhart played one more season in Vancouver before his back problems forced him to call it quits at age 30. He finished his career with 133 goals and 427 assists in 648 games.

7. Wilbur Cooper

Wilbur Cooper was a pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates during the Dead Ball and early Live Ball Eras. He once played for a minor league team owned by future U.S. President Warren G. Harding, and legend has it that Harding himself recommended Cooper to the Pirates. The left-hander had great control, a good pickoff move to third and was a solid hitter as well. The Pirates weren't a very good team early in Cooper's career, but as Cooper developed and the team around him improved his numbers got better. For eight straight seasons he won at least 17 games. The Pirates were annually in the first division, but the NL pennant always eluded them.

After the 1924 season Cooper was traded to the Cubs. The move was unpopular in Pittsburgh, and Cooper himself was disappointed to be leaving the Pirates. After winning 20 games the year before, he was nothing more than an average pitcher for the last-place Cubs, which translated into a losing record. Meanwhile, his old teammates took up residence on the opposite side of the standings, eventually winning the pennant by an 8½ game margin and overcoming a 3-1 deficit against the Washington Senators to win the World Series. 1926 was Cooper's last year in the Major Leagues, but he continued his career by pitching in the minors for several years after that. He remains to this day the Pirates' all-time leader in wins with 202.

6. Tiki Barber

Tiki Barber was a running back drafted by the New York Giants out of the University of Virginia. For the first three years of his career he was used mainly as a return man, a third-down back and a receiver out of the backfield, so his rushing numbers weren't particularly impressive. When he became a full-time starter in 2000 however, he emerged as a star and helped the Giants reach the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Baltimore Ravens. It would be Barber's only Super Bowl appearance. He built up an impressive résumé over the next six seasons, which included three Pro Bowls, three All-Pro selections and the franchise record for most rushing yards.

In 2006 Barber announced that he was retiring at the end of the season. Though still in his prime, he said that his passion for the game had decreased and that he was ready to move on. It came as a surprise to many fans, but he was committed to his decision. The Giants had an up-and-down year in Barber's last season, but their Playoff hopes were still alive going into their final game against the Redskins. With his team needing a win, Barber rushed for a franchise-record 234 yards to lead them to a 34-28 victory. After the Giants lost their Wild Card matchup with the Eagles and he made his final Pro Bowl appearance, Barber hung up his cleats just like he said he would.

The Giants went 10-6 and qualified for the Playoffs the next year. Though most observers didn't see them as a threat to take home the Lombardi Trophy, they did just that, winning three Playoff games on the road and then upsetting the undefeated Patriots in the Super Bowl.

5. John Franco

The Cincinnati Reds were a perennial second place team during the mid-80's, but those teams are mostly forgotten today. One of the players who helped them stay in the race every year was closer John Franco. After two years finishing games part-time, Franco became the Reds' main closer in 1986. For the next four years he was one of the best in the game, finishing in the NL's top five in saves each time and being selected to three All-Star teams.

After the 1989 season the Reds traded Franco to his hometown Mets for Randy Myers. Myers would join with Rob Dibble and Norm Charlton to form the "Nasty Boys" bullpen corps, and the Reds would win the World Series. Franco would spend the next 15 years in a Mets uniform, and he finally experienced his first postseason nine years after the trade. The Mets made it to the NLCS in 1999 and the World Series in 2000, but both times their season ended with a loss. Franco signed as a free agent with the Astros in 2005, but he was released in July of that year and hasn't returned to the Majors since. His 424 saves are currently 4th all-time.

4. Don Mattingly

Don Mattingly was called up by the New York Yankees in September 1982. Despite coming off a pennant-winning season the Yankees were struggling. The next year Mattingly would get some significant playing time and the Yankees would improve to third place. In 1984 he took over as the full-time first baseman and a star was born. For the rest of the decade he would be an All-Star every year, win five Gold Glove Awards, finish in the top 5 in MVP voting three times (winning it in 1985), finish in the top ten in batting average five times (including the 1984 batting title), lead the league in doubles three times, and win three Silver Slugger Awards. 1987 was notable for two accomplishments: he set a record (later tied by Travis Hafner) for most grand slams in a season with six, and he tied a record held by Dale Long with home runs in eight consecutive games. The Yankees were usually in contention during the 80's, but they always fell short of the Playoffs.

1990 was when things started to go downhill for Mattingly, as he started suffering from back problems. He had the worst year of his career and the Yankees finished in last place. Though he (and the Yankees) rebounded over the next few years, he never reached the levels he did in the previous decade. The only awards he won during the 90's were four more Gold Gloves.

In 1995 the Yankees made the postseason for the first time in Mattingly's career by virtue of the Wild Card. They had a hard-fought five-game series with the Mariners, but in the end Seattle prevailed. Mattingly's .417 batting average and 6 RBI made him one of the hitting stars of the series, but it ended up being his last hurrah. Mattingly decided to sit out the 1996 season due to his recurring back problems and the need to spend time with his family. It was poor timing, as 1996 was the year the Yankees finally got over the hump and won the World Series. In 1997 he officially announced his retirement from baseball, and the Yankees retired his #23. He is the only Yankee with his number retired not to play for a World Series winner.

3. Bruce Armstrong

Can you name the only player who wore the current Patriots uniform design as well as the classic red uniforms with "Pat the Patriot" on the helmet? The only Patriot to play for both Raymond Berry and Bill Belichick? That would be offensive tackle Bruce Armstrong. Armstrong was New England's first-round draft pick in 1987 out of Louisville. He started his career at right tackle and moved to his more famous spot on the left side in his fourth season. He was a warrior, committed to playing every game he could. He started all 12 non-strike games his rookie year despite sustaining a shoulder injury in training camp that required surgery after the season. In fact, the only affliction that ever prevented Armstrong from playing came in a 1992 game when he tore three of the four main ligaments in his right knee. He was out for the entire second half of the season and his career appeared to be in jeopardy, but he came back next year and started all 16 games. Recognized leaguewide as one of the best, Armstrong was named to 6 Pro Bowls and 7 All-Pro Teams between 1988 and 1997.

After the 1999 season Armstrong was released by the Patriots due to his declining skills and his refusal to accept a pay cut. It was seen by many as a classless move, as Armstrong had played through the second half of the previous season with torn ligaments in his right knee, but new coach Belichick saw it as necessary. Armstrong eventually agreed to a one-year deal with the Patriots, but it was clear his time in New England was running out. Though Armstrong wanted to play one more season after 2000, the Patriots didn't re-sign him and he officially announced his retirement in September 2001. The Patriots honored him by retiring his #78 and inducting him into the team Hall of Fame. He remains New England's all-time leader in games played. A few months later the Patriots would win the franchise's first Super Bowl and begin a run that would lead to them being considered the Team of the Decade.

2. Nate Thurmond

One of the most underappreciated big men in NBA history, Nate Thurmond was considered the best defensive center of his era by many opponents. A backup to Wilt Chamberlain as a rookie, he helped the San Francisco Warriors make it to the NBA Finals in the 1963-64 season. The Boston Celtics were unstoppable in those days, so needless to say it wasn't the Warriors' year. Still, Thurmond played impressively enough to earn a spot on the All-Rookie Team. The Warriors traded Chamberlain in the middle of the next season, making Thurmond the new starting center. He finished the year averaging 18.1 rebounds per game and set an NBA record in February with 18 rebounds in one quarter. Over the next five seasons he would never average fewer than 17.7 rebounds per game, including two years averaging more than 20. He helped the Warriors get back to the NBA Finals in 1967, but once again they ran into an unstoppable team, this time the 68-win 76ers. Though Thurmond never reached another NBA Finals with the Warriors, his personal accolades with the team included two All-Defensive First Teams, three All-Defensive Second Teams, and seven All-Star selections.

After the 1973-74 season the Warriors traded the aging Thurmond to the Bulls for the younger Clifford Ray. While Ray didn't quite put up the numbers Thurmond did, he was valuable to the Warriors for his defense and his unifying effect on the team. Thurmond joined a Chicago team that had made it to the Conference Finals the previous season. They were an aging bunch, but they still had one good year left in them. In Thurmond's Bulls debut he racked up the first quadruple-double in NBA history (22 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists and 12 blocks) and set the stage for the franchise's first division title that season. The Bulls made it back to the Conference Finals and ended up facing Thurmond's old Warrior teammates. The series went seven games with the Warriors emerging triumphant in the end. The underdog Warriors went on to sweep the Bullets in the NBA Finals to win the franchise's first Bay Area title. Thurmond was traded to the Cavaliers in the middle of the next season, where he was part of yet another run to the Conference Finals, this one ending against the Celtics. He retired after the 1976-77 season with career averages of 15.0 points and 15.0 rebounds per game. His #42 was retired by both the Warriors and the Cavaliers, and he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1985. In 1996 he was named one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players.

1. Elgin Baylor

Elgin Baylor was drafted by the Minneapolis Lakers out of Seattle University with the #1 pick in the 1958 NBA Draft. The Lakers franchise was struggling at the time, but Baylor gave them a superstar that restored their fortunes. With averages of 24.9 points and 15.0 rebounds per game, he easily captured the Rookie of the Year Award. The Lakers had been the NBA's worst team the year before, but he took them to the Finals that year, where they lost to the Celtics. In 1960 the Lakers moved to Los Angeles, where rookie Jerry West joined with Baylor to form what would be one of the NBA's greatest duos for the next decade.

Though Baylor never won an MVP or scoring title, his list of accomplishments is long. He was named to the All-NBA First Team ten times, the All-Star team eleven times, and averaged more than 30 points per game three times. He finished in the top ten in scoring ten times, the top ten in assists six times and the top ten in rebounds nine times. In 1960 he scored a then-NBA-record 71 points in a game. About the only thing he couldn't do was win an NBA Championship. Baylor's teams made it to the NBA Finals a total of eight times, but they lost each one. The Lakers made it to the Finals in 1965, but Baylor didn't play because of a knee he injured in the first game of the Playoffs. The injury carried over to next season, as Baylor had the worst year of his career to date. Fortunately, he bounced back. While he didn't play at quite the same level as before, he definitely reclaimed his status as one of the game's best. Injuries limited him to two games in 1970-71, but he attempted to keep playing.

Early in the 1971-72 season, after Baylor got off to a slow start, the Lakers asked him to relinquish his spot in the starting lineup to a young forward named Jim McMillian. Rather than accept a bench role (and the fact that he wasn't the player he used to be), Baylor retired. As soon as he was gone the Lakers went on an NBA-record 33-game win streak. They finished the season with 69 wins, another NBA record which stood for 24 years. The Lakers made it back to the NBA Finals, but this time they did something they hadn't done during Baylor's career: they won. Baylor finished his career with averages of 27.4 points and 13.5 rebounds per game, and the Lakers retired his #22. He earned induction to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1977, and in 1996 he was named one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players.

Sometimes that elusive championship is so close and yet so far. These players may not have won championships, but none of them should ever be forgotten.

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays have announced that the awkward nickname they had for their first ten years of existence is gone. From now on they'll be known as simply the Tampa Bay Rays (no relation, I assume, to Dead Kennedys guitarist East Bay Ray). Apparently this news has been around for a few days, but somehow I missed it. Like their expansion predecessors, the Houston Colt .45's, the Rays recognized that baseball nicknames with two words and more than two syllables just don't work (a message the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim still haven't gotten).

It is now certain that the name "Devil Rays" will never be associated with winning. In their 10-year history the Devil Rays never lost fewer than 91 games, and there was even talk of contracting them at one point. Only once did they only avoid last place (2004). They came into the Majors at the same time as the Arizona Diamondbacks, who've made four postseason appearances and even won a World Series during that same span. There's no doubt that the Devil Rays were the poor cousin in the 1998 expansion.

Perhaps this name change represents a new start of sorts for the franchise. If the Rays become a good team someday (which I'm sure will happen eventually), the Devil Ray era will be seen as the "dark days." There might be some fans who affectionately remember those Devil Ray teams and take pride in the fact that they stuck it out during the lean years. There haven't been many highlights, but the diehards will have plenty of memories. They'll remember the attempt to build a team of sluggers in 2000 that looked hopeful at first but didn't quite work out. They'll remember June 2004 when they had a winning record and were one of the hottest teams in baseball before they came back down to earth and settled for what was then a franchise record 70 wins. They'll remember Rocco Baldelli wearing a jersey with his first name on the back. There wasn't much to cheer about, but it will always be a unique chapter in team history.

I wish the Rays the best of luck. I hope they find more success than the Devil Rays ever did. I hope someday they challenge the Yankees and Red Sox for the division title rather than attempting to play spoiler late in the season. I hope they can develop a strong local fanbase who'll appreciate a winning team. Most of all though, I hope the Devil Rays aren't forgotten. They may not have won much, but they represent a decade's worth of growing pains. Hopefully the franchise will have something to show for it in the not-too-distant future.

Here we are. We're three games into the World Series and the Red Sox are only one win away from another title. If you're a Boston fan (or bandwagoner) this feels great. If you're just about anyone else this feels pretty rotten. The one fanbase in baseball more arrogant than the Yankees' is on the verge of a celebration and the rest of us will never hear the end of it if it happens. The Rockies' offense hasn't been getting it done in the World Series, and the pitching staff that was so good throughout the Playoffs has been terrible. Right now everything appears hopeless.

I refuse to give up, though. It's not impossible for the Rockies to win. The odds are almost negligibly slim, but there's still some hope. The Rockies did win 21 of 22, after all. If you want a team that can win four in a row with no margin for error these Rockies are a pretty good choice. That small hope is all I have left. I was bummed about the Yankees winning the pennant after Game 3 of the 2004 ALCS too, but we all know what happened there. Ever since that series the prospect of coming back from a 0-3 deficit hasn't seemed so crazy.

The Red Sox got a few lucky breaks during that hellish six-run inning. Why couldn't Yorvit Torrealba have made a good throw to first? Why couldn't Josh Fogg get Daisuke Matsuzaka, an American League pitcher, out? I wish the Rockies could avoid those big innings. I'd like to see how they play when they have some wind in their sails. As soon as they built up some momentum their bullpen let the Red Sox have it right back. It's hard to climb back into a game more than once, especially in the later innings.

Is anyone else getting tired of Jonathan Papelbon? That "death stare" is the goofiest-looking thing I've ever seen, except perhaps for those clips of him doing a celebratory ####. If someone tried to intimidate me with that face I'd be too busy laughing to take it seriously. I'm also tired of seeing shots of the Boston bullpen. Seriously, I don't care about their rituals. I want to watch what's happening on the field.

I actually listened to most of Game 3 rather than keeping it on mute (what a difference it makes not having to hear a Boston crowd cheering). Tim McCarver seemed like he was lost half the time and Joe Buck was his typical cold self while trying to maintain some sanity. In other words, I realized I wasn't missing much by keeping the game on mute.

Mike Timlin is incredible. He's 41 years old, he was a member of the Blue Jays' back-to-back World Series winners in 1992 and 1993, and he's still a key contributor for a World Series team. Even though he gave up a few runs in Game 3 he's been pretty solid this postseason. He probably doesn't have many years left, but the guy deserves some credit for being effective as long as he has.

I don't know about anybody else, but I loved those shots of the Rocky Mountains during the game. Colorado has some great scenery. Denver is a unique city whose teams don't usually get much of the spotlight, but I find they can be just as fascinating as any other city's teams. It'll be interesting to see what type of culture Colorado fans develop into once the Rockies have some sustained success. It's hard to believe that they had the National League's highest attendance for their first seven seasons and were in the top three for two years after that. In recent years the attendance has tailed off (somewhat understandable, since they haven't been very good), but hopefully the Colorado fans' interest in baseball will be renewed now that they have a good young team that's built for future success. It almost seems too soon for these Rockies to win it all, but I'd rather see them win it than the Red Sox any day.

Rockies, the comeback starts tonight. At least it had better, or this season is going to end on a low note.

These Playoffs have been interesting so far. They've gotten my mind running, and I guess this would be the best place to let my thoughts run free.

The Cubs have looked like #### so far in the Division Series against the Diamondbacks. Aramis Ramirez has turned into an automatic out, Alfonso Soriano's free swinging has gotten ridiculous, and the hits just don't seem to be falling for them. Those Diamondbacks are a tough bunch. Our only hope now is to win three in a row. Hey, it's possible as long as they start playing better than they have in the first two games.

Kerry Wood holds a distinction not many can claim. He's played in the postseason for three different Cub teams (1998, 2003 and 2007). The last time the Cubs were in the postseason with a player who'd played for them in at least two previous postseasons was the 1945 World Series, when they had Stan Hack and Phil Cavarretta on their roster.

That 12-3 blowout by the Indians in Game 1 of the Divisional Series sure was cool. As someone who's rooting hard for the Indians to win the AL this year I loved it. If I were a Yankee fan though, I'd be feeling pretty confident right about now. Every year this decade the winner of Game 1 in the Yankees' LDS has gone on to lose. I think I speak for all Yankee-haters when I say that I hope this year will be the end of that trend.

I suppose now would be as good a time as any to look at who's got the opportunity for their first World Series ring this year. When I looked at the final four NBA teams this year I noted the LTRP (Longest-Tenured Ringless Player) for each team. The baseball equivalent is the ORP (Oldest Ringless Player). It's pretty simple to figure out. Just look at the 40-man rosters of the Playoff teams and find the oldest player on each one that doesn't have a World Series ring. Then you can look at the complete list and say "this is the year one of these guys finally gets baseball's ultimate reward." For this year's Playoffs the ORP's are:

Angels: Darren Oliver
Cubs: Steve Trachsel
Diamondbacks: Bob Wickman*
Indians: Kenny Lofton
Phillies: Jamie Moyer
Red Sox: Royce Clayton
Rockies: Matt Herges
Yankees: Mike Mussina

*-I'm not sure if Wickman has a ring or not. He played for the 1996 Yankees but was traded to the Brewers down the stretch. Even so, this year is a chance for him to win a World Series while he's still with the organization.

One of these guys is going to get it this year. Be happy for him.

I've been thinking recently. Why do Cub fans get such a bad reputation? Do people honestly think we're all a bunch of superstitious sad sacks who blame our losing on a goat? I can't speak for all Cub fans, but most of the ones I know don't believe in any curse, and some even get annoyed if you bring it up. It seems like the media perpetuates this idea of a curse more than anything. All I can say is that if I honestly thought the Cubs were cursed and had no shot at ever winning a World Series I wouldn't bother rooting for them. Being a Cub fan is a labor of love. It's heartbreaking when your team just can't seem to pull it off, but I wouldn't expend the emotional energy if I absolutely believed that no potential for a reward existed. I think the truth about most of us is that we just want to see our Cubs win and we want to stop being haunted by the year 1908, which some Diamondback fans this year actually made an effort to rub in our face. It's not easy, but we always hold out hope that one day we'll finally win another World Series. If we're frustrated and heartbroken until then, can you really blame us?

One thing you can always count on when watching sports on TV is seeing the same commercials over and over. There are a few that have already started to annoy me. There's that Captain Morgan ad where the guys order a pizza for delivery in order to have a designated driver. The worst part is that they take the pizza at the end and don't even pay the guy. What's up with that? That "this is our country" song has made me hit the mute button several times already, and those Sonic commercials with the guys in the car get old pretty quick. That DHL commercial where Kenny Lofton keeps getting traded is a bit tiresome. That Avis commercial where the guy falls in love with his GPS system while "Total Eclipse of the Heart" plays in the background is just odd. There are probably some others I'm forgetting, but it suffices to say I'm already tired of this batch of commercials.

Hopefully this off day will help the Cubs regroup. Hopefully the Indians will beat the Yankees again in Game 2. Hopefully the Angels will put up a fight against the Red Sox. Hopefully the Phillies can avoid the sweep in their series, since it'd be a shame to lose them so quickly. I need some rest.

Every year when the Playoffs come around I have to decide who I want to win. I've discovered that's it's virtually impossible for me to follow a series and not have any interest at all in who wins. Even when I start out "not caring" I usually end up rooting for someone eventually. Now that the Playoffs are under way I've realized that there are four ways to categorize the teams by how I'd feel about them winning the 2007 World Series.

#1: "I Really Want It To Happen"

The Chicago Cubs are the only team that falls into this category. I would love for this to be "the year" for my Cubs, but we'll have to see if we can beat those pesky Diamondbacks first.

#2: "I'll Be Happy For Them If They Win"

The Colorado Rockies, Philadelphia Phillies, and Cleveland Indians fall into this category. The Rockies have never won a World Series, and it's been a while for the Phillies and Indians. They all have some underdog appeal, so naturally I like them. If the Cubs get eliminated these are the other teams I can back.

#3: "I Can Live With It If They Win"

The Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Boston Red Sox fall into this category. I'm not actively rooting for any of these teams, but if one of them wins it all it won't be the end of the world to me. It's just that they've each won a World Series this decade, so it would be boring to see one of them win it again.

#4: "I Really Don't Want It To Happen"

They're so evil they get their own category. They're the New York Yankees. With 26 World Series titles to their name they have absolutely no underdog appeal and I have no reason to root for them whatsoever. The Yankees need another World Series title like Cal Ripken Jr. needs a comb.

Speaking of Cal Ripken Jr., I think he's done a pretty good job so far on TBS. I wish I could say the same about Frank Thomas. I'm a huge fan of Frank from his days in Chicago, but his commentating has been awful thus far. Hopefully he'll get better with experience. I'd like to believe the Big Hurt is better than what he's shown us.

Let's get back to the Playoffs though. As I've already discussed in another post, predictions are meaningless. I'm not going to bother saying who I think will win, since I tend to be wrong anytime I do. I'm rooting for a Cubs-Rockies NLCS (though I have no problem if the Phillies make it) and an Angels-Indians ALCS. I don't want to hear anymore Yankees-Red Sox hype. My ideal World Series would be Cubs-Indians. It'd be great to see the two teams that have waited the longest battling it out knowing that the drought is going to end for one of them.

This could easily turn out to be a very disappointing postseason for me. If one of the teams in categories 3 or 4 ends up winning the World Series I'll be upset that I waited all year for that particular result. For now I'm just enjoying the present. Each team still has a chance to win it, so there's no reason for despair yet. Hopefully I'll still be feeling the same way next week.