Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Mook vs misfits, cast-offs, over-achievers & underdogs.


The World Series is starting tonight.
No one cares, because there are no east-coast teams, but you're gonna miss out. Not only b/c of the awesome pitching & thus quick games(plus since the Yanks aren't playing it will be at least an hour less)

This is a World Series we should all be thrilled about… the only problem is which underdog to root for.

The story-lines are crazy.

Much was made of the Giants during the NLCS.
Cody Ross was cut by the Marlins… and really only picked up by the Giants b/c they didn’t want SD to get him. He wins the NLCS MVP
Aubrey Huff led the Giants in most hitting numbers – got a modest 3 mil last season, after no one really wanted him- not even the Giants really, they were trying to get Adam LaRoche…
Most of their starters, weren’t starters at the beginning of the season.
Pat Burrel was released by Tampa Bay. Who knows where Juan Uribe came from. Mike Fontenot? He couldn’t even start for the Cubs. Andres Torres was a carreer minor-leaguer.
Even Tim Lincecum- the 2-time Cy Young winner? Well, when he struggled this season, it made so many scouts and baseball people happy- because with his frame and pitching motion, he wasn’t supposed to be any good.

But as much as we talk about the Giants this way- as a bunch of losers… the Rangers may have even more fire-power

1.     Josh Hamilton: was a former #1 overall pick. Btu drugs & alcohol messed him up. Tb dropped him, and the Reds gave him a chance. He was supposed to eb done with baseball, but look at him now
2.     Colby Lewis was another top prospect that went nowhere… he was so bad he had to go play in Japan. The Rangers took a shot on him, and he has proved them right
3.     Ron Washington was passed up for a bunch of managerial jobs, and when he came out and admitted cocaine use, some thought he should go then… but they kept him and he has become one of the best coaches
4.     Vlad Gurrerro was a former MVP. He was the face of the Angels…. And they decided to release the guy. No one wanted him. There was no battle over the guy. Hamilton may win the MVP, but Vlad was the one who carried them early in the seaon
5.     Nelson Cruz bounced around the minors for years, among many teams until the Ranger gave him a chance- and look what he has done
6.     Bengie Molina- well, he couldn’t even stay on the team of misfits above
7.     Back to pitching, how about CJ Wilson? In the off-season he was reportedly offered to Arizona for Chris Snyder- a back-up catcher.
8.     And Cliff Lee – well, everyone wanted him… but he’s a guy who has been traded 3 times in the last 15 months. I bet the Phillies wish they had him now.
But really we have to call the Rangers this team because- they didn’t even have an owner most of the season. They went up for auction.

This world series truly is a band of misfits, outcasts, over-achievers & underdogs.
Whoever wins, they are worth cheering!

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