Day 032: Top 5 Reasons Why The World Series Won’t Suck

Holy Jabroni, we actually made it! After 3 weeks of bubble living, worn out players, crappy broadcasting and even crappier umpiring, we can finally watch the World Series. Starting tonight, the Dodgers and Rays will play a 7 game series to see who is truly the best team in what Yankee and Braves fans are calling an “asterisk season”. To which I say fuck you, it’s not an Asterisk Season. These guys fought harder than ever before to be where they are right now. Whoever wins will deserve it just as much as any other champion. And brother, it’s going to be fun to watch. Here’s 5 reasons why:

5) They’re actually getting days off

We didn’t really see the full result of the no-day-off gauntlet until both matchups went 7 games in the last round. Everyone lost steam, especially the Rays and Braves, who were up 3-0 and 3-1 in the series respectively but still got taken to game 7. The bullpens were gassed. People made poor decisions all around. One or two days off would have definitely helped. Luckily, they’ll get it this time. After a bad loss, a team can actually take a day off to regroup. After a ridiculous win, a team can take a day off to keep their egos in check. It’s generally the best way to do playoff baseball.

4) The Astros are not in it!!!

Holy crap that was a close call. They should have been eliminated in game 4, but instead they scraped and clawed their way to game 7. We could have had a huge mess on our hands. The cheating heels of the sport limp into the playoffs with a losing record, only to suddenly wake up, fueled by hatred and pimp home runs all the way to the World Series. They would have faced the Dodgers, the team that had a chance to take them out of playoff contention altogether if only they had jobbed out to the Angels the last weekend of the season. The whole thing would of been very uncomfortable, but in the end, the heroes advanced. Thank God.

3) The two best teams actually made it

It’s hard to believe that in the Wild Card era [post-1995], there has only been 3 World Series matchups to feature the two best teams of the regular season. It’s even harder to believe that two of those three matchups occurred in shortened seasons [1995 and 2020]. What’s impossible to believe is that in a Postseason that featured more than half of the league and forced everybody to play a Wild Card round, the two best teams prevailed. And it’s going to be a bloodbath of epic proportions. You have the Rays with the best pitching staff in baseball against the Dodgers with the best offense. Neither team have any real holes. One through nine and 5, they’re both frightening teams. I’m drooling just thinking about it. Only 8 more hours…

2) The Dodgers actually…have a chance?

It’s probably a mistake to drop my pessimistic approach but at this point, I don’t care. I’m just so happy that they actually made it. Facing elimination for 3 straight nights, the Dodgers pulled together as an actual team to take care of business. Top to bottom, everybody played their part in the victories. Mookie Betts made 3 game-changing catches 3 nights in a row. Corey Seager went yard 5 times. Will Smith faced Will Smith for the first time ever and hit a 3 run inception homer. Justin Turner made a diving Superman tag and flipped the ball to third for a double play. Walker Buehler had the bases loaded with no outs, claimed to be as calm as he’d ever been on the mound and got out unscathed. Julio Urias finished game 7 with 3 no hit innings. Max Muncy got his walks. Joc Pederson got on base when it mattered. Blake Treinen pulled it together. Kenley Jansen got his cutter back. Clayton Kershaw got his rest. Kiké Hernández got yet another pinch-hit home run. And most of all, Cody Bellinger got his Kirk Gibson moment:

This, ladies and gents, is a team. And it’s a team that only has 4 wins left to fulfill their destiny. I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about it.

1) It’s literally David vs Goliath

Long rant incoming. You’ve probably heard this assertion a million times. The Dodgers are the big evil empire while the Rays are the scrappy underdogs. And it’s true. The entire Rays organization spent $27 Million on their players this year. That’s less money than what Clayton Kershaw [$31 million] and Mookie Betts [$32 million] made by themselves. Economics in baseball have become a polarizing thing. Large market teams are much more willing to spend money than the small markets and the gap keeps getting wider and wider. Because of that, most baseball fans are gunning for the Rays. It’s a feel-good story. Who doesn’t want to see the the inventive team filled with average Joes defeat the team that attempts to buy their championships? And I don’t blame them. That’s a success story more American than Pontiac Vans.

But lets flip the script.

Labor negotiations between the owners and players are more tumultuous than ever. Players know their worth and it’s really bad optics for the owners who refuse to pay it. The Rays are built of young superstars that are given paltry rookie contracts. Once those contracts are up, they will get their payday elsewhere. The other half of the team is comprised of journeymen who just needed a shot and they’re getting that shot with bullshit contracts. When those contracts are up, they’ll get their payday elsewhere. The Rays are only built to succeed for a 5 year window, then the roster will get refreshed.

The Dodgers philosophy is much different. Much of their roster is comprised of young superstars that are given paltry contracts. Once those contracts are up, they will get their payday in LA. The other half of the team is comprised of journeymen who just needed a shot and they got that shot with a bullshit contract. When those contracts were up, they got their payday in LA. Many people will claim that the Dodgers have been trying to buy a championship and I just don’t see it that way. With the exception of Mookie Betts, the team is fully homegrown talent and diamonds in the rough that they paid fair wages to keep around. That’s why they’ve been contenders for 8 years running. They aren’t afraid to pay their talent fair wages. A little food for thought: if your team is out there getting championships, you should pay them just as much as their opponents. If you can’t, maybe you have no business owning a baseball team.

So who are you taking? David or Goliath? No matter who you choose, you’re going to be in for a treat. This is guaranteed to be baseball at its finest. Enjoy and I’ll see you on the other side!

– TeeCoZee