You've got to hand it to Major League Baseball: Every October they give us new reasons to watch.
In each postseason for the past six years, baseball fans have been fortunate enough to witness something out of the ordinary. And it has all culminated this year as - I never thought I'd write this sentence - the Colorado Rockies are in the World Series.
The same Rockies who finished fourth or lower in the NL West division 10 times in their first 15 seasons? The same Rockies that have an overall franchise win percentage of .471? The same Rockies that finished with only 76 wins a year ago?
Yes, those Rockies.
Once the butt of countless jokes throughout baseball circles, the Rockies' undefeated run through the playoffs has them finally in the Fall Classic, with a realistic chance of bringing a title to Denver.
The great thing about the Rockies is that they're unknown. Honestly, besides Todd Helton, name me five players on Colorado's roster . . . unless you're from Denver, it can't be done. Let's face it, even people in Colorado didn't like the Rockies as of two years ago, and yet fans can't help but jump on the bandwagon. They're a team of nobodies on the verge of a championship, which is exactly what fans love about a baseball underdog.
Of course, the Rockies are the latest example of the lovable-losers-turned-unlikely-winners-scenario that has kept baseball fun these past few years. White Sox, Red Sox, Tigers, Marlins and Astros - none of these teams was ever associated with championships, yet they continue to reignite every postseason. Even when the dark cloud of steroids continues to cast a shadow over America's pastime, these teams come along and exude that underdog quality, capturing the support of baseball fans everywhere.
The Arizona Diamondbacks won a title in just their fourth year of existence in 2001, taking down the mighty New York Yankees. The Florida Marlins beat the Yankees in 2003 after starting that season 19-29. In both cases, the World Series winner was an expansion team from the 1990s, just like a certain team from Colorado. I'm just saying.
More than simply the expansion franchises, teams with a history of losing are getting in on the October action. The Detroit Tigers, who lost 119 games in 2003, went to the World Series in 2006. With so many teams making the World Series whose legacies consisted solely of losing before, all we need now are Devil Rays/Brewers and Royals/Pirates matchups in the next two Series for the 2000 decade to truly be the Loser-Takes-All Era!
One thing you can't accuse the MLB of being is stale. With all the talk about how big-market teams are hoarding the best talent, spending money that small-market teams don't have, you would think that the New Yorks of the league have had a monopoly on success, and any sense of parity had gone out the window. And yet, look at the teams that have been left standing each of the past six Octobers: not only have the majority been the underdogs or small- to mid-market teams, there's been a different champion every year since 2000.
Everyone loves an underdog, but it is what the Rockies aren't that continues to make them so appealing. They're not overpaid superstars, they're not household names, and they aren't the typical hyped-up championship team. Above all, what matters most to fans is that they're fun to root for.
That's what October baseball is all about.
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