COLUMN: Six things you won’t see during MLB season
Welcome to Major League Baseball’s Opening Series/Day/Week extravaganza.
If you’re confused, so am I. All I know is that it’s April and that means pro baseball – even if the “Opening Series” technically started in March.
Just as the icy, snow-filled winter is finally giving way to sun and spring time, you should be getting rid of those icy, snow-filled memories – for Rangers’ fans it might be more like bone-chilling, deathly and frostbite-encompassed memories – of your team’s failures last season – except Cardinals’ fans – and replacing them with some warm, uplifting dreams for this season.
It never hurts to dream a little, right? After all, that’s the only thing that keeps the Cubs’ organization going.
With that in mind, let’s look at six things baseball fans want to happen this season but probably won’t.
1. Just imagine with me the following introduction – “Ladies and gentlemen, we’d like to welcome you tonight to Game 1 of the American League Division Series between the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and your Kansas City Royals.”
And no, we are not talking about how ridiculous the Angels’ name is, because when you have Albert Pujols you can do what you want. I’m talking about the Royals in the playoffs. Too much of a dream? For everyone outside of Kansas City, maybe so; but don’t forget that the Tampa Bay Rays made it to the World Series, after 10 straight seasons of last-place and second-to-last place finishes. It could happen.
2. You have to love Major League Baseball for expanding the playoffs this season from eight teams to 10 teams. The first round will consist of two wild-card teams from each league facing off in a play-in game. Sounds great, but it would be even better if there were a tie at the wild-card spot at the end of the regular season.
That way the wild-card teams would have to play a play-in game to get to the playoffs and then another play-in game to advance to the next round. It would be a little March Madness in October, and March Madness is always a good thing.
3. Wouldn’t it be fun if just for one season the Yankees finished in last place? It would kind of be like Duke losing in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to a No. 15 seed, only not quite as good.
4. Wouldn’t it be great to have zero substance abuse, or accusations of substance abuse, in Major League Baseball this season? I know, I know, it’s less likely than the Yankees finishing in last and the Royals making the playoffs, but it would still be great.
5. Can we please let the Rangers win the World Series this year? It has been heartbreaking to watch them lose two years in a row. So, here’s what needs to happen. Either they win the World Series, or they don’t make it to the World Series at all. I don’t think I could stand to watch them lose another World Series. Has any team ever lost three straight World Series? I didn’t think so.
6. I think since it’s been 104 years now, it would be OK for the Chicago Cubs to win a World Series. I realize that we want to let the Rangers win the World Series this year, but if they don’t make it to the World Series, then let the Cubs do it.
Do you realize how much happier our world would be if this happened? According to Facebook, there would be at least 1.5 million happier Chicago Cubs fans in the world; and that doesn’t take into account all the billy goats that could finally live in peace; Steve Bartman could be officially pardoned; and those aforementioned fans wouldn’t need another World Series win for at least 100 more years.
Let the season begin.
– Spencer Wright is a sophomore majoring in broadcast journalism. He supports Manchester United and hopes to live long enough to see the Cubs win a World Series. Send any comments to eliason.wright3@aggiemail.usu.edu