Very Short Sighted
The Volcanoes year is over. They were eliminated just hours after Wednesday's post. They were playing a 3-game-series with Boise. It seems incredible to me that a post-season series would be decided in a 3-game-series. Short-Season Single-A teams's seasons are short -- what did I expect?
But MLB has the two wildcard teams now; those teams only play one game against one another. My feelings on that are mixed: I believe the wildcard team should be playing at a disadvantage compared to title winners, and the playoff game is a disadvantage to the loosing wildcard team, but Baseball is a streaky game, and the winning wildcard team is more apt to be the 'hotter' team of the two wildcard teams, making the ultimate wildcard contender the 'hottest' possible wildcard team, while title winners may be a bit cooler. Such are the thoughts of a Giants fan in 2013. The Giants somehow won National League Championships in 2010 and again in 2012. That suggests that the Giants are really a great team. But to me, they were streaky and 'hot' in October.
As with all sports, we're not determining the 'best' team; we're determining the 'champion'. Baseball has a long season, and a lot of games are played, which 'smooths out' many of the irregularities. Division title winners are therefore not only champions (by definition), but also most likely the best teams of their division. Longer series better 'smooths out' the hot and cold streaks. A 9-game-series isn't as comprehensive as a 162 game season. It doesn't account for a month long slump or surge. But a 3-game-series amplifies a 'good day'; champions from short seasons are more reliant on luck than skill. I suppose more luck is coming to baseball.
This was the first year I paid any attention to these local minor-league teams. I had gone to Portland Beavers games back when they were still here, but I didn't follow them. This year I looked at the Volcanoes because I was excited to share baseball with J. We didn't go to any Salem-Keizer games this year, because they had no day games. I took J. to see Hillsboro instead, and it was so much fun I tracked the progress of the Northwest League. While J. is entitled to root for his local team, I preferred Giants affiliates. I'm hoping I can take J. to some Volcanoes baseball next year. I'm hoping they have some day games. I'm really looking forward to taking a day off work to go down with J. and root for Giants affiliates. J. will eventually be old enough for games that start at 19:15. I don't think it will be next year. But if that can't happen, Hillsboro was a lot of fun this year.
Broncos
The Denver Broncos won last night. Hooray! I'm rooting for them. I just don't care about them as much as I care about the Timbers.
Timbers
The Portland Timbers. I root for the Timbers. 2013 is turning out to be a great year for them. I just don't care about them as much as I care about the Giants.
San Francisco Giants
I thought it was a slump.
The Dodgers look unstoppable.
Is this our future? Are we the new Red Sox? Years and years watching our rivals succeed? I thought that this year, coming off a championship season, while the Dodgers were transitioning with their new ownership, was our best chance. I think next year, with the Dodger management settled in, is going to be harder. But it didn't take the Dodgers very long to work out their chemistry problems. They did start the season on the wrong foot, but hoo-boy.
I root for the Giants, and there's no team I care about more.