Good Year For The Outlaw

Lotsa noise being made in Chicago over this one:

Peoria’s new-look, blazing fast Rivermen are 2-0 and look like they could live up to their press clippings. I highly recommend you get to the PCC and see this team before some of these guys are inevitably called up to St. Louis or traded. Martin Kariya (Paul’s brother) had 3 goals over the opening weekend, and the rest of the forwards are moving around like they’ve played together for years. 

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Wild, my homestate’s NHL team and the best-run franchise in pro sports, according to many, are off to a 2-0 start as well, doing it like they always do, with great team defense and the occasional burst of offense. To go deeper into the playoffs this year, I think the team needs to play less conservatively and let some of their weapons loose, like Marian Gaborik. If Gabby can stay healthy for a full season, he should score 55-60 goals with the new style of rules.

Ah, yes, hockey has started (with more to come when the Gophers get rolling in NCAA play) and I understand Team Pathetic got swept out of the playoffs rather quickly, so at least the sports world is a little bit brighter this week.

I did my impression of the Cubs making the playoffs this week at work: I walked backwards down the hall.

Anyway, while you guys go ga-ga for simply making the postseason, enjoy this list of teams that have made the postseason at least 4 times in this decade already:

Boston Red Sox; New York Yankees; California Angels; Atlanta Braves; St Louis Cardinals; and the Minnesota Twins.

Think about that as your team makes its fifth postseason appearance since 1945. The Yankees are appearing for the 13th straight time in the playoffs, the Cards are missing this year for only the second time in 8 years.

BTW, here are the most successful franchises since WWII ended:

1. New York Yankees - 33 postseasons, 16 WS titles 
2. Brooklyn/LA Dodgers - 21 postseasons, 6 WS titles
3. Atlanta Braves - 19 postseasons, 2 WS titles
4. Oakland A’s - 15 postseasons, 4 WS titles
5. St. Louis Cardinals - 14 postseasons, 5 WS titles
6. Boston Red Sox - 12 postseasons, 1 WS title
7. Baltimore Orioles - 10 postseasons, 3 WS titles 
8. Pittsburgh Pirates - 10 postseasons, 3 WS titles
9. NY/SF Giants - 10 postseasons, 1 WS title
10. Cincinnati Reds - 9 postseasons, 3 WS titles
11. Minnesota Twins - 9 postseasons, 2 WS titles
12. Philadelphia Phillies - 9 postseasons, 1 WS title
13. Cleveland Indians - 9 postseasons, 1 WS title
14. Houston Astros - 9 postseasons, 0 WS titles (since 1962)
15. New York Mets - 7 postseasons, 2 WS titles (since 1962)
16. Anaheim Angels - 7 postseasons, 1 WS title (since 1961)
17. Kansas City Royals - 6 postseasons, 1 WS title (since 1969)
18. Detroit  Tigers - 6 postseasons, 3 WS titles
19. San Diego Padres - 6 postseasons, 0 WS titles (since 1969)
20. Toronto Blue Jays - 5 postseasons, 2 WS titles (since 1977)
21. Chicago White Sox - 5 postseasons, 1 WS title
22. Arizona Diamondbacks - 3 postseasons, 1 WS title (since 1998!)
23. Florida Marlins - 2 postseasons, 2 WS titles (since 1993!)

That’s right. In 62 years since the Cubs last lost the world series, 21 different franchises have won one, and two expansion teams have visited the postseason without winning the World Series with greater regularity than the hate-able losers.

I posted this list because this week, Cub fans all over the area will think the world revolves around them even more than usual, and I wanted you to see how many teams’ fans have had actual titles to cheer. Eight expansion franchises that didn’t even exist when the Cubs last made the Series have made the postseason more, and six of them have titles. Six other cities that had teams move there after 1945 (Minnesota, SF, Oakland, LA, Baltimore, Atlanta) have cheered championships. So it’s not all about you guys this week, okay? Just cheer for your team amongst yourselfs, leave the rest of us alone, and know that for Yankees fans, this week is just the next week of the regular season.

Now, seriously, enjoy the playoffs, its a great time. I won’t be watching, the only good sport anymore is just starting it’s season, so I’ve got something to care about. Go Wild!

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/29303/

Here’s another look:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GagIe5W_nI

 I knew that team was messed up, but c’mon.

The Cubs have just sent Michael “Rockhead” Barrett to San Diego for some cash and a backup catcher. Talk about addition by subtraction. Now, they’re just a dumping of Kerry Wood away from another positive move for team chemistry.

Not a lot of talk coming out of Billy and Mouse about the Cubs lately. Let’s check the standings…

Cardinals, 23-29, 2nd place in baseball’s lamest division

Cubs 22-30, 4th place (and only 2.5 games out of last) in baseball’s lamest division, and now fighting each other in the dugout because their overrated “ace” (and tremendously hot headed) pitcher got upset at his overrated (VASTLY overrated), sucker-punch throwing, chicken-bleep, no talent hack of a catcher.

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. With all due respect to the defending champion Cardinals, the Kansas City Royals, the doormat of the BEST division in baseball (you know the one, with the Twins, Tigers, White Sox and Indians) would be in a position to WIN the NL Central. Who wouldn’t relish the chance to play Cincy, Houston, Pittsburgh, and Team Pathetic (Cubs) all those times?

The Cubs suck. Again.   

Comment from Mouse forthcoming.

I forgot to do a “…since the Cubs last won…” update last week.

I’m taking a different approach this week:

Did you know Leo Tolstoy (b. 1828) and Mark Twain (b. 1835) were both still alive when the Cubs last won a World Series. That is simply unbelievable. Both writers passed away in 1910.

This week’s edition of: “Something that came into the world SINCE the pathetic, hapless, worst pro sports franchise ever - the Chicago Cubs - last won a World Series.”

That’s right. Talking movies came AFTER the last Cubs’ title.

This week’s edition of: “Something that came into the world SINCE the pathetic, hapless, worst pro sports franchise ever - the Chicago Cubs - last won a World Series.”

Enjoy.