In less than two weeks, the 2011 MLB regular season will come to an end... and once again neither one of my teams will be a part of post season action.
I've been an Oakland A's fan since I started following baseball... which was sometime in the 70's. The A's struggled for most of my childhood... but at least we had one of the most exciting players in the league on our team... The Man of Steal: Rickey Henderson. In fact, he hit .474 in the Bay Bridge Series and helped the A's sweep the Giants in 1989 to bring Oakland their only World Series Championship in the last thirty-seven years.
On the other hand, the San Diego Padres are still waiting for the first World Series Championship. They've gone to the World Series twice in their franchise history... which started back in 1969 when they joined the National League as an expansion team.
It's been five years since either team has made the playoffs... and sadly they probably won't get better anytime soon. From this fan's perspective... both of my teams act more like a farm system for major market teams... than an actual MLB franchise with hopes of one day reaching the playoffs.
Now, don't get me wrong... I'm not a fair-weather fan who plans on jumping ship because my teams are slowly sinking into the depths of MLB rankings. Nope... I just reminisce... and remember the good old days... back when Mr. Henderson was breaking records and Tony Gwynn was chasing .400.
Throw in Greg Maddux and his four consecutive Cy Young Awards... and you have my personal golden era of baseball.
I recently discovered an artist on YouTube, who specializes in sports paintings and decided to have him capture my three favorite players... Henderson, Gwynn, and Maddux... on canvas using acrylic paints. Here's how it turned out...
Sorry about the poor photo quality... I had some issues with the reflection from the glass, so the angle sort of stinks. But the painting itself is awesome. One of these days... maybe I'll hit the lottery and have the three of them add their signatures to this masterpiece.
Until then... it'll sit on my office wall and help me take my mind off of the fact that both of my teams are in a "rebuilding" phase year in and year out. Syd if you're reading this... thanks again for the painting. I hope to do business again in the near future.
If any of my readers are interested in purchasing a custom painting from Syd (blade911100)... head over to YouTube and send him a PM. He has reasonable prices and tons of videos which features tons of his pieces of work.
Okay... time for the question of the day:
With the 2011 World Series just around the corner... who do you think will represent the American League? National League? And who will win it all?
Since it won't be the A's versus the Padres, it doesn't really matter to me. I just hope they Yankees don't win it all. But since I proposed the question... I'll provide a prediction.
I'm pretty sure the Phillies are headed back after a one year hiatus... but the AL is a little tougher to call. Since I went with the safe bet for the NL... I'll go out on a limb and say that Boston dumps the slump... and gets hot when it matters. And when all is said and done... it'll be the Phillies winning their third World Series Championship.
Thank goodness it's almost Friday... Sayonara!
7 comments:
While I'd like to see the Giants come back to at least make the postseason, that's really not likely. Of the teams that will likely make it, I'd prefer a Detroit-Atlanta series with a Tiger victory. Most likely, it will be an evil empire vs. the Phillies, and if that's the case, Phillies all the way.
That's a nice piece of art, there, and a great selection of players. It's a shame the A's are doing so poorly. Though they have some really devoted fans. I prefer going to A's games over Giants games for that reason.
I'm not a Giants fan... actually hated them growing up... but I must admit, I'd cheer for them again if they made it this year. At least someone is representing the Bay Area.
Yeah... A's games are fun to attend. You can't beat the prices... although it's weird seeing the ballpark so empty.
Btw... a Tigers/Braves series would be cool too... like I said... just as long as the guys in pinstripes don't make it in ;-)
I have to say right off, that I am most pleased that the Giants will not repeat this year. That is happy, happy news.
I'm gonna say Tigers vs. Phillies. I don't know if the Yankees pitching can do it. The Diamondbacks may sneak in there if the recent 2009-2010 trend of "whichever team annoys Night Owl the most wins the World Series" remains in effect.
Yanks vs Phills with Philly winning. As much as I'd like to win it, good pitching beats good hitting in the playoffs and I feel like Halladay/Lee/Hamels/Oswalt would shut down the Yanks.
Boston - Phillies,
Boston's pitching needs work but the bats are there, it'll go to 7 games!
night owl - the giants are starting to pour it on... dbacks lead is down to 5. there's still a chance... slim... but the door is still open
the lost collector - as long as they yankees don't win, i'll be content.
martyn - i think this would be a great series... and if talent dictates championships, then i think the phillies win it too.
Not the Phillies, not the Yankees and whoever beat the Phillies or Yankees to knock them out of the postseason.
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