Raise Your Hand If You Predicted Texas and San Francisco Would Meet In the World Series This Year

If you predicted this matchup before the season, please contact Fred Wilpon immediately and demand to be made the new GM of the New York Mets. If you even predicted this matchup before the playoffs started you're a freaking genius.

All I can say is YAY! The Yankees and Phillies won't win this year, and the team that wins will win for the first time in over 50 years. Good for the Rangers and Giants, and good for baseball, to spread the joy around, at these for one year.

I've been happily wearing my new Texas Rangers hat around New York the past few days and have taken some flack for it, but so what. I've been rooting for them for a few years, ever since Nolan Ryan starting changing the team's pitching philosophy from the minor leagues on up. It's starting to pay off big time. If they resign Cliff Lee, they could become the next dynasty, although teams rarely stay on top for very long anymore.

The Yankees did exactly what I expected this year: they were good, but not as good as in 2009, because last year everything went their way and this year it didn't. Simple as that. It's very hard to have everything break just right year after year. I predicted the Red Sox to win the division because in 2009, most of their risks didn't pan out, and that usually reverses itself when the risks were ones worth taking. This year, they had even more bad breaks, such as losing Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis for much of the season, along with Jacoby Ellsbury, Mike Cameron, and Josh Beckett. You know it's bad when J. D. Drew is your healthiest outfielder.

Now it's down to the two survivors, and I am hoping that Texas wins. Texas reminds me of the 2004 Red Sox in the way they love to play baseball and really seem to enjoy each other. The chemistry is great, and I attribute much of it to Ron Washington. The manager is important, contrary to what some people think (yes, Billy Beane, I'm talking to you.)

The manager sets the tone, and the tone of the Texas Rangers is spot on. Bruce Bochy has done a great job, too. He has now had very successful seasons with two teams that were not predicted to do too well. The Xs and Os might not matter as much as they do in football, but attitude and preparation are very important in baseball, and the Giants and Rangers demonstrated what prepared teams with positive attitudes can accomplish.

Good for them, good for baseball, bad for the big bad Yanks and Phils.



© Judy Kamilhor 2010