October is coming to a close and that means the World Series is on its way. Last week, the Texas Rangers knocked off the defending champion New York Yankees and are going for their first World Series in the franchise’s 38 year history. Saturday night the San Francisco Giants beat the Philadelphia Phillies 3-2, and now its time to crown a champion.
For the Giants, this is their first World Series appearance since the 2002 season, back when Barry Bonds was San Francisco’s favorite resident, not the black eye he is on baseball today.
Even though San Francisco played in the World Series in 2002, they have not won it since the 1954 season.
Led by AL batting champion and ALCS MVP Josh Hamilton and left-handed phenom Cliff Lee the Texas Rangers are making their first ever World Series debut. Traditionally, the Texas Rangers have been a mediocre at best ball club. Now they finally have something to prove.
The Giants and the Rangers match up well. The Rangers have been offensively crushing the ball. They beat the Yankees by five or more runs three different times in the ALCS. Defensively, the Rangers are solid, and despite a Game 1 bullpen meltdown during the ALCS, the Rangers are strong there, too.
When most analysts are asked about the match-up and who is going to win, the question is often followed by silence, because nobody really knows what is going to happen.
The Giants are not as good on paper as the Rangers are, but nobody can tell the group of misfits in San Francisco that they can’t compete with the American League champions, but if you do, they probably wouldn’t mind. That’s what they have been all year, misfits. Aubrey Huff and Edgar Renteria are the only two position players that are in the same spot they were on opening day. Every other position has either been acquired, moved or brought up through the system.
So there you have it, the only question I have going into the 2010 World Series is can there be two underdogs?
