It's World Series Time

  The World Series has begun. With two teams no one expected to be in the Fall Classic. 

Those two teams are the bottom Wild Card teams, the last ones to make the playoffs. Whether that is a systemic failure, Major League Baseball is going to have to examine. The top teams in each league—Baltimore in the American and Atlanta in the National—should have been prohibitive favorites to be playing now. 

For that matter, fans in Houston and Philadelphia were confident their teams would be the ones playing for the trophy. After all, they met in last year’s Series and were ahead in their respective playoffs with the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks. 

But this is why they play the games, some sage once opined. Because the survivors stormed back to punch their tickets to the big event by winning on the road. 

Before we totally bash the playoffs as a failure and conclude that this edition of baseball’s ultimate prize is unworthy of our attention, recognize this—these are two legitimately good teams that deserve to be here.

Yes, I know that the Rangers won 90 games and Arizona only 86. Not outstanding won-lost totals for the regular season. 

What must be recognized is that both teams spent considerable time leading their divisions. On July 1, both teams were sitting pretty. While they were n’t by any means considered to be the favorites to win a trip to the World Series, at least they were in the conversation. 

Yet the pundits had fancier notions of the Atlanta Braves or Los Angeles Dodgers winning the National League—they were the sexy teams in that league. Young Baltimore was a fun team to watch as it battled Tampa Bay, while the New York Yankees plummeted once Aaron Judge found that concrete strip below the bullpen door at Dodger Stadium. And of course, Houston was the defending champ and would eventually re-acquire future Hall of Fame pitcher Justin Verlander to bolster its starting staff. 

I saw the D-Backs in person this season. They handled the future NL Central-winning Milwaukee Brewers on a bright, sunny and warm Wisconsin afternoon, showing strong pitching and timely hitting. I thought they were a playoff team back then. 

Except that the team didn’t move forward much after the All-Star break, suffering a disastrous losing period which almost left them for dead in the NL West let alone in the playoff chase. Somehow, after a series in Chicago where they all but killed the Cubs’ chances to make the playoffs, the D-Backs arose from their slumber to make it to the Big Dance. 

Arizona has some really good young players along with a veteran or two. Remember this kid—Corbin Carroll. The 21 year old Seattle native can flat out play the game. He is almost certain to be named NL Rookie of the Year—a deserved honor. Pitcher and South Jersey native Zac Gallen, who has had some rough outings in the playoffs but was a force in the regular season including in that game I saw in Milwaukee, is definitely in the conversation for the NL Cy Young Award as the Senior Circuit’s top pitcher (I love his homage to fellow North Carolina Tar Heel Michael Jordan by wearing number 23). 

Go up and down the lineup and there are few holes. Defensively, the D-Backs (along with the Rangers) were tops in defense, although it was pointed out that the outfield arms are a little suspect. 

This is a good team which can manufacture runs playing small ball or produce with a big fly when needed. Check with the Brewers and Dodgers, who were swept by Arizona; and don’t bother asking the downcast Phillies after losing Game 7 at home. All would agree that the D-Backs belonged in the World Series.

Conversely, the Texas Rangers were big spenders to develop their lineup. The Rangers signed free agent Corey Seager to man shortstop; Seager was Dodgers mainstay and a champion while in LA. He won’t win AL M.V.P. because of Shohei Ohtani’s brilliance, but an argument clearly could be made how much more important he was to a team which made the playoffs and is now in the World Series. 

This is a team which spent big bucks to acquire pitching. Lest we forget Jason deGrom, the former Mets ace, was supposed to lead this team until he required surgery. Nonetheless, free agent Nathan Eovaldi came back from his in-season injury to lead the staff along with reclamation project Andrew Healey, who had cratered with the Yankees. Plus, to show how earnestly the Rangers management thought their chances were, the team acquired future Hall of Fame pitcher Max Scherzer from the Mets to become even more formidable. 

Texas spent much of the season in first place in the AL West. Suffering a small swoon and coupled with the torrid play by the Astros, the Rangers lost the first round bye in the final two days of the season. This was a legit squad built for the post-season and it showed in he way the team manhandled its opponents in the first two rounds, and demonstrated amazing resilience by winning out on the road in Houston. 

The Rangers have an emerging star on their team. Adolis Garcia may have hit for a low average during the regular season (.245), but his power numbers were higher (39 HR, 105 R.B.I.). What he has done during the playoffs is carry the Rangers to the World Series. He has driven in the most runs in any playoff series and winning ALCS M.V.P. honors with another-world numbers of 10 for 28 (.357) with 5 home runs and 15 R.B.I. in the seven games against the Astros. He is on pace to smash the all-time playoff R.B.I record held by David Freese of St. Louis in 2011 versus the Rangers, beginning play one behind Freese and tied with teammate Seager who had a monster playoffs while in LA. Garcia plays with intensity and fire—he may strike out a lot, but he will crush an opponent with his bat. 

So it was no surprise that in Game 1 that Seager and Garcia led a comeback that produced a 6-5 Texas win on a walk off home run by Garcia in the 11th inning. This is what the Rangers do—they will eventually bludgeon an opposing team if given the opportunity. 

Don’t sell this World Series short because the top teams in terms of wins in the regular season aren’t playing. FOX announcers Joe Davis and Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz hyped the series at the outset as having the potential to be one of the better ones. All the ingredients are there; it is a shame that much of America isn’t going to care to watch. 

Yeah, I know that there is a whole lot of sports besides baseball right now. That does not include Taylor Swift watching—she made it to Kansas City to watch her beau Travis Kelce and to celebrate the Chiefs win with Patrick Mahomes’ wife and then spend more private time afterwards with Travis. It was classic when CBS posted numbers on Kelce’s performance with and without Swift in the stands. 

Her tour starts up again at the beginning of November. That weekend Kelce and his mates will be in Europe playing the Miami Dolphins. I hope Kelce can remain competitive without her being in the stadium.

As for me—I’ll watch the Jets and Giants for much of Sunday’s game. I could not resist the chance to see the New Jersey Devils host the Minnesota Wild in a 5:00 start on Sunday. And possibly spare me the ignominy of watching the Jets lose to their local rivals. Arizona and Texas will have the day off after playing Game 2 on Saturday night, so there is no conflict for my TV viewing.

I’ll skip college football, the NBA and the rest of the NFL this week. I’m certain all will get my attention in the future. 

I am sure you will understand, It’s World Series time.