Baseball fans: give me a reason to root for your team.

[Zavulon]

I'm a hardcore fan of the now-defunct Montreal Expos. As anyone who likes baseball enough to even look at this thread knows, the team moved to Washington - which is basically in my back yard. Nevertheless, I can't root for the Nats because it breaks my heart to even see them on TV.

I love baseball and can't stand not having a team to root for. All I can do is root against teams I hate. Here they are: Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles, Cardinals, Blue Jays, Braves, Giants, Astros, Rangers, (After Bush, I couldn't root for a Texas team at fucking gunpoint) Cubs - no offense to any fans of these teams.

If you're a fan of a team that I haven't mentioned, can you (please, please) give me a reason to root for your team? I'm leaning towards a few, but won't mention them - at least not yet.

I need a team, and this site is visited by the most rational minds I have seen on any site. Any help would be appreciated.

[opiate69]

1. The Mariners...

Have two of the best Japanese players in baseball on their team (for now, anyway.. I wouldn't be surprised if this is Ichiro's last year with Seattle).. and King Felix is going to be a perennial Cy Young candidate...

[Zavulon]

2. One of four teams I'm leaning towards, thanks (NT)

[opiate69]

5. Oh yeah.. almost forgot another great reason to root for tehm..

they just swept the BoSox!

[Zavulon]

6. Extremely compelling testimony, I must admit.

And I even like their logo.

Check your PM and I'll tell you the other teams I'm leaning towards. Give me five minutes or so.

[opiate69]

14. Cool.. just sent you one back

[Reverend_Smitty]

3. The Mets...

I'll give you 6 reasons

1) you get to stay in the NL east
2) they aren't the Yankees
3) because they aren't the Yankees and share the same city...we are the consummate underdogs...and who doesn't like to root for the underdogs?
4) 2 names...David Wright and Jose Reyes both are in their early 20's, just signed long term deals and are some of the most exciting players in baseball
5) We have a pretty good team and are legitimate contenders to win a world series
6) We'd love to have a new fan jump on our bandwagon!

[Zavulon]

8. I have to admit...

...all of my finalists are AL teams (maybe because none of them did damage to the Expos), but you've put forth one hell of an argument. Plus, I live near DC (Laurel), and it wouldn't be that much of a stretch to drive up for weekend games.

I have to admit I really enjoyed watching Kingman swat pitches into the stratosphere for the Mets.

BTW, no matter which way I go, I do believe the Mets will be the NL's representative in October.

[driver8]

46. I remember watching Dave Kingman hit one out of Wrigley that hit the building

across the street!

As I recall, he struck out a lot, too.

[Zavulon]

50. Quite a lot, but

you should have seen the Kingman Line in Olympic Stadium in Montreal. It defies belief that a human being could hit a ball that far. People were in such awe of his hit that they actually gave him his own "Kingman line."

Funny story: Kingman hit three homers against LA in 1978, and some dumbass reporter had the audacity to ask Tommy Lasorda what he thought of Kingman's performance. This is actually one of the more famous quotes in baseball history, but in case you haven't heard it: "What's my opinion of Kingman's performance!? What the fuck do you think is my opinion of it? I think it was fucking horseshit! Put that in, I don't fucking care. Opinion of his performance!? Jesus Christ, he beat us with three fucking home runs! What the fuck do you mean, 'What is my opinion of his performance?' How could you ask me a question like that, 'What is my opinion of his performance?' Jesus Christ, he hit three home runs! Jesus Christ! I'm fucking pissed off to lose the fucking game. And you ask me my opinion of his performance! Jesus Christ. That's a tough question to ask me, isn't it? 'What is my opinion of his performance?'"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Lasorda

[driver8]

53. Ha Ha -- classic Lasorda!

I had not seen or heard that quote.

[Zavulon]

55. Look at his quotes in the link I provided.

The Kingman thing was only scratching the surface.

I once read that Lasorda's wife was convinced, for years, that Lasorda didn't swear - ever. It was only after the Kingman incident hit the press that she learned that her Dr. Jekyll of a husband was actually Mr. Hyde in the clubhouse, and she was NOT amused. :)

[driver8]

57. I followed your link and was reading up on Steve Howe...

I didn't realize that he had died. How in the hell did I miss that?? I'm sure I must have heard it...I live in Los Angeles, for crying out loud!

[CatholicEdHead]

4. Small market, small ball team

Nothing better than Minnesota Twins piranha baseball. Good quality farm system, develop players from within, not the highest bidder on the free agent market. They win games by many singles and doubles, that that much long ball. They are a scrappy and come from behind team.

Edit: And they moved from Washington in the 1960's.

[Zavulon]

11. That's the second of the four teams I'm considering.

I really like the fact that they develop from within, and I like the small market factor. Plus, just watching players like Mauer makes even the most expensice box seat worth the price paid for the ticket. It's tough not to root for a team that responds to the threat of contraction (with an indifferent owner) by being consistently competitive. :)

[CatholicEdHead]

15. Also winners of the AL Central last year

And 2 more times in the past 4 before that. You can never count them out. Mauer, Santana, Morneau, and the list goes on. They always seem to find a way to patch a hole from within during the season. I would not count them out of the AL Central this year, they are scrappy to the end.

[Zavulon]

21. Actually, I think they'll be in the postseason.

Probably wild card, but as you said - you can never count them out. Believe me, I think highly of the team to have them in my final four. As I indicated elsewhere, Seattle is another. I'm not sure you'd like my other two. :)

[KitchenWitch]

16. You forgot Boof!

Best name in current baseball!

:7

[Initech]

7. Angels - 2nd best record in baseball

And we have the ORIGINAL rally monkey, and we have the best right fielder in the game.

[KitchenWitch]

9. The Twins - they have a pitcher whose legal name is Boof Bonser!

Now that is a name to root for!

:woohoo:

[Oeditpus Rex]

10. No can do

You can't pick the ball club to root for any more than you can pick the man or woman to fall in love with. Fandom has to just happen to you.

[Zavulon]

12. You're right overall.

However, I had my heart and soul ripped from me. As baseball goes, I'm not mentally stable right now.

I've got the field narrowed down to four teams. I think I'm just waiting for a swift kick in the ass to put me in the right direction, although one poster supporting the Mets (not one of my oroginal finalists) put forth a great argument.

I might be shooting myself in the foot with this thread, now that you bring it up.

[Oeditpus Rex]

17. What I don't get

is why you can't be a Nats fan. Intrinsically, it's the same ball club. :shrug:

But then, the Dodgers were in their eighth season in Ellay when I became a fan, and I've heard many stories of Brooklynites who simply couldn't continue after the move. I never had a ball club ripped out from under me, so I can't really understand.

:pals:

[Zavulon]

25. It's actually something that can't be explained.

When I found out Montreal was moving, my response was typical if not unproductive: I spent a week in a drunken stupor.

I can't explain the Brooklynite thing, but I understand it and feel it. All I can do is ask you this: if the Dodgers moved to a city you don't much care for, could you continue to follow them (or at least follow them with the same enthusiasm)?

[Oeditpus Rex]

27. I can't really say

I don't think that's something one can know until it happens.

I'd certainly be unhappy, but I don't know if my allegiance would lapse.

[opiate69]

29. Probably depends on the circumstances of the move too..

Usually there's a lot of extra bullshit going on locally when a team moves.. I still remember Ken Behring trying to sneak the Seahawks out of Seattle in the middle of the night..

[Oeditpus Rex]

38. That was the funny thing in Brooklyn

O'Malley had been lobbying for a new ball yard for years, and saying for a year that he'd move the Dodgers if he didn't get one. It was hardly a secret.

But then, the relationship between Brooklyn and the Dodgers, by all accounts, transcended that of the typical relationship between a city and its ball club. When Gil Hodges was in a slump in 1950 (I think), half the priests in "The City of Churches" prayed for him.

This is from sportsecyclopedia.com:

Brooklyn was used to heartbreaks, but it would never quite get over this, because in years past there was always next year. Now there would no longer be a next year. The Dodgers were to Brooklyn like the Packers are to Green Bay. Brooklyn had lost its main identity, and the borough has never recovered.

[Zavulon]

41. To hear anyone of my parents' age who lives in Brooklyn, and I know plenty of these people,

the "and the borough has never recovered" bit is stone-cold truth. Today's youth doesn't remember, but those old enough to remember a Brooklyn Dodgers game can't even talk about the move without tears welling up in their eyes. Montreal as a whole never had that passion for the Expos - God knows, it's a hockey town - but I loved the Expos with every bit of intensity that I love the Canadiens.

Just the thought of Ellis Valentine throwing out some asshole at home plate with a line drive throw from the warning track makes me want to stand up and salute - or do something equally corny. When I was a pre-teen, my parents got Tim Foli to come say hello to me on my birthday, and I felt like I was a witness to the Second Coming. The guy hit .251 with 25 homers over 16 seasons, but for some time he was my idol because he was an Expo who gave enough of a shit to tip his cap to some snot-nosed kid he didn't even know.

Look, I know this thread is stupid - your first post in it was right on the mark. I just miss having that sort of passion and intensity towards a team when hockey's out of season. When hockey is in season, I use the Canadiens logo as my avatar, and when it's not I use the Expos logo. I just miss having that same feeling for baseball that I used to. I didn't think this thread would solve the problem, I just put it up on that off chance. With what's going on in Washington, any distraction is welcome.

[Oeditpus Rex]

44. It's not at all stupid

I liken it to a personals ad by someone who's had his heart broken. I don't know that particular heartbreak, but Dog knows I've cried over baseball — happy tears as well as sad.

I saw the 'Spos play at Candlestick in 1971 or '72; my dad took a friend and me. My friend wasn't much of a baseball fan, but something Kenny Singleton did that day — seems like he slammed the wall making a catch — turned him into a fan who bought an Expos cap on the way out of the yard. A couple of months later, he signed my yearbook, "Alias Ken Singleton."

Y'just never know what'll do it.

Oh... this may break your heart a little more (I don't know how old you are), but I can't help myself:

"John... Boc-caBEEEEEEEEEElaaaaaaa!"

:D

[Zavulon]

48. Ouch.

I'm 43. Ouch.

The thread actually is stupid, but it's as if I've got no other alternative, if you know what I mean. I truly hope you never feel what it's like. I wasn't kidding when I said I spent a week in a drunken stupor when I heard the news - truth be told, it was probably closer to 11-12 days.

"Expos are moving. Labatt's Blue."
"Expos are moving. Labatt's Blue."
"Expos are moving. Labatt's Blue."
"Expos are moving. Labatt's Blue."
"Expos are moving. Labatt's Blue."

There's so much happening in baseball right now, and I'm watching the scores with major interest but only have minor interest in who wins. It's strange. It's like being surrounded by gorgeous cheerleaders and just not being in the mood, which is not the sort of feeling I'm accustomed to at all.

Very, very hard to explain. My father is an Expos fan like I am, and he said that it feels like being married for 30 years, having your wife leave you, and then going out into the singles scene for the first time not really caring who you end up with that night - "as long as she's pretty and weighs less than you do." Not the most eloquent analogy, and as someone who has never been married I can't comment authoritatively, but it doesn't seem unreasonable.

All I know is that it sucks. A lot.

[driver8]

60. This is a great topic and I am enjoying all of the posts. I really followed baseball

in the mid-seventies to mid-eighties and I have seen some names that I had not thought of in years.

You will appreciate this -- I went to an Expos game in 1982 (they played the Phillies) and I have almost every Expo's autograph on my program. I still have it somewhere...(I need to find that.).

[Zavulon]

31. Exactly right.

And I hope it never happens to you.

As I just said in another post, losing the Expos was like losing a loved one. To say I was devastated would be a laughable understatement.

Even when I get behind an existing team, the passion won't be close to the same. It fucking sucks.

[Oeditpus Rex]

34. It did happen to me, now that I think of it

But in football, and after my fandom had begun to wane. I was a Rams fan, but by the time they moved to St. Louis, I'd already started to care less and less about pro football.

I feel ya, dude. I do. :pals:

[Zavulon]

36. Thanks, bud.

I follow the NFL religiously to keep knowledgeable about my office fantasy league, which I have been playing for years, but I have no favorite team. I suppose I should root for the Ravens, whose mere presence chased the CFL Baltimore Stallions back to Canada and gave me my Montreal Alouettes back. I guess that bit of reasoning will spare DUers of any "help me pick a football team" threads I might uncork in a few months, but I'm still pissed at the Ravens because before they got here I could watch CFL games live without having to take a flight.

It sucks, actually. I am a hardcore Montreal Canadiens fan, but have no actual baseball team anymore, have only a leading candidate in the NFL and have no favorite in the NBA. Outside of the NHL, there isn't any passion anymore. It sucks a lot.

[wildhorses]

13. exactly

i was born into mine. it was passed down through the generations. i have no choice in the matter. he hates my team anyway...

oh well

[Oeditpus Rex]

18. Well, see, if it'd gone *that* way

I woulda been a Giants fan, same as my old man.

I doubt growing up would've been quite as much fun that way, though. :evilgrin:

[wildhorses]

24. you are evil and have no honor, sir

its what i like about you;)

[Oeditpus Rex]

32. Well, I'll tell ya

I think a father and son pulling for opposite sides in one of baseball's oldest and greatest rivalries worked out better than both of us pulling for the same club. OH, the trash talk! :D

Mostly, I think, dad was just happy I inherited his love of baseball.

[Zavulon]

28. Your team wasn't ripped from your chest while MLB stamped on your heart until it stopped beating.

DU has thousands of members, and I'm betting I'm the only one with the Expos avatar. I used to spend hours going over their every box score, I watched every game I could. Losing that team was really like losing a loved one.

I'm making an admittedly lame attempt to get back into the swing of things, I simply don't know a better way. There are four teams I tend to like, I guess I'm just looking for a swift kick in the right direction.

[wildhorses]

35. it would be awful. i feel for you. really, i do.

my whole life has been the braves...it is a part of me like the air that i breathe. good luck to you and may the best team win.

[Zavulon]

37. Thanks.

If it helps you, I admire the hell out of the Braves for so many years of sustained excellence.

[wildhorses]

39. thanks. whatever team you choose will be lucky to have you

as a fan. :toast:

[Zavulon]

40. Nice of you to say, really.

I have it narrowed down to four, one of which is a major frontrunner at this point, but none of it will be the same - that same passion that I had for any Expos game even when they were out of the running. The Expos could be losing 14-2 on the next-to-last day of the season, being 17 games out and long since eliminated, and I'd watch every pitch like it was bottom of the 9th in the seventh game of the Series. No matter who I pick now, it'll take years to develop that same intensity.

Sorry to have to rule your Braves out, but they treated my Expos like cannon fodder. Still, I really appreciate what was a hell of a nice post from you. :toast:

[driver8]

59. One thing I remember about Expos' games...

the women that came down in between innings to make sure no one was trying to snag a better seat were all amazingly beautiful!!

My friends and I would sit there with our binoculars and check them all out...simply amazing!!

[GOPisEvil]

84. Exactly!!!

I learned how to love the Cardinals from my dad, who learned it from his dad. :thumbsup:

Oh, and I've not one, but two NFL teams move on me. The Cardinals and the Oilers. At least the Oilers had the decency to change their name.

[SaveElmer]

19. Twins...small market team does it right...and they are Kitchewitch's favorite team...

Do you need more than that?

[Rabrrrrrr]

20. I'll hunt you down and kill you, your family, and your friends in your sleep if you don't

:grr:

[Zavulon]

22. If I don't what?

At least let me have a chance of saving myself, my family and my friends by telling me what your demands are. :)

[Rabrrrrrr]

23. You're the one who asked the question, though it wasn't technically an interrogative,

it's rhetorical function is that of an interrogative.

Perhaps my team doesn't need you rooting for it.

[Zavulon]

26. Quite possibly.

However, I'm curious to know who your team is. Care to share? :)

[Rabrrrrrr]

30. Ah, I see - you would also like to know the name of the team.

You never asked for that in your OP.

I'm a Yankees fan, though in the grand scheme, I really don't give a shit one way or another. I used to lov going to Yankee games, but now that I'm not in NYC, I don't pay much attention. I hate watching baseball on TV, and, since I'm an intelligent person, I don't pay attention to sports anyway.

[Zavulon]

33. Ouch.

I like to think I'm not so dumb myself, but given what we've seen in Washington since January of 2001, sports has been a much-needed distraction.

[Rabrrrrrr]

64. LOL! This is true.

And Shrub makes football (or baseball) look like a College Quiz Bowl and Chess and Jeopardy all wrapped together.

:7

It's certainly nice to put on a pro sports match and sit back and go, "Oh, yeah, that's what competence looks like. niiiiiice....."

[Oeditpus Rex]

42. It just occurred to me

that I didn't answer your question. :blush:

Pros:

The Los Angeles Dodgers are a highly-ranked Fortune 500 company and indeed just a couple of years ago were in the Top 100 Companies to Work For. They're noted for loyalty to and fair treatment of their employees, down to the peanut vendors.

As a ball club, they're a perennial contender, though not a powerhouse. They generally have at least one "superstar" and have always been known for their pitching, in case you like defensive games. (Brad Penny is 10-1 with a 2.04 ERA and has allowed only two homers in 105 2/3 innings. He's pitching Saturday night against San Diego's Jake Peavy, who's 9-2, 2.14, and has allowed ONE homer in 105 innings. I'd rather eat my own spleen without ketchup than miss that game.)

And, if you ever get to go to a game, Dodger Stadium is one of the highest-rated ball yards in baseball, despite that it's 45 years old.


Cons:

Under the ownership of Rupert Murdoch and now Frank McCourt, the Dodgers moved behind only the Yankees in buying a winner. (You may not consider this a "con." I accept it as part of the modern game, while I long for the days of "home-grown" ball clubs — bringing guys up through the minor-league system. The Dodgers were known for theirs through the '70s, then went into a slump, and in recent years have re-emerged as one of the best clubs in baseball for player development.)

They're in Los Angeles, which is kinda like hell, but with more traffic. :D

[Zavulon]

43. Wow

The Penny-Peavy matchup is one I'll be trying to catch, too. I hope it's shown on my east coast cable package.

I do love defensive games and would much prefer to see a hard-fought 2-1 or 3-2 games of manufactured runs than a 14-9 slugfest showing aging sluggers teeing off against pitchers who have no reason being out of Triple-A ball.

I don't consider "buying a winner" to be a con, I consider it part of the modern game like you do (if your team doesn't do it, another will, and I loathe the idea of salary caps) but Rupert Murdoch...

That wouldn't be my deciding factor, though. Truth be told, all four of my current "finalists" are AL. Sad as it is, I'm leaning towards teams that didn't make life rough for Montreal - even as much as I detest the DH.

[Oeditpus Rex]

47. Sounds like you're an old-school ball fan

Your heart's in the game. You'll be fine. :toast:

[Zavulon]

49. Thanks, I hope so.

It's just that my true love moved and I can't handle her new residence.

Quick story: Some years back I was in a Baltimore bar, sitting at the bar itself (as opposed to a table), and I was sitting next to none other than Jose Canseco. We were both watching baseball on TV, it was Minnesota against (if memory serves) Kansas City.

After an hour or so, after him hearing my comments about the game, he said "you're obviously a baseball fan, do you know who I am?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I figured you were here to relax, not to be hassled by fans. I don't collect autographs anyway. If it picks you up any, though, that shot you hit in Toronto still leaves my jaw dragging on the ground."

He laughed and thanked me.

About 10-15 minutes later, he turned to me, pointed to the screen, and said "tell me why the third baseman is a dickhead."

"Because he's playing in for a bunt on two strikes."

"Good answer."

That was it for our conversation that night. Canseco left after the game was over, I stayed and closed the place. I was there for over two hours after he left, and when I tried to pay I was told Canseco covered my tab, left orders to pay for me and my tip regardless of what I ordered. The bartender laughed and said "Fuck, If I had known you didn't know, I'd have told you to order a steak."

Sometimes, even the perceived prima donnas are really fucking cool. :)

[Oeditpus Rex]

56. Mine isn't nearly that cool, but I'll tell it anyway

From 1984-90, I went to some 500 minor-league games as photographer for the Salinas Spurs of the Class A California League. One night in early September, 1985, we were in the divisional playoffs against Fresno, which was then a Giants franchise (still is, but now it's Triple-A), and they had this first baseman just out of Ole Miss who was the second pick overall in the '85 amateur draft and, I think, had already been on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

My friend Buddy, a fine tenor, had sung the National Anthem in every yard in the Cal League and, being extremely gregarious and a great fan, knew just about every player and coach in the league. After the only playoff game in Salinas, which we lost, Buddy said, "Let's go to the bar. I wanna see some of the guys."

We went, and Buddy talked to one of the Giants for a few minutes, then gestured toward me. "Will," he said, "this is..."

"Oh, yeah, the cameraman," said the player, offering me his hand. "Will Clark."

Oh — there was also the time I photographed the on-field wedding of Jeff and Colette Nelson. Jeff went on to 16 years in the majors, mostly with Seattle and the Yankees, including one All-Star game. Jeff's a nice guy; Colette is insane. :D

Dog, I love the minors.

[Zavulon]

61. Damn.

Actually, your story is cooler than mine. Maybe I just feel that way because I wasn't there, but damn...

I'll try one more.

Many, many years ago my brother got lost in Silver Stadium, the home of the Rochester Red Wings (then, the Triple-A club for the Orioles, now for the Twins). One of the Red Wings players found my brother crying and took him to an office with an intercom, where an announcement was made that basically said "If you've lost a redheaded kid who is no older than five, go to section B, level 2 (or whatever the hell it was)."

That player? Bobby Grich.

Best I've got.

[Oeditpus Rex]

63. Nice!

Your Canseco story trumps, though. I hate his ass, but it still trumps. :thumbsup:

The really cool thing about the minors is all the "I knew him when" stories. For example, the guy who played short for Salinas the year Nelson pitched ('87) did pretty well, too — fella named Omar Vizquel. :D

One more story: I became a Dodgers fan in '65 largely on the left elbow of one Sandy Koufax. I dunno why, but I just idolized him. Well, in '85 or '86, he was a traveling pitching instructor in the Dodgers' minor league system, and one night I was up in the press box before a game with Bakersfield, then the Dodgers' Cal League affiliate — and down in the visitors' dugout, all by himself, was Sandy Koufax.

I turned into something resembling a kid on his first day in kindergarten, and my aforementioned friend Buddy said, "Go ahead, go talk to him. I talked to him; he's a nice guy." I thought about it for a minute and said, "Nuh-uh. I can't do it."

As I wrote later, it would've been like an altar boy being granted an audience with the Pope.

[driver8]

45. I used to love the Montreal Expos!

My parents live 90 miles south of Montreal in NY -- we used to go to games all the time! Plus, we got all their games on tv.

Gary Carter and Tim Raines were my favorite players.

[Zavulon]

52. I still do.

It's denial, I know, but I refuse to believe they're gone.

My favorite players were Ellis Valentine, Andre Dawson and Tim Foli (look elsewhere in this thread to learn why the latter is a favorite).

Plus, seeing Randy Johnson pitch before he learned control was priceless.

You may or may not know this, but it was Tim Raines who was responsible for Johnson's nickname "The Big Unit."

[driver8]

58. I was trying to think of Andre Dawson -- I like him, too.

I remember Tim Foli, as well. I did not know that Raines was responsible for Johnson's nickname.

[LeftyMom]

51. If you do, Barry Bonds will eat you last. Like Cthluhu, only more evil and with a larger head.

[Zavulon]

54. Uh-oh. If I do what?

:scared:

[nickgutierrez]

62. Come on over to the dark side.

Everybody hates the Yankees. It's so cliché. :)

[bigwillq]

65. A tradition of excellence

the most WS titles of all time
The best city in the World
The most neurotic fans in the world
The best team EVAH!

The Yanks baby!

[Blue_Tires]

87. he said he was looking for a baseball team to root for

not some sissified DH-using version!

besides, cheering for Osama Bin A-Rod and the Evil Empire is UN-American! So clearly you and your brethren support terror....I have e-mailed your IP to the FBI and they will be at your door shortly...Thank you:evilgrin: :silly: :crazy: :nuke: :scared: :nuke: :web: :hide:

[rateyes]

66. Sorry you hate the Cardinals...

They're the ONLY team worth rooting for.

[RebelOne]

67. Well, since I live in the Atlanta area,

what better team could there be than the Atlanta Braves?

[Strawman]

68. The Tigers are sort of like the early 1990's Expos with some more money

Same guy that built their farm system full of great players they lost rebuilt the Tigers'. Only we can afford to keep them, yet we're not one of the "haves" to an obnoxious degree like New York or Boston.

With the young arms we have and an owner willing to spend $ to keep good players here and get good players that fit, the Tigers should be very good for the next decade.

Plus Jim Leyland is cool.

[AllegroRondo]

69. Go Brewers!

a small market team that is finally showing signs of making it to the playoffs. The fans are great, they're still waking up and learning how to cheer for a winning team, and could use the help.
Managment has invested the last few years in quality young players, and building for the future. Now they have a good pitching rotation, and two closers that are near unstoppable. Should be a team to watch for the next decade at least.

And what could be better than a team named after beer?
Or sausage races in the 7th inning?

[Rude Horner]

71. Go Brew Crew!

And the smell of brats in the parking lot before the game. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Nice to see Milwaukee doing good again. I was a big fan back in the 80's when they were "Harvey's Wallbangers" and went to the World Series. Molitor, Yount, Cooper, Simmons, Fingers, Thomas, etc....ahhh the memories.

[AllegroRondo]

72. Those were great times.

I'm glad they still wear the retro uniforms occasionally.

[Zavulon]

78. Actually, Gorman Thomas was one of my favorite players as a kid.

I always enjoyed watching sluggers. As I got older I was a big fan of Rob Deer, too. Anyone who can hit 25 homers in a year where he bats .179... (LOL)

You make a great argument for the Brewers. They weren't among my finalists, but they deserve the consideration. Sadly, all four of my original finalists were AL and I hate the DH. Go figure.

[AllegroRondo]

82. Now we have Prince Fielder

and JJ Hardy is hitting quite a few homers also.

[Initech]

85. Ah, the NL Central!

Home to one of the rising stars in baseball - the Brewers (really, I've been impressed with them this season), and the biggest joke in baseball - the Cubs.

And I love Milwaukee - only city in the entire country to name a baseball team after alcohol! :rofl:

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

70. The Devil Rays.

Because they're in a division that is comprised entirely of teams you hate: Boston, NY, Baltimore, and Toronto. Seems like a natural to me.

[Zavulon]

76. Not a bad piece of logic.

I didn't even think of it, but your point is a great one.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

80. Well, the downside is you'd be THE Devil Rays fan. Population: You.

So, logic isn't always the best decider. :-)

[Zavulon]

83. LOL!

That was hilarious!

Funnily enough, I already have a Devil Rays T-shirt. I had my luggage lost on my way to Tampa, so the airline gave me a voucher to go buy enough clothes to get myself through 2-3 days. This shirt is purple and black tie die with a big Devil Rays logo.

Needless to say, the shirt is a babe magnet. ;)

[KamaAina]

73. I feel your pain...

Born and raised in Baltimore (Colts), later moved to Conn. (Hartford Whalers), even spent some time in Oakland (Raiders). Note that all three won championships for whatever desolate outpost (OK, not L.A.) they ended up in, rather than the real cities (or at least hockey towns) they abandoned (though the Raiders did eventually return). :puke:

Why do you hate the O's? That would seem to be the logical solution to your dilemma, given that they were the region's sole team before, well, you know. True, they suck, and have sucked for far too long, but suckitude alone never stands in the way of true fandom.

The next nearest team up I-95 is the Phillies, featuring (as far as we're concerned, anyway) the "Flyin' Hawaiian", Shane Victorino. They also seem to have a couple of up-and-coming guys named Rollins and Utley. Might be worth a look-see.

[Zavulon]

75. Actually, it's Angelos I hate.

Just as I couldn't root for a team owned by Steinbrenner, I couldn't root for a team owned by Angelos.

[LSK]

74. White Sox fan because my mom was and my grandparents before that

Luckily they picked a team that has been around for over 100 years.

[cboy4]

77. Why do you hate America?

[HuskerDU]

79. Friend, I wouldn't wish our situation on an enemy, let

alone a fine fellow member of DU!

I give much love and support to my fellow Cub fans, but if you aren't already addicted, then I'd recommend some other team- no ANY other team!

[TZ]

81. Do you like underdogs?

You could root for my OLD team the Cincinnati Reds. I think they need all the fans they can get at this point-oh yeah and my dad met now ex-Red n Shaun Casey once and said he was nice...but other than that, no reason but pity I suppose...
(I am from Cinci originally but I am DC resident and now root for the Nationals):)

[OllieLotte]

86. I'm a lifelong Twins fan...but if I were to adopt a team...

it would be the Cubs. Long suffering...nice mascot...great city.

[1gobluedem]

88. Tigers

Full of great players who are also nice. Plus Curtis Granderson has the best dimples ever.

[northzax]

89. go for the Phillies...

only 6 losses shy of 10,000 all time!

[S n o w b a l l]

90. I'd have to say the Cardinals now....

Since my (ex)father in law played for them in the 60's and they're the closest team to where I'm living now.

But since you hate them & the Yankees.... :) I have no other suggestions. I used to be a Dodger fan but that was because I lived in LA.

[Zomby Woof]

91. The Dodgers

This way, you can stick with a National League team.

From Brooklyn to Los Angeles, they have been the anti-Yankees. The Dodgers offer a great tradition without the pomposity, narcissism, or stench of overbearing right-wing jingoism which taints the Yankees. They're also arch-rivals with the SF Giants, whose fans are as obnoxious as the Yankees, but smell of brie instead of the Bronx.

Some other selling points:

Jackie Robinson and the integration of the modern game.

Sandy Koufax.

Roy Campanella.

Kirk Gibson and the '88 Series miracle HR.

Pee Wee Reese.

Don Newcombe.

Duke Snider.

Don Drysdale.

Fernando Valenzuela.

Don Sutton.

Mike Piazza.

Orel Hershiser.


And the immortal Vin Scully has been their voice since 1950. I am listening to him call their game right now, and it says "Summer in Los Angeles."

Dodger Stadium is a great park (now the 4th oldest in baseball) and Dodger Dogs are the best in the game.


No trendy uniform changes either. So go ahead, bleed Dodger Blue!

[Arugula Latte]

92. Root for Portland's Major League Baseball team because ...

It doesn't exist! Therefore, it can never lose! :woohoo: