It's the Rangers. Hmmm....one question, and one note.
The question is: how many Washington Senators fans are there around who still root for the Rangers? Can't be very many at all. First of all, it's been almost forty years. Second of all, the second Senators only lasted for eleven years; you don't get a whole lot of permanent attachments over eleven years, you wouldn't think. Especially eleven years that were hardly distinguished. And on top of that, you have the original Senators...all in all, I'm sure there aren't many. But there must be a few, no?
Second, the note: this makes six different teams in the World Series in six years for the American League. That breaks a tie with 2002-2006, but it's still shorter than the run from 1981 through 1988, eight different pennant winners in eight years. And that's it, in the long history of the AL, unless I've missed something. I counted a few five year, five team runs (including one that overlaps the big '80s run), but this seems to be the second longest streak of that kind ever. The National League has hit six more times, but it's worth noting the streak beginning in 1914: Braves, Phillies, Dodgers, Giants, Cubs, Reds: six of the eight teams, or all but the Pirates and Cardinals.
Friday, October 22, 2010
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-1971 is almost thirty years ago.
ReplyDelete-Eleven years is plenty long enough to form an attachment. If you were a kid during the 60s, you may have spent your formative years watching that franchise, which would fuel a pretty strong devotion. On the other hand, in the case of the Senators, you're probably right, since those years were "hardly distinguished," and the owner was a nutcase... Teams move for a reason, right?
-I've found when teams move, that tends to incur resentment from the fans. I would expect Washington fans to be particularly spiteful of the Rangers and the Twins.
Being a Phillies man, let me say that I admire (and thank you for) your partisan restraint in both baseball and politics.
ReplyDeleteI knew that "Friday Baseball Post" was sitting here. And I almost did not do my usual blog routine because I was afraid it would tighten the already tight knots in my stomach. I should have had more faith. Cheers.
The resentment thing is real. Though in this day and age, I find it really odd. I mean, I'm a Cards fan living in Chicago, and my best friends are Astros, Twins, and Indians fans. Yeah, that speaks a lot to the brain drain in the rest of the midwest, but it also indicates to me that for a whole swath of young people, geography isn't as important anymore.
ReplyDeleteHowever, there are still NY Giants fans to be found (also resentment there). The Mets just never were satisfactory.
ReplyDeleteI've told this story before, but...my dad is one of those NY Giants fans. He didn't get the resentment thing, because he left before they did...and wound up in Phoenix, where the Giants were (and are) in March, and where the AAA team was for years. Which pretty much explains my loyalties.
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