First things first: The Rockies needed help from the Brewers to get into the playoffs, and they got it. The Rockies got help from another team to have a chance at the playoffs. Someone helped the Rockies play past 162 games.
That's unacceptable. If the Rockies had beaten Atlanta once in 1993, the Giants would have at least tied for the division lead. The Rockies rolled over for the Diamondbacks in 2001 when just a .400 winning percentage against Arizona would have given the Giants the division. If the Rockies had won more of their games against the Dodgers or Astros in 2004, the Steve Finley game wouldn't have meant anything. Remember when Yosemite Sam jumped out of an airplane, pulled a cord on his parachute, and a bunch of silverware came out? That was the Colorado Rockies of parachutes.
And the hubris: They're handing the ball over to Josh Fogg. Maybe it's less "hubris" and more "how does a team with Josh Fogg get to the playoffs?" That applies to the Padres too, I suppose. One game to make the playoffs, and Brett Tomko is your starting pitcher? Yeesh. I would have rather seen Bud Black take the ball if I were a Padres fan.
Still, go Padres. If the Rockies ran away with the division, that'd be one thing. But they needed help from another franchise and got it. That makes me pout like a two-year-old on a presentless Christmas. Not fair. To us, at least. I'm sure Braves fans think it's perfectly fine for the Rockies to get a little non-contender help.
Here's my list of the teams or things I'm rooting for in the playoffs:
- Indians
This is the one team in baseball that can get angry at the Giants for spoiling their championship hopes. There are still some grizzled folks who remember '54, and this one's for them. Not to mention, they built their team the way I'd hope the next Giants team will be built: homegrown hitters and some brilliant trades.
- Phillies
Don't know why I'd prefer them over the Cubs, really, except that I like watching Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels, Jimmy Rollins, and Chase Utley more than any of the Cub players.
- Cubs
I'd love for the Giants to climb to the top of the pity pile. I wrote this five years ago about the 2002 Series loss:
This was getting invited to a Victoria's Secret lingerie party, and getting there to find only a nude, confused, Tony Danza eating mayonnaise straight from the jar. This was the year the Giants were invited to sit at a banquet table with the Red Sox, White Sox, and Cubs, and inducted into the Hall of Total F**cking Losers. Black tie only.Now the Red Sox and White Sox have rings. Just dandy. Forget the whole "misery loves company"-dealie. If the franchise is going to be a ringless spectacle, let them be a ringless spectacle on their own. Go Indians, and go Cubs. Let us wallow in our stink by ourselves. - A player's strike to wipe out the remainder of the playoffs as well as the entire 2008 season.
- Any of the Red Padyangelbackies winning anything. It'd be just gross if any of them won.