30 preseason games, 162 regular season games, best of 5 for the DCS, best of 7 for the LCS, 6 more World Series games and now we are down to the last game for 2016. The two best teams in baseball for sure. For one of these storied teams their long and painful wait for a World Championship will finally come to an end. The other team will add another year of "maybe next year" to a long list of coulda, woulda shouldas. One city will tear itself apart with the joy and excitement for finally winning and the other will view this season as a failure and will wear that sadness and disappointment for days. That's how some fanatical fans look at it. Yes for the normal fan this has some sense of growth and improvement and can see that their team can build on this years success. However, all teams will have those over the top fans like Coach Bale. If you don't believe me just think back to NCAA basketball final four when Wisconsin upset my beloved Wildcats that miserable night April 4th, 2015. I remember it so well because I was miserable. So when our undefeated Cats zigged when they should have zagged, with me trying to coach from my chair ( in a game, basketball, that I have no clue how to play) left a hole in my heart that took weeks to fill. "I can't believe the Wildcats lost" is all i thought about for a couple weeks. So no matter who wins tonight the Cubs or the Indians one city will be happy and the other will be oh so disappointed. I think if I was king of baseball for one day I would change the World Series to be the best of 7 but you have to win by two like in tennis or volleyball. Haha! With this years Cubs and Indians we could extend the season till Thanksgiving. Just kidding that would be a little over the top. But if you think about it, tonight's winner is only one game better than the runner up. Baseball a game that is meant to be played in series so we can really see who is the better team. After all the games, all the practices and all the hype we are down to this one game. So exciting.
Of course all that know me know that I am pulling for the Indians. Its not that I dislike the Cubs. If the Cubs win it would be great for the city of Chicago and for the entire baseball world...except for maybe in St. Louis where there is a hatred for the Cubs. Anyway my dad was from Cleveland, OH. Born and raised in Brookpark, OH. When I was little dad would take me to Cleveland during the summer to spend time with his parents (Grandma and Grandpa). Each year Dad would always take me to a game or two. Most of the time Grandpa would come with us. I would sit between my Dad and Grandpa and be in my own little heaven on earth. Back in the 70s the Indians played in this Goliath of a stadium (Cleveland Municipal Stadium). This sucker would sit 80,000+ fans. Perfect for a football game but for the average baseball game there could be 30,000 fans there and it would look empty. I didn't really notice the empty seats. I guess I didn't notice because dad would get us box seats right behind the dugout. So I spent all my time looking at the field not the stands. Anyway, I am not sure that I ever saw the Indians win game in person. They were pretty bad during those years. The Cleveland Indians and Milwaukee Brewers was the first game I ever saw in person. I will never forget it. The sights, the sounds the smells are forever embedded into my brain. I bet I ate 5 hotdogs that day. Not a better memory than that Cleveland stadium dog with mustard. Again here is my dad impacting my love of the game. So yes I am pulling for the 2016 Cleveland Indians to win the Series. If they do great if they don't then oh well "there is always next year"
Coach Bale
