The Great Unknowns

That's the name I've given the 2007 NLCS. I mean, are you kidding me? The Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies playing for all (actually, just half) the marbles. A chance to go to the world series and play a team whose roster doesn't look like a collection of names from the witness protection program (Troy Tulowitski, Matt Holliday.....are you kidding me!?). Has there ever been a more anonymous group of Baseball players playing for such high stakes? Sure, there have been plenty of random teams to play deep into the "tournament" (the 2003 Marlins and 2005 Chicago White Sox come to mind), but never have two so called "Cinderella" teams played each other to go to the World Series and/or play in the World Series. Sure, the D-Backs had been the NL West Frontrunners since early July, but can anyone name more than one player on the team (and if you're thinking Brandon Webb, the 2006 NL Cy Young award winner, that barely counts as a guess)? And what about Arizona? Who can look themselves in the mirror and say that they knew anything about this team before they won 16 of 17 games in late August through September to erase a 6 game deficit, while in third place, to force a one game playoff with my beloved Padres? That's right, none of you can. I bet nobody even knows how they won the one game playoff against the Pads (it was a blown save by all-time great Trevor Hoffman. Thanks for making me relive that nightmare).

Do you see what I'm getting at, here? Neither do I, aside to say that not only do most of you not care about this series, but neither does anyone outside Arizona and Colorado. I don't have the Nielson Ratings, but I'd guess tonight's game was watched by all of 40,000 people, and that's being generous. The sad thing is, aside from the ratings, I told my buddy Jeffe that this would end up being one of the best series' ever. Oops. Judging by the weak play and 5-1, Colorado scoreline, I'm thinking I'd really like to retract that statement. This could very easily be a Colorado sweep with no real competition. I know first hand from the Padres' misfortune that the Rockies are a team of destiny right now, if there ever was one. Nothing can go wrong from them and that should have the rest of the playoff contenders shaking in their spikes. If Colorado finishes off Arizona, Boston or Cleveland are going to have some suicidal fans come World Series end. But then again, it's not like those cities have passionate and tortured fans or anything. Poor bastards.


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