Rockin' All Over the World

Dude, the Rockies are crazy. With 21 wins in 22 games, and sweeping their way into the World Series, the Rockies have entered the ridiculous zone, and seem like this years' "destiny team". The Rockies joined the 1976 Big Red Machine as the only teams to start a postseason with seven straight wins, are the first team since the 1935 Chicago Cubs to win at least 21 of 22 after Sept. 1, according to Elias Sports Bureau. They're also only the fifth team ever to go from last place to the World Series in one year. What's even more unbelievable, is that they haven't even been all that dominating, as Eric Byrnes eluded to earlier in the series. But you don't have to be dominating to win, you just have to win. And that's what the Rockies have done, just win baby. It doesn't matter if the Diamondbacks had a few errors that led to big innings, or if Matt Holliday didn't touch the plate against the Padres in their play-in game, the Rockies just find a way to win the game, every time.

What has been dominating though is the pitching staff. Colorado's starters posted a 1.66 ERA in the series, the relievers shut down the late innings, and Manny Corpas leads all closers in the playoffs with 5 saves. Definitely not the Colorado we're used to, an average hitting team with a great pitching staff. But hey, they've finally figured out what works in Colorado with that big ballpark and then thin air. And do you think that either of those American League teams is excited about going to Colorado for the World Series? No way in hell. With pitchers who have rarely/never pitched in that kind of environment, fielders used to smaller outfields and guys like Manny and Big Papi having to run the bases in the cold, thin air, there is no way that the Indians and the Red Sox would be looking forward to playing 3 games in Colorado.

Now, I'll probably be rooting for the Rockies because they're an NL/West Coast team and we need some more national lovin', but their ascent this year has reminded me why the Dodgers piss me off, while other teams in the division do so well. The Rockies and Marlins both entered the league in 1993, and since then, the Marlins have won 2 World Series and the Rockies are now in the World Series. The Arizona Diamondbacks were an expansion team in 1998, and have already won a World Series ring. The other teams in the NL, the Giants and the Padres, have each made it to the World Series, in 2002 and 1998 respectively. Since their 1988 World Series victory, the Dodgers have won ONE playoff game, have won ZERO playoff series, and have made it to the playoffs only FOUR times in the 19 years since 1988, getting swept THREE(!) times. Unbelievable. Yet they are consistently second in attendance to the Yankees and around the top 8 or so in payroll. So yeah, it pisses me off when expansion teams have so much success in such a little time, and a historic and supposedly big ticket franchise has done diddly squat. It's so depressing it give their "Think Blue" slogan some poetic justice.