So much politics!

You know, I really should have posted about the Phillies winning the World Series. So here it is: YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, that was fun. I'm certainly happy that the Phillies are the 2008 World Series Champions, but I haven't lived in Philadelphia for 15 years, plus I have a life (to some extent), so while I still want the teams I root for to win championships, it's not that big a deal. Let's move on!

Election Day is apparently Tuesday, and things are getting snippy in the presidential race. But there's plenty going on locally, as well!



Here in Arizona, as in other states (California for one), there's a proposition on the ballot to amend the state constitution banning gay marriage. I got this flyer in the mail imploring me to vote for Prop 102. I love how they ring the title with children. Who doesn't love children? If I don't vote for this proposition, my children will turn gay automatically! I bet you didn't know that.

I got a phone call earlier in the week from some dude asking me to vote for this proposition. I was impressed that it wasn't a robot, so I let him talk. When he asked if he had my support, I told him I was bisexual, living with two women and one man. He sounded completely taken aback, as if he hadn't considered someone saying this. I hung up because I didn't want to say anything else, and then thought I should have mentioned I was raising two children in this environment and trying actively to turn them gay. That would have been even awesomer. But I had fun for a time.

I get the idea of religious people wanting marriage to remain a union of a man and a woman. What I don't get is how gay marriage will destroy my marriage or even affect my children all that much (as this is all about protecting the children, as you see by the flyer). I have never read anyone giving a good reason why gay people can't get married. I hear the stupid reasons - the Bible doesn't like it, society will fall apart, gays are weird - but nothing really valid. I mean, will straight people stop marrying because gay people can? Straight people are already not marrying. I guess letting gay people marry continues the horrible moral decline of our wonderful American life. Boy, wouldn't that suck?

I'm a bit disappointed that the web site on the flyer doesn't seem to be viable anymore. That kind of stinks. I'm sure it was pretty neat-o.

Also in Arizona, Paul Newman is running for office. That's fairly impressive, given his current state of living. And the unfortunately named Frank Schmuck is also running for office. Man, that's a bad last name. Poor Frank.

Have fun voting! I'll be dropping off my mail-in ballot on Tuesday and won't have to wait in line. And remember - when I'm dictator, Election Day will be a federal holiday and take place on a Monday. It doesn't need to be on Tuesday anymore, people! (Of course I'll have elections when I'm dictator! They're cute like that.)

Why is there a media bias for Tampa Bay in this World Series?

I don't think I'm being a homer when I ask that question. I started this post a few days ago, and now that the Phillies are on the verge of winning, it's perhaps a bit whiny to ruminate, but it's still interesting to wonder why the national media seems to favor the Rays. Some pundits picked the Phillies, of course, but mostly they talk about how wonderful St. Petersburg is. If you've listened to the FOX broadcasts, you'll notice how often they bring up the Phillies' failings but, until Game Four and they became more glaring, glossed over the Rays'. In Game Two, for instance, Joe Buck and Tim McCarver couldn't stop talking about how badly the Phillies were hitting with runners in scoring position. In the first inning, when St. Pete scored two runs, they were 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position. They scored two runs on groundouts. Now, runs are runs, but they still didn't get a hit with runners in scoring position. Yet Buck and McCarver kept talking about the great way the Rays played "small ball." Yes, the Phillies aren't hitting well with runners in scoring position (until last night). But neither are the Rays. Finally, when the Phillies finally busted out last night and scored 10 runs, Buck and McCarver started talking about how bad Carlos Peña and Evan Longoria are hitting.

The thing that struck me was before the first game, when ESPN talked about the two teams. John Kruk picked the Phillies to win the Series, but then he talked about two things. He said that the Rays "play the game the right way." I hate to tell Kruk, but any team that wins games plays the game the right way. I guess that means the Rays play "small ball" and bunt well and hit to the right side to get guys from second to third and hit sacrifice flies. That's great. Home runs count just as much as RBI groundouts, you know. Even the Yankees of 1996-2000 played the game the right way. They won, didn't they?

Then Kruk said the Rays were "built" the right way, too. This, presumably, meant that they built through the draft and didn't trade away prospects for short-term guys or spend a lot of money on flashy free agents. Hey, that's great. I agree that building that way is a good thing, and I love that the Yankees betrayed their principles by trading away talent for short-term stars who don't produce. That's pretty awesome. But I wondered why the Phillies aren't "built the right way," too. Why didn't Kruk mention them? I knew a lot of their talent was home-grown as well. So I decided to check it out! I mean, it's not like I have anything to do!

Here's the breakdown of the two teams. This is only the World Series roster (at the beginning of the Series, as Cliff Floyd is now off the Rays' roster and had been replaced by Eric Hinske), mind you. I checked out how each player was acquired, either through the draft, in a trade, or as a free agent. I could only find one played acquired off waivers. I'm pretty sure this is all accurate, but forgive me if it's not.

St. Petersburg Rays:

Willy Aybar (infielder): Acquired in a trade from the Atlanta Braves on 17 January 2008. Seasons with St. Pete: 1 (2008).
Rocco Baldelli (outfielder): Drafted by St. Petersburg in 2000. Season with St. Pete: 5 (2003-2004; 2006-2008).*
Grant Balfour (pitcher): Acquired in a trade from the Milwaukee Brewers on 27 July 2007. Seasons with St. Pete: 1½ (2007-2008).
Jason Bartlett (infielder): Acquired in a trade from the Minnesota Twins on 28 November 2007. Seasons with St. Pete: 1 (2008).
Chad Bradford (pitcher): Acquired in a trade from the Baltimore Orioles on 7 August 2008. Seasons with St. Pete: ½ (2008).
Carl Crawford (outfielder): Drafted by St. Petersburg in 1999. Season with St. Pete: 7 (2002-2008).
Cliff Floyd (outfielder): Signed as a free agent on 14 December 2007. Seasons with St. Pete: 1 (2008).
Matt Garza (pitcher): Acquired in a trade from the Minnesota Twins on 28 November 2007. Season with St. Pete: 1 (2008).
Gabe Gross (outfielder): Acquired in a trade from the Milwaukee Brewers on 22 April 2008. Seasons with St. Pete: 1 (2008).
Michel Hernandez (catcher): Acquired in a trade from the Pittsburgh Pirates on 31 August 2008. Seasons with St. Pete: ½ (2008).
J. P. Howell (pitcher): Acquired in a trade from the Kansas City Royals on 20 June 2006. Seasons with St. Pete: 2½ (2006-2008).
Akinori Iwamura (infielder): Contract purchased from Japan on 15 December 2006. Seasons with St. Pete: 2 (2007-2008).
Edwin Jackson (pitcher): Acquired in a trade from the Los Angeles Dodgers on 14 January 2006. Seasons with St. Pete: 3 (2006-2008).
Scott Kazmir (pitcher): Acquired in a trade from the New York Mets on 30 July 2004 (never played for the Mets). Seasons with St. Pete: 5 (2004-2008).
Evan Longoria (infielder): Drafted by St. Petersburg in 2006. Seasons with St. Pete: 1 (2008).
Trever Miller (pitcher): Signed as a free agent on 6 February 2008 (the third time he had signed as a free agent with the Rays). Seasons with St. Pete: 2 (2004; 2008).
Dioner Navarro (catcher): Acquired in a trade from the Los Angeles Dodgers on 27 June 2006. 2½ (2006-2008).
Carlos Peña (infielder): Signed as a free agent on 1 February 2007. Seasons with St. Pete: 2 (2007-2008).
Fernando Perez (outfielder): Drafted by St. Petersburg in 2004. Seasons with St. Pete: ½ (2008).
David Price (pitcher): Drafted by St. Petersburg in 2007. Seasons with St. Pete: 5 games (2008).
James Shields (pitcher): Drafted by St. Petersburg in 2000. Seasons with St. Pete: 3 (2006-2008).
Andy Sonnanstine (pitcher): Drafted by St. Petersburg in 2004. Seasons with St. Pete: 2 (2007-2008).
B. J. Upton (outfielder): Drafted by St. Petersburg in 2002. Seasons with St. Pete: About 3 (parts of 2004; 2006; 2007-2008).
Dan Wheeler (pitcher): Acquired in a trade from the Houston Astros on 28 July 2007. Seasons with St. Pete: 4½ (Parts of 1999-2001 - he was drafted by St. Pete in 1996; 2007-2008).
Ben Zobrist (infielder): Acquired in a trade with the Houston Astros on 12 July 2006 (never played with the Astros). Seasons with St. Pete: 3 (2006-2008).

Draft picks: 9: Baldelli, Crawford, Longoria, Perez, Price, Shields, Sonnanstine, Upton, Wheeler (sort of).
Trades: 13: Aybar, Balfour, Bartlett, Bradford, Garza, Gross, Hernandez, Howell, Iwamura, Jackson, Kazmir, Navarro, Zobrist.
Free agents: 3: Floyd, Miller, Peña.
Average length of tenure with the team: 2.24 years (Crawford at 7 seasons is the longest).
Median length of tenure with the team: 2 years.
Number of players with the team for 3+ years: 8.

* Baldelli suffers from a mitochondrial disease and missed the entire 2005 season.

Philadelphia Phillies:

Joe Blanton (pitcher): Acquired in a trade from the Oakland Athletics on 17 July 2008. Seasons with Philly: ½ (2008).
Eric Bruntlett (infielder): Acquired in a trade from the Houston Astros on 7 November 2007. Seasons with Philly: 1 (2008).
Pat Burrell (outfielder): Drafted by Philadelphia in 1998. Seasons with Philly: 9 (2000-2008).
Clay Condrey (pitcher): A minor-league free agent, it appears. Seasons with Philly: 3 (2006-2008).
Chris Coste (catcher): Signed as a free agent on 29 October 2004. Seasons with Philly: 3 (2006-2008).
Greg Dobbs (infielder): Obtained off waivers from the Seattle Mariners on 15 January 2007. Seasons with Philly: 2 (2007-2008).
Chad Durbin (pitcher): Signed as a free agent on 30 December 2007. Seasons with Philly: 1 (2008).
Scott Eyre (pitcher): Acquired in a trade from the Chicago Cubs on 7 August 2008. Seasons with Philly: ½ (2008).
Pedro Feliz (infielder): Signed as a free agent on 31 January 2008. Seasons with Philly: 1 (2008).
Cole Hamels (pitcher): Drafted by Philadelphia in 2002. Seasons with Philly: 3 (2006-2008).
J. A. Happ (pitcher): Drafted by Philadelphia om 2004. Seasons with Philly: 2 (2007-2008).
Ryan Howard (infielder): Drafted by Philadelphia in 2001. Seasons with Philly: 5 (2004-2008).
Geoff Jenkins (outfielder): Signed as a free agent on 27 December 2007. Seasons with Philly: 1 (2008).
Brad Lidge (pitcher): Acquired in a trade from the Houston Astros on 7 November 2007. Seasons with Philly: 1 (2008).
Ryan Madson (pitcher): Drafted by Philadelphia in 1998. Seasons with Philly: 5 (2004-2008, plus one game in 2003).
Jamie Moyer (pitcher): Acquired in a trade from the Seattle Marines on 20 August 2006. Seasons with Philly: 2½ (2006-1008).
Brett Myers (pitcher): Drafted by Philadelphia in 1999. Seasons with Philly: 7 (2002-2008).
Jimmy Rollins (infielder): Drafted by Philadelphia in 1996. Seasons with Philly: 9 (2000-2008).
J. C. Romero (pitcher): Signed as a free agent (minor league) on 23 June 2007. Seasons with Philly: 1½ (2007-2008).
Carlos Ruiz (catcher): Signed by Philadelphia as an amateur free agent in 1998. Seasons with Philly: 3 (2006-2008).
Matt Stairs (infielder): Acquired in a trade from the Toronto Blue Jays on 30 August 2008. Seasons with Philly: ½ (2008).
So Taguchi (outfielder): Signed as a free agent on 7 January 2008. Seasons with Philly: 1 (2008).
Chase Utley (infielder): Drafted by Philadelphia in 2000. Seasons with Philly: 6 (2003-2008).
Jayson Werth (outfielder): Signed as a free agent on 19 December 2007. Seasons with Philly: 2 (2007-2008).

Draft picks: 8: Burrell, Hamels, Happ, Howard, Madson, Myers, Rollins, Utley.
Trades: 6: Blanton, Bruntlett, Eyre, Lidge, Moyer, Stairs.
Free agents: 9: Condrey, Coste, Durbin, Feliz, Jenkins, Romero, Ruiz, Taguchi, Werth.
Waiver wire: 1. Dobbs.
Average length of tenure with the team: 2.94 years (Burrell and Rollins at 9 seasons are the longest).
Median length of tenure with the team: 2 years.
Number of players with the team 3+ years: 10.

That's pretty even, if you ask me. Both the Phillies and Rays have a lot of draft choices that are prominent on their team. Seven of the eight players the Rays drafted (they drafter Wheeler, but apparently thought little of him and traded him) are stars or crucial components of their team (Price isn't a star yet), with only Perez lacking the time to make an impact. Similarly, seven of the eight Phillies' draft choices are stars or crucial components of the team (Happ is a good pitcher, but hasn't pitched enough to have an impact). The Phillies have more free agents, true, but none of them cost a lot and only Feliz was what you might call a "big-impact" signing. Romero comes the closest of the others. Floyd and Peña are the Rays' two "big-impact" signings, but again, neither cost too much. I didn't look at who was traded away to get the players, but I know, for instance, that Kazmir was brought to St. Pete for Victor Zambrano, who turned out to be the wrong Zambrano in the major leagues, while the Phillies got Lidge (and Bruntlett) for Michael Bourn, who I thought would be decent but was one of the worst hitters in the league this year. Recently, the only bad trade I remember the Phillies making was getting rid of a young Gavin Floyd to the White Sox for Freddy Garcia. Floyd was always touted as being a future All-Star, while Garcia was always scary. The Phillies tried for the short-term gain, failed, and have been pretty good ever since (and I don't think the Garcia trade hurt them all that much, except for the loss of Floyd). Hamels and Floyd and Myers at the front of this rotation would be scary for the league for the next five years. Oh well. And if we look at stability, both teams are fairly even, with the average tenure slightly in Philadelphia's favor (barely), plus the Phillies have slightly more long-term players (10 to 8 of players who have been with the team 3 seasons or longer). My ultimate point is: Yes, the Rays were "built the right way." But no more than the Phillies were. Yet I haven't heard much about that.

Then there's the lack of a title. Last week Michael Wilbon said Phillies fans should shut up because they've gone since 1980 without a World Series title and Cubs fans know real pain. However, Wilbon is also a Bulls fan. Back in the 1990s I bet he didn't care too much about the Cubs not winning because Jordan was bringing home the hardware! So I decided to look at the teams from each major league (I still count the NHL as a major league) and how long it's been for each team since they won a title. I also counted the "total seasons of frustration" for each city. Now, I understand that if you're a Cubs fan, you don't care that the White Sox recently won a World Series. But I can't worry about that! So let's check things out. The "total seasons of frustration" are how many years since the last title multiplied by how many sports team the city has.

Atlanta.
NFL team: Falcons. First season: 1966. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 42.
MLB team: Braves. First season in Atlanta: 1966. Last title: 1995. Seasons of frustration: 12.
NBA team: Hawks. First season in Atlanta: 1968. Last title: Never (they won in 1958 when in St. Louis). Seasons of frustration: 40.
NHL team: Thrashers. First season in Atlanta: 1999. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 9.
Seasons since last Atlanta title: 12. Total seasons of frustration: 45 (the Thrashers didn't exist in 1996, so their total remains 9; this holds true for any team in this situation).

Baltimore.
NFL team: Ravens. First season in Baltimore: 1996. Last title: 2000-01. Seasons of frustration: 7.
MLB team: Orioles. First season in Baltimore: 1954. Last title: 1983. Seasons of frustration: 25.
Seasons since last Baltimore title: 7. Total seasons of frustration: 14.

Boston.
NFL team: Cheaters. First season in Boston: 1960. Last title: 2004-05. Seasons of frustration: 3.
MLB team: Red Sox. First season in Boston: 1901. Last title: 2007. Seasons of frustration: 1.
NBA team: Celtics. First season in Boston: 1946. Last title: 2007-08. Seasons of frustration: 0.
NHL team: Bruins. First season in Boston: 1924. Last title: 1971-72. Seasons of frustration: 36.
Seasons since last Boston title: 0. Total seasons of frustration: 0.

Buffalo.
NFL team: Bills. First season in Buffalo: 1960. Last title: 1965. (AFL title). Seasons of frustration: 44.
NHL team: Sabres. First season in Buffalo: 1970. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 38.
Seasons since last Buffalo title. 44. Total seasons of frustration: 82.

Calgary.
NHL team: Flames. First season in Calgary: 1980. Last title: 1988-89. Seasons of frustration: 19.
Seasons since last Calgary title: 19. Total seasons of frustration: 19.

Charlotte.
NFL team: Panthers. First season in Charlotte: 1995. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 13.
NBA team: Bobcats. First season in Charlotte: 2004. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 4.
Seasons since last Charlotte title: Never. Total seasons of frustration: 17.

Chicago.
NFL team: Da Bears. First season in Chicago: 1921. Last title: 1985-86. Seasons of frustration: 22.
MLB teams: Cubs, White Sox. First season(s) in Chicago: 1876, 1901. Last title: 1908, 2005. Seasons of frustration: 100, 3.
NBA team: Bulls. First season in Chicago: 1966. Last title: 1997-98. Seasons of frustration: 10.
NHL team: Blackhawks. First season in Chicago: 1926. Last title: 1960-61. Seasons of frustration: 47.
Seasons since last Chicago title: 3. Total seasons of frustration: 12 (or 40 if you're a Cubs fan, because you don't acknowledge the White Sox World Series win).

Cincinnati.
NFL team: Bengals. First season in Cincinnati: 1968. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 40.
MLB team: Reds. First season in Cincinnati: 1882. Last title: 1990. Seasons of frustration: 18.
Seasons since last Cincinnati title: 18. Total seasons of frustration: 36.

Cleveland.
NFL team: Browns. First season in Cleveland: 1946. Last title: 1964. Seasons of frustration: 44.
MLB team: Indians. First season in Cleveland: 1901. Last title: 1948. Seasons of frustration: 61.
NBA team: Cavaliers. First season in Cleveland: 1970. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 38.
Seasons since last Cleveland title: 44. Total seasons of frustration: 126.

Columbus.
NHL team: Blue Jackets. First season in Columbus: 2000. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 8.
Seasons since last Columbus title: Never. Total seasons of frustration: 8.

Dallas.
NFL team: Cowboys. First season in Dallas: 1960. Last title: 1995-96. Seasons of frustration: 12.
MLB team: Rangers. First season in Dallas: 1972. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 37.
NBA team: Mavericks. First season in Dallas: 1980. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 28.
NHL team: Stars. First season in Dallas: 1993. Last title: 1998-99. Seasons of frustration: 9.
Seasons since last Dallas title: 9. Total seasons of frustration: 36.

Denver.
NFL team: Broncos. First season in Denver: 1960. Last title: 1998-99. Seasons of frustration: 9.
MLB team: Rockies. First season in Denver: 1993. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 16.
NBA team: Nuggets. First season in Denver: 1967 (with the ABA). Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 41.
NHL team: Avalanche. First season in Denver: 1995. Last title: 2000-01. Seasons of frustration: 7.
Seasons since last Denver title: 7. Total seasons of frustration: 28.

Detroit.
NFL team: Lions. First season in Detroit: 1934. Last title: 1957. Seasons of frustration: 51.
MLB team: Tigers. First season in Detroit: 1901. Last title: 1984. Seasons of frustration: 24.
NBA team: Pistons. First season in Detroit: 1957. Last title: 2004-05. Seasons of frustration: 3.
NHL team: Red Wings. First season in Detroit: 1926 (as the Cougars). Last title: 2007-08. Seasons of frustration: 0.
Seasons since last Detroit title: 0. Total seasons of frustration: 0.

Edmonton.
NHL team: Oilers. First season in Edmonton: 1972 (in the WHA). Last title: 1989-90. Seasons of frustration: 18.
Seasons since last Edmonton title: 18. Total seasons of frustration: 18.

Green Bay.
NFL team: Packers. First season in Green Bay: 1919 (as a semi-pro team). Last title: 1996-97. Seasons of frustration: 11.
Seasons since last Green Bay title: 11. Total seasons of frustration: 11.

Houston.
NFL team: Texans. First season in Houston: 2002. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 6.
MLB team: Astros. First seasons in Houston: 1962. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 47.
NBA team: Rockets. First season in Houston: 1971. Last title: 1994-95. Seasons of frustration: 13.
Seasons since last Houston title: 13. Total seasons of frustration: 39.

Indianapolis.
NFL team: Colts. First season in Indianapolis: 1984. Last title: 2006-07. Seasons of frustration: 1.
NBA team: Pacers. First season in Indianapolis: 1967 (with the ABA). Last title: 1972-73 (ABA title). Seasons of frustration: 35.
Seasons since last Indianapolis title: 1. Totals seasons of frustration: 2.

Jacksonville.
NFL team: Jaguars. First season in Jacksonville: 1995. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 13.
Seasons since last Jacksonville title: Never. Total seasons of frustration: 13.

Kansas City.
NFL team: Chiefs. First season in Kansas City: 1963. Last title: 1969-70. Seasons of frustration: 37.
MLB team: Royals. First season in Kansas City: 1969. Last title: 1985. Seasons of frustration: 23.
Seasons since last Kansas City title: 23. Total seasons of frustration: 46.

Los Angeles.
NFL team: Trojans. Okay, not really, but I find it amusing that the second-largest media market in the country steadfastly refuses to support an NFL team.
MLB teams: Dodgers, Angels. First season(s) in Los Angeles: 1958, 1961. Last title: 1988, 2002. Seasons of frustration: 21, 6.
NBA teams: Lakers, Clippers. First season(s) in Los Angeles: 1960, 1984. Last title: 2001-02, Never. Seasons of frustration: 6, 23.
NHL teams: Kings, Ducks. First season(s) in Los Angeles: 1967, 1993. Last title: Never, 2006-07. Seasons of frustration: 41, 1.
Seasons since last Los Angeles title: 1 (or 6, since Anaheim might not count). Total seasons of frustration: 18.

Memphis.
NBA team: Grizzlies. First season in Memphis: 2001. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 7.
Seasons since last Memphis title: Never. Total seasons of frustration: 7.

Miami.
NFL team: Dolphins. First season in Miami: 1966. Last title: 1972-73. Seasons of frustration: 35.
MLB team: Marlins. First season in Miami: 1993. Last title: 2003. Seasons of frustration: 5 (not that the fans care much about them anyway).
NBA team: Heat. First season in Miami: 1988. Last title: 2005-06. Seasons of frustration: 2.
NHL team: Panthers (based in Sunrise, which is a suburb of Fort Lauderdale). First season in Miami: 1993. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 15.
Seasons since last Miami title: 2. Total seasons of frustration: 8.

Milwaukee.
MLB team: Brewers. First season in Milwaukee: 1970. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 39.
NBA team: Bucks. First season in Milwaukee: 1968. Last title: 1970-71. Seasons of frustration: 36.
Seasons since last Milwaukee title: 36. Total seasons of frustration: 72.

Minneapolis/St. Paul.
NFL team: Vikings. First season in Minnesota: 1961. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 47.
MLB team: Twins. First season in Minnesota: 1961. Last title: 1991. Seasons of frustration: 18.
NBA team: Timberwolves. First seasons in Minnesota: 1989. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 19.
NHL team: Wild. First season in Minnesota: 2000. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 8.
Seasons since last Minneapolis/St. Paul title: 18. Total seasons of frustration: 72.

Montreal.
NHL team: Canadiens. First season in Montreal: 1909. Last title: 1992-93. Seasons of frustration: 15.
Seasons since last Montreal title: 15. Total seasons of frustration: 15.

Nashville.
NFL team: Titans. First season in Nashville: 1997. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 11.
NHL team: Predators. First season in Nashville: 1998. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 10.
Seasons since last Nashville title: Never. Total seasons of frustration: 21.

New Orleans.
NFL team: Saints. First season in New Orleans: 1967. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 41.
NBA team: Hornets. First season in New Orleans: 2002. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 6.
Seasons since last New Orleans title: Never. Total seasons of frustration: 47.

New York/New Jersey.
NFL teams: Giants, Jets. First season(s) in New York: 1925, 1960. Last title: 2007-08, 1968-69. Seasons of frustration: 0, 39.
MLB teams: Yankees, Mets. First season(s) in New York: 1903, 1962. Last title: 2000, 1986. Seasons of frustration: 8, 22.
NBA teams: Knicks, Nets. First season(s) in New York: 1946, 1967 (in the ABA). Last title: 1972-73, 1975-76. Seasons of frustration: 35, 32.
NHL teams: Rangers, Islanders, Devils. First season in New York: 1926, 1972, 1982. Last title: 1993-94, 1982-83, 2002-03. Seasons of frustration: 14, 25, 5.
Seasons since last New York/New Jersey title: 0. Total seasons of frustration: 0.

Oakland.
NFL team: Raiders. First season in Oakland: 1960. Last title: 1980-81 (the franchise won Super Bowl XVIII while in Los Angeles). Seasons of frustration: 27.
MLB team: Athletics. First season in Oakland: 1968. Last title: 1989. Seasons of frustration: 19.
NBA team: Warriors. First season in Oakland: 1962. Last title: 1974-75. Seasons of frustration: 33.
Seasons since last Oakland title: 19. Total seasons of frustration: 57.

Oklahoma City.
NBA team: Thunder. First season in Oklahoma City: 2008. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 0.

Orlando.
NBA team: Magic. First season in Orlando: 1989. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 19.
Seasons since last Orlando title: Never. Total seasons of frustration: 19.

Ottawa.
NHL team: Senators. First season in Ottawa: 1992. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 16.
Seasons since last Ottawa title: Never (the old Senators won a bunch of Stanley Cups, but they left the city in 1934). Total seasons of frustration: 16.

Philadelphia.
NFL team: Eagles. First season in Philadelphia: 1933. Last title: 1960. Seasons of frustration: 48.
MLB team: Phillies. First season in Philadelphia: 1883. Last title: 1980. Seasons of frustration: 28.
NBA team: 76ers. First season in Philadelphia: 1963. Last title: 1982-83. Seasons of frustration: 25.
NHL team: Flyers. First season in Philadelphia: 1967. Last title: 1974-75. Seasons of frustration: 33.
Seasons since last Philadelphia title: 25. Total seasons of frustration: 100.

Phoenix.
NFL team: Cardinals. First season in Phoenix: 1988. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 21.
MLB team: Diamondbacks. First season in Phoenix: 1998. Last title: 2001. Seasons of frustration: 7.
NBA team: Suns. First season in Phoenix: 1968. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 40.
NHL team: Coyotes. First season in Phoenix: 1996. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 12.
Seasons since last Phoenix title: 7. Total seasons of frustration: 28.

Pittsburgh.
NFL team: Steelers. First season in Pittsburgh: 1933. Last title: 2005-06. Seasons of frustration: 2.
MLB team: Pirates. First season in Pittsburgh: 1882. Last title: 1979. Seasons of frustration: 29.
NBA team: Pisces. Wait, you mean they weren't real?
NHL team: Penguins. First season in Pittsburgh: 1967. Last title: 1991-92. Seasons of frustration: 16.
Seasons since last Pittsburgh title: 2. Total seasons of frustration: 8.

Portland.
NBA team: Trail Blazers. First season in Portland: 1970. Last title: 1976-77. Seasons of frustration: 31.
Seasons since last Portland title: 31. Total seasons of frustration: 31.

Raleigh.
NHL team: Hurricanes. First season in Raleigh: 1997. Last title: 2005-06. Seasons of frustration: 2.
Seasons since last Raleigh title: 2. Total seasons of frustration: 2.

Sacramento.
NBA team: Kings. First season in Sacramento: 1985. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 23.
Seasons since last Sacramento title: Never. Total seasons of frustration: 23.

Salt Lake City.
NBA team: Jazz. First season in Salt Lake City: 1979. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 28.
Seasons since last Salt Lake City title: Never. Total seasons of frustration: 28.

San Antonio.
NBA team: Spurs. First season in San Antonio: 1973. Last title: 2006-07. Seasons of frustration: 1.
Seasons since last San Antonio title: 1. Total seasons of frustration: 1.

San Diego.
NFL team: Chargers. First season in San Diego: 1961. Last title: 1963 (AFL title). Seasons of frustration: 44.
MLB team: Padres. First season in San Diego: 1969. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 40.
Seasons since last San Diego title: 44. Total seasons of frustration: 84.

San Francisco.
NFL team: 49ers. First season in San Francisco: 1946. Last title: 1994-95. Seasons of frustration: 13.
MLB team: Giants. First season in San Francisco: 1958. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 51.
NBA team: Warriors (sort of). First season in San Francisco: 1962. Last title: 1974-75. Seasons of frustration: 33.
Seasons since last San Francisco title: 13. Total seasons of frustration: 36.

San Jose.
NHL team: Sharks. First season in San Jose: 1991. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 17.
Seasons since last San Jose title: Never. Total seasons of frustration: 17.

Seattle.
NFL team: Seahawks. First season in Seattle: 1976. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 32.
MLB team: Mariners. First season in Seattle: 1977. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 32.
NBA team: SuperSonics (whoops!). First season in Seattle: 1967. Last title: 1978-79. Seasons of frustration: 29, plus the team moved.
Seasons since last Seattle title: 29. Total seasons of frustration: 87.

St. Louis.
NFL team: Rams. First season in St. Louis: 1995. Last title: 1998-99. Seasons of frustration: 9.
MLB team: Cardinals. First season in St. Louis: 1882. Last title: 2006. Seasons of frustration: 2.
NHL team: Blues. First season in St. Louis: 1967. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 41.
Seasons since last St. Louis title: 2. Total seasons of frustration: 6.

Tampa/St. Petersburg.
NFL team: Buccaneers. First season in Tampa: 1976. Last title: 2002-03. Seasons of frustration: 5.
MLB team: Rays. First season in Tampa: 1998. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 10 (soon to be 11).
NHL team: Lightning. First season in Tampa: 1992. Last title: 2003-04. Seasons of frustration: 4.
Seasons since last Tampa/St. Petersburg title: 4. Total seasons of frustration: 12.

Toronto.
MLB team: Blue Jays. First season in Toronto: 1977. Last title: 1993. Seasons of frustration: 15.
NBA team: Raptors. First season in Toronto: 1995. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 13.
NHL team: Maple Leafs. First season in Toronto: 1917. Last title: 1966-67. Seasons of frustration: 41.
Seasons since last Toronto title: 15. Total seasons of frustration: 45.

Vancouver.
NHL team: Canucks. First seasons in Vancouver: 1970. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 38.
Seasons since last Vancouver title: Never. Total seasons of frustration: 38.

Washington, D. C.
NFL team: Washington NFL franchise. First season in Washington: 1937. Last title: 1991-92. Seasons of frustration: 16.
MLB team: Nationals. First season in Washington: 2005. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 4.
NBA team: Wizards. First season in Washington: 1973. Last title: 1977-78. Seasons of frustration: 30.
NHL team: Capitals. First seasons in Washington: 1974. Last title: Never. Seasons of frustration: 34.
Seasons since last Washington, D. C. title: 16. Total seasons of frustration: 64.

Obviously, many cities have suffered for longer than Philadelphia. Not Tampa, however. In the past five years they've celebrated a Super Bowl title and a Stanley Cup victory. The thought of a team from Tampa hoisting the Stanley Cup still makes me ill. Anyway, much has been made of the fact that Philadelphia has the longest title drought of any city with four major sports teams. The closest city to them is Minneapolis/St. Paul, which last won a title in 1991 when the Twins won the World Series. But let's expand it to cities with three major sports teams. Cleveland has gone the longest without a title (44 years) and Seattle has gone the second-longest (29; I count Seattle because the Sonics just left the city). Other cities that have gone longer without a title don't have as many possibilities, because they don't have as many teams. And only Cleveland has a combined number of seasons since a title greater than Philadelphia. So the only fans who can whine as much as Philadelphia fans are people in Cleveland and Seattle. Fans of the Cubs can whine, but I still maintain that if you're a Cubs fan, you're probably a Bears and/or Bulls fan, so shut up.

Anyway, this might be a moot point after tonight, although I won't feel good until the final out. Maybe if the Phillies win tonight somebody in the media will talk about how good they are. Probably not - they'll just come up with ways the Rays lost. But it won't matter, because Philadelphia will be able to celebrate. That would be nice.

It was fifteen years ago today ...

It doesn't have quite the same ring to it as the Beatles' song does, but I can't control how long ago something happened!

As you may or may not have heard, the Philadelphia Phillies are playing in the World Series for only the sixth time. As a lifelong Phillies fan, this means I am happy after years of disappointment. I do have to say that I'm not quite as hard core a fan as some, so even if the Phillies lose, I'll forget it fairly soon. I have real things in my life to worry about, thank you very much.

But it's still nice to see them playing on baseball's biggest stage. They haven't been in the World Series since 1993, a series that ended fifteen years ago today. Yes, October 23, 1993, was the sixth and final game of that series. It did not go well for the Phillies.

The World Series that year was actually pretty entertaining, especially the last three games. Trailing 2 games to 1, the Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays staged a wild game in Game Four, with the Phillies taking a 14-9 lead into the eighth before choking it away as the Jays scored 6 runs to win 15-14. Facing elimination in the next game, Curt Schilling threw a five-hit shutout (the last complete game shutout in the World Series for a decade) to bring the Phillies back to 3 games to 2. Then, in Game Six, Mitch Williams took the mound in the bottom of the ninth with a 6-5 lead (after the Phillies scored 5 runs in the top of the seventh to take the lead). Rickey Henderson and Paul Molitor got on, and then, well, Joe Carter came to the plate. Yeah, that didn't end well. On a 2-2 pitch, Carter hit a pitch out of the park.

It's the only time a World Series has ended with a home run by a player on a trailing team and only the second time a World Series ended with a home run (Bill Mazeroski's home run in 1960 broke a tie). Die hard Phillies fans also claim it sent the team into a decade-long tailspin from which they only recently recovered (2007 was the first time they made the postseason since 1993), but let's face it, the '93 team was a bit magical. A lot of players had career years, from Lenny Dykstra flirting with .400 for the first half of the season to Tommy Greene, who won 16 of his career 38 games that season. I very much doubt they would have kept anything going even if they had won the Series. It would have been nice, of course, but it's not like this team was going to turn into a dynasty.

So that was fifteen years ago. This year the Phillies currently have a 1-0 lead in games in the Series, and I really hope they win, not only because I've loved them since the 1980 season (a serendipitous time to become a Phillies fan) but because it seems like a lot of media people want the Rays to win (and Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, who are calling the games, definitely want the Rays to win). Some people have picked the Phillies, of course, but I'm talking about who they're rooting for. And I really, really hope nobody on St. Petersburg ruins our day with a walk-off home run like Joe Carter did. That would suck.

"The Phillies win the pennant! The Phillies win the pennant!"

Yeah, it doesn't have the same ring as "The Giants win the pennant!", which is one of the more famous calls in baseball history (referring to Bobby Thomson's home run in 1951 that gave the New York Giants a win over the Brooklyn Dodgers), but it's still true. As a life-long Phillies fan, I'm pretty excited. I'll be more excited in two weeks, when they're World Champions, although I have my doubts that it's going to happen.

A Philadelphia-St. Petersburg World Series (as seems likely to happen) will be death in the television ratings, which is all anyone cares about. Rob Neyer made an interesting point on a radio show this morning, though: It might suck for FOX, but the Rays have helped create thousands of baseball fans in Western Florida, and that can't be a bad thing for baseball. There were already fans in Boston and Los Angeles, and they're not going anywhere. So the Rays in the WS is only a bad thing if you care about ratings. Plus, Philadelphia is the sixth-largest market in baseball based on population. I'm not sure why Boston, which is smaller than El Paso in population, gets such a reputation as being a great baseball town. I mean, it is, but Phillies fans are just as passionate as Red Sox fans.

It has a lot to do with what the media wants. The Phillies are a solid team up and down the roster. They have home-grown several key players (Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Pat Burrell, and Cole Hamels, to name a few) and haven't gone out and chased a big free agent (like Manny Ramirez) to get them to this point, relying instead on smart acquisitions (like Brad Lidge, who was acquired for very little) that build on the core. As we saw in these playoffs, they don't need Ryan Howard to hit home runs to win. I haven't watched as much of Tampa as Philadelphia, obviously, but they're built much the same way, and they're younger than the Phillies are. They scare the crap out of me, frankly. These are two very good teams that "do things the right way," according to all the media. But the media lies. They don't want teams to "do things the right way," because that means the teams are somewhat boring. Look at the Yankees. The media want teams to be like the Yankees, throwing money around like drunken sailors, because then they're "interesting." It makes no difference whether they're good or not. ESPN and FOX wanted Los Angeles-Boston in the World Series not because those are the two best teams, but because they (reporters, that is) wouldn't have to do their jobs. The stories (Manny's and even Derek Lowe's return to Boston; Joe Torre managing against the BoSox again in a different uniform) would write themselves! Who wants to do work when you can simply point out the circus is in town?

I hope the ratings are good for a Philadelphia-St. Petersburg World Series. I don't really care, but it would be nice. More than that, though, I hope the media doesn't treat this like an afterthought and concentrate instead on which Dallas Cowboy is melting down this week. It's the media's job to get people interested in this series, and there are plenty of interesting stories on these two teams that DON'T have players who quit on one team to force a trade. It's a chicken-or-the-egg thing: Are people more interested in the Red Sox/Yankees/Cubs because they're fans, or are they fans because that's all ESPN seems to care about? I doubt if we'll ever know. I do know that the Phillies aren't "romantic" losers like the Cubs are and the Red Sox used to be. If only we had an idiotic curse in our background, then people would write poems and books about us and sports anchors would wax nostalgically about sitting in the stands bemoaning another 100-loss season!

It's been 25 years since a Philadelphia team celebrated a major championship. That's the longest drought for any city with teams in each major sport (baseball, football, basketball, and hockey). I might cry if the Phillies lose, not because it would affect me too much (I have moved on a bit from letting a sports team define me, after all), but because that would mean a loser city like Tampa gets to celebrate instead. At least we share that with Cubs fans - watching upstarts win World Series!

So Dodgers fans can choke on it. Have fun paying Manny 150 mil over 6 years and watching him take the last three of the deal off. And screw you, Mets fan who put Chicago on top of his rooting interest list for the playoffs (although, to be fair, he has the Phillies third). How's that Santana contract looking these days?* The Phillies win the pennant! Shout it with me!

As these pictures show, there's something perversely satisfactory about winning a series on the opponents' home field. It's more fun at home, but look at the dead eyes of the Dodgers and the downcast spectators. That's good stuff! I thought of this last night: Unless the Phillies sweep the Series or win in 5 (unlikely), they'll win all three series on the road. I think Phillies fans will take that.




* (Tom and Roger know, I hope, that I'm just funnin' with them. Men understand. The sports just gets the testosterone a-rumblin'! We're still pals, right, guys? Guys?)