What To Do About the World Series as Dodger Fans

The World Series begins Tuesday night, and I’ll be watching. Even though I’m not sure why. Like I wrote in my first edition of this postseason rant/post last October, “I’m still incredibly bitter, disappointed, and not to mention depressed” about the NLDS. An earlier exit from the postseason this year makes it even harder to stomach. The knockout blow at the hands of the St. Louis Cardinals, yet again? Devastating.

It’s not fair. How can the Giants beat the Cardinals in the NLCS, yet the Dodgers couldn’t do it two years in a row? Why do the Giants have some sort of mystical Buster Posey voodoo which makes men like Brandon Crawford and Joe Panik hit like they’re Mr. October Reggie Jackson? I wish I could offer you answers to these and other Earth mysterious, but all I have is some stream of conscience ramblings and some colorful curse words toward Hunter Pence.

The 2014 Dodgers just didn’t have that magic which the 2013 team seemed to have. There was no epic 42-8 stretch, there wasn’t an omen with an Opening Day

homerun from Clayton Kershaw, and there were much less Nick Punto head first slides. The Punto factor alone could have been responsible for the Dodgers’ early demise in of itself.

Moving on to the acceptance phase has been difficult for me. I’m not quite there yet. The question now is, what do we do about the World Series? Last year the World

Sad. Sadness. Photo: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Series was less clear cut with Boston and St. Louis going head-to-head. They are two teams which I don’t have any qualms about hating on. I was semi-rooting for Boston last year since my mom was born there, and the Cardinals broke both my heart and Hanley’s rib. Yet this season, there is a clear cut choice.

Go Kansas City Royals.

There’s no other way. The pumpkin-colored foes are looking to win their third World Series in the past five years, and it’s just wrong on so many levels. While the Dodgers handily won the division, the second-place Giants are the ones honing in on another golden trophy while Yasiel Puig plays Xbox and Justin Turner is relaxing in Maui. It shouldn’t be this way.

The Royals better do their job. Their mission is simple. BEAT THE GIANTS. Just sweep ’em.

It’s a bit easier to root for the Royals since they’re already blue and all. My best friend lives in Kansas City, and I’m genuinely happy for her and her city. She told me that fireworks were going off after the Royals swept the Angels. World Series merchandise is being devoured by fans in KC, and I think the city and team deserve this much more than those evil guys up in San Francisco do.

While the Dodgers are revamping their front office, the Giants are in the midst of a dynasty. Just the fact that the Dodgers losing caused me to write about a “Giants dynasty” has me angry. The angry phase comes and goes, by the way. WHY couldn’t the Dodgers beat those Birds? Why can’t it be MY team playing in the Fall Classic?

I will be tuning into the World Series even though the Dodgers are not in it, because after all baseball is on and it’s going to be a long, cold winter. I won’t be too happy watching that other N.L. West team compete for something we have been waiting on for 26 long years.

I’ll likely be muttering to myself about the NLDS or throwing insults at the orange and black visages on my screen this week. Somehow the Giants create these unforeseen lucky rallies with blooping singles and little nubbers along the line. Madison Bumgarner will hit three grand slams. Pablo Sandoval will make several unlikely and confusingly agile plays at third base. Hunter Pence will morph back into an alien and fly over AT&T Park  in an intricate yet beautiful alien sky dance. Okay, I made that last part up.

A clown wearing a Panda hat. That’s what my nightmares are made of.

Kansas City. Please. Don’t mess this up.