My picks from the heart not from the smart.

Okay, It's that time of year where I root for baseball teams that aren't the New York Mets or the Seattle Mariners to win it all in the order in which I like them.

...and why.



1. Detroit Tigers- It wasn't too long ago (2003) that the Tigers set the American League record for most losses. Three years later they were in the World Series and right now have a more than decent chance to do it again. They've got a strong team offensively and the best pitcher in the American League along with this year's most successful closer. The city of Detroit is starting to recover from the depths of their economic crisis slowly and I like the idea that their sports teams are doing well so I'm rooting for them over the other 7 teams. Especially in the first round.


2. Milwaukee Brewers- Has been in one World Series back when they were in the American League. They have a chance for a re-match but not in the World Series but in the NLCS if they face the Cardinals. I like them enough despite the fact they were born from the ashes of the Seattle Pilots of 1969. Interesting trivia- The Milwaukee Brewers WITHOUT ever moving form their city has played in four different divisions, the American League West (1970-1971), the American League East (1972-1993), The American League Central (1994-1997), and currently the National League Central (1998-present) Any team with that kind of history is easy to root for.


3. Tampa Bay Rays- A hard luck team for most of its existence but almost a perennial playoff team now. Funny how getting rid of the "devil" part of the name has worked out for them. Still it took the classless Yankees to lay down for them to get in the playoffs. If both teams make the ALCS, I hope it bites the Yankees in the ass.

4. Texas Rangers-A team that has never won the World Series. I root for underdogs like that. I like Nolan Ryan and what he has done to the team but the Bush stank on its history still smolders, so it's hard to root for the Texas Rangers too much.



5. Philadelphia Phillies- Like the Red Sox and their recent success I still haven't learn to hate the Phillies and theirs. A hard luck franchise for most of their existence. But they have rubbed it in the Mets face with their success but with the Mets playing bad baseball the last few years, It can't truly be considered a rivalry.


6. Arizona Diamondbacks- An expansion team who I'm not anxious to match the Mets in World Series titles in a mere 14 years of existence.






7. St. Louis Cardinals- Still haven't gotten over 2006, Only reason to root for them is so they too will have 2 World Series championships in this century and 11 in their history. Enough to possible go on a three or four decade run to surpass the Yankees in championships.




8. New York Yankees- Like rooting for a billionaire to get a tax payer bailout.