From The Cheap Seats: Go Cubs?

May 6th 2009
Being a Cub fan has its ups and downs. This season is no different. After getting out to a 10-11 start, they have now won four straight as of Monday night. Despite this recent swing of wins, the Cubs have me looking for a new baseball team to follow.
No, I am not giving up following the Cubs. I think that I always will. However, this season, I want less drama and fewer headaches in a team. Therefore, I have come up with a list of four teams that I am considering following and I need you, the readers, and help. I would like for you to e-mail me reasons that I should put my Cubs allegiance on the back burner and take up the flag of a new team.
One criteria for this list is that they are all Midwest teams. I’m a Midwest fan of my sports teams and there are five other teams that could be chosen. There are two others. The team has to have had a powder blue uniform in the 1980’s or a ‘retro jersey’ and they have to have been a team that I have seen play in person over my lifetime. So, here are five teams that I am considering with their current record as of Tuesday May 5 at 7:00 a.m.

1. St. Louis Cardinals (17-9)
The Cardinals have the best record of the four teams that are up for consideration. I recently saw a classic Baseball Bunch program on You Tube with Ozzie Smith and was there a better time in baseball than the 1980’s? Granted, I am an 80’s nut anyway, but speed and defense ruled the Cardinals 1982, 1985 and 1987 World Series runs.
The Cardinals have had guys like Jack Clark, John Tudor, Todd Worrell and Vince Coleman and now are led by Albert Pujols.
The bad thing about the Cardinals are that as a Cubs fan, liking a rival would be like following the Cyclones after liking the Hawkeyes. Some things are just not natural.
I have been to Cardinals games in 1983 and 1998.

2. Chicago White Sox (12-13)
I know there are a lot of White Sox fans in our area so I would expect a lot of response for them. The White Sox have won the World Series in the past couple years and have one of my favorite current baseball players in Jim Thome. Thome is a basher with an attitude that I like to see in baseball players. Granted, he can’t field anymore, or for his career for that matter, but he is a home run hitting left handed batter.
The White Sox had some interesting jerseys in the 1980’s and 1990’s before settling on their black pinstripes now.
I haven’t been to Chicago to watch the White Sox, but I have seen them play twice in Kansas City. Once, Carlton Fisk stole second base and Bo Jackson was on the White Sox, and once last year where Thome and Paul Konerko hit back-to-back home runs.

3. Kansas City Royals (15-11)
By far, the biggest surprise this season and by far the most games that I have been to. I have been to Royals games each of the last four years as well as games in 1984, 1985, 1994 and 1995.
With going to a game each of the last four seasons, there are some here at the newspaper that thinks that I have already made the switch to the Royals.

4. Minnesota Twins (13-13)
I will not forget the 1987 World Series in which the Twins took the championship from the Cardinals. When I think of the Twins I think of good pitchers whether its Frank Viola or Jack Morris to Johan Santana. The fact that they are winning in a small market is something that I like to see. You don’t have to spend a lot to be competitive.
I saw a game in the dome against the Indians back in the mid-90’s. The Twins have two of the best young players in Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer.

5. Milwaukee Brewers (14-12)
The Brewers are not the frontrunner here, however they have something that I like. They are a young team that has some pop in their bat. I went to a Brewers game back when I was much younger and the Brewers played at County Stadium against the Minnesota Twins and their powder blue jerseys.

Are there others? All of these teams have something in common. They have all won the World Series in my lifetime. The Cubs, not so. So, I need your help, let me know pro or con for these teams and try to convince me of which team to follow. My e-mail address is ConservativeSports@hotmail.com. I will let you know next week the results.