First things first. As yours truly was starting to look some of the following up, I stumbled upon an excellent article written by one Ronald Blum of the Associated Press. He'd already done all the heavy lifting. So -- with all due credit and apologies to Blum, I'm going to "borrow" some of his work.
As all baseball fans know, the KC Royals routed the SF Giants 10-0 in Game 6 of the World Series. They are now tied at 3 games apiece. Tomorrow night, the deciding Game 7 will be played in Kansas City. Which team will win is anybody's guess.
But Blum pointed out some staggering historical statistics of World Series' past.
Home teams have won 9 straight Game 7s.
The Giants have lost all 4 Game 7s they have ever participated in.
Teams with the home field advantage (KC) have won 23 of the last 28 titles -- including the last 5 in a row.
In the only other wild-card only World Series, back in 2002, the Giants won the opener, fell behind 2-1, took a 3-2 lead, and eventually lost the last two games. Through 6 games this year, this is EXACTLY how it has played out so far. Weird.
The last 8 teams to win Game 6 to even the Series went on to win Game 7.
And no road team has lost Game 6 and came back to win Game 7 since Cinci's Big Red Machine did it against the Bosox way back in 1975.
Well then. Given all the above stats Blum originally provided, it seems obvious who will be World Series champs by this time tomorrow night. Every possible trend leans heavily towards the Kansas City Royals, including the poll I mentioned in my previous post. And while the Bay area of San Fran has always been one of my favorite places to visit, I get this sense that most across the country are pulling for KC. It's understandable. After all, the Royals have only won one World Series, and that was way back in 1985 when a guy named George Brett was a young man. Their NFL football team, the Chiefs, haven't sniffed the Super Bowl since the late 60s. They don't even have an NBA or NHL team. It would mean SO much to the good people of Kansas City to win the World Series. It's difficult to find a reason to root against them.
Conversely, San Fran has enjoyed major success with their NFL 49ers over the years. Since 1982, five Super Bowl championsips and an appearance in a sixth just two years ago. Five rings and a runner-up? That's more glory than other cities featuring pro teams have enjoyed in their entire history.
And again, I love San Francisco. The exotic foods in Chinatown. The trolley cars. Going up to the very top of Lombard Street to navigate the super-sharp turns while looking down on the city. Wandering around Fisherman's Wharf on the piers taking in all the live street acts and never ceasing to be amazed at what some of them can do. Going across the Golden Gate bridge to enjoy nature at it's finest in Meir's Woods, and even taking the ferry over to Alcatraz (though my ex tried to leave me there one time, and I found that decidedly NOT funny). All in all, a fantastic place to visit.
But while Tony Bennett may have left his heart in San Francisco, yours truly find himself pulling for the Royals. Consider their two most famous players from the past. George Brett versus Barry Bonds. Need I say more?
And after all, according to Blum, every stat in the book points towards KC winning Game 7 and becoming champions.
Except two. 2014 is an even-numbered year, and San Fran won the World Series in both 2012 and 2010, while being mediocre at best in the odd numbered years. Weird again.
And most important of all, yours truly is rooting for Kansas City. That means they're likely doomed, an unenviable trait I inherited from my late father when it comes predicting the outcomes of sporting contests. Our combined record could be compared to the Detroit Lions and the Super Bowl, or the Chicago Cubs and the World Series. Needless to say, we've never exactly been "on a roll".
San Fran wins. San Fran wins.
There. That ought to do it......
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