Why I Wouldn't Trade 9 Yankees Titles for My 4 - MLB Preview

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I have rightfully been accused of hating the Yankees, and have talked about why in recent posts.  I was also asked the following question, also alluded to in these posts, and I think it makes for some good bar room banter.  For the record, I have yet to find a person, other than Reggie, the sometimes-LB contributor and noted true, not poser, Yankee fan, who would do this deal.  Probably cause he's a fan of a hated team.

So here it is:





Would you give up 9 Yankees World Series Titles in the next 10 years in exchange for at least one for each of your favorite teams in the four major sports?  This was later ammended to include college teams, so you could pick your four.  I would take the Red Wings, Tigers, Pistons, and Michigan football.  Just not attached enough to my Bears, though would have to consider a title for a tortured fan base like the Browns, for karma's sake.  So what was my answer?

Hell freaking no.

Took that long to decide

This has nothing to do with the Yankees, though them winning would make it worse.  I don't want to know ANY team is going to win 9 in 10 years.  Let me explain why:

- How do I know my teams won't win anyway?  In the last 10 years, I have two Stanley Cups (not counting this one), an NBA title (suck it, Laker fans), a Super Bowl appearance, a World Series appearance, and another Cup Finals appearance.  Go back a few more years, and you can add on a National Football title and two more Cups.  So I've had a pretty good run.

- Even without that run, I don't want to listen to the media slurp any team for that long (this was the wife's main reason).  Later, my buddy JB and I decided we could maybe hear about the Oakland A's for that long.   But could you imagine listening about the Yankees for that long?  That's like having 10 years of food poisoning.

For the kids

- Consider this... if That Team (no more cursing in the blog, this is PG PG-13 rated, for the kids) wins 9 titles, and you get 1, that ruins the sport for 10 years cause you already know who wins every year.  Especially if you're in the same league/conference, cause you'd know before the championship.  Where's the fun in that?  Reggie tried to refute this with the UCLA dynasty example.  Ludicrous.  We didn't know they were going to win!!!  What if my Tigers won in the 2nd year?  Then I'm basically done watching baseball for the next 8 years.  Screw that.

The wife said the only way to make this deal worth it is to somehow make it that you don't know when the 10 years is going to start.  (I used the Cowboys on her, she wouldn't have even done it for the A's).  Good idea, but don't you think you'd figure it out after That Team won 5 in a row?  Or what if you won your 4 titles, then you know the 9 of 10 is coming?  It'd be like finding a pubic hair on the filet at Morton's after having the lobster appetizer and a $50 dollar bottle of wine.

No, I don't have a bag of "sell out" in my pocket

Hit us with comments here or on Twitter, would love your thoughts on this one.  Great question, Reggie, but I think you're waaaaaaaay in the minority on this one.  Just like the real fans amongst your poser fan base.  Sorry, couldn't help myself.  On to the MLB picks. 

AL Central - Detroit Tigers (no one near their caliber here.  By caliber I mean both the size of... never mind, that was for Mojo)
AL East - Tampa Bay Rays (best division in baseball)
AL West - The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim/Orange County/whereever (two horse race, A's a couple years away)
AL Wild Cards - That Team, Texas Rangers (thiiiis close to getting That Team out of the playoffs.  Pineda will be a bust in that ball park)

NL Central - Cincinnati Reds (by default - this division stinks.  They're good, though)
NL East - Philadelphia Phillies (by a nose, I think the adversity fuels them this year)
NL West - San Francisco Giants (I bet less than half my readers can name two teams in this division)
NL Wild Cards - Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins (don't be shocked if the Nats get in on this)

Awards!!!  Adding team names for the less avid fans out there.

AL MVP - Albert Pujols, LA Angels (dark horse - Carlos Santana, Cleveland)
AL Cy Young - David Price, Tampa Bay Rays (dark horse - Brandon McCarthy, Oakland)
NL MVP - Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado Rockies - took him last year, going back for more (dark horse - Geoncarlo Stanton, formerly Mike Stanton, Miami, and Jay Bruce, Cincy Reds)
NL Cy Young - Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies (dark horse - Madison Bumgartner, SF Giants)

I would love nothing more than to post the Olde English D here, but truth is that V Mart injury is gonna sting the middle of the Tigers lineup, and I think their young starters (Porcello, Fister, Jacob Turner) need one more year.  If they trade for one more rent-a-bat and their back end starters over perform, they might get there.  But, sadly, me thinks I'm posting the D next year.  So who's it gonna be?

Fans might even sell out a playoff game!

Rays over Giants.  Booooooring.  But unequivocaly, without a doubt, going to might happen.  Dark horses - Well, there really isn't one in the AL, they're all monsters.  I just picked the closest thing to one, really.  So NL dark horse... Rays over Braves.

Contact Logical Betting at logicalbetting@gmail.com and twitter.com/logicalbetting.  Thanks to Reggie for the question and to my parents for the MLB Extra Innings package for Christmas.  Don't forget to follow us on Twitter for links to interesting sports stories, our common sense thoughts, and witty commentary.  Summer, summer, summer time!