My new favorite team, the Houston Astros

[gratuitous]

Not so very long ago, I was the Minnesota Twins' biggest fan. Then, just like that, I was a die-hard Cleveland fan. Now, I'm a Houston Astros' partisan. By Opening Day 2018, I should be back to my Kansas City Royals default setting.

Houston 2
Some Other Team 1

[BeyondGeography]

1. Hating sports teams

I remember those days.

Fuck Freddie Patek!

[gratuitous]

5. I tried to hate on Yankees players

I got to "bandwidth exceeded." And I wasn't even through the letter D.

DID YOU KNOW: The names of many teams are actually abbreviations? It's true! The Reds started out as the Redlegs, and the Mets were originally the Metropolitans. But did you know that "Yankees" is short for "Yankeessuck"?

[BeyondGeography]

6. Enfantin

[lastlib]

14. HEY! Leave Freddie Patek alone--he was a GREAT shortstop!!

AND a good guy, too!! AND a KC Royal Hall-of-Famer!

Eff Billy Martin! that goat-riding, sheep-loving SOB! Chris Chambliss, too! And ESPECIALLY George Steinbrenner!!

[BeyondGeography]

15. Hey, that was some awesome baseball

The Royals even won one in the end when Brett the Beast took Gossage deep. Good manager you got out of that deal, too; Dick Howser, a Yankee lifer until George blew the whole relationship over that series.

[lastlib]

18. I don't live too far from Dick Howser Boulevard!

He was a great manager! Left us much too soon, alas!

[brewens]

2. Since when are they an AL team? I don't pay that much attention anymore. n/t

[sharp_stick]

7. Not long ago

They swapped the Astros and Brewers. I don't know why.

[sharp_stick]

8. That's not correct

Sorry. The Astros switched to the AL in 2013 when they were sold in order to give each league 15 teams and to put them in the same league as the Rangers.

The Brewers went to the NL in 1998

[brewens]

9. Probably a good move. No doubt hoping a Texas pennant race some day would be huge. n/t

[irisblue]

3. Any team that beats the Orioles or Yankees are ones I like.

[Gothmog]

4. Go Astros

[gratuitous]

10. And again!

Houston 2
Some Other Team 1

[rurallib]

11. They ask me "Who's your favorite team?"

And I say "Who's playing the Yankees?"

[TexasBushwhacker]

12. You'll be please to know

That pitcher Justin Verlander donated $100K to Hurricane Harvey relief PLUS his playoff pay.

[True Dough]

17. Classy move

Verlander seems to be fond of his new home.

[jmowreader]

13. In most years I'd totally agree with you. I really can't stand the Yankees.

This year is different. Aaron Judge, who plays for the Yankees, is such a nice kid and he's had the rookie season for the ages...in this year when everything ELSE has gone wrong, Aaron Judge winning his first World Series ring would be about the only thing that had gone right.

[GallopingGhost]

16. NY Mets! n/t

[Awsi Dooger]

19. The Astros were my most hated team when I bet baseball

They never cooperated, regardless if I bet on them or against them. One ridiculous bad beat after another.

My Las Vegas friends thought it was hilarious because initially they tried to dismiss it as short term and meaningless until they watched it unfold that way season after season.

[gratuitous]

20. My rule on gambling

Never bet on anything smarter or dumber than yourself.

But, now that the Astros have destroyed the evil empire for another season (that's eight years in a row they've missed the World Series), I'll be rooting for Mom's beloved/hated Dodgers, who's full nickname I learned growing up was the DumbDodgers.