The Final PitchFaith.For baseball fans whose teams haven’t won a world championship (or have endured long stretches in-between), the concept should have been understood long ago.For those whose teams are regular contenders, the word faith, and the true meaning behind it, no concept is more difficult to grasp.For those who follow a team merely because they have met with recent success or those that haven’t had to sit through no-talent teams and sub-.500 seasons, no concept is more fleeting.And for those of us who follow the San Diego Padres (don’t laugh; at last count there were five of us on the Ohio State campus), keeping the faith has finally paid off.Before I pay homage, a little history: I more or less grew up in Jack Murphy/Qualcomm Stadium. My family owned season tickets for 17 years: Field level, front row, behind third base where you can reach through the infield bars and touch the grass. Because of those seats my family has scores of autographs and dozens of foul balls.What we’ve never gotten, though, was a world championship.There’s nothing more heart-wrenching, more frustrating, than seeing your baseball team suffer through year after year of last place finishes, when the attendance on any given day is in the low thousands, and you’re forced to mutter under your breath when you’re asked who your team is.Indians fans know this all too well. Their younger fans (those 50 and under) weren’t even alive the last time Cleveland brought home a world championship.Padres fans know this hardship even better.In 62 years of existence, 30 in Major League Baseball, San Diego has been to one World Series (in 1984 they beat the Chicago Cubs in the National League championship series but got trounced by the Detroit Tigers in five games). Their only other two playoff appearances have come in the last three years.There’s never been a better time then now for all of that to change. And who better to change that against than the Cleveland Indians.Do we really want to see the Yankees in their 34th World Series appearance? And the idea of seeing the Braves again, who have been to four World Series this decade alone, makes me cringe.Let’s see San Diego vs. Cleveland, two teams whose fans need a championship, make it and let one city finally hold the ultimate title.And to all the Padres and Indians fans alike, those that have stuck by their respective team for years, congratulations for keeping the faith.Faith is hard to come by.Faith is even harder to shed.
Possible World Series match-ups (listed in order of most-to-least exciting):Padres vs. Indians: If justice truly exists in this world, Cleveland and San Diego will meet for the first time in history for the title of world champion. The Indians haven’t won the World Series since 1948. The Padres have never won one, losing to Detroit in 1984 in their only World Series appearance. Both teams have such a history for being losers, a championship would finally ease the pain of the fans of these two teams. Prediction: Sorry Wahoo fans, Padres take it in six. Team Relations: Indians who are former Padres: Sandy Alomar Jr., Joey Cora. Padres who are former Indians: None.Padres vs. Yankees: The Swinging Friars vs. The Bronx Bombers, pinstripes vs. pinstripes, Beach Boys vs. Rude Boys, northeast vs. southwest: This would be a match-up nearly on par with San Diego vs. Cleveland (it isn’t, only because the Yankees have already won 23 World Series titles). Prediction: Padres win in a nail-biting seventh game (I’m man enough to admit the Yankees are the better ballclub, but what kind of fan would I be if I conceded early defeat?).Team Relations: Yankees who are former Padres: Hideki Irabu (never played in Padres pinstripes, but his contract was with SD originally). Padres who are former Yankees: Andy Sheets, Jim Leyritz, Greg Myers, Sterling Hitchcock.Braves vs. Indians: A rematch of their 1995 series would be a better series than when the Braves won last time. And the Native American activists will have a field day again.Prediction: Indians fans can finally celebrate after Cleveland sweeps the Braves in a shocking series where Atlanta’s starting rotation breaks down.Team Relations: Indians who are former Braves: David Justice. Braves who are former Indians: Dennis Martinez.Braves vs. Yankees: Yawn. Does anyone, other then Braves or Yankees fans, really want to watch these two teams go at it? Prediction: A tough choice, but the Yankees edge out Atlanta in the seventh game.Team Relations: Yankees who are former Braves: None. Braves who are former Yankees: None.
Chris Tribbey, a junior journalism major and news editor of the Lantern, is a native San Diegan who is still trying to grasp the concept of snow.
