The World Series Begins Tomorrow, but Before We Get To That....

Yes, what was once the premier event on the American Sports Calendar, the World Series, begins tomorrow, and I will address that, but first.....

How about that 38-7 ass-whipping that the Steelers laid on the CleveBrownies yesterday?

How Baker Mayfield spent most 

of his afternoon at Heinz Field

As you all know, this was highly anticipated match-up between the 4-0 Steelers and the 4-1 Browns, and it seemed that this would be the year when, finally, the Browns would be able to compete against the Steelers at Heinz Field.  However, when Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepted Baker Mayfield's first pass of the day and returned it for a touchdown and a 10-0 Steelers lead, it quickly became apparent that, for one day at least, the "storied rivalry" would be yet another rendition of the Steelers playing hammer to the Browns' nail.

I sure didn't see such a dominant performance by the Steelers coming, not sure anyone did, but Mike Tomlin and his staff sure had the team ready to go and made for a very, very hot "AFC North kitchen" for the Browns.  It was a smackdown of epic proportions, and it called to mind how great it always is to see the Steelers throttle the Browns.  The only negative to the day was the loss of Devin Bush for the season due to a torn ACL.  That's a big loss.

Next up: the 5-0 Steelers against the 5-0 Titans.  That should be fun!!

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Now, for the World Series.

In a shortened season and a Playoff Jumble that seemed to include every team except the Pirates, MLB somehow managed to end up with a World Series that matches up the two teams that had the best records in their respective leagues, the Tampa Bay Rays and the Los Angeles Dodgers.  

The teams are a study in contrasts.  The Rays are run by smart people who, despite being handcuffed by the 28th lowest payroll in baseball, know how to draft good players, develop them into good to very good major league players, and make smart trades (remember how they stole Neal Huntington's lunch money in the Chris Archer deal?).  By contrast, the Dodgers spend with abandon and have the top payroll in MLB.  There is  no player that they won't go after regardless of the cost (see Mookie Betts).

Both League Championship Series went to seventh games, and they were often times great fun to watch, although teams going through five, six, or seven pitchers by design is a new look for baseball and will take some getting used to, and the games still go on for interminable lengths of time.  Still, there's nothing better in any sport, especially baseball, than Seventh Games, and both deciding games this year were quite entertaining.

This will be the Rays second trip to the Fall Classic in their history, and the Dodgers third trip in the last four seasons, and they haven't won a World Series since 1988.  Logic tells you that the Dodgers should win this, but I'm rooting for the Rays, so, what the Hell, let's call it for the Rays in six games.

It'll be a real kick for us Pirates fans to watch Charlie Morton, Tyler Glasnow, and Austin Meadows hoist that Commissioner's Trophy at the end of the Series.