NEWSLETTER
The headline is the question, as I watch the Rays try to come back against Gerrit Cole and the Astros (good luck with that).
Am I alone in it? I just feel like I’m enjoying these playoffs waaaaaay more than last year, or even the World Series in 2017 after the Cubs got bounced. I was miserable last postseason, and it wasn’t just because the Brewers were marching. Heck, the Cardinals are doing that now, and I feel pretty light and smiley.
I guess maybe it’s because the Cubs were never in these playoffs? Like, they never even had a chance to win this tournament, so eff it, I can just enjoy it as baseball? I think maybe that’s it.
It’s nice. It’s a bit of a relief. Because although I am a hardcore Cubs fan and everything else about the sport takes a back seat, it is kinda comforting to be reminded that, “Oh yeah, I also just like this sport.” When the Cubs are “involved,” one way or another, it’s really hard to divorce myself from the Cubs aspect of it, and just enjoy playoff baseball for the fun, exciting, crazy thing it can be.
Of course, I can’t *completely* remove the Cubs part of my brain. I’m also sitting here rooting for the Rays, because (1) I want to see the Cubs get a chance to interview Astros bench coach Joe Espada sooner rather than later, just in case they think he’s the best candidate for their managerial job, and (2) I’d rather Gerrit Cole didn’t have to go super deep into the postseason with more of the most stressful innings his arm will see before free agency.
https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1182442036261261312
