/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/716457/20120930_lbm_ac1_231.0.jpg)
Looking over the current active rosters of all the teams in the playoffs, it's apparent that the upstart Washington Nationals will face the Texas Rangers in the 2012 World Series
The reasoning? It's simple, neither team features any former Kansas City Royals players on their team. Now this is partly tongue in cheek as we have obviously seen past Royals go on to win a world championship with other ball clubs, but it certainly puts some bad juju on the other eight teams that qualified for the post season.
Ranging from long ago Kansas City players such as Miguel Batista and Endy Chavez to the most recent, Jonathan Broxton, the landscape of the playoffs are scattered with former Royals. Even Victor Marte has a chance at a World Series ring, playing with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Somehow the San Francisco Giants even made the playoffs with Jose Mijares on the roster. If you remember back a couple months, Mijares and the Royals cut ties to get rid of bad chemistry that had apparently built up. Yuniesky Betancourt and Mijares were the scapegoats, though Betancourt did nothing to make it apparent he deserved a pot on the roster anyway.
I have heard about this bad juju before. The first time I was made aware of it was the joke going around that the winner will be the one with the fewest former Chicago Cubs will usually win.
Among the former Royals you will see this playoff season include:
Atlanta Braves: Miguel Batista
Chad Durbin
Baltimore Orioles: Wilson Betemit, Endy Chavez
Cincinnati Reds: Jonathan Broxton, Wilson Valdez
Detroit Tigers: Octavio Dotel
New York Yankees: Raul Ibanez
Oakland Athletics: Jesse Chavez, Coco Crisp
San Francisco Giants: Jeremy Affeldt, Gregor Blanco, Jose Mijares and of course Melky Cabrera (well kind of)
St Louis Cardinals: Carlos Beltran, Victor Marte
So obviously, Giants, you are screwed. Having the most former Royals and one of them being a steroid user, the juju is not with you this season.
As for what I am looking for, I am on the bandwagon of three teams: Athletics, Nationals, and Orioles. I am secretly hoping for a Baltimore against Washington World Series.
I'd love to see Beltran get a ring. However, seeing he plays for St. Louis, I don't want him to win a ring that bad.
It'd be great for Atlanta to win it all and see Chipper Jones go out on top, while you could also say the same for Jim Thome as a member of the Orioles.
Loading comments...