2010 World Series: a battle of underdogs
In professional sports the underdogs often surprise their fans, and themselves, with appearances in their sport’s final series. It happens in almost every sport. But more often than not, the underdog
loses in the final against a heavy favourite, making their improbable playoff run little more than a fond memory in the back if their fan’s minds, and completely forgotten by everyone else.
There will be no groans this year about how MLB’s salary cap is useless as the New York Yankees, or the Philadelphia Phillies, crush some team that’s been playing above their heads for the past two months.
Nor will we see two powerhouses meet face-to-face in a series that looks more like an all-star game than anything else. Instead, this year’s Fall Classic will be played between two teams that few expected to be in the final: the San Francisco Giants, and the
Texas Rangers.
The Giants, who haven’t won a World Series since 1954, have very good pitching starting with Tim ‘The Freak’ Lincecum, and ending with closer Brian Wilson, but their hitting is not what most people expect
in a championship team.
Many assumed that the Philadelphia Phillies would beat the Giants to earn their third straight World Series appearance with pitchers like Roy Halladay in the rotation, and hitters like Chase Utley and
Jason Werth in the lineup.
Even down 3-2 in the National League Championship Series (NLCS) the Phillies were the favourites with two games to play at home, but the resilient Giants won Game 6 by a score of 3-2 to clinch a spot in
the World Series.
The Rangers’ story is even more surprising. Almost no one thought they could beat the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series (ALCS).
They lost both their home games in the first round against the Tampa Bay Rays, making them 0-6 all time at home in the playoffs, but they managed to win all three games in Tampa to win the franchise’s
first ever playoff series.
The first three series in franchise history were all against the New York Yankees, so when the Rangers advanced to the ALCS and promptly lost Game 1 at home to New York, it looked like the Yankees were
on their way to another World Series, despite Cliff Lee still waiting to pitch Game 3.
The Rangers could have fallen apart after that first game. The Yankees had come back from a five run deficit to extend the Rangers’ playoff losing streak against them to 10. With a tough pitching rotation,
and some of the most dangerous hitters in the league, New York could have easily breezed past a dejected Rangers squad.
Many envisioned the Rangers losing again at home in Game 2, no surprise there, winning Game 3 in New York with Cliff Lee before dropping the next two in New York. But instead the Rangers fought back to
earn the franchise’s first playoff home win in Game 2, and they followed that up with two wins in New York on their way to a 4-2 series victory.
Usually when an underdog makes it to the final it’s easy for fans to cheer for one team or the other. They’re either already fans of the favourite, or they cheer for the underdog, but in this year’s MLB
final both teams are underdogs. The Rangers are technically the favourites to win the World Series, but the odds are only slightly in their favour, and the Giants have just as much a chance to win.
Game 1 goes Wednesday night in San Francisco. Tim Lincecum will take on the Rangers’ ace, Cliff Lee.
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