Between fantasy baseball, moving around the country, obsessing about pitching and being disillusioned with my "favorite" team, the whole concept of rooting for a team has weakened somewhat. But it's hard to shake one's team loyalties (even if, as Seinfeld pointed out, team loyalty is akin to rooting for the laundry because the players change teams so much). And I've developed a 5-5 system with top 5 favorite teams to root "for" and bottom 5 teams to root against. The other 20 teams fall into some opaque, fluid morass between #6 and #26.Leather, Runs and Repeat team #5: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Spending some time in this team's local market had them growing on me. (I'm not sure the Orioles will do the same now that I live in their zip code.) I did get to spend some time working with Angels' broadcaster Steve Physioc and it's hard not to share his genuine enthusiasm for this club. Watching Vladimir Guererro step up to the plate 500 - 600 times a year is a real joy.
Leather, Runs and Repeat team #4: Toronto Blue Jays. My first major league hometown team. My first game attended was the Rangers@Blue Jays at the old Exhibition Stadium. With Halladay, Burnett and Chacin as the 1-2-3 starters I think this the team with the best rotation in the AL East and they have a shot at putting a good scare into the evil empire. They did manage to take second in the division last year. And that was with significant injury problems in that starting rotation.
Leather, Runs and Repeat team #3: Philadelphia Phillies. I'd always been favorable to this team. But once they added my favorite pitcher (Jamie Moyer), along with Freddy Garcia after making a great run last year - in spite of seemingly dismantling at the trading deadline - I was hooked. I really think this is their year.
Leather, Runs and Repeat team #2: Minnesota Twins. The rise to take the division title on the last day of the regular season last year was the story for me. And along the way I was hooked on watching how they play. I remember a great series they played at home against the Chicago Cubs and another good series on the road against the Chicago White Sox. Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer are the new M&M boys.
Leather, Runs and Repeat team #1: Seattle Mariners. In spite of their efforts to shake all the fair weather fans I can't shake the team that first hooked me. The Carl Everett deal last year was a bad idea. Now they've followed that up with a trio of terrible off season moves: trading Rafael Soriano away for Horacio Ramirez, picking up the (almost Everett proportions of immaturity) Jose Guillen and installing Jose Vidro as the new DH. And yet I still pull for them to at least finish ahead of Texas in the standings.
