In started well enough, a sprinkle of upsets, a top seed getting knocked off, but plenty of marquis names, large markets, and top players to even get NFL fans to split their viewing time. In fact, with three game 5s to speak of, one could argue it was the best Wildcard/Divisional Round of the playoffs we had seen in recent memory. However since then, things have slowly faded. We lost the Cardinals with all of their pedigree, history, and 100 wins. Then the Dodgers fell with big market and even bigger payroll, Cy Young candidates, Hollywood flair, and non-freezing weather. Ok, we’re still good, we got possibly the “feel good” story in over a century as the “loveable losers” from Chicago were finally going to make it back to the World Series after a 70-year absence or win for the first time in 107. We also have the chance for a true “World Series” with two competing countries sending their best baseball clubs if Toronto could get back for the first time in 22 years when they won back-to-back championships. We could still get a matchup where the headlines would write themselves and the hype machine wouldn’t need to work overtime, but that doesn’t look like it’s going to happen.

Remember to baseball fans, their clubs are like their kids. You may think they’re the cutest, most interesting creatures on the planet, but to everyone else they’re just another baby. So if you live outside of the hosting cities, you may have already diverted your attention to Saturdays of wall to wall College Football and Sundays/Mondays with the NFL. Baseball’s last hope was for some exciting series that would build the intrigue so the two still standing at the end could build some good momentum. Unfortunately, these series have been over since game 2 and now the only thing are two champagne dousing ceremonies. We didn’t even get a chance to get into the dream of what if in Chicago before they were down 0-3 with the last person leaving Wrigley has to turn the lights out until next year. And even the anniversary of Joe Carter’s heroics can’t counterbalance out Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard.

So it’s looking like the little team from the big city as the New York Mets will take on the smaller team from the smaller city in the Kansas City Royals. For baseball’s sake let’s hope we can forget the sleepers that the NL and ALCS were and bring back the drama of all the game 5s of the Divisional Series. Now for those of you from NY and Kansas City, congratulations for surviving the 162 game season and torment of that first round where both had moments where it looked like the season could be over, enjoy the series and my you bring back the trophy to a city of fans that certainly deserve it. Hopefully you’ll give the rest of us a 7-game series that’s so good we could care less who is playing (ie; Royals and Cards from 85) but for the record, we still don’t think your kids are that cute.