Kuzul

Fake bearded towel waving Giants fans watched as Matt Cain was able to deliver a crushing defeat to the heavy hitting Texas Rangers, and for many fans, the idea of capturing their first World Series since 1954 is but a stone’s throw away.

Cain kept his 0.00 postseason ERA intact going nearly eight as he dazzled and confounded the Rangers’ hitters, while postseason veteran Edgar Renteria did the rest, going 2-4 with a key home-run in the fifth inning that got things going.

And boy did they go.

Another game in which the Giants overwhelmed the Rangers with a monster inning—seven runs in the eighth inning this time—and they did it with no men on and two outs, leaving some very critical questions on the table as the Texas Rangers head back to Arlington.

This Rangers team was supposed to out hit the Giants, but instead have been out hit themselves.

This Rangers team was supposed to, at the very least, match arms with the Giants rotation, but have seen two of their best postseason pitchers literally man handled.

And that was inside a very pitcher friendly park.

Now the series moves back to an Arlington Park that is known for affording hitters with great success, and one has to wonder if this Rangers team can slow down the torture that cometh.

But it isn’t just about slowing the Giants down.

The old adage location, location, location has been the key to every team’s demise who has faced the Dirty Dozen, so every pitch simply has to be perfect. These Giants hitters are patient, crafty and have found a way to adjust to pretty much anything you throw at them.

But that’s not all.

Their defense is nearly impenetrable, their pitching is nearly unhittable, and 20 runs in two World Series games is unthinkable.

Right on par for Halloween.

So the question now is how will the Rangers reverse what has been done. It seems as if they have done all they can to win a ball game, but to no avail.

Well this is also a team that can’t be overlooked.

Much like the Phillies, the Rangers have extremely good bats in their lineup, and extremely good pitching left to be used, so the Texas Rangers’ bats will have to come alive in Game 3 if they are to believe they even have a shot at winning this thing.

The pitching is a no-brainer: stop pitching these guys inside and over the middle.

It’s almost as if everybody still wants to challenge this team’s legitimacy as a true hitting ball club. Well guess what, they are!

If you’re going to pitch to the dirty dozen, then you must dig deep for that nasty, dirty stuff.

Sloping curves to the corners, changeups and breaking balls that break to the outside and anything else you can whip up that doesn’t sail over the middle of the plate. And hang in the zone like a feather without any wind under it.

The series is quickly turning into a lopsided contest, something the Giants want. So if the Rangers want to show up, now would be a good time.

For the Giants, the only stigma left to be avoided is turning into the 1981 Yankees.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Giants entered their third 2010 postseason series as the underdog, again. Everybody was told the Giants can’t score runs. The Rangers will light up Giants pitching.

In two games, the Giants have outscored the Rangers 20-7. San Francisco had only scored 30 runs in their first 10 games leading up to the World Series.

The most glaring problem for Texas has been their miscues and the Giants’ ability to capitalize on them. San Francisco has built the entire postseason on taking advantage of miscues.

The Giants received a victory after Braves second baseman Brooks Conrad committed three errors in one game. They continued to take advantage of errors against the Phillies, mostly bobbles by Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley.

With the Rangers, they started to pile on the runs by hitting the ball towards Vladimir Guerrero. He looks older than his 35-year-old body says he should be. Guerrero having played a mere 16 games in right field did not help the Rangers.

The implosion of the Rangers bullpen has also been a huge factor. On Thursday night, the Giants led 2-0 going into the eighth inning. The Rangers were able to get the first two outs but then allowed the Giants to bat around.

Much of this was keyed on walks and location of pitches.

Whatever the case, the Giants continue to take advantage of mistakes and limit the opportunities of their opponents. But there is more to their success against Texas.

The pitching the Giants have seen prior to the World Series was some of the best pitching in all of baseball.

In the NLDS and NLCS, the Giants faced Derek Lowe twice, Tim Hudson, Roy Halladay twice, Roy Oswalt twice and Cole Hamels. Tommy Hanson is no slouch either.

Their bullpens are just as good. Jonny Venters, Brad Lidge, Ryan Madson, Craig Kimbrel.

To say the least, by name, the Giants have seen the best.

Then came the Rangers and Cliff Lee who had not lost in the postseason, ever. We saw how that worked out. C.J. Wilson came as advertised.

The drop off in quality pitching is huge when you think about what the Giants have already seen, and this is why they have been so successful.

Because they have seen pitchers that make so few mistakes, when they face guys who are not as sharp, they are able to attack more easily.

They have started to wait out the Rangers pitching, letting them make the mistakes.

A perfect image of that was the eighth inning of Game 2. On a normal day, in a normal game, I would not have been surprised to see Juan Uribe or Edgar Renteria strike out swinging on a pitch a few inches outside or in the dirt.

They were patient (wait, these guys patient?) and waited for their pitch. In Uribe’s case, he was able to take a walk, another thing he does not do often.

The Giants have scored 20 runs with Buster Posey and Pat Burrell going a combined 2-for-14 in the first two games of the World Series. If these guys heat up in any way, the Giants will be in very good shape heading into Texas.

San Francisco will have big questions to answer before the start of Game 3. Who will be the DH? Will Pablo Sandoval play against the right-handers Colby Lewis and Tommy Hunter?

Will there be a game that actually involves torture?

Aubrey Huff has offered his services as the DH. Burrell would rather not relive the debacle that was his career as a DH. How important will defense be?

Travis Ishikawa or Nate Schierholtz could also end up in the lineup. Maybe Sandoval plays third, Uribe at short, and Renteria is the DH. Bruce Bochy will have plenty of options.

The Giants are in a great position heading into Arlington with a 2-0 lead in the series. Eleven teams have come back from a 2-0 deficit to win the World Series. A team has never come back from a 3-0 deficit to win.

Game 3 is a crucial game for both teams and is a make-or-break game for Texas.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Yankees and Red Sox.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Expect a healthy dose of torture tonight. 

After last night’s offensive firestorm, where the San Francisco Giants ran up a week’s worth of runs in one game, tonight should be a nice reversion to the tense, nail-biting and familiar mean. 

Cue “The Machine” and bring on the thumbscrews. 

The ability of the Giants to persevere in ridiculously tight matchups, has generated a fan base mirroring the same attributes.  Fans who can maintain a pure hope for success during a one-run lead and cheer for their team just as vociferously during a two-run deficit. 

This purity within the San Francisco Giants fan base is one that I hope will be maintained and one which other notable fan bases have, unfortunately, replaced with complaining, excuses and an air of expectation.   

When I read the East Coast press endlessly describing the “luck” that went into the ascension of the “misfit” San Francisco Giants to the 2010 World Series, the more I just see a sniffling bully off in the corner, trying to explain his black eyes.   

Sometimes luck has nothing to do with it and you actually lose because the other guy was just more talented.  Not because he had a “good day” or had a bunch of “retreads” or because you “choked” or because you “lost” the series, but just because he beat you four times before you could do it to him.   

The stories portending a “ratings implosion” and “unwatchable World Series”, ring more of pure jealousy than of any kind of objective journalism.  

Did last night’s game strike anyone as unwatchable?  

And to further suggest that just because many sulking East Coast fans will not be tuning into the World Series, and that fact somehow lessens the achievement, is just sour grapes at it’s highest level.     

Nothing has come easy for the San Francisco Giants or their fans.  We’ve had line drives, earthquakes and a manager who liked to give out early souvenir balls.  As such, the loyal Giants supporters are the furthest thing from an expectant fan base and ones who will hopefully maintain that attribute, if continued success chooses to shine on this team.Fans who will be living every game like a gift versus an assumption.  

If you have ever followed the San Francisco 49ers, you are aware of the dangers that routine success can breed.

Fighting that birthright urge to place your beloved team above all others, solely on their previous, historic successes is difficult.  It remains an intense struggle to keep your objectivity and fight that temptation, even in the face of blatant empirical evidence.  It becomes very easy to close your eyes to reality and delude yourself into thinking that that your champions “just got unlucky” again.

To stubbornly refuse to give credit to the teams that beat yours. Even when all objective reason, in the form of mounting losses and aged stars, points clearly to the fact that the current team you worship only shares the same uniform colors as the one that wrote the legend. 

Fighting this is not as easy as wearing a fake beard to a game and cheering on Steve Perry in the Club Level as he leads “Don’t Stop Believin’” (which was awesome) or making a few “Ross Boss” signs.  The haze of endless winning seasons, multiple playoff appearances and championships, is where the real danger of becoming a pouting supporter lurks. 

Sometimes, you just get beaten up by the unassuming drama geek with a dynamite right-right-left-left pitching combination.  You can get watery eyes and bellyache when that happens or you can give credit where credit is due. 

Granted, maybe you didn’t see the punch coming in your cocoon of perceived dominance, but that happens in life—and it just happened to your team.   

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Getting an opportunity to play in Major League Baseball doesn’t come without sacrifice and hard work. Everyone that gets there goes a different route in realizing their dreams.

Some players have more obstacles in front of them than others, which make the success of San Francisco Giants’ second baseman Freddy Sanchez quite remarkable.

If Sanchez is to go on and become the most valuable player of the World Series, it would top an already incredible career that has included three All-Star appearances and a National League batting crown.

Born with a pigeon-toed left foot and a club right foot, Sanchez’s parents were faced with the fear that he might never walk. But surgery at a young age helped correct the problem.

Sanchez grew up across the street from the baseball field at Burbank High School, about 20 minutes north of downtown Los Angeles. Having covered many of Burbank’s games during Freddy’s four years there, the Bulldogs were definitely on tough times, even though they made a brief playoff appearance during Sanchez’s junior year.

In his four years, there were three varsity baseball coaches, the last of which passed away just a short time after Sanchez graduated from high school.

Success was not something Burbank was used to. It hadn’t produced a big leaguer since Ralph Botting, who briefly appeared for the California Angels in 1979 and 1980.

The talent around Sanchez was clearly the worst in the five and later six-team Foothill League, which included schools from the Santa Clarita Valley, a baseball hotbed.

But Sanchez, who played shortstop, managed to earn the Foothill League’s Most Valuable Player award his senior year. The honor was remarkable because Burbank did not finish amongst the league’s top three teams, and thus missed the playoffs.

It was even more remarkable because of the division of the six teams in the league. Four of the six were based in Santa Clarita, with Burbank and its crosstown rival, Burroughs, being the others. Some within the two programs in Burbank felt they were at a clear disadvantage when it came to voting amongst coaches in the all-league meeting since it was perceived that the schools in the two cities stuck together in the voting.

Sanchez was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 30^th round out of high school, but did not sign and decided to go to nearby Glendale Community College. This way he was able to stay close to his parents and his high school sweetheart Alissa, who was a grade behind him. They would later marry.

After two years at Glendale, Sanchez transferred. But he didn’t make the jump a Division I program. Instead he ended up at Dallas Baptist University, an NAIA school for his junior year. He stayed just one year and spent his senior year at Oklahoma City University, where he was named an NAIA All-Star in 2000.

From there Sanchez was drafted in the 11^th round by the Boston Red Sox, an organization that generally spends money on high-priced free agents and is generally not prospect friendly.

Sure enough, Sanchez was eventually shipped to the Pittsburgh Pirates, a club that was very similar to his high school team.

But it was in Pittsburgh where Sanchez thrived, winning the 2006 batting title and earning three All-Star appearances.

However in 2009 the club had continued to struggle and with doubts over whether Sanchez wanted to sign a long-term contract, it decided to rebuild again by trading him to the Giants.

More than a year later, Sanchez became the first player in Major League history to collect doubles in his first three World Series at-bats.

Miracles are no longer linked with Freddy Sanchez, so it would not be a surprise to see him win his sport’s ultimate prize.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Before the 2010 World Series began last night, the common consensus was the San Francisco Giants had to score more to have a chance of winning the World Series.

The Giants pitching staff is excellent, but could they win a slugfest against the offensive prowess of the Texas Rangers?

Game 1 was labeled as an all-time pitching showdown. The matchup between Texas Rangers ace Cliff Lee and the San Francisco Giants two-time defending NL Cy Young award winner Tim Lincecum was billed as a classic to be.

However Game 1 was an offensive battle, and the Giants proved they could win a game when they needed to score many more runs than their accustomed to.

With Cliff Lee not able to get the victory for the Rangers in the series opener, how good are the Rangers’ chances to win the title now, against a Giants rotation that continues to impress after Lincecum?

Now we’ll review several important points we learned about Game 1 of the 2010 World Series, as well as some interesting, unknown statistics that may surprise you.

Begin Slideshow

Of all the major pro sports leagues, Major League Baseball’s postseason is the least valid at crowning a champ.  This is for a number of reasons.  There is good news, however. Many positive tweaks to the playoff structure have already been discussed.  Time to shed light on just what is missing, and what actions should be taken.

Baseball season is by far the longest of any of the four major sports.  Most teams, barring rainouts, will slog through 162 contests.  Hockey and Basketball teams play 82 games in contrast.  (In fact, even with half the number of games, NBA commissioner David Stern is considering a shortened schedule for his league.)  It’s a pretty large sample survey from which to judge the quality of a team.  It’s too large, in fact.  

This becomes painfully obvious when you realize how quickly half the teams in the postseason will last.  Imagine playing all those games and then getting swept in the first round after three games.  All those must-win games, the pennant chase and the buildup. Gone after a weekend.  

So one major flaw becomes obvious at this point.  To be successful in the regular season, the team must be built for consistency.  Pitching staffs generally need quality out of four or five starters, two or three set-up men and a closer.  The lineup needs at least a few sluggers, high on-base percentage players and usually at least one speedster on the basepaths.  

This is a recipe for long-term success, and after 162 games, suddenly these important regular season qualities lose much of their value.

Once the first round begins, you can throw them out the window.  It’s a best-of-five series after all.  Most of the time, the losing team will not even get a whole turn of their rotation.  It would seem to me that the team built for regular season depth would not even get to showcase that strength.  The criteria suddenly changes.  Forget a deep 5 man rotation, a three man rotation with 2 star hurlers will get you further.  

Doesn’t it seem a little too quick to send a playoff team home after five games at most?

It’s even worse when you consider how many upsets have taken place.  Don’t get me wrong, upsets are what gives sports their luster many times.  Upsets are not as exciting if they are so easy to come by.  In baseball,  too many times the fan is left feeling cheated.  Many exciting and talented teams have been sent off to the golf course without even getting a chance to play everyone that contributed during the year. 

There is a way to ease this issue.  Make every round a seven-game series.  Obviously there are some logistics to work out in that case.  I will get into that a little further down.  

The NHL and NBA already have implemented this structure.  And in those leagues, the same players compete every night.  If any of the sports had an argument for a shortened first round, it would be them since you are essentially showcasing the same matchup multiple times.  

In baseball, there are completely new pitchers each day. It makes for a different feel for each game.  And in the current format, there are only eight playoff teams.  That means that first round matchups are never duds on paper, since even top seeds vs. bottom seeds have more parity than other sports with double the teams in the postseason. That’s why baseball doesn’t get redundant in October.   

Another issue that troubles me is how the rotations are set.  If your team is still fighting for a playoff spot in the last few games, they will most likely not be able to give themselves the matchups they want when the postseason arrives.  Many people have argued that teams that have clinched earlier should get that advantage.  Let’s take a closer look.

This year, the Rays and the Yankees fought for the AL East crown to the wire.  These teams also had the two best records in the league.  It doesn’t matter if the Rangers clinched their weak divisions much earlier; the two best teams still had work to do.  

Why should the Rangers, who had a weaker record in a weaker division, get the advantage of setting their rotation while the two higher quality teams in a tougher division could conceivably be stuck with whoever is rested enough?

This would not be such a significant factor if the first round became a best-of-seven, as all of the pitchers would most likely get a chance somewhere in the series.  There should be a three-day break before the playoffs begin.  That will allow all of the teams to load up and truly play the best against the best, rather than just who is available each day.  

A guaranteed two or three-day period between further playoff series should be instituted as well, for the same reasons.  Obviously, as it currently stands, there would be scheduling conflicts.  If these changes were in place, any other off-days that aren’t designed for travelling should be eliminated.  That way, the teams cannot just skip pitchers.  It would be a lot more like the regular season for which these teams are built.

Changing the season from 162 games to 154 would be the best catalyst to make these sorts of improvements.  People always have a little hesitation when this idea is brought forth.  Most of the time they are concerned about the record books and how to judge new achievements.  It would be a pretty safe bet to say that if there were only 154 games in a season, then Barry Bonds could feel really good about keeping the home run record.  

But that’s just the point. Many of those records are tarnished anyway.  Bonds was an obvious steroid case, as well as many others in the last 20 years.  We are now at a point in baseball where we need to be honest with ourselves and admit that all records are subject to fallacy.  

Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs in only 154 games.  Remember that many felt Roger Maris was a fraud since his 61 homers came in 162 games.  There is just is no consistency. Once baseball moves on from this naive notion, things can be streamlined.  

With only 154 games, there can be a pause to transition from the regular season to postseason. While pitchers are resting up, Major League Baseball can use the time to build some serious media hype.  Imagine all those Game 1’s with staff aces facing off against each other.   That’s drama.  They will also be available for at least another game if the series goes long.  Another plus.  More superstars equal more ratings.  

Baseball is a sport whose outcomes many times are affected by inches.  Sometimes the difference between a winner and a loser can come down to a lucky bounce.  The more games that are played with the most consistent preparation are a better measure of who is deserving of the title.  

Don’t worry though.  Upsets will still be plentiful.  The only difference (with the new rules in effect) is that upsets will seem much more significant.  To grant a much higher degree of validity to the World Series Champion, these changes would go a long way. After that maybe we can get rid of the designated hitter as well, since both leagues should play by the same rules (especially in the playoffs).  But for right now, this would be a major improvement.

-Follow me on Twitter (@ChiBdm)

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The San Francisco Giants are regarded more for their pitching than hitting—and for good reason. They ranked 15th in batting average and 17th in runs scored during the regular season.

But while their offense was mediocre then, their approach at the plate is one of the main reasons they’ve made it this far in the postseason.

One thing veteran poker players hate is when they are faced with inexperienced opponents because they are aggressive and have nothing to lose, many times catching gratuitous cards in improbable situations.

The veterans will usually prevail in the long run with this risky strategy, but the new guys will always have a fighting chance, especially in tense moments.  

The Giants are an aggressive offensive unit. They’re not afraid to swing on any count or any pitch. Playoff pitchers are often fearful of that and become tentative, which throws them off their game.

That aggressive mindset is helpful in the clutch because hitters won’t be obstructed by indecision. They’re going to swing, and they’re going to make pitchers pay for any mistakes.  

Beating the vaunted Phillies and Braves pitching staffs and now Cliff Lee, who became the fourth left-handed starter to allow seven runs in a World Series Game 1, was remarkable, but it wasn’t that surprising.

After all, if you play poker, you know that anyone can win. And if you can make the other players second-guess themselves, you’re chances of winning go way up.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

NOTE: PLAY THE  BELOW MUSIC WHILE YOU READ THIS ARTICLE

The San Francisco Union-Giants marched onto the fields at AT&T Gettysburg under an orange and black sky on this day of 27 October 2010.

General Lee (Cliff) looked to continue his invasion northward after successful campaigns against Fort Tampa and the Yankee outpost in the Bronx.

In the opening rounds of battle, General Lee attempted to flank the Union-Giants with cut fastballs and outlandishly wild curves.

But Calvary Captain Freddy Sanchez and Colonel Aubrey Huff were prepared for this tactic and managed several counter maneuvers, firing doubles to right field.

Lee’s face revealed his thoughts, “this is not going to be like previous battles.”

Furthermore, the doubles were the beginning of an onslaught to the right flank that left Confederate grunt Vladimir Guerrero bloody, limbless and concussed.

With the Confederate Rangers rolling through the countryside of late and Lee evoking the ghost of Julius Caesar, winning this critical battle would be a huge turning point in this World Series War.

Both Generals Lee and Lincecum seemed a little spooked by the magnitude of the battle in the early rounds.

After the first two rounds of battle General Lincecum was in mid-retreat and losing 2-0, but several of his mates,  Cannoneer Juan Uribe and Major Edgar Renteria, made dazzling saves in the field to prevent an even greater deficit.

Meanwhile, General Lincecum took several buck shots to the leg, but bravely fought on.

In the third round of battle, the tide began to change for the Union-Giants.

They spotted Lee with grunt Michael Young, and witnessed Young abandon his General with a costly error. With Lee alone, Scout Andres Torres cornered him and took one for the team in close combat.

That set the stage for Captain Sanchez, who took aim and blasted Lee with a double shot to left center field.

Private First Class Gerald “Buster” Posey, a Southerner by birth but fighting for the North, got his opportunity. He pounded Lee with a golden bullet from his revolver and the score was tied at 2.

Lee’s Confederate mates finally dragged him off his mound bloody and bruised, but not beaten.

The night was still young and the battle would rage on.

General Lincecum kept the pressure on by breezing through the next two rounds of battle.

Then in the bottom of the fifth round of battle, the entire Union-Giant Cavalry arrived with the sound of blaring horns and pounding hooves. Scout Torres fired and landed a double round, followed by a Captain Sanchez double bayonet cut to Lee’s left shoulder.

The tide had turned with the Union-Giants taking a 3-2 lead. Smelling and seeing Lee’s blood, the Union soldiers fought with extra vigor and spirit.

Major Pat Burrell managed a freebie, then Colonel Cody Ross whipped his hatchet into Lee’s left shoulder. The battle score now rested at 4-2 Union-Giants.

Lee’s entire left side was now bleeding profusely. Yet Confederate Senator Ron Washington foolishly believed that Lee could still fight on.

The inspirational leader of the Union-Giants, Colonel Huff, then approached General Lee surreptitiously.

Lee could barely muster a response as Huff grabbed his throat. Lee fired off a harmless shot, which Huff batted right back at him and down his throat.

In close combat, Huff removed his U.S. Union-Giant issued hunting knife from its sheath and cut deeply through and across Lee’s throat, severing his jugular veins and leaving him to gargle and choke to death in his own blood, urine, and feces.

Lee was defeated. His legacy would never be the same. The Union-Giants shouted, “he is not a God!” just as the natives once said after drowning a Spanish Governor.

General Cliff Lee came to Gettysburg an immoral marauder, and left a bloody corpse.

He came to know the meanings of team, divinity, and faith through the acts of the heroes that slayed him.

The world was at peace.

But the Confederate army refused to wave the white flag. So President Bruce Bochy brought out the canons and Cannoneer Juan Uribe.

Uribe fired one massive blast into the heart of the Confederate Army. It was final.

The Union-Giants defeated the Confederate Rangers on 27 October 2010 by a battle score of 11-7.

AT&T Gettysburg would not give way to the invaders.

President Bochy rose to the podium and addressed the gathered:

Two score and twelve years ago our fathers brought forth to this coast a new team, conceived in wood and leather, and dedicated to the proposition that Giants are created superior.

Now we are engaged in a great baseball war, testing whether the Giants, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that World Series War.

We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those Giants who here gave their lives that the team might live: Mays, McCovey, Marichal, Bonds Sr and Jr, Clark, Krukow, Mitchell, Williams, Kent, Nenn, Aurilia, and more than can be listed.

It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave Giants, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.

The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what the Giants did here.

It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which the Giants who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.

It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead Giants we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead Giants shall not have died in vain—that this Giant-nation, under God, shall have a new championship—and that their Superiority, of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Battle Commendations

Freddy Sanchez: Silver Star

Juan Uribe: Congressional Medal of Valor

Aubrey Huff: Silver Bullet

Tim Lincecum: Purple Heart

Message delivered via Pigeon Post…. from Union-Giant Scribe Ray Brennan…

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Football may be more popular, but baseball will always be our national pastime. 

We have only a couple hours before Tim Lincecum unleashes the first pitch of the 2010 World Series as the San Francisco Giants take on the Texas Rangers. But more than a trophy at the end of the year, The World Series is an annual show case as to why Baseball will always be America’s national past time, and why, by comparison, the NFL will never challenge for that supreme title.

It’s not a question of team revenues, television contracts, or merchandising (where the NFL has succeeded over all others.)  No matter how many business categories you might beat the other guy at,you cannot win the emotional attachment of an American sports fan, no matter how many Tim Tebow jerseys you sell.

There is a visceral, tingling essence inherent to the game of baseball that the NFL game simply lacks. You feel history when you walk into a stadium, and that feeling is baseball’s ultimate trump card against the NFL, and why it will always exist on a higher level.  

In my own case, I walk past statues of Willie Mays, Orlando Cepeda and Juan Marichal when I attend Giants games, and hope for home runs to fly into Willie McCovey Cove.  

There are bronze plaques on the façade of AT&T Park. These plaques celebrate lesser known (only lesser in the eyes of the statistician) heroes to countless Bay Area fans. The faces on the plaques reflect the many different decades of Giants baseball, from the circus throws of Johnnie LeMaster and Jose Uribe, to the courage of Dave Dravecky and the cold clutch of Will Clark. 

All of those memories hit you at once, and each player’s image reminds you of a different time in your own life as a fan.  Each one serves as a unique marker in your mind of a touchstone moment.  

The images access memories, like when maybe you were a little more interested in the hot dogs than the game, but can still see your Dad through your 6-year-old eyes, jumping up and down in the stands next to you as Darrell Evans took one over the chain link fence at Candlestick Park.  

Baseball’s beginnings are also inextricably intertwined with the very history of our country, and that standing is honestly too much for the NFL to ever compete with, regardless of how many ratings sheets they might shake in the air. 

Historic franchises like the Giants, Cubs, Yankees and Red Sox certainly lend their legend to the younger upstarts like the Rockies, Diamondbacks and Rays.  These younger teams might lack their own history, but their status alone as a Major League Baseball club gives them historical standing that even the most storied franchises of the NFL can’t approach.  

The NFL tries to win this impossible battle by marketing a glitzy, pop culture, quick hit brand of Americana, one replete with fireworks, flashy entrances, constant action, replays of every play, scantily clad cheerleaders, Navy SEALs parachuting into stadiums at halftime and headlining pop stars providing further layers of entertainment.  

They have special theme songs to get you pumped up for Monday Night Football, dancing computer-generated robots, panels of shrieking analysts that force feed the viewer a steady diet of constant theatrics and pure spectacle.

When baseball has a big game, they put the red, white and blue bunting out.    

Tonight, you will see that same bunting hanging from the rafters of AT&T Park. That same bunting can be seen every summer hanging from streetlights during countless Fourth of July parades at Veterans and Memorial Day events, and at stump speeches given by candidates for office. Some of you probably have some bunting in your garage right now.    

This is the ultimate reason why the NFL will never supplant baseball as our national pastime, because the NFL will always be forced to market to America, when baseball can market itself as America. 

Come and see an exciting game in the NFL, or come and see history be made in the World Series.  

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com