[tdotter]

The Blue Jays haven't even been in the playoffs since they won in 1993, so their mere appearance this year was cause for celebration in Canada.  Unfortunately there may not be much more to look forward to this year the way things are going.

I knew that was coming before the series began.Why?
Because the Jays are on this week's Sports Illustrated cover of their baseball playoff preview issue.The SI cover jinx is just about foolproof.
Here's another SI cover baseball jinx I found and there are many in different sports.
Clint Hurdle manages the Pirates.He had a 10 year MLB career.Look at this SI cover from 1978 when he was just starting.
Clint's career stats - 32 hrs and 193 rbis
Nice call on that one,Sports Illustrated!

[solvegas]

And you're right, rtpoe--The last time the Cubs were in the Series, Teddy Roosevelt was president.

 The Cubs were in the 1945 World Series last and they lost to Detroit. Truman was President. There is the curse of Billy Sianis who had two box office seats, one for him and one for his billy goat, and who were both kicked out by Mr. Wrigley out of Wrigley field due to the bad odor and the last word of Sianis were " The Cubs ain't gonna win no more ! ". Anyways, they haven't been in the World Series since.

[rtpoe]

Every team in the "Final Four" has blue as one of their team colors....

I predict that the Royals will win the AL pennant, because baseball is supposed to be played outdoors in late October and early November.

The Cubs will win the NL pennant, so their fans can get more disappointment.

Game 4 of the World Series is set for Halloween.

I predict that the Cubs will be one strike away from a sweep of the series when the clock will strike midnight. At which point, there will be a loud crack of thunder, the earth will open up beneath the outfield, and all manner of hellspawn will emerge and eat all the players.

[solvegas]

I predict that the Cubs will be one strike away from a sweep of the series when the clock will strike midnight. At which point, there will be a loud crack of thunder, the earth will open up beneath the outfield, and all manner of hellspawn will emerge and eat all the players.

    Yes, the horrors that would befall mankind if the Cubs win will be apocalyptic.    Besides, why would they want to end their hopeless streak at a mere 70 years ? 

[pedonbio]

Season six of Downton Abbey will start soon. It is set in 1925.

That's 17 years after the last time the Cubs won a Series.

[rtpoe]

Congratulations to the Kansas City Royals, for winning the World Series and causing a celebration that showed up on National Weather Service radar (pic.twitter.com/2LCLE4Q6p6), overloaded cell phone and wireless internet service, and completely shut down the city (it's estimated that more people showed up for the parade than actually live in Kansas City...)

[rtpoe]

In that annual migration that heralds the coming of Spring, baseball players are heading south. Very soon there will be actual games played, even if they are only workouts and exhibition games. But optimism returns, as every team starts with a clean slate and looks forward to, if not making the playoffs, at least a winning season.

Eight teams are still looking for their first World Series championship (Mariners, Astros, Rangers, Nationals, Rays, Rockies, Brewers, and Padres). The Mariners and Nationals have yet to even *make* it to the WS. Combined, the Astros and Rangers have 110 seasons without a championship. That's a pretty long drought for Texas. But this year, who knows? Both teams have plenty of talent, both young stars and a few veterans.

The Dodgers have Clayton Kershaw, the greatest pitcher in the game today. They've won four straight division titles, but have failed to make it to the Series. With the game's highest payroll, that's a lot of disappointment. Could this year be the one?

The last time a team repeated as champions was in 2000. The Cubs still have the talent; can they do it again? Can the Indians break their drought? Can Mike Trout drag the Angels into the playoffs by himself?

Will we get surprised?

Going into the 2012 season, the A's and Orioles were expected to finish in last place. They both made the playoffs. The Nationals, in all their time in DC, had never had a winning record. They finished with the best record in baseball. The Pirates had suffered twenty years of losing seasons, the longest streak in the history of pro sports. The Red Sox finished in last place. In 2013, the Pirates made it to the playoffs with 94 wins, and Boston won the World Series. The Royals finished off that year with a winning record, but not enough to make the playoffs - as they hadn't for 28 years. In 2014, they put it all together with an epic run in the playoffs and won the pennant. People thought it was a fluke, but they won it all in 2015, defeating a Mets team that got hot at the right time to win their first pennant since 2000. And who would have guessed that the Cubs and Indians would have gone all the way to extra innings in Game 7 of the World Series last year?

It's going to be AWESOME!