Astros v. Dodgers

When the betting lines on the World Series started heating up back in March, the favorites likely would have been Houston and Los Angeles. 

Now six months, 162 games, two play-ins, four Division series and two League Championship series...here we are, back where we started.

The Astros led the flaccid AL West pretty much wire to wire. 

The Dodgers overcame torrid starts from Colorado and Arizona to win at a 116-win clip before crashing to Earth in September. The losing streak -- 16 of 17 and 11 in a row -- slashed their division lead to nine games.

The playoffs threw plenty of challenges their way. We've already seen perhaps the most fearsome relief pitching corps ever dispatched by Houston bats (at home.) 

We've seen perhaps the best pitching staff overall in Cleveland fall by the wayside one series earlier.  

The terrific balance of the Nationals succumbed to the defending champs, who themselves were ravaged by LA.

100-Win Opponents
That leaves us with the first World Series pitting 100+ win teams since the 1970 match-up between the Baltimore Orioles, with their three 20-game winners (to be four the following season), and the emerging Big Red Machine in Cincinnati. The Baltimorons won that series 4-1.

These two franchises have played each other far more than any other World Series pair -- 711 times before this week. (LA is 388-323.) That is, of course, a function of Houston's 51 years in the National League. It's the first World Series appearance of a team that switched leagues.

It'll be the first warm weather Series in a while. That will be nice, because baseball was not designed to be played in the cold evenings we've already seen, much less the sleet and freezing temps of recent seasons.

Who Will Win
It's more or less a tossup, as are most World Series. The Dodgers have an edge on the hill and Game Seven at Chavez Ravine, so they're a small favorite. But either team could dogpile at series end. It's something no Astro team has ever done.

(Indeed, no Texas team has ever hoisted the trophy -- is there a trophy?  Okay, no Texas team has ever worn the rings. The Rangers came within a strike of winning the 2011 Fall Classic before succumbing to the Cardinals in seven. The year before they fell to the Giants in five.)

Is Second Time the Charm?
The Astros have made one appearance, in 2005, but have yet to win a WS game in their entire 55 year history. Although they played four competitive games then, they suffered the ignominy of a sweep at the hands of the White Sox. Then as Biggio, Bagwell and the rotating third Bee aged out, the franchise plunged into a full rebuild, losing 324 times from 2011-2013 before the star core of Altuve, Keuchel, McCullers, Correa and Springer rose to the Big League club.

Dodger fans like to bemoan their failure to make the finals since Kirk Gibson's home run beat the A's in 1988, 29 years ago. But they've been contenders the last few seasons and have 20 appearances as a franchise underneath their belt, seven of them since Houston's entry in the Bigs in 1962.

The Series Narrative
The storylines are thin. Kershaw and Jansen against that lineup, whose #8 and 9 hitters batted over .300 with power. Two NL teams battling for supremacy. Fox will be stretching.

I think the real narrative is the changing of the guard. Look at the stars; other than Kershaw, Altuve and maybe Kenley Jansen, you never heard of any of these guys five years ago. I named the Houston core; the Dodgers' lineup is paced by Justin Turner, Cody Bellinger, Corey Seager, Chris Taylor, Yasiel Puig and Austin Barnes. If you're not following the game closely, this World Series will make your head spin.

That's probably not great for the casual fan. But it's awesome for people like me who really enjoy the new crop of heroes.