The Major League Baseball playoffs are here and there are some great stories as the 2012 regular season comes to a close.
Two small-market teams — Cincinnati and Oakland — are in the mix and have as good a chance as anyone to be in the World Series.
It’s always nice to have teams that aren’t “the best teams money can buy” in the mix and be very legitimate contenders.
The faith of Billy Beane in his money-ball concept has finally paid off with perhaps the surprise team — on a positive side — of 2012.
I think a lot of people thought the Reds were going to make a legitimate run this year.
The Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim — especially with their big-money signing of Albert Pujols in the off-season — are probably the surprise teams in a negative way.
Who’d have guessed that none of them — and throw in the suddenly-flush Los Angeles Dodgers and their many August acquisitions as well — would make the playoffs?