So, let's take a little straw poll here now that the Pale Hose are officially in.

Who are you rooting for? Not who do you think will win, or who has the better team, but who do you WANT to see win.

Justifications are invited below.

- Milwaukee: small market, Braun, Fielder, Sabathia

- Cubs: history, fans

And the controversial choice:

- Rays: they're better than the White Sox, and I want another shot at 'em.

White Sox. If it's not at the expense of the Red Sox, I'd love to see Jim Thome win a ring. He's been one of my favorites since I was a kid. I still hate the team, though.

Phillies. I waffled on this because I like Milwaukee, too. I guess I just kind of have a soft spot for the Phillies. I've been listening to Harry Kalas for far too long.

Dodgers. My other team. Easy pick, tough series. Pass the antacids.

Rays: They're not the White Sox.

Cubs: The promise of 1984 fulfilled.

Brewers: Philly had their shot last year, and Milwaukee is a savagely underrated party town. Beer and Brats, baby.

I'm also quietly rooting for Selig's Nightmare: A Rays/Brewers World Series (two smallest markets from each league in the playoffs).

Rays - As much as I think we have a better shot of beating the White Sox if we get that far, I WANT to go through the Rays if we're gonna win it all. Just to make it that more complete. Plus I fraking HATE Ozzie Guillen and wish only misery upon him.

Phillies - I actually HATE the Phillies and will for as long as they employ Brett Myers. And the Philly fans are generally jerks. However, I live outside of Philadelphia and as such am rooting for a Red Sox-Phillies World Series because that will mean I might actually be able to attend some games!

Cubs - The fans. They deserve it.

The Cubs are the only team I will openly root for if the Red Sox get knocked out. They've got a loyal fanbase, a likeable squad (that's as good as advertised, no flukes,) and like us prior to 2004, they deserve a freaking break.

I hate Ozzie, his belief in small ball, and his management style, so the White Sox are out. Hate the Angels' style of play, and they're a Boston postseason rival. I could never root for a divisional foe, so the Rays are out. If a team like the Brewers or Dodgers ends up winning it, I'll just be pissed that a squad clearly not as good as the AL counterparts pulled it off. If it comes down to it, I'd be fine with the Phillies winning (as long as it's not over Boston,) but I'm not going to root for them.

Rays, mostly because they're a feel good story, regardless of being division rivals. Young, strongly built team who won all the close games and made an entirely unexpected run. The ChiSox won in 2005, though I have people (Griffey namely) to root for there too.

Cubs, easiest decision. It's impossible for me to root against the Cubs, and I don't want to see Manny even get close to a ring after his Clemens-esque (there, I said it) resurgence in LA. The only Dodger I'd like to see win is Lowe, not enough, anyone but the Dodgers

Phillies: When not facing a Boston team or one of my pet teams, I'll always root for a Philly team. Love Milwaukee too though.

BREW CREW-I love what CC Sabathia brought to the team. Ryan Braun is one of my favorite non-RS players, and I'm happy I got to see him play on my birthday. It would be nice to see the little guy win. This team is actually my non-RS favorite.
Cubs-This is all because I cannot root for a team that has Manny Ramirez. You know what? I'm petty.
White Sox-I would really like to see us beat the Rays, I would much rather see Ken Griffey Jr get a title. The rest of the team? I could probably care less for. However, Griffey was my childhood favorite. Furthermore, we OWN the White Sox.

rays because it's a great story, and rival or not you gotta admire those guys

cubs because as we all know those poor fans need it

phillies because if the red sox were to be contracted, the phillies would be my favorite team

Rays: because Guillen's hair grease, grease shammy, and spittle goatee are hard to look at. Add in Pierzynski and you have one awfully unlikable and unsightly team. Did I mention the White Sox are a sham?

Dodgers: underdogs?

Brewers: because I like them more than the Phillies.

The Red Sox will be contracted when glaciers from the next ice age reach Boston, but they'd reach Philly about the same time. As for Non-RS Playoff Rooting Interests...none. But, I'll watch the games because I'm a baseball, esp. postseason freak. Good night.

aw hell al you get the point

OK, I'll root for a Lincecum/Cain led team when the Giants get enough else to get there. I'll root for the Dodgers because of Lowe, Nomar, and, yes, Torre, but Manny can go to hell.

Exactly. Watching sports is basically no fun unless you take sides.

Rays, because I don't like the White Sox (even though Ozzie is kinda entertaining) and the Rays are fun to watch. Although Thome would indeed deserve a ring IMHO.

Cubs, because it's really about time for them

Phillies, because I don't want CC to pitch another 5 games on short rest, go over 300IP for the year and make it an incredible risk when the Yankees get him for next year ;-)

Rays, because I really hate the White Sox. I do NOT want them to win another title and the Rays winning would make a great story, etc. If the Red Sox are out, I'll root for the Rays in the AL.

Cubs, no-brainer. I don't really like the Dodgers and the Cubs are my 2nd team, Plus the Cubs are so much better that it would be sad to see the team with the 8th best record in the NL (15th overall) take out the best (or 2nd best) team in baseball. It's about time the Cubs win one...

Brewers, I have no problem with the Phillies and they seem like a great team that's going to take this series but I'll go with the underdog here. I'd like to see a Cubs-Brewers NLCS (although it won't be as good as I thought after the CC trade), also since it'll be easier for the Cubs IMO. And CC is awesome.

Cubs: My first love, almost from the day we got cable TV (and thus WGN) in 1983. My parents weren't into baseball and I grew up in a neutral site (Central VA) so I got to choose. And I do love hard-luck stories -- hence the acquired Red Sox fandom, spurred first by the Boston Globes I could "borrow" in my dorm at UVA (Gammons, wow) and later by attending grad school in MA, where my best friend was a born and bred Bostonian.

Rays: I want us to get another shot at them. They can't get lucky forever.

Phillies: East coast bias, plus which they are Selig's (former) team. Still pisses me off that they switched leagues... and no one noticed that Selig pocketed millions on that switch, since at the time NL teams were worth a lot more than AL...

Although I like the idea of the Selig nightmare series of Milwaukee vs. Rays. That would be my third choice if I couldn't have Sox or Cubs. Hey, maybe they could hold a bake sale to get people to come! Or free adult diaper night in Tampa! YEAH!

I just wanted to highlight this because it's not very often someone expresses rooting interest for both the Giants and Dodgers. I know that in your heart of hearts, though, you can't really like the Dodgers. It's impossible.

I'm a Giants fan (obviously), and every single one of my rooting interests this postseason stems (at least in part) from that fact. Even the Red Sox-Angels series. I obviously love the Red Sox just on their own merits, but I really, really hate the fucking Angels.

Tampa Bay Rays: I hate the White Sox, almost exclusively because of AJ Pierzynski. So, if the Rays could beat him (literally, like Juan Marichal wielding a bat kind of beating), that'd be great. Plus, I think it's kind of amusing that the Rays finally became winners the year they exorcised the Devil from their organization.

Brewers: They've never won anything, no matter which league they were in. Secondly, CC Sabathia is a childhood Giants fan and reportedly has the Giants on the top of his list of teams he'd be interested in for free agency. Thirdly, I'm pretty sure the Giants explored a move to Milwaukee before the San Francisco became an option. Fourthly, the team's mascot goes down a slide if they hit a homerun and they have giant costumed sausages run a race between innings, which are both incredibly bizarre, yet strangely amusing, traditions. Mostly, though, it's because I loved Ray Durham as a Giant and I'd love to see him get a ring.

Cubs: There's simply no way I'd ever root for the Dodgers. Ever. There is not another team on the planet that I hate more than the fucking Dodgers. Plus, the Cubs winning this series would make it all the more heartbreaking if they lose in a later round. I was on board with the Cubbies until I was reminded of how they ended up in the 1908 World Series, the last they won. It was a bullshit call at the expense of the Giants, who by all rights should have won the pennant by one game over the Cubs. Fuck the goat, this is the curse of Fred Merkle, and 100 years isn't nearly long enough to pay for what they did to him and the Giants.

Fuck all you Rays fans. You never root for a division rival.

The Red Sox are still alive, so Fuck You.

I hope the White Sox pound the ever living crap out of the Rays, eliminating them in the 3rd game in front of 1,500 Rays fans at the Trop. The White Sox can lose to the Red Sox in the ALCS if they'd like.

Brewers over the Phillies. "I was saying Broo-ers". Lots of booing, Phillies losing, I again turn off a game in Philly because the fans decide to boo for three straight innings as a result of Brett Myers being knocked around like he burned his pot roast. It sounded sweet Labor Day 2003, though.

It would be nice if the Cubs could be knocked out early, but I hope they eviscerate the Dodgers. I want nothing good to ever come of an organization the hired Grady Little after 2003. Manny hits a 2-2 pitch from Carlos Marmol in the air in right, does his HR pose, and Fukudome halls it in shy of the warning track for a 12-3 Cubs win in the clincher.

I was saying boo-urns!

That said, I went with:

Rays - Love the story, even if they are divisional rivals. They just find ways to get it done, even with their ROY candidate and Crawford out, they still found ways to win. So more power to them. Plus, I would like to see the Sox get another crack at them. Also, I hate the White Sox. There is just something unctuous about them.

Dodgers - I like rooting for people who used to wear our laundry - Lowe, Nomar, and Manny making it to the WS would be awesome - I'd like to see the reception they would get around here. It would be pretty cool. Also, screw the Cubs.

Brewers - I just like the team, they've kinda been my national-league attention-grabber for the past few years. Plus, I want to see them go deep, and see CC's arm fall off mid-pitch, ruining part of the MFY's plans for the offseason. Also, I kind of feel about the Phils the way I feel about the Pale Hose - there is just something that never rubbed me right about them. Personal preference, I guess.

Not sure how you can root for any of these teams since the Sox could play all of them.

I'd like the White Sox to knock out the Rays. If the Rays get to the ALCS, they reach the point of gravy; nobody expected them to be there, they'd be the loosest team. Also, Griffey & Thome have always been great to watch. I'd like them to do well, but only get a sniff of success when the roll into Boston for the ALCS.

I'd like the Dodgers to beat the Cubs, because I'd like to see Lowe, Nomar, and Manny kick some ass.

I'd like to see the Brewers beat the Phillies, because the Philly fan reaction will be tremendous. The Brew Crew has a lot of talent, but they also have Gagme and Jeff Suppan.

Dodgers over the Brewers because of the Boston crew led by Torre.

An epic 7 game battle culminating in a Jason Bay broken bat dribbler that Nomar bobbles and allows the winning run to score from third, champions again!

Well, because of where I live now, the Giants are like a 10%, maybe getting to 25% (if they continue to improve) interest team for me, so that doesn't make for Dodger hatred, I guess. Red Sox are always 100%. Sounds like Yogi math, I know.

Don't hate me, but I'll probably be rooting for the Dodgers to get to the WS, if they could somehow get past the Cubs.

An aside, you know how the Red Sox got just about all the curse bullcrap until 2004? Now, the Cubs, of course, have it all. ESPN did a bit on 10 things that might go wrong for the Cubs this year. Some of them:

- All's forgiven with Bartman; they let him throw out the first pitch and he puts out Geovany Soto's eye.

- Kerry Wood's arm falls off.

- Ernie Bank's statue falls on Carlos Zambrano.

- Bill Buckner shows up as a fan. What if he did??

Anyway, the Cubs shouldn't be getting it now either, but better them than us (Red Sox fans).

White Sox --I think they'll be easier to beat than the Rays. Why make the ALCS more difficult ?
Cubs--It's the Cubs! Also, I continue to hold and irrational grudge against Manny's trade deadline antics and subsequent healthy knee.
Phillies--pure sentiment here. I have a close friend in the Philly area who went through some dreadful stuff this year so I'm essentially rooting for her.

White Sox because I hate the Rays like I hate the Yankees.

Cubs for all the above-mentioned Manny reasons.

Brewers because Stiffy taught me to hate every Philly sports team.

White Sox, because Thome and Griffey deserve a shot at a ring (we will, of course, have to deny it to them, but I'd rather take that karma on ourselves than let it devolve to the younger, more innocent Rays....).

Brewers, because I like to root for fat people. And because they have a lot of exciting young players. And because at least one small-market team should make it through the first round.

Cubs, because....well, all the obvious things that have already been said. This was the toughest one for me, though. I'm a Torre fan, especially now that he's no longer wearing the enemy's jacket...and it would be fun to meet Manny and Nomar and Lowe in the Series. But I'd still rather see the Cubs win.

Especially a team of obnoxious pricks like Tampa. I'll root for that entire team to catch the Ebola virus before I'll root for them to win in the postseason.

I disregarded any 'who would be the easiest matchup for the Sox' considerations under the assumption that I'd also be choosing the winners of the ALCS and World Series.

Rays.

I really dislike the White Sox. They have probably the game's most annoying manager in Ozzie Guillen. They smoke-and-mirror'd themselves a championship in 2005. They are indirectly responsible for the reams and reams of guff that have been written about the virtues of 'Ozzieball'. They have no players I find particularly sympathetic or exciting. They can sod off. On the other hand, the Rays do have a large number of exciting youngsters, led by a manager who is completely benign. It was only with their help that we were able to make the Yankees irrelevant. Unlike the White Sox, they deserve their success this year and give the playoffs a fresh feel.

That being said, my goodwill toward the Rays is pretty rapidly ebbing away. I think those last two series this season virtually extinguished it, and an ALCS loss at their hands would certainly do so.

I'm not quite ready yet to feel the same way about the Rays as I do about the Yankees. The Rays are a good team we have a rivalry with: I want to beat them at baseball. The Yankees are the Yankees: I want to beat them up. I'd get no special pleasure from seeing CWS win all three games of the series 30-0 apiece or anything; I would if it were New York.

Cubs.

I'm not a big fan of L.A. or its teams in general. The Dodgers are a weak team in a terrible division, and don't deserve to advance. If they get anywhere, it will be interpreted as a vindication of Ned Colletti's GMing, and that surely can't be a good thing. And although I don't bear Manny any ill-will at all, I'm not sure that I want to see him lift a championship just yet either. The Cubs are the one team that might be able to fly the NL banner with some success, which that league really needs. They have a few nice players (I've always liked Lee and Ramirez, Fukudome's cool too) and are otherwise completely unobjectionable. And the further they get, the more dramatic it will be when they still blow the big one.

Brewers.

I've always had a soft spot for Milwaukee, to the point where I've vaguely considered them as my N.L. team for the past few years. They're a small market franchise that has developed some excellent hitters recently and, like the Rays, bring something a bit different to the table. And a few more miles on Sabathia's clock increase the chances that his wheels fall off whilst he's in pinstripes next year. The Phillies are just a team; I have absolutely no opinion about them one way or the other.

I would love to see a Dodgers v. Sox World Series. A lot of interesting storylines

Then another Sox sweep, so Tito could improve his record to 12 - 0

Rays because they're a great story and, as mentioned, it would be nice to get another shot at them.
Brewers because they're another great story, and they have some likable talent. The Phils, not so much.
Cubs because the closer they get to getting into the World Series and still don't make it, the funnier it is. I'm rooting for a NLCS Game 7 Ryan Braun walk-off grand slam.

Amen to that. Fuck the damned DEVlL Rays...can you imagine if the Rays and Angels meet? Cowbells vs. ThunderStix, what a shitshow. I like some of their guys (Rocco, Pena, Balfour) but not enough to root for the Rays, ever.

White Sox - I actually like Ozzie, OC's one of the 25, and who doesn't root for Griffey?

Dodgers - Nomar, Lowe, Manny...and a chance for Torre to send a big "F you" east to the Steinbrenner compound. It would have been tough rooting for an asshole like Jeff Kent but since he's out it's an easy choice. Plus coverage of any series involving the Cubs will be a complete puke-fest...if the Sox played the Cubs in the WS I'd have to watch the whole damn thing on mute, it'll be ridiculous.

Phillies - I like a bunch of their guys, and I'm a Flyer fan so all things being equal I tend to root for Philadelphia teams most of the time. And Philly fans need something to cheer for.

White Sox - I am stunned by the Rays-love. I hate them. Sure, I hate Ozzie and AJ Pierahole, but it doesn't come close to how much I hate the Rays (and their stupid stadium.) "Aki", Shields, Crawford, Gomes, Percival, Upton and the rest of them. Dewayne Staats and Joe Migrane too. And Dickie V. Hate them.

Cubs - Because while I root for Nomar and DLowe, I can't root for Manny. Maybe in a few years, maybe next year, but not now.

Brewers - Because I hate Philadelphia sports. This is really because I hate my former employer, Comcast. I know that the Phillies are not owned by Comcast, but Comcast owns the parking lots at the "Sports Complex" so they get money when the Phillies play and I hate Comcast that much. So much so that I have been Phillies games in the past few years and parked about a mile away and walked. Go Brewers!

You forgot CC, Navvy, and Longo...grr the Rays and the damned nicknames. Plus the mascot ran over Wally.

White Sox -- Griffey makes them the lesser of the two evils

Dodgers -- I do not root for the Cubs (except for when they play the Mets in games that have an impact on the Brewers' playoff chances)

Brewers -- Because they are my second favorite team. Because I love CC Sabathia enough to make his mother uncomfortable. Because of what Ben Sheets has done with this team. Because you don't see a 3-4 like Braun and Fielder everyday. Because Craig Counsell is from Wisconsin and came back for this. Because Eric Gagne bought and gave away 5000 tickets last week because he wanted the fans to be there for the playoff chase. And because I hate the Phillies.

ChiSox - I admit it, I want some g-d payback for 2005 in the ALCS.

Cubbies - Because really, who doesn't miss the Sox facing Ted Lilly twelve times a year.

Phillies - Yeah, it's pretty much because I don't want to deal with street riots here in north philly...but also because they're my grandpa's team.

Rays: because I want to see the Sox crush them for the ALCS.

Dodgers: My wife is a Dodgers fan. I'd like to get some nookie in October. I won't get it by cheering for the Cubs.

Phillies: They look like they could be a good matchup for whoever wins the Dodgers/Cubs series.

White Sox

Red Sox............2005 deja vu

Cubs: Just so the White Sox can crush their 100 year dream

Phillies/Brewers.........It doesn't matter

Cubs: all the usual reasons, although I don't hate the Dodgers anymore.

Brewers: small market coolness.

And I think reading this thread made me neutral on Rays/CWS. I was previously leaning Rays, but some of the comments made me feel dirty.


Edit: gaelgirl, it's good to see someone still questing for justice for Fred Merkle.

I voted Rays, for the record. I like rooting for the underdog who nobody gives much credence to. If the Angels come back on us, i'll probably root for them in the ALCS too. Guys like Scott Kazmir have earned my respect (and this board's fear, it seems).

I don't get how the Rays are the underdog "nobody" gives credence to. The media has been sucking their cocks all season.