So, baseball fans, it's down to this...

...the Giants against the Royals in the World Series. Royals vs. Giants; it has an almost legendary sound to it. It's not the Series I was hoping for; still, there are reasons for me to watch it. The two teams have never met in a World Series before. The Royals, an expansion team from 1969, have been in two Series: 1980, when they lost to the Phillies four games to two; and 1985, when they beat the Cardinals in an all-Missouri Series four games to three.

The Giants, by contrast, have been around since 1887 (they were originally the New York Gothams), have been in nineteen World Series, and won seven championships, most recently in 2010 and 2012. As the New York Giants, they won the first World Series I watched, in 1954, against the Cleveland Indians. My parents and I had just returned from three years in England, and I knew nothing of baseball at the time.
 
I have a vague memory of "The Catch" by Willie Mays (see clip above) that was instrumental in the Giants' winning the championship; their last as a New York team--they moved to San Francisco in 1958.

The Giants' New York heritage, and their being in the same league as my Mets--the one that plays real baseball, without the designated hitter--makes me favor them. Still, there are lots of reasons to like the Royals. For me, the best of these is their playing the underdog, team of destiny role. So, whoever wins, I won't be badly disappointed.