By Allen Bacon, The Daily Bosco
It's that time of year again, with one day left in the Major League baseball season, when fans start looking forward to the postseason and possible World Series match ups.
This year, at least nine intriguing possible scenarios for World Series match ups are developing.
If you are a Chicago Cubs, Baseball, and Back to the Future movie fan, you will know that 2015 is the year that the Cubbies finally win the World Series albeit against a team from Miami.
In 1987 (when Back to the Future Part II was released) there were no Major League Baseball teams in Miami or even in the state of Florida and Marty McFly seemed to be more interested in the fact that there was a team in South Florida than the Cubs finally getting the elusive World Series Appearance and Win.
This year, the Cubs, with coach Joe Maddon at the helm, have a very good chance of not only getting to the World Series but actually might break "The Curse of the Goat" and win it all as predicted in the movie.
There is of course, now a team in Miami after the Florida Marlins changed their name to the Miami Marlins a few years ago but since they play in the National League with the Cubs there was no way that they could meet in the World Series unless one of the teams switched leagues before the season started.
I was hoping at least they could play each other for the National League title. Miami was an early season favorite to make the playoffs but faded fast and I think they have been out of playoff contention since sometime in July.
The next best thing would be to have the Cubs play the other team from Florida who is in the American League, the Tampa Bay Rays, but the Rays didn't follow the script either and failed to make the playoffs this year.
Not to burst a bubble, but there are two other things that could not come true in the BTTF World Series Prophecy. If you check out the USA Today Headline in the Movie, the Cubs sweep 5 games to 0 on October 21, 2015. That would mean that the World Series would go back to a best of nine series as it was in the beginning of the 20th Century and the season would have to wrap up in the middle of October. Under the current season duration and playoff format could never happen. Nowadays, the World Series ends usually late in October or even spills into November.
As for the other interesting possible World Series match ups still in play:
The Cubs could match up against their 1932 and 1938 World Series opponent, the New York Yankees. The team from Chicago lost both of those series. It would be a chance for revenge, 77 years in the making.
Or how about a classic old time Dodgers-Yankees matchup which hasn't happened since 1981 (after happening most decades in the 20th Century at least once in a decade). A rematch of the 1964 World Series between the Cardinals and Yankees is also a possibility.
It has been 22 years now since Joe Carter hit only the second walk off home run in World Series History against Philadelphia's Mitch "Wild Thing" Williams. The home run propelled the Toronto Blue Jays to their second and last World Series victory. With some great late season acquisitions (most notably Pitcher David Price and Troy Tulowitzki) the Blue Jays could return to the World Series.
To this date, the team from Toronto is the only team outside the United States to not only win the Fall Classic but to appear in one.
It really doesn't matter who they would play in a World Series this year but I would like that team to be the Cubs. Not only to fulfill the "Back to the Future Prophecy" but to have Chicago Comedian Bill Murray come back to the broadcast booth and repeat his famous line when announcing a Cubs game against the Montreal Expos.
"These Canadians come here and think they can play us in our National Past time. I think they should go back to Canada. Am I right, Steve Stone?"
There could be another I-70 All-Missouri Series between the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals as there was in 1982. Not only is that a probability but a real possibility as both teams are cruising to Division titles.
For the first time in 15 years there could be another Subway Series between the New York Mets and New York Yankees as the Mets have clinched a National League East title and the Yankees hone in on a Wild Card berth in the American League.
The two St. Louis teams (Cardinals and the Browns) who played each other in the 1944 Fall classic actually shared the same ballpark (Sportsman Park) as did the New York Giants and New York Yankees (Polo Grounds) in 1921 and 1922.
The Yankees and Mets were less than ten miles from each other in the 2000 Series as were the two Chicago teams (White Sox and Cubs) in 1906.
The Houston Astros, after several down years, are on the verge of making the ALDS and will attempt to make their first appearance in the World Series in ten years. If they succeed, they will be the only Major League Franchise in history that appeared in the Fall Classic in both Leagues. The team was in the National League up until two seasons ago.
And last but not least, it would be interesting if the Texas Rangers got their revenge matchup against the St. Louis Cardinals for what happened in the 2011 fall classic. That could happen this year too.
Whatever the matchup in this year's fall classic, it is shaping up to be a fun next few weeks for baseball fans.
Buckle up and prepare for the ride.
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