Which kind of team would you rather root for? A consistent regular season winner, who consistently makes the playoffs but never wins the big one? Or a Florida Marlins esque organization that packs multiple championships close together but is downright terrible in other seasons?  

I would much rather be a fan of a team that wins a lot during the regular season, year after year, and at least gives themselves a chance to win in the playoffs. Knowing what I know, that the playoffs is largely a crap shoot a lot of the time, makes this a little easier decision. Certainly, winning the championship is any team's goal, but is it always the fan's goal? If most fans are being realistic, they should know whether or not their club has a legitimate chance to win the big one. It is almost more rewarding to have your team come out of nowhere to win; to defy expectations. I always get more nervous when the pre season prognosticators have the Astros/Rockets/Packers as being championship contenders. If they do make a deep playoff run, it feels like this was just what they were expected to do. If they fall flat on their faces, they underachieved, a distinction no team wants to deal with.

To the links (cross over contributions from DQ and HLP):

• Richard Justice takes laments the fact, among other lamentations, that we didn't hear more about Ivan Rodriguez and steroids linked together when he broke his record.  My question is: if Justice wanted to hear it? Why didn't he just say it at the time?
• There's so much in this link for the Unofficial Scorer that there will be a few quotes:

Felipe Paulino threw a simulated game Tuesday at Minute Maid Park and is still a candidate to start in the next opening in the rotation Saturday....

Geoff Blum will likely go on a rehab assignment late this week and hopes to be ready for the finale of the homestand this weekend...

Abigail Primm Berkman, the couple’s fourth child — all girls — weighed 7 pounds and 9 ounces...

• Miguel Tejada makes an astute suggestion about the Astros tactics against Zack Greinke last night:

"I think what we’ve got to do is start playing small ball," said Tejada, who went 3-for-4 with three singles. "Today is a pitching day. You see how Greinke pitched, you see how (Russ) Ortiz pitched, and today is a day that we’ve got to play small ball because today is a day that we’re not going to hit the way we’re supposed to be. If we do that, I think we’re going to be a better team."

• The Unoffical Scorer also notes this dubious honor for the Astros.
• According to the poor man at BtB, the Astros are likely to finish 73-89.
• Driveline Mechanics urges us to celebrate the accomplishment of being perfectly average.  Sadly, Carlos Lee makes the list.
• Does streakiness depend on the temperature?
• Let's try to make this strech of bad ball worse for the KC Royals..
• Joey Votto opens up about being MIA recently. Best wishes to Joey and his family.
• Appropriate breakfast recipe right here.
• Former #1 pick by the Rays, and Rice Owl Wade Townsend has announced his retirement.
• I don't know what a lot of y'alls senses of humor are like, but this blog had me absolutely rolling.