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The Fall Classic is upon us. Friday night will be Game 1 of the 2023 World Series—a matchup featuring two teams that many didn’t expect to be in this position. The Texas Rangers will welcome the Arizona Diamondbacks to Global Life Field to kick things off.
The series also features two teams that have yet to earn a long list of haters. So, who should you be rooting for if you’re not already a fan?
Lucky for you, I have the perfect breakdown of why you should be cheering for the Diamondbacks.
Here are the five best reasons why the desert snakes should be your World Series team.
5. Corbin Carroll
Corbin Carroll’s parents dropped him off before the Dbacks home opener earlier this season… Now he’s in the World Series 🥹
(📸: @Dbacks) pic.twitter.com/F7keo7Bf6q
— DraftKings (@DraftKings) October 27, 2023
It’s very rare to see a rookie look like a ten-year veteran, but Corbin Carroll is doing just that. Carroll has been an integral piece to the Diamondbacks’ miracle run to the World Series and will need to continue to be in order for the team to reach the mountaintop.
The Arizona rookie is batting .295 this post-season, along with some clutch plate appearances in the NLCS against the Philadelphia Phillies. The rookie outfielder is destined to be the National League Rookie of The Year.
However, Carroll has more than that trophy on his mind.
4. New Blood
The #Diamondbacks are 3 outs away from returning to the World Series for the first time since this walk-off in 2001.
With a young Craig Counsell running from first to second on the winning hit. pic.twitter.com/UbiCCtB9Yj
— Hunter Baumgardt (@hunterbonair) October 25, 2023
It has been 22 years since the Diamondbacks secured their first-ever World Series title. Since then, the team has yet to reach the Fall Classic.
Seeing a new team jump into the mix is always exciting. At one time, it was cool to see the Houston Astros making a deep post-season run. Now, they are the most hated team in all of baseball.
The Diamondbacks faithful should enjoy the moment. It could be 20 years before we ever see Arizona in the big one again; it’s time to make it count.
3. Randy Johnson
Randy Johnson showing Michael Phelps pitches is a legendary crossover moment ⚾️ pic.twitter.com/ktzleZsp2c
— MLB Life (@MLBLife) October 22, 2023
If you were lucky enough to grow up in the 2000s, then Randy Johnson is more than likely your favorite pitcher. Even if he didn’t pitch for your team.
‘The Big Unit’ was the most feared pitcher in the MLB. Standing at 6’10, with a heater that could cause birds to explode, nobody had a more significant presence on the mound than Johnson.
The Hall of Fame pitcher was a part of the 2001 team that won the World Series over the New York Yankees.
It only makes sense to bring him in for a first pitch when the series goes to Arizona.
2. Frybread
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While digging into my research for this article, I came across a delicious-looking delicacy that I had never heard of before. A quick Google search led me to a supposed Arizona staple known as Frybread.
Usually, anything with the word fry attached to it will be something that I add to my daily diet, and this is no exception. Frybread is a Native American-inspired recipe that, you guessed it, is deep-fried bread.
My only goal between now and the end of the World Series is to concoct some type of Frybread sandwich that also includes pulled pork.
1. The Ultimate Underdog
Are you ready for it? #EmbraceTheChaos pic.twitter.com/55KT7KmGlq
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) October 27, 2023
Without the expansion of the MLB Playoffs, the Diamondbacks wouldn’t have even been in the post-season this year. An Arizona World Series victory would put the team third on the list of teams with the least amount of victories in a regular season that would go on to win the big one (1st. 73′ Mets, 2nd 06′ Cardinals.)
How could you not pull for a team that has no business being where they are?
The Diamondbacks getting this far is already an impressive feat. However, they didn’t come this far to not go all the way.
