A List Of Things Thrown Five Minutes Ago

NOBODY KNOWS THE LONELINESS OF THE RALLY MONKEY: The new Harris Poll (.pdf link) asking self-identifying baseball fans to name their favorite team is out. No surprises in the top 7, which includes the dominant team from each of the three largest cities in the country (Yankees, Cubs, Dodgers), the team with the largest geographic area of influence (Braves), the last World Series winner (Phillies), and two teams with historically strong fan bases and baseball traditions (Red Sox, Cards). No, the biggest surprise is tied for second-to-last. The Angels own part of one of the two most populous markets in America, they have a history of recent success (including recent championships), they are perennial contenders, they spend money to get better, they are well-enough run (though with an increasingly dated philosophy), and they treat their fans well. I realize that that ranking has more to do with the soft spot people in LA have for the Dodgers than anything else, but I still find it hard to believe that there are more self-identifying Mariners, White Sox, Twins, Brewers, Reds, Padres, Pirates, and Marlins fans than there are Angels fans.