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One thing that I always find interesting when looking back on the various Orioles postseason matchups of the mid-1990s is just how many future Hall of Famers there were involved in those series. Between players who have been inducted, players who deserve to be inducted, and strange steroid-related cases, there was a lot of talent in all of those matchups.
Will we look back on tonight's Mets-Dodgers thing the same way? Well... I don't know about all of that. You never know what kind of young player might start off a star career that lasts for a decade or more. But it's not looking so likely right now. Then again, did Jim Thome look like a future Hall of Famer in 1997? There were many taters still to be mashed after that season was all said and done.
Whether or not future HOF players are involved, this sure looks like a marquee matchup in the present day. Zach Greinke, who could end up being this year's NL Cy Young winner because he had a 1.66 ERA (!) facing off against the glorious flow of Jacob deGrom, who, like Greinke, finished the season with a sub-1.00 WHIP.
That's a couple of powerhouse pitchers on the mound in the deciding game of a series. And unlike either of yesterday's disastrous ALDS decisive games, there's no real reason for Orioles fans to hate either one of these teams, so we can all sit back and appreciate what happens without getting too worked up about the eventual outcome.