Indiana is a Baseball Battle Ground

The latest ice and snow storm has finally subsided, and central Indiana has been treated to two days above freezing and even some sunshine. As the thaw continues, for now anyway, baseball fans' juices are flowing like the melt in our gutters: pitchers and catchers report in less than a week! While we don't have our own home team to root for in the Major Leagues, Indiana fans have adopted several teams over the last century and a half. Here are the ones we most often root for, and why.

Cincinnati Reds
They're the oldest professional baseball team, they were the Big Red Machine," and they're the defending National League Central division champions. You want history? The Reds have it in spades: Ernie Lombardi, Pete Rose, the Nasty Boys, Johnny Vander Meer, etc., etc., etc. You want future? Hello misters Votto, Bruce, Volquez, Chapman. There's nothing quite like baseball on the Riverfront, and only the Reds can give you that. They're my team, in case you couldn't tell.

Chicago Cubs
The lovable losers continue to draw a national audience, and that includes legions of Hoosiers. The Cubs are never short on star power or drama, but never offer much hope, either. Rooting for the Cubs is as much about the ritual as it is the team. A game at Wrigley is kind of like a mid-summer football tailgate part. If you're into futility, the Cubs are for you.

St. Louis Cardinals
The Cardinals have an awesome history and Indiana fan base, and they're the bane of baseball existence for Reds fans. No matter how good the Reds are, you just know that the Cardinals are going to be a force to reckon with. Musial, Medwick, McGee, McGwire, Pujols, and an endless list of others match up with all-time greats from just about any franchise, the Reds included. If you can't be a Reds fan for some reason, the Cardinals are a reasonable alternative.

Chicago White Sox
The Sox have had some success in their history, including a World Series victory in 2005. Other than the intermittent strong season and their relative proximity in the Windy City, it's hard to say why any self-respecting Hoosier would choose the White Sox as his baseball franchise. If you want tradition, the Cards and Reds blow the Sox out of the water. If you want a Chicago team, it's gotta be the Cubbies. Who knows? Maybe it's the allure and mystique of the Black Sox.

Detroit Tigers
Indiana fans of the Tigers are typically northerners who don't like the Chi-town teams. The legendary 1984 Tigers squad banked a lot of collateral that is still paying off in fans gained across the country during that magical season. Really, though, the Tigers aren't a proper Indiana team.

---
Of course, there are supporters of teams other than the ones listed here, mostly transplants from other areas of the country or followers of a favorite player. Regardless of our differences, though, all Hoosier baseball fans can rejoice that spring is coming and that our teams will be back on the field before you know it. And just think, all you fans who have chosen unwisely can still live vicariously through the Reds this fall!