I've always rooted for the American League. The first baseball team I can remember following was the New York Yankees back in their heyday of the 60s. And the first sports heros I had were named Mantle, Maris and Ford. I know if I still have them stuffed away in a drawer, but at one point I had twelve different Mickey Mantle baseball cards. You know, the kind that came with the crappy tasting gum that you gave away and the multi-colored fact card that you kept.

Anyway, ever since then I've been rooting for the American League in its two annual confrontations with the National League: the All-Star debacle, which I can't remember the AL ever winning, and America's favorite sporting event, the World Series.

Last October, Charley Finley's Oakland Athletics brought color into the series and left Cincinati red. In 1971, the AL's Orioles took the crown, but in '70 the Reds copped the title. 1969 was the year of the miracle Mets, and '68 saw the Tigers take it all. But at any rate, the World Series remains the true test of baseball talent. Much more indicative than, say, the mid-season All-Star game.

This year the American League is again represented by Finley's A's and the National League is touting the New York Mets. Oakland won the AL West without much struggling and then whipped the Orioles in five games. The Mets have, on the other hand, had to overcome obstacles along the way that must have seemed fairly mountainous in size. They were twelve games back in July and as much as three and a half back with as little as ten days left to play. There were rumblings when the Mets were floundering in last place that manager Yogi Berra would be axed, perhaps before the end of the season. So, in other words, the Mets are so much of a miracle this year that even they must be asking themselves what they are doing in the Series.

And so in 1973, true to form, I'm rooting for the Oakland Athletics to take the Series, which they will, although it will probably take them six games to wrangle the crown from the Mets.

A sampling of the Crimson sports staff shows pretty much agreement with my own predictions.

Peter Landry--"I take Oakland in six. I've also got money on it, even though my mind tells me the Mets might win."

Bill Stedman--"I want the longshot--the Mets in seven games. I think it'll go to seven, and if it does, the Mets will take it. They've just got this luck."

Bruns Grayson--"I've got to take the Mets in six. They have a lot of momentum and Seaver looks sharp. There will probably be a lot of close 1-0, 2-0 games and the Mets are going to take all of them."

Pat Sorrento--"Whadda ya mean? Oakland. In six. Who else?"

Who else, indeed.