They envy us. They want to dismiss us. They lump every California stereotype together and add a Rally Monkey and it compounds their envy and creates a need to dismiss our efforts.

and anyone comparing us to the yankees would have more respect for the angels since the yankees somewhat fear us in the same way we fear boston

when I was in the Army, and people found out I was from California, I was immediately labeled as a “liberal-hippie-faggoty-tye-die motherfucker.”

then, when I told them that Orange County was one of the most red areas in the nation, they asked me if it was like the movie. Obviously, this was before “The OC,” and the “housewives.” Still though, it was hard to overcome.

Just like in baseball, we’re overlooked. The rest of the nation should be jealous, if not at least for our climate. However, most are too poor or too racist to even visit California, and the ones I have met who have been here, admit that it’s something pretty special.

That’s the bias right there. We are better, we know it, others know we are better, and don’t want to visit because they can’t stand admitting it.

Back to baseball: there’s always next year!

(I caught my wife checking out Spring Training hotel and ticket prices last night online. She rules! :P )

maybe there’s a reason so many people live here. i dont think i really need to convince anyone here that california is pretty much the best state to live in, but thats neither here nor there.

ive stopped caring about knee-jerk reactions from hack writers and bloggers about the angels/california. envy, jealousy, hatred, and just plain idiocy are always in these pieces that are devoid of any analysis. we should just dismiss them as they dismiss us.

but seriously, ive never understood why people hate the west coast in general.

California says to each and every one of you: you’re welcome.

You’re welcome for California agriculture. The breadbasket of the nation, growing more fruit and produce than any other State. Ranking #1 producers in many fruits, vegetables, and nuts. We have more cotton than Mississippi. More dairy than Wisconsin. 100% of all almonds. 91% of all grapes. 21% of all nursery. 13% of all hay. 71% of all lettuce. 40% of all oranges. 10% of all potatoes. 19% of all rice. 83% of all strawberries. 53% of all tomotoes.

You’re welcome for California mechanical engineering. Californians developed, tested, and manufactured the aircraft that ruled the skies and defeated Nazi Germany, defeated Imperial Japan, held off the Communist USSR and China. Californians engineered, developed, and deployed the spy satellite technology that changed forever our ability to monitor our enemies throughout the world and keep you safe in your beds at night. Californians engineered and constructed the systems and crafts that put mankind on the moon, and returned them safely to Earth. We created, built and still drive the robots on Mars. Our devices navigate the Solar System for the sake of your knowledge. We created, and our ears are listening to, the most distant probes ever sent into Creation. And more and more every day, our designers are revolutionizing the vehicles you need to convey you and yours to work and play.

You’re welcome for Californian computer technology innovation. Graphical User Interfaces. Hand-held personal computing, communications, and entertainment revolutions. Global internet switching and routing. 98% of all personal computer “brains” on planet Earth. The sheer ability to store anything and everything you create on an electronic keyboard, and the over-powering ability to search through all that everything and anything and reclaim your precious thoughts.

You’re welcome for Californian creativity. For 100 years we have created, developed, written, produced, crafted, recorded, edited, packaged, promoted, and exported more visual media, and more of the most influential visual media, than the rest of humanity combined, over all recorded history. Through this effort we have, for better or worse, extended the influence of American culture and American values to the balance of human civilization. Nations have risen, and societies revolutionized, in no small part due to the result of this influence on other parts of this planet.

You’re welcome for our athletic acheivements. More of those US Olympic medalists throughout history are from this State than any other, by huge margins. We give you more baseball players, more football players, more soccer players, more swimmers. We claim more collegiate national athletic titles than any other State.

And you’re welcome for the Californian ability to refresh and enliven your every day of existence. Our musicians make you dance, and smile, and you sing our songs. Our electonic gaming industry babysits your children. From surfboards to snowboards to sailboards, we teach you how to enjoy your personal time, to which we would add the invention of the theme park for the sake of your entire family. Our property tax revolution keeps your hard-earned money in your wallet, and our federal tax imbalance funds all the government pork projects in your neighborhoods. Our wine brings happiness to your gatherings. Our sexual revolution made your late nights more personally rewarding.

And, in times of trouble, you are welcome for our charity and our manpower.

Think nothing of it, America. It’s on us.

The links in the original post don’t go anywhere useful (one’s broken and one just goes to the MLBTR main page). I’m a daily reader of MLBTR so i’m interested to see what you were linking to over there.