Yes, it’s Halloween, but it’s never too early, or late, for giving thanks. Especially since baseball season has sadly met its demise.

We have to start by giving thanks to the feel-good stories of the season. The Oakland A’sand Baltimore Orioles. Both of you provided not only a feel-good story, but also instilled hope in the other respective low-life teams around the league. As we speak, Astros fans as well as fans here in Seattle and Kansas City, are unable to contain themselves with the notion that they might actually make something of themselves before embarking on yet another “rebuilding” project.

Thanks to the Texas Rangersfor not totally becoming baseball’s version of the 1990’s version of the Buffalo Bills.

I have the San Francisco Giants to thank for absolutely nothing.

Thank you for teasing the entire country with your strong-ish first half and horrendous second half, Pittsburgh Pirates. Maybe there will be a prolonged streak of seasons like that to come.

Thanks (and this is in no way a Jimmy Fallon knockoff, I’m giving thanks) to Tampa Bay for showing that you can still be in the playoff race with two weeks left in the season with an offense more fragile and cobbled together than a 3^rd grade paper-mache art project.

Thanks have to be given to the Boston Red Sox. Not just from me, because I’m sure ESPN was thrilled when they got to test out new voices in the booth after Bobby Valentine’s sabbatical/ one-year stint doo-hicky.

Check back tomorrow for Part Two of knowhitter’s annual MLB thanks giving.

You can see part two here.