Daily Dirt: Steve’s (wrong) gut feeling says pizza is the American choice

Daily Dirt for Aug. 8, 2021
By Steve Eighinger, Muddy River News Minister of Culture

Today’s three thoughts are highlighted by items close to my heart — food and baseball. Sit back, pick up that Classic Coke with crushed ice and enjoy Vol. 31 of the Daily Dirt:

1. What’s the most popular food in America, you ask? It’s not a trick question, so go with your gut feeling (no pun intended). If you thought pizza, you’d be correct, according to a Harris poll that was made public in July.”Yes, the single food that most Americans would want to eat for the rest of their lives is pizza,” wrote Clair Nowak about the report for rd.com.Here was the breakdown of that survey:

21 percent chose pizza.

16 percent preferred steak (well done, I hope).

13 percent chose hamburgers (once again, well done, I hope).

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: WELL DONE? C’MON, STEVE…LET THAT COW MOO A BIT. JRG

11 percent went with tacos.

11 percent also went with pasta (a surprising, but solid choice).

2. Here’s my updated list for which teams will make the MLB playoffs. First, the division winners:

NL Central: That outstanding rotation the Milwaukee Brewers throws at opponents is no fluke. Coupled with lockdown relievers Josh Hader and Devin Williams, Milwaukee will soon be coasting. The Cardinals? Their moves at the trading deadline showed they are simply mailing it in this season and will hopefully make a serious effort at regrouping in the offseason, but there seems to be little — if any — direction present in that front office. The Cubs? See ya in 2030, folks.

NL East: If Jacob de Grom were healthy this would be a no-brainer, but he isn’t and it’s not. I actually think the Braves may sneak in and win this division.

NL West: It really doesn’t matter who wins the NL Central or NL East, because the league champ is coming out of this division and it will be the Dodgers, with or without Trevor Bauer. The addition of super talents Max Scherzer and Trea Turner will ultimately help Los Angeles fend off the upstart Giants. Once the Dodgers get their collection of megastars all on the field at the same time it will be steamroll city. Watch out, National League.

AL Central: Speaking of steamrollers, if I were an American League playoff team there is no way I would overlook the White Sox. Backed by a tremendous rotation and a two-headed bullpen monster (Liam Hendriks-Craig Kimbrel), the Chisox should be peaking right about playoff time. Remember all of those injured hitters? They’re getting healthy.

AL East: Every MLB organization should use the Tampa Bay blueprint on how to win titles with a miniscule payroll.

AL West: No American League team has more starting pitching depth than the Astros. And it’s pitching (see White Sox, Rays) that wins division titles.

NL Wild Cards: Giants, Padres. (If the Padres continue to falter without Fernando Tatis Jr., plus a lack of overall starting pitching depth, keep an eye on the Reds.

AL Wild Cards: Oakland, Boston.

World Series: Dodgers over the White Sox in a classic that will likely go seven games. 

3. Are the Olympics over yet?