Reasons to be thankful abound in baseball

We pause now to give thanks for the World Series the Cubs and Indians just gave us. There surely has never been a more perfect way to finish a baseball season.

We’re thankful, too, for Mike Trout and Clayton Kershaw, for Francisco Lindor and Adrian Beltre and for packed ballparks on hot summer days and gut-churning pennant races.

Has there ever been a better time to be a baseball fan? Here’s to a thankful Thanksgiving, everyone.

What does your team have to be thankful for?

Angels — Trout is a joy to watch play baseball, and wouldn’t it be cool to see him back in the postseason? That’s a real possibility in 2017 amid reports that Angels ace Garrett Richards is healthy and will be good to go on Opening Day.

Astros — In Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, George Springer and Alex Bregman, the Astros have four of the best and most exciting players in the game. They’re the foundation of a club that has transformed the Astros. At 27, Springer is the oldest of the group.

Athletics — The Athletics have done a nice job of acquiring young pitching depth. All the top contenders — at least 10 — for the starting rotation are 27 or under. This is a solid foundation on which to build a path back to contention. Top baseball executives Billy Beane and David Forst are smart and fearless, and in Bob Melvin, the A’s have one of the most respected managers in baseball.

Blue Jays — Baseball has been reawakened the last two summers, with a packed ballpark and a team that has Josh Donaldson, Aaron Sanchez and a string of other stars.

Braves — Good times are back. The Braves are moving into a beautiful new ballpark in 2017, and they’ve got a roster loaded with young talent. Atlanta was 37-35 after the All-Star break in 2016 as 22-year-old Dansby Swanson leads the franchise into an era of optimism.

Brewers — Optimism abounds. General manager David Stearns has methodically reshaped the organization around pitching and youth. That transformation showed up during a 16-13 September and as the Brewers compiled the third-best ERA in the Majors (3.59) after the All-Star break.

Cardinals — Few baseball fans have more to be thankful for than those in St. Louis. Their team has won more games than any other the last six seasons and been to the postseason five times. There’s a packed ballpark virtually every night.

Cubs — You don’t have to ask, do you? This World Series didn’t just fulfill the dreams of Cubs fans. Baseball fans around the world were captivated by this World Series — by how it was played and how it ended and the team that won it. Hats off to you, owner Tom Ricketts, and your main baseball man, Theo Epstein.

D-backs — First baseman Paul Goldschmidt is the kind of player every other franchise is trying to acquire. Besides having made four straight National League All-Star teams, he’s deeply involved in a variety of charitable works off the field as well.

Dodgers — Four straight NL West championships. Four straight years of leading the Major Leagues in …

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