Once again, major league baseball's playoffs have arrived. The same as Seattle is known for a good cup of coffee, October is known for playoff baseball. With the turning of leaves comes the crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd, and beer. $10.00 beer, actually.
Like many a season, this year's ended with good and bad, highs and lows, and general unpredictability. Sexy picks like the Mariners (ugh, more on this later) and Tigers failed to reach even .500 records, 2006 world series champion St. Louis Cardinals and 2007 world series attendees Colorado Rockies didn't finish higher than third in their respective divisions, and for the first time since 1993, neither team from New York will be playing in October.
As for the teams that ARE in the playoffs, much credit is due. Props to the Rays, for officially dropping "Devil" from their name, and hence dropping the curse of Lucifer (kidding). Seriously though, Rays players and fans finally get what they have long waited for, a trip to the postseason. And how much sweeter it is knowing that they have the 2nd smallest payroll in the entire league. It reflects how well upper management has scouted and drafted, and not attempted to keep up with the other frivolous spenders in the division. Furthermore, it gives confidence to other small market teams that simply cannot afford to doll out huge contracts in this non-salary cap sport.
Anyway, now that the Chicago White Sox are officially in the playoffs (thanks to a Jim Thome bomb), here are my playoff predictions.
ALDS (best of 5)
Chicago White Sox (89-74)
vs
Tampa Bay Rays (97-65)
By this point, there's no way I'm betting against the Rays. While the Rays continued to play well down the stretch, the White Sox lost the division lead, forgot how to pitch, and limped their way into the playoffs. Yes, the White Sox have been here before, but this group of starting pitchers is not the same group that won them the world series in 2005.
Rays in 4
X-Factor - Scott Kazmir
This may seem like an odd pick, but Kazmir's numbers have gotten progressively worse throughout the season, and he gave up 8 home runs in his final 3 starts. If he finds his form and regains control of his game, the Rays win the series.
Red Sox (95-67)
vs
LA Angels (100-62)
The Angels are, quite simply, the most well-rounded team in baseball. They hit for power, average, and are speedy. They have 3 fantastic starting pitchers in John Lackey, Ervin Santana, and Joe Saunders. They also have ace closer Francisco Rodriguez, who broke the single season saves record. All of this, however, means jack shit. Why, you ask? Because the Red Sox OWN the Angels in the postseason, sweeping them in the playoffs the previous two years. The fact that the Angels were 8-1 against the Sox this year matters little. The Red Sox hit well, hit in clutch situations, and have the swagger.
Red Sox in 4
X-Factor - Francisco Rodriguez
Keep an eye on his temper, and on his confidence. I just don't trust the guy...trust me on this.
NLDS (best of 5)
Milwaukee Brewers (90-72)
vs
Philidelphia Phillies (92-70)
Just like the White Sox in the AL, I feel like the Brewers limped their way into the playoffs. Don't get me wrong, it is absolutely amazing what CC has done to get them this far, unfortunately, CC cannot pitch every night (he probably would though). With questions about Ben Sheets' health and the Brewers struggling to score runs, I see a convincing Phillies sweep.
Phillies in 3
X-Factor - Brad Lidge
He still may be feeling the effects of Albert Pujols ripping his guts out last year.
LA Dodgers (84-78)
vs
Chicago Cubs (97-64)
With both the White Sox and the Cubs making the postseason, this marks the first time in 102 years that both Chicago teams are playing in October. That's pretty badass. Basically, no one was alive enough to remember these two teams being in the playoffs together. With that said, this is a very intriguing series. The Cubs have been the best team in the NL all year, and the Dodgers have been playing very well since acquiring Manny. The Dodgers also possibly have Rafael Furcal available, which could be a huge boost at the front of the lineup. This series is going to come down to starting pitching. Derek Lowe, the man who made his riches from excellent postseason pitching, has been dominant as of late, going 4-0 with a 0.50 ERA in his past 6 starts. The Cubbies have their own aces in Zambrano, Dempster, and Rich Harden. This is the only series I see going the full 5 games.
Cubs in 5
X-Factor - Cubs Bullpen
The bullpen has been shaky all season, and could ultimately decide the Cubbies' fate.
I'll post my NLCS and ALCS predictions, along with my world series winner, in a couple of days.
Cheers.
DJ
