The pre-season college basketball coaches poll revealed what everyone expected; the defending champion Florida Gators are near unanimous favorites to repeat. Billy Donovan's Gators received all but one of the first place votes and topped the first coaches poll ahead of a talented North Carolina team. Led by 2006 NCAA Tourney MOP Joakim Noah, the Gators return all five starters and introduce a strong freshman class. They are one of five SEC teams in the top 25, tied with the Big East for most conference teams in the poll.
So who can beat the Gators? It's really tough to imagine this team going down after watching them roll to the title a year ago, but there are some teams loaded with young talent that should be exciting to watch. A season ago the Tarheels of UNC made a surprising run to the NCAA's before being dropped by tourney Cinderella George Mason. They enter this season as the number two ranked team in the country. Super sophomore Tyler Hansborough will be the focal point, but should get a ton of help from possibly the strongest freshman class in the country. Lots of pepole are jumping on the Ohio State bandwagon with projected 2007 #1 NBA draft pick Greg Oden in the post, but a wrist injury has him sidelined until January. The Buckeyes grabbed the remaining first place vote and should benefit from what appears to be a down year in the Big 10. It is clear that Oden will be a one and done guy, but can he lead Ohio State to a championship? Aside from the Gators, there are a lot of inexperienced teams at the top of the polls which should lead for a very unpredictable season.
Friday, October 27, 2006
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Why A-Rod Will Stay in NY
After another disappointing October there has been rampant speculation about the future of Alex Rodriguez in New York. For weeks Brian Cashman has insisted he wouldn't move his star third basemen. Today brought reports of A-Rod's agent Scott Boras affirming Cashman's claims. It has been suggested that Cashman's insistence was purely to drive up Rodriguez' trade value. Whether you believe them or not, believe this: A major reason Alex Rodriguez will be back in New York is Japanese ace Daisuke Matsuzaka.
Just a couple of days ago the Japanese ace and widely coveted free agent pitcher selected none other than baseball super agent Boras to handle his negotiations. One might suggest that it is impossible to believe that keeping an agent happy is of such priority to a major league team, but evaluate Boras' impact on the sport. Since his rise to prominence, he has almost single-handedly changed the face of the MLB Amateur draft. By continually urging his players to sit out a year or driving his clients demands through the roof, the draft is no longer done strictly on talent and potential. Signability has become a serious issue, brought on most notably by Boras clients such as Jered Weaver. By maintaining a good relationship with Boras and his high profile client Rodriguez, the Yankees would have an inside track on winning the rights to negotiate with Matsuzaka. As the Yankees learned, simply outslugging your opponents doesn't work in October and their pitching staff is in need of a boost.
As with other international stars Matsuzaka's Japanese team the Seibu Lions will basically hold a bidding war. All 30 MLB teams are to post bids and the highest will be allowed to attempt to sign him. This is common practice for prized international stars such as fellow countrymen Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui. The Yankees and Mariners are among several teams considered to be high rollers in the Matsuzaka sweepstakes. After he impressed many scouts on his run to most valuable player honors at the World Baseball Classic the 26 year old righty collected seventeen wins for the Lions. With the Yankees in such dire need of starting pitching they will be sure to break the bank in efforts to throw pinstripes on the young ace. Although he is a detestable figure in the landscape of MLB, as a "keep Alex in NY" guy I'm thanking my lucky stars Scott Boras represents these two potential key pieces to the Yankees championship hopes in 2007.
Just a couple of days ago the Japanese ace and widely coveted free agent pitcher selected none other than baseball super agent Boras to handle his negotiations. One might suggest that it is impossible to believe that keeping an agent happy is of such priority to a major league team, but evaluate Boras' impact on the sport. Since his rise to prominence, he has almost single-handedly changed the face of the MLB Amateur draft. By continually urging his players to sit out a year or driving his clients demands through the roof, the draft is no longer done strictly on talent and potential. Signability has become a serious issue, brought on most notably by Boras clients such as Jered Weaver. By maintaining a good relationship with Boras and his high profile client Rodriguez, the Yankees would have an inside track on winning the rights to negotiate with Matsuzaka. As the Yankees learned, simply outslugging your opponents doesn't work in October and their pitching staff is in need of a boost.
As with other international stars Matsuzaka's Japanese team the Seibu Lions will basically hold a bidding war. All 30 MLB teams are to post bids and the highest will be allowed to attempt to sign him. This is common practice for prized international stars such as fellow countrymen Ichiro Suzuki and Hideki Matsui. The Yankees and Mariners are among several teams considered to be high rollers in the Matsuzaka sweepstakes. After he impressed many scouts on his run to most valuable player honors at the World Baseball Classic the 26 year old righty collected seventeen wins for the Lions. With the Yankees in such dire need of starting pitching they will be sure to break the bank in efforts to throw pinstripes on the young ace. Although he is a detestable figure in the landscape of MLB, as a "keep Alex in NY" guy I'm thanking my lucky stars Scott Boras represents these two potential key pieces to the Yankees championship hopes in 2007.
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Got Melky? Rookie inserted as part of Game 4 shake up
With the season on the line, manager Joe Torre is pulling out all the stops to awaken a dormant offense. Dubbed by many as one of the best lineups in history, the Yankee offense has produced a meager three runs in their two losses. They looked especially meek in last night's 6-0 loss, a product of 7 2/3 innings of strong starting pitching by Detroit's Kenny Rogers and an inability to hit with runners on base. In all but the ninth inning the Yankees managed baserunners, but were woefully ineffective at moving them around. The Tigers, Kenny Rogers in particular, were playing at a much greater intensity level and really seemed to thrive off the home crowd. Losing pitcher Randy Johnson showed great velocity early, but really ran out of gas late. However, as pointed out on the broadcast, he could have pitched a shutout and still would not have won. Although the big knock on this year's Yankees has been their pitching deficienices, the vaunted offense has failed to pick their pitching staff up. Discounting the 5 run burst in the bottom of the third inning in game one, the Yankee offense has scored just 6 runs in the other twenty six innings.
With the glaring problems the Yankees have had offensively, game four will feature a different lineup which hopefully will produce more runs. The A-Rod saga continues as the slumping slugger has been demoted to the eighth spot in the lineup. Rookie Melky Cabrera has been inserted in left field to hopefully prevent Tigers runners from taking extra bases that have sparked their offense in their two wins. Also, Torre is expecting his energy to boost the team the way it did when the offense was without Sheffield and Matsui. Missing from today's lineup is Jason Giambi, who is being benched for low career numbers against Bonderman. However, one has to wonder whether his wrist injury may be the real reason for his absense. Whatever the case may be, Torre's new lineup must produce or the Yankees will suffer their 6th consecutive disappointing playoffs.
With the glaring problems the Yankees have had offensively, game four will feature a different lineup which hopefully will produce more runs. The A-Rod saga continues as the slumping slugger has been demoted to the eighth spot in the lineup. Rookie Melky Cabrera has been inserted in left field to hopefully prevent Tigers runners from taking extra bases that have sparked their offense in their two wins. Also, Torre is expecting his energy to boost the team the way it did when the offense was without Sheffield and Matsui. Missing from today's lineup is Jason Giambi, who is being benched for low career numbers against Bonderman. However, one has to wonder whether his wrist injury may be the real reason for his absense. Whatever the case may be, Torre's new lineup must produce or the Yankees will suffer their 6th consecutive disappointing playoffs.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
NLDS Preview- Dodgers vs. Mets
In another matchup of two teams heading in opposite directions the torrid Dodgers head to Shea to face the NL East champion Mets. The Dodgers had an exciting September in their highly competitive chase for the NL West crown but fell short to San Diego. Their first round opponents have been in cruise control for months having wrapped up the division and home-field advantage with ease. Unfortunately the Mets come limping in to the playoffs with the season-ending injury to ace Pedro Martinez and being forced to keep projected Game One starter Orlando Hernandez off the NLDS roster with a calf injury.
Why The Mets Will Win...Top to bottom the Mets have the toughest lineup in the National League. They're hoping Carlos Beltran can re-enact some of his '04 magic for the Astros that lead to his signing in New York. If Jose Reyes gets on, he is the most disruptive force in baseball. The lineup is filled with guys who can hit for power and average. For the first time post-Franco they have a reliable closer in Billy Wagner. Despite the loss of setup man Duaner Sanchez, the bullpen has done a great job all year. John Maine will get the ball in today's opener and has been effective since being brought to New York in July. While he's won-loss is only at a game over .500 he's pitched to a low ERA. Veteran ace Tom Glavine has been brilliant at times this year and has tons of postseason experience. The bats seem to come alive every time Steve Trachsel takes the mound as he received the most run support in the National League. The trio of Maine, Glavine, and Trachsel is more than capable of producing the three wins they need in this series.
Why The Dodgers Will Win...Stronger starting pitching. While NL Cy Young candidate Brad Penny is slated to only come out of the bullpen, the Dodgers still hold a decided advantage in starting pitching. Fellow 16 game winner Derek Lowe will start Game one and he's no stranger to the postseason. Neither is crafty veteran Greg Maddux who has had a resurgence in Los Angeles. The bullpen has also been strong despite the loss of closer Eric Gagne. New closer Takashi Saito has been extremely effective with a deadly slider, converting 24 saves with a slightly higher than 2 ERA. Offensively they have very good balance of veterans such as Nomar Garciaparra, Jeff Kent, Rafael Furcal and JD Drew, but have been energized by youngster Russell Martin and journeyman Marlon Anderson. While they do not have an overwhelming amount of power, they've shown in recent weeks they can hit the long ball if necessary. They will need Furcal to counter Reyes' production at the top of the lineup and be equally as disruptive. While Garciaparra has been nursing injury recently, he's provided tons of clutch hits down the stretch.
Prediction: This may be the toughest series to predict. With the recent injuries to Hernandez and Martinez, the Mets strangle-hold as the NL favorites has weakened. Their lineup is second to none in the NL and still could be enough to carry them deep in to the postseason. However, this could be a trap series. With Derek Lowe and Greg Maddux the Dodgers have the starting pitching to keep the Mets' bats quiet. The biggest question for the Dodgers is whether they exerted too much energy in September in order to qualify for the postseason. If the Dodgers can steal one of the first two in New York, I really like their chances. It's tough to imagine the Mets bowing out in the first round after being so dominant for much of the year, so despite strong feelings to the contrary, I'll take the Mets in five.
Why The Mets Will Win...Top to bottom the Mets have the toughest lineup in the National League. They're hoping Carlos Beltran can re-enact some of his '04 magic for the Astros that lead to his signing in New York. If Jose Reyes gets on, he is the most disruptive force in baseball. The lineup is filled with guys who can hit for power and average. For the first time post-Franco they have a reliable closer in Billy Wagner. Despite the loss of setup man Duaner Sanchez, the bullpen has done a great job all year. John Maine will get the ball in today's opener and has been effective since being brought to New York in July. While he's won-loss is only at a game over .500 he's pitched to a low ERA. Veteran ace Tom Glavine has been brilliant at times this year and has tons of postseason experience. The bats seem to come alive every time Steve Trachsel takes the mound as he received the most run support in the National League. The trio of Maine, Glavine, and Trachsel is more than capable of producing the three wins they need in this series.
Why The Dodgers Will Win...Stronger starting pitching. While NL Cy Young candidate Brad Penny is slated to only come out of the bullpen, the Dodgers still hold a decided advantage in starting pitching. Fellow 16 game winner Derek Lowe will start Game one and he's no stranger to the postseason. Neither is crafty veteran Greg Maddux who has had a resurgence in Los Angeles. The bullpen has also been strong despite the loss of closer Eric Gagne. New closer Takashi Saito has been extremely effective with a deadly slider, converting 24 saves with a slightly higher than 2 ERA. Offensively they have very good balance of veterans such as Nomar Garciaparra, Jeff Kent, Rafael Furcal and JD Drew, but have been energized by youngster Russell Martin and journeyman Marlon Anderson. While they do not have an overwhelming amount of power, they've shown in recent weeks they can hit the long ball if necessary. They will need Furcal to counter Reyes' production at the top of the lineup and be equally as disruptive. While Garciaparra has been nursing injury recently, he's provided tons of clutch hits down the stretch.
Prediction: This may be the toughest series to predict. With the recent injuries to Hernandez and Martinez, the Mets strangle-hold as the NL favorites has weakened. Their lineup is second to none in the NL and still could be enough to carry them deep in to the postseason. However, this could be a trap series. With Derek Lowe and Greg Maddux the Dodgers have the starting pitching to keep the Mets' bats quiet. The biggest question for the Dodgers is whether they exerted too much energy in September in order to qualify for the postseason. If the Dodgers can steal one of the first two in New York, I really like their chances. It's tough to imagine the Mets bowing out in the first round after being so dominant for much of the year, so despite strong feelings to the contrary, I'll take the Mets in five.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Yanks-Tigers
After a long day of baseball, the last leg of the triple header is the game New Yorkers have been waiting for. I'll be making observations throughout the game, from programming to the action itself. It should be a good one with Chien Ming-Wang facing Nate Robertson.
It's 8:10, TV tuned in to FOX HD for the Yanks and Tigers. In a shocking programming move, FOX has decided to run a segment on A-Rod. They're really going out on a limb here, suggesting A-Rod needs to bring home number 27 for the Bronx. Of course this segment is loaded with Mrs. October and November Reggie Jackson and Derek Jeter, but also with Mr. May Dave Winfield. In closing, they quote General Patton on how to judge a man who's hit rock bottom. I'm sorry, but if you slugged 35 homeruns with 121 runs batted in, you have not hit rock bottom professionally no matter how poorly you are received. They've so ridiculously overhyped this issue it's pathetic.
8:15- My favorite announcer in sports is on tap for this one, Joe Buck is calling the action alongside his partner Tim McCarver. Does he possibly take the FOX angle and discuss A-Rod? I'll have to check back.
In a curveball they discuss the Tigers. Leyland dubs the Yankees "Murderer's Row and Cano". Buck decides to emphasize how ironic that the Yankees and their massive payroll have handed the ball to young, cheap Chien Ming-Wang.
8:20-Still no baseball, but FOX's first obligatory shot of Times Square. If the game gets boring, I'm guessing we could get up to ten of these beauties.
Wang's first pitch hits 95 MPH and is fouled back behind the plate. Tim McCarver makes first of what should be many "he gets a lot of groundball outs" comments.
8:22- Matsui records the first out on a lazy fly ball. Still interested to see how Matsui attacks shallow bloopers and whether he's willing to dive yet.
8:24- Polanco and Casey hit groundball outs to end the inning. It's an easy 1-2-3, four minute half inning for Wang. He's consistently throwing mid 90's on his fastball and his sinker is clearly working early. Couldn't ask for a better start if your a Yankees fan.
8:27- Coming back from commercial we're treated to another shot of Times Square. Joe Buck takes a cheap shot at New York sports writers and their infatuation with the A-Rod chronicles.
8:29- Jeter lines a single to left field extending his already career lead in postseason hits.
8:37- First shot of Rudy Giuliani in his ridiculous seats. Sharing his seats with Mayor Bloomberg who seems highly disinterested. No signs of Joe Buck supporting Rudy in '08, maybe that will come later.
Wang's first pitch to Ordonez drilled off the left center field wall for a double. Not a good sign, pitch was up and in a perfect spot to drive.
After falling behind 3-0, Wang battles back to 3-2 before walking Guillen.
Runners going on a 1-0 pitch, Pudge misses for strike one and Posada guns down Ordonez at third. On that note, Posada has been lethal behind the plate this year. He's throwing out runners at an incredibly high rate this year.
Pudge flails at a 2-2 pitch for a rare Wang strikeout. What looked to be a daunting 2 on, 0 out has now turned in to one out away from escaping. Grounder to Jeter ends the jam and Wang really seemed to regain control.
8:47- Giambi drilled in the middle of the back with Robertson's first pitch. The fans boo, but no way thats intentional. A-Rod steps up to the plate to a huge ovation.
8:50- Great shot of Patrick Ewing towering over everyone in his vicinity.
8:51- Shot of The Donald followed by some underratedly funny banter between Buck and McCarver. McCarver is amazed Buck knows the proper pronunciation of Trump's wife, followed by Buck's typical sarcastic "I read the Life section". I always wondered if McCarver is smart enough to realize how many times a game Buck belittles him, but I doubt it.
A-Rod robbed of a line drive base hit by a leaping Polanco.
8:54- Best number nine hitter ever steps to the plate with two on. I'm feeling a big hit here...
And my first real prediction of the night is horribly wrong as Cano weakly grounds out to Inge. Great pitch by Robertson, really jammed up Cano.
8:58- Marcus Thames sneaks a ball inside the line in left field. Matsui eases up on the ball thinking there was fan interference allowing Thames to advance to second.
A-Rod handles his first ball of the night. He looks like he's playing with a real swagger as he flings the ball over to Sheffield. Looking real locked in, could have gained a lot of confidence after a good first at bat.
9:04- Unbelieveable 6-4-3 to get out of a first and third jam with one out. Great play all around including a very flexible stretch from Sheff. Gotta love that Wang sinker.
9:12- Damon off on the pitch and Jeter rips another ball in to left. Granderson cuts it off in left center, but Jeter still motors in to second. First big threat for the Yanks with second and third with no out.
Abreu doubles to right center bringing in the first two runs of the game. Close up of Abreu, tough to tell if he's screaming in English or Spanish. Either way he's pumped.
Sheff follows up with a single of his own to right center bringing in Abreu. McCarver loving the Chef hats as he giggles "the chefs are out". I'm thinking I could be a producer for one of these games. On commercials show shots of NYC, during bland spots show one of the many celebrities in attendance, find the groupies for each player (they all have them), and pan around the crowd for any other eccentrics.
Gotta hand it to McCarver for a brilliant play on Yogi's Aflac commerical. Referring to Yogi's recent ailments he recites the "if you're hurt and miss work" line. Great plug. Maybe the most intelligent comment he's ever made.
Another one to right center, but this time it finds the bleachers. Giambi takes Robertson deep to expand to a 5-0 lead and the crowd is going crazy.
A-Rod follows up with a single of his own, this time taking it to left for some variety. Although I'm thoroughly enjoying this romp, I hope Leyland yanks Robertson. This is getting out of control.
Matsui makes the first out in the bottom of the third, but not before the ball travels about 350 feet to left center.
Cano ends the bleeding for the Tigers with a lazy fly ball to left. In fifteen minutes the Yanks have ceized absolute control of this game with five hits and five runs.
9:32- The video of Leyland's "we stunk" rant from April is played. Although early in the season, have to agree that it really rallied the Tigers. Down 5-0 it may be time for another one.
9:36- Pudge strikes out again to bring Wang's K total to 2. After 3 1/2 innings Yanks up to a 5-0 lead with the top of the order rolling around again. Not expecting to see Robertson this inning which could really tax the Tigers bullpen early in the series.
9:39-And I'm wrong again, as Robertson trots out and retires Damon. Jeter continues to rip up Robertson, taking the pitch in to right for another single. Too late for the batting title, but it looks like Jeter is still trying to make an impression on MVP voters.
9:42-Rare base-running error by Jeter as he's caught in a run down. Abreu flies out to left to end the inning. Although he's in a hole, have to hand it to Robertson for bouncing back after the one thru five hitters belted him around in the bottom of the third. There has not been a runner past first base over the last 6 outs.
9:46-Craig Monroe takes a ball over the centerfield wall to get the Tigers on the board. Wang has given up a few hard hit balls tonight on balls he's left too far up in the zone.
9:52- Polanco doubles in to the right field corner bringing in Brandon Inge all the way from first. With two outs Inge was moving on contact so he scored uncontested. Guidry visits the mound to calm down Wang with Sean Casey coming up in a big spot.
9:54- The visit didn't help as Casey rips a ball in to the left centerfield gap, scoring Polanco and advancing to second. The lead is cut to 5-3 and Wang has looked horribly ineffective. He has not looked spectacular at any point tonight and the Yankees are already warming up Bryan Bruney.
9:56- Big strikeout for Wang as he gets Ordonez swinging. Wang has been prone to middle inning slip ups this year and hopefully the top of the fifth got it out of his system.
10:01- Giambi is hit again by Robertson. Doubt that's on purpose, but a lot more suspicious considering he homered in his last at bat. McCarver refutes that was intentional, but Buck does point out Giambi seems displeased.
A-Rod strikes out looking. home plate umpire Tim McClellan's late call seems to really bother A-Rod. As has been pointed out on several occassions, that is McClellan's trademark but you know it bugs the players.
10:05- Matsui steps in and Buck informs the audience of Matsui's gaudy .500 postseason batting average against lefties. As any Yankee fan could tell him, every Yankee radio broadcast makes fun of opposing teams who bring in lefties out of the pen to face Matsui late in games. He crushes lefty pitching. Right on cue, Matsui weakly grounds back to the mound. I'm really on my game tonight.
10:14-Wang retires the side on three groundouts. Luckily McCarver is too busy talking about Craig Monroe's mother Marilyn to discuss the ground ball outs. On the other side of that, how much do you think Monroe has heard about that in his life?
10:19- I'm glad Ken Rosenthal reads my blog. Reciting information previously posted on this site he's now going on about how 27 of Rivera's 34 postseason saves have come from more than one inning of work and how Torre plans to limit him to just one inning. His sideline report is overall pretty useless, no information that the normal fan couldn't have gathered online. Ideally a sideline reporter is supposed to give you some current, game time information that is not readily available. Not only that, he seems very uncomfortable when Buck tries to engage him in some friendly banter about the star studded crowd. The unscripted stuff really throws Rosenthal off his game.
10:23-Following Damon's single, Jeter rips his fourth hit of the night and second double. Second and third for Abreu. Abreu trickles a grounder under the glove of the diving Polanco to score Jeter and Damon for the second time tonight. The Yanks stretch the lead to 7-3 and finally chase Robertson from the game.
10:26- FOX frantically cuts back in to the game as Abreu races to second. On replay we see that new reliever Jason Grilli throws a pick off attempt over Casey's head allowing Abreu to advance. Grilli gets Sheffield to ground out to short to end the sixth. It's never a good thing if you come back to your broadcast after something has happened.
10:30- Wang records strike out number four, above his average of about 3 per start.
10:33- Torre comes to pull Wang out after 6 2/3 and only 93 pitches. Very curious about this decision as Wang has really settled down after a rough fifth. Really glad that FOX cut to commercials quickly because Mike Myers trotting in to the "Halloween" theme is one of the freakier happenings in baseball. Myers will come in to face Curtis Granderson, an early postseason test for the Yankees lefty specialist.
10:38-Test failed. Granderson tattoos an off-speed pitch in to the right field bleachers.
10:39-Myers gets yanked and greeted by boos. How quickly in to Torre's post game interview will he hear "why'd you pull Wang when you did?"
10:41-Proctor's turn to end the seventh. Buck doesn't even wait until the end of the game, he
immediately asks about Torre's decision. Finally I beat them to the punch, it was only a matter of time. Polanco rips a pitch to right center, thus making Torre's decision look even worse.
10:45-The tying run steps to the plate in the person of Magglio Ordonez after Casey singles to right. Crisis diverted as Magglio just misses it, sending a fly ball to centerfield.
10:47- We have a Ronan Tynan sighting. You know it's Yankees postseason baseball when we see him. Rudy can't contain his smile, neither can I. Best version of God Bless America you can ever hear. He also taught us that there's a verse of God Bless America that no one ever realized existed. I only hope it annoys Jim Leyland the way it drove the Twins crazy.
10:50-Ronan finally wraps it up to a rousing ovation. Even though my friend points out he looks
eerily similar to Sloth from the Goonies, my rooting interest in him is undeterred. Aside from Whitney Houston's national anthem at Super Bowl XXV, no one gives a more stirring rendition of a patriotic song than our beloved Irish Tenor.
10:53-New pitcher for the Tigers is lefty Jamie Walker. Giambi gets on base again, this time walking as opposed to being hit. Great night for Giambi, especially considering his recent struggles.
10:56- A-Rod hits another ball on the nose, this one right at Ordonez. Although he's only one for four, he's had a solid night. He's swinging the bat well and he's going to get his fair share of hits this postseason. The Tigers insist on having a lefty face him, I really hope he gets a hit here to redeem my earlier comments...
Luckily he grounds weakly to avoid the double play, but the force is made at second on Giambi. Really glad I've been going out on a limb for Matsui.
11:01- Runners on first and third for Cano. He's way overdue, 0 for 3 so far. He's been an RBI
machine since getting off the DL. Again, I'm feeling it. FOX shows the post-DL numbers, just a hair behind my comments. Now if Robbie can just back me up I'll be 2 for 2 on this one...and he flies out to right. I'm glad my first experimentation with live updates has shown my tremendous prognosticating abilities.
11:05- A few changes for the Yanks with Farnsworth taking over on the mound and Andy Phillips replacing Sheff at first.
11:07- Farnsworth misses with his first four pitches. I wonder if Kyle read ESPN.com's 100 reasons to watch the MLB Playoffs. Reason number 21: Kyle Farnsworth is guaranteed to cost the Yankees a game.
11:09- Retires Pudge on a lazy fly to left, but still concerned that Farnsworth is shying away
from the heat. He gets himself in to trouble when he doesn't trust his fastball, looks shaky right now.
11:11-FOX just scanned past Vito from the Sopranos with not even a mention of his name. Of course they point out Denzel, Trump, Ewing, Spike Lee, Regis, Rudy, Bloomberg, but no love for Vito? That hurts. On a brighter note, Farnsworth strikes out Monroe for a big second out.
11:16-Jeter hauls in Thames' pop up. Despite being erratic, Farnsworth does his job by getting
out of the eighth unscathed.
11:22-Jeter drives a ball deep to left center for a homerun and his fifth hit of the night. The MVP chants are booming and Jeter will definitely need to make a curtain call. What a performance by the captain.
11:25- Inning ends on a fly to center by Andy Phillips, but what an unreal night for Jeter. Even with an 8-4 lead heading in to the ninth, the ball will probably be handed over to Rivera.
11:29- Enter Sandman.
11:34- Cano to Jeter to Phillips, game over. Rivera nails it down with a 1-2-3 in the ninth to preserve the 8-4 victory. Yankee fans have to be concerned with how the bullpen performed.
11:35- Jeter gives Rosenthal about 30 seconds for a postgame interview. He again answers "none of us are concerned with personal accolades" when asked about his MVP chances. I know he's obligated to ask the question, but really Rosenthal has served no purpose to the broadcast. Jeter's answered this question the same way for weeks, how is that going to change now?
Overall a big win for the Yankees as the lineup showed how lethal it should be throughout the playoffs. Yankee fans should be concerned about the performances of Mike Myers and Scott Proctor out of the bullpen, as well as the solid showing by the Tigers bullpen. Aside from Jeter's home-run they kept the Tigers in the game and Detroit's offense proved to be relentless. They kept fighting and produced 12 hits. It'll be interesting to see how Detroit rebounds from a game one loss. Rookie Justin Verlander takes the hill against Mike Mussina in what should be a very exciting game two.
It's 8:10, TV tuned in to FOX HD for the Yanks and Tigers. In a shocking programming move, FOX has decided to run a segment on A-Rod. They're really going out on a limb here, suggesting A-Rod needs to bring home number 27 for the Bronx. Of course this segment is loaded with Mrs. October and November Reggie Jackson and Derek Jeter, but also with Mr. May Dave Winfield. In closing, they quote General Patton on how to judge a man who's hit rock bottom. I'm sorry, but if you slugged 35 homeruns with 121 runs batted in, you have not hit rock bottom professionally no matter how poorly you are received. They've so ridiculously overhyped this issue it's pathetic.
8:15- My favorite announcer in sports is on tap for this one, Joe Buck is calling the action alongside his partner Tim McCarver. Does he possibly take the FOX angle and discuss A-Rod? I'll have to check back.
In a curveball they discuss the Tigers. Leyland dubs the Yankees "Murderer's Row and Cano". Buck decides to emphasize how ironic that the Yankees and their massive payroll have handed the ball to young, cheap Chien Ming-Wang.
8:20-Still no baseball, but FOX's first obligatory shot of Times Square. If the game gets boring, I'm guessing we could get up to ten of these beauties.
Wang's first pitch hits 95 MPH and is fouled back behind the plate. Tim McCarver makes first of what should be many "he gets a lot of groundball outs" comments.
8:22- Matsui records the first out on a lazy fly ball. Still interested to see how Matsui attacks shallow bloopers and whether he's willing to dive yet.
8:24- Polanco and Casey hit groundball outs to end the inning. It's an easy 1-2-3, four minute half inning for Wang. He's consistently throwing mid 90's on his fastball and his sinker is clearly working early. Couldn't ask for a better start if your a Yankees fan.
8:27- Coming back from commercial we're treated to another shot of Times Square. Joe Buck takes a cheap shot at New York sports writers and their infatuation with the A-Rod chronicles.
8:29- Jeter lines a single to left field extending his already career lead in postseason hits.
8:37- First shot of Rudy Giuliani in his ridiculous seats. Sharing his seats with Mayor Bloomberg who seems highly disinterested. No signs of Joe Buck supporting Rudy in '08, maybe that will come later.
Wang's first pitch to Ordonez drilled off the left center field wall for a double. Not a good sign, pitch was up and in a perfect spot to drive.
After falling behind 3-0, Wang battles back to 3-2 before walking Guillen.
Runners going on a 1-0 pitch, Pudge misses for strike one and Posada guns down Ordonez at third. On that note, Posada has been lethal behind the plate this year. He's throwing out runners at an incredibly high rate this year.
Pudge flails at a 2-2 pitch for a rare Wang strikeout. What looked to be a daunting 2 on, 0 out has now turned in to one out away from escaping. Grounder to Jeter ends the jam and Wang really seemed to regain control.
8:47- Giambi drilled in the middle of the back with Robertson's first pitch. The fans boo, but no way thats intentional. A-Rod steps up to the plate to a huge ovation.
8:50- Great shot of Patrick Ewing towering over everyone in his vicinity.
8:51- Shot of The Donald followed by some underratedly funny banter between Buck and McCarver. McCarver is amazed Buck knows the proper pronunciation of Trump's wife, followed by Buck's typical sarcastic "I read the Life section". I always wondered if McCarver is smart enough to realize how many times a game Buck belittles him, but I doubt it.
A-Rod robbed of a line drive base hit by a leaping Polanco.
8:54- Best number nine hitter ever steps to the plate with two on. I'm feeling a big hit here...
And my first real prediction of the night is horribly wrong as Cano weakly grounds out to Inge. Great pitch by Robertson, really jammed up Cano.
8:58- Marcus Thames sneaks a ball inside the line in left field. Matsui eases up on the ball thinking there was fan interference allowing Thames to advance to second.
A-Rod handles his first ball of the night. He looks like he's playing with a real swagger as he flings the ball over to Sheffield. Looking real locked in, could have gained a lot of confidence after a good first at bat.
9:04- Unbelieveable 6-4-3 to get out of a first and third jam with one out. Great play all around including a very flexible stretch from Sheff. Gotta love that Wang sinker.
9:12- Damon off on the pitch and Jeter rips another ball in to left. Granderson cuts it off in left center, but Jeter still motors in to second. First big threat for the Yanks with second and third with no out.
Abreu doubles to right center bringing in the first two runs of the game. Close up of Abreu, tough to tell if he's screaming in English or Spanish. Either way he's pumped.
Sheff follows up with a single of his own to right center bringing in Abreu. McCarver loving the Chef hats as he giggles "the chefs are out". I'm thinking I could be a producer for one of these games. On commercials show shots of NYC, during bland spots show one of the many celebrities in attendance, find the groupies for each player (they all have them), and pan around the crowd for any other eccentrics.
Gotta hand it to McCarver for a brilliant play on Yogi's Aflac commerical. Referring to Yogi's recent ailments he recites the "if you're hurt and miss work" line. Great plug. Maybe the most intelligent comment he's ever made.
Another one to right center, but this time it finds the bleachers. Giambi takes Robertson deep to expand to a 5-0 lead and the crowd is going crazy.
A-Rod follows up with a single of his own, this time taking it to left for some variety. Although I'm thoroughly enjoying this romp, I hope Leyland yanks Robertson. This is getting out of control.
Matsui makes the first out in the bottom of the third, but not before the ball travels about 350 feet to left center.
Cano ends the bleeding for the Tigers with a lazy fly ball to left. In fifteen minutes the Yanks have ceized absolute control of this game with five hits and five runs.
9:32- The video of Leyland's "we stunk" rant from April is played. Although early in the season, have to agree that it really rallied the Tigers. Down 5-0 it may be time for another one.
9:36- Pudge strikes out again to bring Wang's K total to 2. After 3 1/2 innings Yanks up to a 5-0 lead with the top of the order rolling around again. Not expecting to see Robertson this inning which could really tax the Tigers bullpen early in the series.
9:39-And I'm wrong again, as Robertson trots out and retires Damon. Jeter continues to rip up Robertson, taking the pitch in to right for another single. Too late for the batting title, but it looks like Jeter is still trying to make an impression on MVP voters.
9:42-Rare base-running error by Jeter as he's caught in a run down. Abreu flies out to left to end the inning. Although he's in a hole, have to hand it to Robertson for bouncing back after the one thru five hitters belted him around in the bottom of the third. There has not been a runner past first base over the last 6 outs.
9:46-Craig Monroe takes a ball over the centerfield wall to get the Tigers on the board. Wang has given up a few hard hit balls tonight on balls he's left too far up in the zone.
9:52- Polanco doubles in to the right field corner bringing in Brandon Inge all the way from first. With two outs Inge was moving on contact so he scored uncontested. Guidry visits the mound to calm down Wang with Sean Casey coming up in a big spot.
9:54- The visit didn't help as Casey rips a ball in to the left centerfield gap, scoring Polanco and advancing to second. The lead is cut to 5-3 and Wang has looked horribly ineffective. He has not looked spectacular at any point tonight and the Yankees are already warming up Bryan Bruney.
9:56- Big strikeout for Wang as he gets Ordonez swinging. Wang has been prone to middle inning slip ups this year and hopefully the top of the fifth got it out of his system.
10:01- Giambi is hit again by Robertson. Doubt that's on purpose, but a lot more suspicious considering he homered in his last at bat. McCarver refutes that was intentional, but Buck does point out Giambi seems displeased.
A-Rod strikes out looking. home plate umpire Tim McClellan's late call seems to really bother A-Rod. As has been pointed out on several occassions, that is McClellan's trademark but you know it bugs the players.
10:05- Matsui steps in and Buck informs the audience of Matsui's gaudy .500 postseason batting average against lefties. As any Yankee fan could tell him, every Yankee radio broadcast makes fun of opposing teams who bring in lefties out of the pen to face Matsui late in games. He crushes lefty pitching. Right on cue, Matsui weakly grounds back to the mound. I'm really on my game tonight.
10:14-Wang retires the side on three groundouts. Luckily McCarver is too busy talking about Craig Monroe's mother Marilyn to discuss the ground ball outs. On the other side of that, how much do you think Monroe has heard about that in his life?
10:19- I'm glad Ken Rosenthal reads my blog. Reciting information previously posted on this site he's now going on about how 27 of Rivera's 34 postseason saves have come from more than one inning of work and how Torre plans to limit him to just one inning. His sideline report is overall pretty useless, no information that the normal fan couldn't have gathered online. Ideally a sideline reporter is supposed to give you some current, game time information that is not readily available. Not only that, he seems very uncomfortable when Buck tries to engage him in some friendly banter about the star studded crowd. The unscripted stuff really throws Rosenthal off his game.
10:23-Following Damon's single, Jeter rips his fourth hit of the night and second double. Second and third for Abreu. Abreu trickles a grounder under the glove of the diving Polanco to score Jeter and Damon for the second time tonight. The Yanks stretch the lead to 7-3 and finally chase Robertson from the game.
10:26- FOX frantically cuts back in to the game as Abreu races to second. On replay we see that new reliever Jason Grilli throws a pick off attempt over Casey's head allowing Abreu to advance. Grilli gets Sheffield to ground out to short to end the sixth. It's never a good thing if you come back to your broadcast after something has happened.
10:30- Wang records strike out number four, above his average of about 3 per start.
10:33- Torre comes to pull Wang out after 6 2/3 and only 93 pitches. Very curious about this decision as Wang has really settled down after a rough fifth. Really glad that FOX cut to commercials quickly because Mike Myers trotting in to the "Halloween" theme is one of the freakier happenings in baseball. Myers will come in to face Curtis Granderson, an early postseason test for the Yankees lefty specialist.
10:38-Test failed. Granderson tattoos an off-speed pitch in to the right field bleachers.
10:39-Myers gets yanked and greeted by boos. How quickly in to Torre's post game interview will he hear "why'd you pull Wang when you did?"
10:41-Proctor's turn to end the seventh. Buck doesn't even wait until the end of the game, he
immediately asks about Torre's decision. Finally I beat them to the punch, it was only a matter of time. Polanco rips a pitch to right center, thus making Torre's decision look even worse.
10:45-The tying run steps to the plate in the person of Magglio Ordonez after Casey singles to right. Crisis diverted as Magglio just misses it, sending a fly ball to centerfield.
10:47- We have a Ronan Tynan sighting. You know it's Yankees postseason baseball when we see him. Rudy can't contain his smile, neither can I. Best version of God Bless America you can ever hear. He also taught us that there's a verse of God Bless America that no one ever realized existed. I only hope it annoys Jim Leyland the way it drove the Twins crazy.
10:50-Ronan finally wraps it up to a rousing ovation. Even though my friend points out he looks
eerily similar to Sloth from the Goonies, my rooting interest in him is undeterred. Aside from Whitney Houston's national anthem at Super Bowl XXV, no one gives a more stirring rendition of a patriotic song than our beloved Irish Tenor.
10:53-New pitcher for the Tigers is lefty Jamie Walker. Giambi gets on base again, this time walking as opposed to being hit. Great night for Giambi, especially considering his recent struggles.
10:56- A-Rod hits another ball on the nose, this one right at Ordonez. Although he's only one for four, he's had a solid night. He's swinging the bat well and he's going to get his fair share of hits this postseason. The Tigers insist on having a lefty face him, I really hope he gets a hit here to redeem my earlier comments...
Luckily he grounds weakly to avoid the double play, but the force is made at second on Giambi. Really glad I've been going out on a limb for Matsui.
11:01- Runners on first and third for Cano. He's way overdue, 0 for 3 so far. He's been an RBI
machine since getting off the DL. Again, I'm feeling it. FOX shows the post-DL numbers, just a hair behind my comments. Now if Robbie can just back me up I'll be 2 for 2 on this one...and he flies out to right. I'm glad my first experimentation with live updates has shown my tremendous prognosticating abilities.
11:05- A few changes for the Yanks with Farnsworth taking over on the mound and Andy Phillips replacing Sheff at first.
11:07- Farnsworth misses with his first four pitches. I wonder if Kyle read ESPN.com's 100 reasons to watch the MLB Playoffs. Reason number 21: Kyle Farnsworth is guaranteed to cost the Yankees a game.
11:09- Retires Pudge on a lazy fly to left, but still concerned that Farnsworth is shying away
from the heat. He gets himself in to trouble when he doesn't trust his fastball, looks shaky right now.
11:11-FOX just scanned past Vito from the Sopranos with not even a mention of his name. Of course they point out Denzel, Trump, Ewing, Spike Lee, Regis, Rudy, Bloomberg, but no love for Vito? That hurts. On a brighter note, Farnsworth strikes out Monroe for a big second out.
11:16-Jeter hauls in Thames' pop up. Despite being erratic, Farnsworth does his job by getting
out of the eighth unscathed.
11:22-Jeter drives a ball deep to left center for a homerun and his fifth hit of the night. The MVP chants are booming and Jeter will definitely need to make a curtain call. What a performance by the captain.
11:25- Inning ends on a fly to center by Andy Phillips, but what an unreal night for Jeter. Even with an 8-4 lead heading in to the ninth, the ball will probably be handed over to Rivera.
11:29- Enter Sandman.
11:34- Cano to Jeter to Phillips, game over. Rivera nails it down with a 1-2-3 in the ninth to preserve the 8-4 victory. Yankee fans have to be concerned with how the bullpen performed.
11:35- Jeter gives Rosenthal about 30 seconds for a postgame interview. He again answers "none of us are concerned with personal accolades" when asked about his MVP chances. I know he's obligated to ask the question, but really Rosenthal has served no purpose to the broadcast. Jeter's answered this question the same way for weeks, how is that going to change now?
Overall a big win for the Yankees as the lineup showed how lethal it should be throughout the playoffs. Yankee fans should be concerned about the performances of Mike Myers and Scott Proctor out of the bullpen, as well as the solid showing by the Tigers bullpen. Aside from Jeter's home-run they kept the Tigers in the game and Detroit's offense proved to be relentless. They kept fighting and produced 12 hits. It'll be interesting to see how Detroit rebounds from a game one loss. Rookie Justin Verlander takes the hill against Mike Mussina in what should be a very exciting game two.
ALDS Preview- Detroit vs. New York
In the third game of tonight's tripleheader, the Tigers and Yankees open up at Yankee Stadium. The Tigers were in control of the AL Central for a bulk of the season before allowing the Twins to take the division title on the last day of the season. Their downfall has been widely documented, but will it inspire them to perform in the postseason or is it a product of a lack of talent. Everyone is hopping on board the Yankees bandwagon with a lineup that boasts an All-Star at each position and this year's AL Batting Title second runner up as their ninth place hitter.
Why The Yankees Will Win... With all due respect to their cross-town rivals, the Yankees have the deepest lineup in the playoffs. They can hurt you from top to bottom, and still bring the all-time leader in postseason homeruns off the bench. On paper, this lineup looks unbeatable, but it certainly is. They are susceptible to pitchers who can pound them inside, and the Tigers have the arms to do so. Jason Giambi is battling a wrist injury that limited his production down the stretch, Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui are recovering from significant injuries, and the tough times of Alex Rodriguez have been well chronicled. However, if this offense is hitting on even half of its cylinders, they'll score runs in bunches. The biggest question marks are with the pitching staff. Will Randy Johnson's back hold up for his game 3 start? How is Mariano Rivera's forearm? Will the overused arms of Scott Proctor and Ron Villone be able to get the important outs? Which Kyle Farnsworth will show up? The good news for Yankee fans is that the pitching staff does not need to throw shutout ball. The Sandman is the most reliable closer in postseason history and all signs indicate Wang and Mussina should keep other teams off the board.
Why The Tigers Will Win...Good young pitching. Justin Verlander has a good shot of being AL Rookie of The Year and has electric stuff. He struggled down the stretch, but if he's on the Yankees will have a tough time scoring runs. Kenny Rogers was virtually unhittable the last couple of months of the season and kept the Tigers from missing the postseason. The bullpen is stocked with live arms, especially flamethrowing Joel Zumaya. While certainly not as potent as the Yankees lineup, the Tigers have good versatility. They have good speed at the top with Curtis Granderson, some power in the middle with Ivan Rodriguez and Magglio Ordonez, and depth at the bottom with Marcus Thames and Craig Monroe. The addition of Sean Casey before the deadline adds some stability to the top with a veteran who consistently gets on base. If the young starters can accept the challenge of pitching at Yankee Stadium in October, this could be a good series.
Prediction: While the Tigers were the feel good story of the first half of the season, their troubling inability to win games over the last fifty games is a red flag for Motown fans. They won a mere 19 of their last 50, the worst of any of this year's postseason teams. They squandered the division title they had virtually wrapped up in July which forced them to go on the road for the first two games of the division series. Meanwhile, the Yankees have issues of their own. The Randy Johnson back situation could play out a la David Wells in the '03 World Series, causing big problems for the back end of the rotation and bullpen. Manager Joe Torre has already stated that Mariano will not be used for more than an inning, but it'll be interesting to see if he sticks with that. Many of his biggest postseason performances have required more than an inning and Torre may not have the horses in the bullpen to keep Rivera on a one inning schedule. However, with home field advantage against an inexperienced and struggling team, this should be all Yankees. Expect the Yankees to win in four.
Why The Yankees Will Win... With all due respect to their cross-town rivals, the Yankees have the deepest lineup in the playoffs. They can hurt you from top to bottom, and still bring the all-time leader in postseason homeruns off the bench. On paper, this lineup looks unbeatable, but it certainly is. They are susceptible to pitchers who can pound them inside, and the Tigers have the arms to do so. Jason Giambi is battling a wrist injury that limited his production down the stretch, Gary Sheffield and Hideki Matsui are recovering from significant injuries, and the tough times of Alex Rodriguez have been well chronicled. However, if this offense is hitting on even half of its cylinders, they'll score runs in bunches. The biggest question marks are with the pitching staff. Will Randy Johnson's back hold up for his game 3 start? How is Mariano Rivera's forearm? Will the overused arms of Scott Proctor and Ron Villone be able to get the important outs? Which Kyle Farnsworth will show up? The good news for Yankee fans is that the pitching staff does not need to throw shutout ball. The Sandman is the most reliable closer in postseason history and all signs indicate Wang and Mussina should keep other teams off the board.
Why The Tigers Will Win...Good young pitching. Justin Verlander has a good shot of being AL Rookie of The Year and has electric stuff. He struggled down the stretch, but if he's on the Yankees will have a tough time scoring runs. Kenny Rogers was virtually unhittable the last couple of months of the season and kept the Tigers from missing the postseason. The bullpen is stocked with live arms, especially flamethrowing Joel Zumaya. While certainly not as potent as the Yankees lineup, the Tigers have good versatility. They have good speed at the top with Curtis Granderson, some power in the middle with Ivan Rodriguez and Magglio Ordonez, and depth at the bottom with Marcus Thames and Craig Monroe. The addition of Sean Casey before the deadline adds some stability to the top with a veteran who consistently gets on base. If the young starters can accept the challenge of pitching at Yankee Stadium in October, this could be a good series.
Prediction: While the Tigers were the feel good story of the first half of the season, their troubling inability to win games over the last fifty games is a red flag for Motown fans. They won a mere 19 of their last 50, the worst of any of this year's postseason teams. They squandered the division title they had virtually wrapped up in July which forced them to go on the road for the first two games of the division series. Meanwhile, the Yankees have issues of their own. The Randy Johnson back situation could play out a la David Wells in the '03 World Series, causing big problems for the back end of the rotation and bullpen. Manager Joe Torre has already stated that Mariano will not be used for more than an inning, but it'll be interesting to see if he sticks with that. Many of his biggest postseason performances have required more than an inning and Torre may not have the horses in the bullpen to keep Rivera on a one inning schedule. However, with home field advantage against an inexperienced and struggling team, this should be all Yankees. Expect the Yankees to win in four.
NLDS Preview- St. Louis vs. San Diego
For the second straight year these two teams meet in the Division Series, this time starting out in San Diego for game one. This year San Diego enters the playoffs as the hot team, seizing and maintaining first place late in the season from a dangerous Dodgers team. On the other end of the spectrum, St. Louis survived a late September surge from Houston and avoided one of the worst collapses in MLB history. The Cardinals will continue to rely on baseball's most dangerous hitter to overcome glaring pitching weaknesses and hope San Diego wasted too much energy securing the division down the stretch.
Why the Padres Will Win... They're peaking at the right time. They've been in a playoff atmosphere the last few weeks and have played tremendously well. Jake Peavy has the ability to dominate a game and should have a couple of opportunities to do so in this series. San Diego has relied on its pitching and has not been let down. As a team they lead the National League in runs allowed, batting average against, and saves. They have experienced closer Trevor Hoffman, a decided advantage over the Cardinals Braden Looper. While Mike Piazza has been ripped over his fielding deficiencies throughout his career, he certainly knows how to handle a staff. His postseason experience should be extremely beneficial. He also has provided the middle of the lineup with some pop, finishing tied for second on the team with 22 homeruns. While the offense finished towards the bottom of the league in most offensive categories, they have a pretty good balance of power and speed. Dave Roberts is a disruptive force on the base paths while Adrian Gonzalez, Brian Giles, and Mike Cameron can all hit the long ball.
Why The Cardinals Will Win... Tony LaRussa's decision to allow Chris Carpenter to skip his last start will surely pay dividends. While it was a risky move with the division crown still in the balance, the Cardinals snuck in to the playoffs and now have their ace ready to pitch multiple times if necessary. Their bullpen took a major hit with a late season injury to closer Jason Isringhausen. The Cards will now have to rely on either inconsistent Braden Looper or inexperienced Adam Wainwright to close out games. Carpenter is more than capable of winning two games in this series and Jeff Suppan has pitched better of late. Although the offense has been very one dimensional of late, the man doing the damage may be the best hitter in all of baseball. Albert Pujols is capable of carrying this offense through some tough times, but will need someone to step up. If Jim Edmonds is healthy, he can certainly help shoulder the load as well as 3B Scott Rolen. While Chris Duncan's numbers have tailed off recently, he still belted 22 homeruns in limited at bats while hitting at nearly a .300 clip. This is a very capable offense that can not be counted out.
Prediction: Conventional wisdom suggests pitching trumps hitting in the postseason. To take it one step further, it is often believed a team peaking at the right time should be favored. In this series, San Diego holds a decided advantage in both of these areas. However, I'm going against both of these theories in picking a winner for this series. NL MVP Candidate Albert Pujols will have a monster series and put the Cards on his back. Carpenter is capable of picking up a couple of victories and should get help from Jeff Suppan. Trevor Hoffman has struggled in big situations this year (All-Star game, last two of the Dodgers four consecutive HRs) and could be susceptible to more late inning trouble. While the Cards bullpen is a messy situation, the Padres may not be strong enough offensively to really make them pay. San Diego's hot streak runs out as they lose to the Cardinals in four.
Why the Padres Will Win... They're peaking at the right time. They've been in a playoff atmosphere the last few weeks and have played tremendously well. Jake Peavy has the ability to dominate a game and should have a couple of opportunities to do so in this series. San Diego has relied on its pitching and has not been let down. As a team they lead the National League in runs allowed, batting average against, and saves. They have experienced closer Trevor Hoffman, a decided advantage over the Cardinals Braden Looper. While Mike Piazza has been ripped over his fielding deficiencies throughout his career, he certainly knows how to handle a staff. His postseason experience should be extremely beneficial. He also has provided the middle of the lineup with some pop, finishing tied for second on the team with 22 homeruns. While the offense finished towards the bottom of the league in most offensive categories, they have a pretty good balance of power and speed. Dave Roberts is a disruptive force on the base paths while Adrian Gonzalez, Brian Giles, and Mike Cameron can all hit the long ball.
Why The Cardinals Will Win... Tony LaRussa's decision to allow Chris Carpenter to skip his last start will surely pay dividends. While it was a risky move with the division crown still in the balance, the Cardinals snuck in to the playoffs and now have their ace ready to pitch multiple times if necessary. Their bullpen took a major hit with a late season injury to closer Jason Isringhausen. The Cards will now have to rely on either inconsistent Braden Looper or inexperienced Adam Wainwright to close out games. Carpenter is more than capable of winning two games in this series and Jeff Suppan has pitched better of late. Although the offense has been very one dimensional of late, the man doing the damage may be the best hitter in all of baseball. Albert Pujols is capable of carrying this offense through some tough times, but will need someone to step up. If Jim Edmonds is healthy, he can certainly help shoulder the load as well as 3B Scott Rolen. While Chris Duncan's numbers have tailed off recently, he still belted 22 homeruns in limited at bats while hitting at nearly a .300 clip. This is a very capable offense that can not be counted out.
Prediction: Conventional wisdom suggests pitching trumps hitting in the postseason. To take it one step further, it is often believed a team peaking at the right time should be favored. In this series, San Diego holds a decided advantage in both of these areas. However, I'm going against both of these theories in picking a winner for this series. NL MVP Candidate Albert Pujols will have a monster series and put the Cards on his back. Carpenter is capable of picking up a couple of victories and should get help from Jeff Suppan. Trevor Hoffman has struggled in big situations this year (All-Star game, last two of the Dodgers four consecutive HRs) and could be susceptible to more late inning trouble. While the Cards bullpen is a messy situation, the Padres may not be strong enough offensively to really make them pay. San Diego's hot streak runs out as they lose to the Cardinals in four.
ALDS Preview- Oakland vs. Minnesota
Today's playoffs kick off with the AL Central champion Twins hosting the AL West champion Athletics. The two hottest teams since June boast the premiere pitching matchup of the playoffs in today's game one between sure fire AL Cy Young winner Johan Santana and Barry Zito. Not only did Santana tie for the lead league in wins, he lead in innings, strikeouts, and ERA, a feat rarely accomplished. For the Athletics, ace Barry Zito is not far behind and features the best curveball in baseball. These two lefties could provide a couple of memorable duels in this short series.
Why The Twins Will Win... Johan Santana has emerged as the most dominant pitcher in baseball. If all goes according to plan, Santana can notch two of the three necessary victories to clinch. That means the trio of Matt Garza, Boof Bonser, and Brad Radke would only be responsible for picking up one win. The Twins feature the best bullpen in the American League, with dominant closer Joe Nathan being the most reliable closer not named Mariano Rivera in this year's playoffs. Their bullpen has the ability to shorten games making it easier on one of the youngsters or Radke to pick up that third win. Also, for the first time in recent memory, they have a team capable of scoring runs in bunches. With AL batting champion Joe Mauer and fellow MVP candidate Justin Morneau driving in runs in the middle of the lineup, they have a few bats that can hurt you. Perennial leader Torii Hunter is also more than capable of producing the clutch hit as he has shown down the stretch. As a team they lead the majors in batting average and were among the leaders in on base percentage.
Why The A's Will Win...Depth in starting pitching. Barry Zito is more than capable of out-dueling Santana at least once and silencing the big left handed bats (Mauer, Morneau) that carry the Minnesota offense. Esteban Loaiza has been very effective in the late months and looks to be a strong number two guy in the rotation. The A's have not decided who their game three starter will be, but both Dan Haren and Rich Harden are young flamethrowers who can absolutely shut down an opposing offense. Harden has pitched well since coming off the DL, but has been limited in his work. If he can be healthy, he is capable of the vaunted "Josh Beckett of '03" performance. The A's bullpen is also tough with Kiko Calero, Justin Duchscherer, and closer Huston Street. If Street is hampered by the injuries that affected him during the season, Duchscherer has proven he can handle closing responsibilities. Offensively, the big bats of Nick Swisher and the resurgence of Frank Thomas shoulder the load. They need to continue to provide the pop in the middle of this lineup for the A's to have a chance. Eric Chavez has hit much better in the second half of the season and also could provide a boost in the offense. While their batting averages are a bit low, their on-base percentage is still at an acceptable Moneyball level.
Prediction: Having home field advantage is a distinct advantage for the Twins. Playing inside the noisy Metrodome on that fast track plays largely to their advantage. The key is game one. If the Athletics can steal game one on the road, they have a great chance of being able to close out in Oakland. If Santana holds it should at least enable him another start later on in the series. Although A's Manager Ken Macha seems to have a lot of faith in Loaiza has his second starter, I will not show as much faith. If the A's fall in to an 0-2 hole, I don't seem them digging out. However, if the Twins were to use Santana in Game 4 (if necessary), I'd like the A's chances of taking Game 5 (if necessary). The Twins in a short series are scary, but with the absence of Liriano certainly beatable. I'll go with the A's in five behind the depth in their starting rotation.
Why The Twins Will Win... Johan Santana has emerged as the most dominant pitcher in baseball. If all goes according to plan, Santana can notch two of the three necessary victories to clinch. That means the trio of Matt Garza, Boof Bonser, and Brad Radke would only be responsible for picking up one win. The Twins feature the best bullpen in the American League, with dominant closer Joe Nathan being the most reliable closer not named Mariano Rivera in this year's playoffs. Their bullpen has the ability to shorten games making it easier on one of the youngsters or Radke to pick up that third win. Also, for the first time in recent memory, they have a team capable of scoring runs in bunches. With AL batting champion Joe Mauer and fellow MVP candidate Justin Morneau driving in runs in the middle of the lineup, they have a few bats that can hurt you. Perennial leader Torii Hunter is also more than capable of producing the clutch hit as he has shown down the stretch. As a team they lead the majors in batting average and were among the leaders in on base percentage.
Why The A's Will Win...Depth in starting pitching. Barry Zito is more than capable of out-dueling Santana at least once and silencing the big left handed bats (Mauer, Morneau) that carry the Minnesota offense. Esteban Loaiza has been very effective in the late months and looks to be a strong number two guy in the rotation. The A's have not decided who their game three starter will be, but both Dan Haren and Rich Harden are young flamethrowers who can absolutely shut down an opposing offense. Harden has pitched well since coming off the DL, but has been limited in his work. If he can be healthy, he is capable of the vaunted "Josh Beckett of '03" performance. The A's bullpen is also tough with Kiko Calero, Justin Duchscherer, and closer Huston Street. If Street is hampered by the injuries that affected him during the season, Duchscherer has proven he can handle closing responsibilities. Offensively, the big bats of Nick Swisher and the resurgence of Frank Thomas shoulder the load. They need to continue to provide the pop in the middle of this lineup for the A's to have a chance. Eric Chavez has hit much better in the second half of the season and also could provide a boost in the offense. While their batting averages are a bit low, their on-base percentage is still at an acceptable Moneyball level.
Prediction: Having home field advantage is a distinct advantage for the Twins. Playing inside the noisy Metrodome on that fast track plays largely to their advantage. The key is game one. If the Athletics can steal game one on the road, they have a great chance of being able to close out in Oakland. If Santana holds it should at least enable him another start later on in the series. Although A's Manager Ken Macha seems to have a lot of faith in Loaiza has his second starter, I will not show as much faith. If the A's fall in to an 0-2 hole, I don't seem them digging out. However, if the Twins were to use Santana in Game 4 (if necessary), I'd like the A's chances of taking Game 5 (if necessary). The Twins in a short series are scary, but with the absence of Liriano certainly beatable. I'll go with the A's in five behind the depth in their starting rotation.
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