I am actually looking forward to these playoffs. Other than overtime hockey, there is nothing more chew-on-your-nails, rock-back-and-forth-uncrollably nerve wrenching as the baseball playoffs, so it is to the benefit of my health and prosperity that the Astros are not in it. I like to feel the good people of Houston decided to not make the playoffs becuase of this, and not the more likely scenario, that they suck, ahve aging players making too much money, have no farm system, and are a joke of a Franchise that actually experimented with Russ Ortiz and Mike Hampton (the baseball equivalent of experimenting with Hydrochloric Acid and your eyeball). Anyway, here we go.
NLDS
Los Angeles vs St. Louis
I have yet to meet one, singular human being who thinks the Dodgers will win this series. My guess is that this is due to St. Louis being a better team..... (checking baseball-reference).... Indeed the Dodgers hit better and pitch better, they also run better and field. The Dodgers have basically been the best team in the NL the whole entire season. I'm not sure what the Cardinals do better that make people disregard the whole season. My guess is that they are blinded by Albert Pujols massive halo. I'll break it down: The Dodgers as a team are better in every major category. The Cardinals have Albert Pujols, who weilds a sledgehammer bat, sweats pure gold, can hit ground-rule doubles with his penis and rumor has it, his excrement is the fetilizer that spawned the Rockefeller Christmas Tree. I just don't get it. Also, Tony LaRussa has not nearly been as successful in the playoffs as Joe Torre has. It's really about even, but I'll go against the public opinion, becuse I fucking hate Pope Albertus Pujols.
Dodgers in 5
Philadelphia Phillies vs Colorado Rockies
The Rockies are quietly in their second playoffs in three years. So quietly, half of Denver does not yet know as they are too busy fallaciating Josh McDaniels. The Phillies, the defending champs, are postseason regulars now, and have the experience from last year. Sadly, they also have the Brad Lidge experience from 2005 in Houston. I love that guy. The guy that gave up walk-off homeruns to guys that hit as many homeruns as I do (0 - the number Scott Podsednik hit in 2005 before hitting one off Lidge). I honestly cry every time I see Brad Lidge blow another save. I mean, he was awful in 2006, but he is historically awful. No One, I repeat NO ONE, has ptched as many innings and had an ERA that high, ever, in the 400 year history of Baseball. Outside of the Lidge, these teams are pretty even. They both feature above average pitching staffs and great lineups. The Rockies predicate more on getting on base, the Phillies are a more power-driven team. This is close. However, I cannot fathom Brad Lidge and his giddy face winning another postseason series.
Rockies in 4
ALDS
Anaheim vs Boston
Yeah, I'm not calling them Los Angeles. Why, you ask? Becuase they are not in Los Angeles anymore than I am. They are Anaheim. Since their switch, they have lost to the Red Sox each time they played them. In 2004 and 2007, the Red Sox were the better team, and goat-whipped them, sweeping them both times. Last year, the Angels were the better team, and Boston gave them a game before tying them up and waterboarding them in four after a 100 win year from the Angels. This year, they are even, albeit different. The Red Sox have a very weird lineup. Alot of their guys, Ortiz, Pedroia, Youkilis, are having off years. However, since V-Mart and his Handshakes came on board, he seems to have energized that team. The Angels are like everything they were before (smallball, swing early, annoy the hell out of you), except the exact opposite. They are an OBP machine. They waste pitches, they still annoy you, but then they crank out home runs. Kendry Morales has the best numbers of anybody in this series. Boston has a much, much better pitching staff and bullpen. Jon Lester, and I'm serious, seems to have reached a level he never had after his bout with cancer. That guy is a beast. Josh Beckett can look anything from the second coming of Pedro 2000, or the second coming of Bartolo Colon. However, in the playoffs its usually the former. Just a hunch, but I feel that this is the year the Angels do it, becuase this is the year NOONE thinks they can.
Angels in 5
New York vs Minnesota
New York is just better. Their pitching is a little hit-or-miss, but when that offense can win games 11-7 routinely, it does not matter. All they need in a five game series is three games where their offense explodes or gets some pitching. For a team that has nine guys over 13 HR, eight guys with OPS's above .820 and a MVP-Candidate who is eighth on his team in OBP (Jeter, btw, he's a candidate in the same way Fernando Rodney is, as in far, far behind Joe Mauer). On the other side are the Twins. This team is on a 16-5 tear. I would love to pick them, and only halfly becuase I hate the tyrannical Yankees. I would have picked them had Justin Morneau been healthy, but he's not, which makes thier amazing run only more magical. Pitching is a wash since neither team has that many good pitchers, so it has to go with hitting. Plus, the Yankees owned the Twins this year.
New York in 4
Well, there's the DSes. Hopefully I'm better in these than my Week 4 picks. Overall, a very interesting set of games, I just pray some of them take less than 4 hours.
