I don’t know where to start after one of the craziest nights ever in the game of baseball. There isn’t even much time to think about it because the playoffs start tonight! The cliché is that, in the MLB playoffs, anything can happen if you just get there. And since it’s not 2009 when everyone and their mother knew the Yankees would win it, this year anything can happen. Rather than tell you who takes home a ring, I will tell you why EVERY team COULD win the World Series.
The American League
The Yankees
Experience. The Yankees are here every year, these dudes are all as comfortable as you can be in a postseason. This year their pitching wasn’t supposed to be good enough to get to the post, well, scoring 10 runs a game takes a lot of pressure off pitchers. They have one of the dirtiest lineups in baseball (it might even be the all time dirtiest). I feel like they can score 9 runs on any given night, even against good pitching. Cano, A-Rod, Texiera, Granderson, Jeter, and the rest of ‘em can bang! I know pitching wins championships, but if they win, it won’t be because Ivan Nova becomes Tim Lincecum, it will be because they do what they do and score runs at will. They do still have C.C. Sabathia, whose high expectations often cause him to get overlooked (kind of like Albert Pujols not being mentioned in this year’s N.L. MVP race). Mariano Rivera is kind of good too, you might have heard of him.
The Tigers
Justin Verlander…. Enough said. No, really, he has been RIDICULOUS! He was practically unbeatable this year, and I just don’t see him losing, and he’s definitely not losing twice in one series. Verlander is followed by Doug Fister, who has killed this past month, and Max Scherzer, who sucks balls on the road, but definitely can win against another number three starter at home. The Tigers have the ability to bang almost as much as Yankees. Detroit also has that fat piece of crap Jose Valverde to shut down the 9th.
The Rangers
Redemption. The thing that sticks out to me the most about Texas is that even thought they lost Cliff Lee in the offseason, they look just as good. The Rangers lost the World Series last year and believe this is their year for redemption. They hit like all the other AL teams, but they can pitch too. No real nasty number 1, but they still have C.J. Wilson, Derrick Holland, and a great bullpen. I also heard that Ron Washington is in a drug program now so they don’t have that to worry about anymore. Fear the Deer!!!!
The Rays
Momentum. They didn’t just win 2 nights ago being down 7 to nothing in the 8th, they have been doing crap like that all month. They came back from being down 9 games in the month of September (even though it seems like Boston gave it away) and really did earn their ticket to October. The Rays are coming in hot. They are the team that doesn’t score a lot of runs, but just enough to win. With a filthy 1-2 punch like James Shields and D-Price (I know he has sucked lately but forgot about all that when they play Friday), look out for Daddy Warbucks!
The Boston Red Sox
Woops I forgot haahaahahahaa
The National League
The Diamondbacks
Underdogs. The D-Backs are too young and too stupid to know they aren’t supposed to win. They just have that team that has somebody new, do something big, every night. Arizona has a straight staff with Ian Kennedy and Daniel Hudson. Don’t forget Justin Upton is cold blooded (I know he has struggled lately, but like I said, they have someone busting out of a slump every day). It’s not like the Diamondbacks haven’t beat good pitching this year playing in the NL West, they are used to what they will be facing come Saturday.
The Brewers
Ron Roenicke. Totally Joking!
Swagger. The Milwaukee Brewers have swag and are some straight up bullies. This is the team that can’t be beat at home, especially with the “2 G’s” pitching (Yovani Gallardo and Zack Greinke). The Brewers fricken hit like an AL team with Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, and Corey Hart. There hasn’t been a better front man than T-Plush since Flavor Flav. Their nickname is “The Crew,” those dudes are tough.
The Cardinals
Momentum…….and Albert Pujols. This is the team that isn’t supposed to be here. The Cards lost their number 1, Adam Wainwright, in spring training and were supposed to be horrible. Albert Pujols started “slow” when he broke his hand and still put up monster numbers. But don’t sleep on the rest of their lineup, Holliday and Berkman are beasts. I am a little worried about their closer situation, but doesn’t one team every year have some young kid come up huge as the new closer and then be lights out for the next 5 years? St Louis is coming in just as hot as the Rays.
The Phillies
Pitching. Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, and Roy Oswalt. The first 3 could have been the first 3 starters for the NL All-Star team this year. This is by far the best staff I have ever seen in my life (yeah better than the 05 Sox and all those Yankee teams in the late 90’s and early 2000’s). Pitching wins championships and theirs is by far the best. Philly also has a good pen with Ryan Madson, if they even have to use him. The lineup isn’t great, but a lot of lineups will look worse than theirs facing the Phil’s pitching. In baseball, you win 60 and lose 60; it’s what you do with the other 40. Well, they won all 40, plus two more.
Conclusion
I know it seems like I have said everything you already know, but after 162 games it’s not like there are a lot of secrets. If you were looking for me to tell you that Mitch Moreland would hit a homerun in game 5 against Joel Peralta, guess what, nobody knows that crap.
I hope the Crew wins it all. If they don’t, I would at least love to see the Cardinals and Brewers in the NLCS. I would also love to see the Cardinals vs Tigers World Series and have the Cardinals beat Detroit again.
If I had to put $100 down on a team, I’d pick the Fightins. However, they did win 102 games and everyone knows if you win 100 games, you don’t win the World Series.
All this baseball playoff stuff is fun, but really who cares? There is a lockout in basketball…………….. What are we gonna do with ourselves?????
I’m kidding, go baseball!
Playoff Bracket Prediction
Detroit over the Yankees
Rays over the Rangers
Detroit over the Rays
Phillies over the Cardinals
Brewers over the Diamondbacks
Phillies over the Brewers
Phillies over Detroit
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