Your ALCS and NLCS Non-Sequitor Post

It was cute when I put up my predictions for the first round and got told -- by some -- that they would have gone the other way on all four series picks I made.

I also got the most static from Reds fans who claimed I was overlooking them and they belonged, dammit! They were for reals, yo!

As it turns out, I got 3 out of 4 correct and if the Rays hadn't thrown the baseball around like a drunken Curtis Painter in Game 5, it might have been 4 for 4.

Anyway, your championship series breakdown goes like this.

NLCS: San Francisco Giants versus Philadelphia Phillies

Yes, I know everyone is in love with SF's pitching. However, Philly has Roy Halladay, who is unreal, and then they have Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels, both of whom were machines down the stretch. And SF's young guns are a tad overrated. Lincecum is excellent, but Cain's record didn't do much for me. Oh, and then there's this: the Phillies can hit. And hit and hit and hit. And San Fran cannot. That should just about do it. Phillies in 5.

ALCS: New York Yankees versus Texas Rangers

This one is definitely intriguing. The two teams split the regular season series 4-4, but the Rangers swept the Yankees in Arlington a month ago. And they keep bringing that up, because Mariano Rivera hit a batter in one of the games for a walk-off win for the Rangers. Let me explain something: uhhhh, so what? That doesn't matter. Not one bit. Mariano Rivera is a bit different in the playoffs. And if the Yankees have a lead in the later innings, the Rangers will be thinking about him looming.

That said, the Rangers do have weapons and they do have that nonsencial baserunning style. It worked against Tampa because Tampa threw the ball into the outfield. The Yankees probably won't do that, but they're not good at throwing guys out, either.

I think this series is going the Yankees direction, largely because Cliff Lee can only pitch two games, with one being Game 7 (assuming they don't bring him back on short rest earlier). If the series goes 7, the Rangers probably win (again, assuming Lee isn't brought back to pitch Game 6 on short rest, for example). I respect Lee and I respect the Rangers offense. But I think the rest of the pitching favors the Yankees and New York's offense takes a backseat to nobody. Yankees in 6.

I'm Glad The Rays Won

Obviously, I'm glad the Rays won... because I don't like the Sawx, their fans, their players, etc. But more than that, seeing the joy exhibited by the Rays players after they won last night was just one of those really cool things in sports. They were thrilled, relieved, joyful.... and many of these guys were part of the worst team in baseball last season.... and to be part of that journey has got to be just amazing.

And as much as I hate the Red Sox, I do have a grudging respect for them. Bill Simmons, who jumped the shark a long time ago in most peoples' eyes, wrote a column after the 2001 World Series, when the Yankees lost in seven games to the Diamondbacks on a bottom-of-the-ninth rally. Simmons wrote about how much he respected the Yankees and that you can tell the mettle of a champion not only when they win, but in how they are toppled. Like when a dynasty ends, the mark of a champion is in how hard they fight to the bitter end. Those Yankees struggled to push that series to seven games and almost pulled it out in the end... and they fought to the last second.

The same can be said of the 2008 Red Sox. Through the Manny disaster and trade, Ortiz slumping badly this season, Lowell not even being on the ALCS roster, injuries all over the places, etc... this team still played hard to the end and did not give the Rays anything. Down 7-0 in the 7th inning of Game 5, with TBS and everyone else already talking about the Rays versus the Phillies, and with Sox fans (who likely became Sox fans in about October 2004) the Sox players had to be the only ones who still believed they could do it. And they almost freaking did. Incredible.

Back in October of 2004, on my old site, when the Yankees were initiating their collapse to the Sox, I wrote that you couldn't ever take your boot off the Sox throat. Here's what I said on October 18, 2004:

"The Sox are a team I just don't feel comfortable around until they're gone.You need to run them over with the bus, then back over them, then run over them again. And then get out and hit them with the tire iron. Repeatedly. And then back over them again."

And they're still that team. They're still hungry, they still believe they can win no matter what the situation. And last night, if a few things had bounced their way... or if Drew wasn't called out on strikes on a pitch a foot outside that even the pitcher said he thought was a ball in the postgame.

I still don't like them or a lot of their players, but they refused to give up their throne easily and I respect them for that.

"Dude! I know! We was rahbbed! I can't believe the Sawx lost! I'm gonna go home and beat my girlfriend now... should cheeah me up."

MLB League Championship Series Analyses

Two...big.... SERIES. (What did you think I was gonna say?)

See, I could basically write something completely ridiculous here right now and you'd not even notice it thanks to that opening photo. See, here:

The Tampa Bay Rays are in the American League Championship Series.

How ridiculous is THAT? Oh, right...

ALCS

Tampa Bay Rays versus Boston Red Sox -- I think this series has a chance to be great. The Rays, as I mentioned earlier today, are probably the only team that can really stand in the way of the Red Sox. The Sox are cocky and confident but they lost 10 of 18 to the Rays this season, including some crucial late-season games in Boston. And the Rays pretty much owned them at home. You could go with the argument that the Rays are too young and might feel the pressure, and that the Sox are so experienced and seem to be an October steamroller these days. But I keep coming back to the facts that, as mentioned, the Rays played the Sox well this season and that they won the AL East by winning 97 games. That's pretty impressive. I think each team will win once in the other team's park and that it's going to go the distance. Rays in 7.

NLCS

Philadelphia Phillies versus Los Angeles Dodgers -- Who would have guessed the Dodgers would get to here, only four wins (over the Phillies!) away from the World Series? And in Joe Torre's first year. And with the possibility of Torre, Lowe and, of course, Manny, going back to Boston for the World Series. It's kind of amazing, since the Dodgers were mediocre almost all year and only began playing well when Manny showed up, though even then they managed to have an 8-game losing streak (which, in the NL West, only costs you like 2 games in the standings). I think LA's pitching is incredibly deep; the Phillies pitching is also pretty strong and looked great against Milwaukee. On offense, these teams are closer than you think, thanks to Manny, but really, if the Phillies have any sense, they won't let Manny beat them. Somehow, the Cubs let Manny belt it around the yard, though, so who knows? But I picked against Joe and the Dodgers in the first round and I'm not doing it again. I think they make it in an exciting series. Dodgers in 6.

Post-implosion dissection

The news of the day started ominously with Paul Byrd and HGH the talk of the day. My first thoughts were in conspiracy theory mode. Why wait until the morning of game 7 to bring these out? Did MLB prefer Boston the World Series (of course) and did someone want to distract the Indians? We'll probably never know, but the timing is certaily coincidental. It would be the same thing if David Ortiz was found to be using steroids and the media held onto that information until the most important game of the season.

Anyway, that ultimately had nothing to do with the Indians losing - distraction or not.

Game 7 of the ALCS ended when Joel Skinner stopped Kenny Lofton at third base. While replays clearly showed that Lofton would've scored easily, the brakes were put on not just Kenny, but any momentum the Indians would've gained.

Had Lofton scored, the game would've at least been tied at 3-3 and the Indians would've had the momentum from scoring the last 3 runs of the game. Who knows how the next half-inning would've went. Maybe the Red Sox still would've homered and taken a 2 run lead. I suspect the entire Indians team would've been energized though, and it really would've been a good game.

Instead, Lofton was stopped at third, Blake hit into an inning ending double play, I was really really really not happy, and the game was essentially over. The Indians were completely deflated. It really sucked. A lot.

You can argue that the terrible pitching of Sabathia and Carmona doomed the Indians, but I don't think so. I think a bad call by a usually aggressive third base coach doomed them last night. Granted, CC and Fausto sucked and sucked bad, but even after their horrible performances, the Indians still could've won.

Such is life as a fan of Cleveland sports. They will occasionally take you to the brink of something really spectacular before deciding to stab you in the eye.

Still Idiots

I had a conversation with J on Friday about why I thought the Red Sox would win games 6 & 7- because many of them seem to not be human in the way they handle pressure. Much like the group that found a way to fight back versus the Yankees a few seasons back, this Red Sox team is just odd the way they approach pressure situations.

During game 5, there was a camera shot of the Red Sox dugout that showed a few players having what looked like a sesame seed shell-spitting contest. Alright, you're down 3-1, whattya do? Act like a 10-year old playing a little league game. I don't think the Indians really acted like they were feeling pressure until game 7...understandably so. Some will say pitching killed the Indians, I'd argue that the Sox bats and demeanor killed the Indians. If one guy got cold another seemed to step up each time almost seemlessly.

So onto the World Series we go. I predict the Red Sox in 6.

This guy's the out you've been waiting your whole life for.

It's Tribe Time Now!

Yeah, it's a stupid slogan, but whatever. Suck it Boston!

The Indians will win tonight. C.C. Sabathia will pitch like he is capable of. It will be a hard fought close game, but the Indians will prevail.

On to the lowest rated World Series in history! I'll be loving every minute of it. Maybe we can get a few games snowed out and end up playing into December. Not to take for granted that the Indians have to win one more game, but I'm taking that for granted.

People around here have finally stopped talking about the Browns, but I'm fairly certain that's only because they have a bye this week. In the mean time, the Indians have certainly succeeded in capturing the town. They are hitting ridiculously well in the clutch. The bullpen is pitching great. The Eddie Harris' of the team (Westbrook and Byrd) are handling the Red Sox lineup. ESPN has finally recognized that it just might be possible that neither the Red Sox nor the Yankees will make the World Series. What could be better?

Now a side note: what exactly is Papelbon doing with Manny's junk?