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.

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.