Another week, another Lions loss...it must be October. Normally this would be cause of much anger/frustration/fed-up-ted-ness but, strangely enough, I don't find myself caring nearly as much as I should about the Lions inaptitude. Part of it is because they finally have the right man for the job, and Rod Marinelli will right the ship before long. But, most of it is because for the first time in my life I am able to truly look forward to baseball's postseason.
When the Detroit Tigers last made the postseason (1987) both Joel Zumaya and the All-Manac were two years old. Now we are both hitting our prime at 21 and are ready to embark on a journey towards the World Series. Some may argue that Joel may be playing a larger role in the upcoming games than I will, and while love the combination of a 100+ MPH fastball and a knee-buckling curveball, I think my constant pecks and jabs at the Yankees/Twins/Athletics will be enough to rattle their cages and take focus off the games. We will see, only time will tell.
I would normally be preparing my NFL Power Rankings about now, but it would be as barbaric as Albert Haynesworth's right-foot-let's-stomp to not do a preview of the playoffs when they involve the Tigers. We start of in the loser's bracket (also known as the National League):
(PS I would care a lot more about the NL Playoffs if the Phillies would have made it, so I could watch Ryan Howard own pitcher's souls)
San Diego Padres vs. St Louis Cardinals:
Players to watch:
- Chris Carpenter - St Louis Pitcher: Sure Albert Pujols is probably the best all-around player in baseball, but guess what...the Cardinals won't win games without pitching, and Carpenter is the best they have.
- Jake Peavy - San Diego Pitcher: Same argument as before...except the Padres don't have Pujols, so maybe more pressure falls to Peavy.
Quick Take: I was trying to think of a funny little punch line for this series, but all I could come up with is "who cares". The Cardinals are probably the better team, but this series will be so boring that if Terrell Owens was watching it while ODing on those pain killers...he wouldn't have called 911 (there I came up with one).
New York Mets vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Players to watch:
- Greg Maddox - Los Angeles Pitcher: The most under-the-radar move of the season (because no one cares about the NL) was the trade to bring Maddox to LA. For the Dodgers to have a chance against a better team, like the Mets, the Mad-Dog has to anchor their rotation.
- Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez - New York Pitcher: Notice the trend...all pitchers. The Mets won a lot of regular season games with their offense, but in the playoffs you need to pitch to win. Pedro isn't the same as he used to be, so old-timers Tom Glavine and El Duque must step up. In the past El Duque has been filthy in the playoffs.
Quick Take: The Mets are the only National League team hat doesn't totally suck, but they don't seem to be built for the post-season. However, I think they should make it out of the NL on their hitting alone, and then get swept by any AL team.
Minnesota Twins vs. Oakland Athletics
Players to watch:
- Johan Santana - Minnesota Pitcher: Baseball's best starting pitcher must carry this team through the series. When on his game, he is unhittable.
- Frank Thomas - Oakland DH: Oakland has the pitching, which is good, but you still need to score to win. The Big Hurt was on fire to end the season, and needs to continue that trend to push the A's past the Twins.
Quick Take: Two teams that have smallball down to a perfection square off in round one of the ALDS. Minnesota has the best pitcher and a better lineup, but Oakland's pitching staff is VERY deep. The Twins, however, have a great chance with Santana pitching two games in a five game series.
New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers
Players to watch:
- Chien-Ming Wang - New York Pitcher: The Yankees lineup is stacked (more on that later) but for the Evil Empire to advance the pitching needs to step up and produce. Wang is a young arm that is more than capable of stepping up and producing.
- Justin Verlander - Detroit Pitcher: For the Tigers to have a chance their pitching staff has to regain their once dominating form. It starts with rookie of the year candidate Justin Verlander. Concentration is the key for Justin, as when he is on, opposing teams rarely score.
Not-so-Quick Take: I have been unable to concentrate on much today because of the anticipation of this series. One of the most encouraging things about the Tiger's turnaround this year has been the strength of their pitching, which is ultimately what you need to win the playoffs. That being said, the Yanks may have the best offense of all time. I am sure that everyone knows their players, but just look at it on paper:
1. Johnny Damon (.285 AVG, 24 HR, 80 RBI)
2. Derek Jeter (.343, 14, 97)
3. Bobby Abreu (.297, 15, 107)
4. Alex Rodriguez (.290, 35, 131)
5. Jason Giambi (.253, 37, 113)
6. Gary Sheffield (.291, 34, 123) (2005 stats - Due to Injury)
7. Hideki Matsui (.305, 23 , 116) (2005 stats - Due to Injury)
8. Jorge Posada (.277, 23, 93)
9. Robinson Cano (.342, 15, 78)
Unfortunately for the Yankees...games are not won on paper.
OFFICIAL PREDICTIONS
NLDS:
St Louis over San Diego (3-1)
New York over Los Angeles (3-1)
ALDS:
Oakland over Minnesota in (3-1)
Detroit over New York in (3-2)
NLCS:
New York over St Louis (4-2)
ALCS:
Detroit over Oakland (4-2)
World Series:
Detroit over New York (4-1)
(Objectivity goes out the window when the Tigers make the playoffs)
When the Detroit Tigers last made the postseason (1987) both Joel Zumaya and the All-Manac were two years old. Now we are both hitting our prime at 21 and are ready to embark on a journey towards the World Series. Some may argue that Joel may be playing a larger role in the upcoming games than I will, and while love the combination of a 100+ MPH fastball and a knee-buckling curveball, I think my constant pecks and jabs at the Yankees/Twins/Athletics will be enough to rattle their cages and take focus off the games. We will see, only time will tell.
I would normally be preparing my NFL Power Rankings about now, but it would be as barbaric as Albert Haynesworth's right-foot-let's-stomp to not do a preview of the playoffs when they involve the Tigers. We start of in the loser's bracket (also known as the National League):
(PS I would care a lot more about the NL Playoffs if the Phillies would have made it, so I could watch Ryan Howard own pitcher's souls)
San Diego Padres vs. St Louis Cardinals:
Players to watch:
- Chris Carpenter - St Louis Pitcher: Sure Albert Pujols is probably the best all-around player in baseball, but guess what...the Cardinals won't win games without pitching, and Carpenter is the best they have.
- Jake Peavy - San Diego Pitcher: Same argument as before...except the Padres don't have Pujols, so maybe more pressure falls to Peavy.
Quick Take: I was trying to think of a funny little punch line for this series, but all I could come up with is "who cares". The Cardinals are probably the better team, but this series will be so boring that if Terrell Owens was watching it while ODing on those pain killers...he wouldn't have called 911 (there I came up with one).
New York Mets vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Players to watch:
- Greg Maddox - Los Angeles Pitcher: The most under-the-radar move of the season (because no one cares about the NL) was the trade to bring Maddox to LA. For the Dodgers to have a chance against a better team, like the Mets, the Mad-Dog has to anchor their rotation.
- Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez - New York Pitcher: Notice the trend...all pitchers. The Mets won a lot of regular season games with their offense, but in the playoffs you need to pitch to win. Pedro isn't the same as he used to be, so old-timers Tom Glavine and El Duque must step up. In the past El Duque has been filthy in the playoffs.
Quick Take: The Mets are the only National League team hat doesn't totally suck, but they don't seem to be built for the post-season. However, I think they should make it out of the NL on their hitting alone, and then get swept by any AL team.
Minnesota Twins vs. Oakland Athletics
Players to watch:
- Johan Santana - Minnesota Pitcher: Baseball's best starting pitcher must carry this team through the series. When on his game, he is unhittable.
- Frank Thomas - Oakland DH: Oakland has the pitching, which is good, but you still need to score to win. The Big Hurt was on fire to end the season, and needs to continue that trend to push the A's past the Twins.
Quick Take: Two teams that have smallball down to a perfection square off in round one of the ALDS. Minnesota has the best pitcher and a better lineup, but Oakland's pitching staff is VERY deep. The Twins, however, have a great chance with Santana pitching two games in a five game series.
New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers
Players to watch:
- Chien-Ming Wang - New York Pitcher: The Yankees lineup is stacked (more on that later) but for the Evil Empire to advance the pitching needs to step up and produce. Wang is a young arm that is more than capable of stepping up and producing.
- Justin Verlander - Detroit Pitcher: For the Tigers to have a chance their pitching staff has to regain their once dominating form. It starts with rookie of the year candidate Justin Verlander. Concentration is the key for Justin, as when he is on, opposing teams rarely score.
Not-so-Quick Take: I have been unable to concentrate on much today because of the anticipation of this series. One of the most encouraging things about the Tiger's turnaround this year has been the strength of their pitching, which is ultimately what you need to win the playoffs. That being said, the Yanks may have the best offense of all time. I am sure that everyone knows their players, but just look at it on paper:
1. Johnny Damon (.285 AVG, 24 HR, 80 RBI)
2. Derek Jeter (.343, 14, 97)
3. Bobby Abreu (.297, 15, 107)
4. Alex Rodriguez (.290, 35, 131)
5. Jason Giambi (.253, 37, 113)
6. Gary Sheffield (.291, 34, 123) (2005 stats - Due to Injury)
7. Hideki Matsui (.305, 23 , 116) (2005 stats - Due to Injury)
8. Jorge Posada (.277, 23, 93)
9. Robinson Cano (.342, 15, 78)
Unfortunately for the Yankees...games are not won on paper.
OFFICIAL PREDICTIONS
NLDS:
St Louis over San Diego (3-1)
New York over Los Angeles (3-1)
ALDS:
Oakland over Minnesota in (3-1)
Detroit over New York in (3-2)
NLCS:
New York over St Louis (4-2)
ALCS:
Detroit over Oakland (4-2)
World Series:
Detroit over New York (4-1)
(Objectivity goes out the window when the Tigers make the playoffs)
posted by The All-Manac at 1:33 PM
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