mlb-general
With the 2006 playoffs starting Tuesday that means there will be a million predictions between now and the World Series. With that in mind I felt I could give some of my knowledge and predictions for the playoffs even though none of my “favorite” teams are in. So lets get our hands dirty and diagnose this thing.
Well, folks, it’s finally here. The baseball season has ended, award votes have been cast, and the playoffs are about to begin. The Astros and Phillies both made last-second runs at the postseason, but came up just short. The Dodgers put the pressure on the Padres to win their last game of the season, and San Diego responded by winning the game, and tying for the lead in the West. The Padres get the pennant on the basis of the tie-breaker, defeating the Dodgers in 13 of 18 meetings, a stat that might be worth remembering if they both win their opening round matches. Also, the last team to take the Wild Card on the basis of a tie in standings, but a loss of the tie-breaker, was the ’04 Red Sox who beat the Yankees in seven, and swept the Cardinals in the Series.
On the American League side, the Twins captured the AL Central pennant on the last day of the season, and will face the playoff-pitiful Oakland A’s. Detroit, by reason of losing the Central pennant will have to face the mighty Yankees. One way or another, it should be an interesting couple of weeks. I, personally, have a busy schedule planned for the next three weeks- three games on Tuesday, three more games on Wednesday, two on Thursday… I might have to buy new couch cushions by the end of October.
On a different note, this is the last MLB Power Rankings article of the season, and I’d like to thank everybody who’s read the articles, and the people who have made comments. Enjoy the rankings, and a first round playoff preview, and as always, questions, comments, and complaints, are welcomed.
The past two weeks in baseball will be two weeks that I could hardly forget. I mean sure the American League playoff teams are set with the Yankees, Twins, Tigers, and A’s making the post-season this year. But now it is the National League’s turn as only one of the four playoffs spots have been secured. So as I speak six teams are fighting for three more spots in this years playoffs. And you better believe all six teams have as realistic a chance as the Mets to play baseball in October. So let’s see the teams involved.
The terrible injustice against Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada must be addressed.
Welcome everybody to the second-to-last MLB Power Rankings of the season. By this time next week we’ll know who’s going to be playing baseball in October and who’s going to be playing golf. We’ll know whether or not Ryan Howard joined the 60-homerun club (he needs three), and whether Alfonso Soriano became the charter member of the 50-50 club (he’ll need a massive last couple days, 5 homeruns and 10 stolen bases). We’ll also know exactly how many homeruns Barry Bonds will need to catch Hank Aaron if he comes back and plays next year, and how many wins Roger Clemens will need to catch Denton True Young, better known as Cy (it’ll be somewhere in the 170 range, but I think he might be able to do it.).
So baseball fans… read on, enjoy, feel free to question, comment, and complain, and I’ll talk to you again next week for the season wrap-up.
by Trevor Freeman
“Don’t get me wrong, he’s a great player but he’s got a lot of guys in that lineup. Top to bottom, you’ve got a guy who can hurt you. Come hit in this lineup, see how good you can be.”
-David Ortiz
I’m not thinking about the MVP right now. We’re thinking about winning a division. We’ve still got something to play for.
-Derek Jeter
All week long, the only commentary I have read from various sports pundits in regards to the race for AL MVP revolves around Derek Jeter and David Ortiz. However, before we coronate another Yankee or Red Sox with the award, let me be so bold as to insert one more name into the argument. It is a name that you all once knew. It is a renaissance that is happening in an often-overlooked town on a classic baseball franchise. His name is Frank Thomas and he has once again become “The Big Hurt”.
The season is winding down, and most division winners are firmly locked into their places. However there are still 12 teams marching around 8 open chairs, waiting for the music to stop. The team that has to feel the most pressure is the Detroit Tigers, who have spent most of the season casually atop the division, and now suddenly they can hear the Twins and White Sox coming up behind them and it might be too late to start pedaling harder.
The National League Wild Card still takes a mathematician to figure out who has a chance and who doesn’t, so I think we’ll just have to let the dust settle and figure it all out when it’s over.
Chicks can typically be generalized into a few different categories: unassailably good-looking, ugly, average, and–by far, the worst–girls who were told, at one point in their lives, that they were hot. They’re the real problematic species: the girl who, in her sophomore year of college, went to a frat house and some drunk dude who’s indiscriminately screaming the lyrics to an O.A.R. song and wearing a “Cherry is my favorite flavor” t-shirt, came up to her and slurred, “Damn, you have a body like karate!”
We’ve finally gotten another no-hitter (ending the longest drought in MLB history), and although I wasn’t able to fulfill a life-long dream of seeing one in person, or even watching it top to bottom on television, I did get to see the final six outs on live TV, and I thought I was going to cry right along with Anibal Sanchez. I held it back. Barely.
Some other goings on have postseason implications- Mark Mulder is shutting it down for the season to have his torn rotator cuff repaired, Eddie Guardado is doing the same for a torn ligament in his elbow, and superstars Pedro Martinez, Hideki Matsui, and Gary Sheffield are still yet to return. On the other side of the coin, Big Papi is back in the lineup, and Flash Gordon has come back just in time for the Phils. But the loudest whispers on the injury news wire involve a guy named Liriano, and I’m not talking about Nelson.
The MLB MVP is one of the most prestigious individual honors among every team sport. It signifies not only putting up great numbers, but also raising the overall level of your team’s play. Usually, there are only two or three main contenders in each league for this award. But this year, players left and right are producing unbelievable numbers. We’ve got sluggers on pace for 60 homers, average machines, and plenty of difference-makers on contending teams. But who will win? Here’s my take as of now.