NLCS Prediction Post

In my previous prediction post, I accurately called three of the four series, including the lengths of two of them.  The other one I called a toss-up and went with my heart instead of my head.  Sue me.  I stopped there because I wanted to play video games which I felt at the time was the correct choice.  I still feel it was the correct choice.  Anyway, I didn’t think the Braves were going to win the World Series so this post isn’t going to look a whole lot different than it would have if the umpire had accurately called Buster Posey out before he scored the only run of Game 1.  (Sour grapes?  Nawww, not me.)

We’ll start in the NL because I like it more:

Some Playoff Predictions

As promised, I’m coming back this offseason with some real posts.  Since I haven’t done that since like August, this is a big step for me.  First up will be the Major League Baseball playoff predictions.  Luckily, I’m really good at this so you won’t even have to watch the games and you can just jump right into hockey season.  I can’t wait for hockey season.

Let’s get started:

5 Transactions I’d Like To See

The glorious return to blogdom was supposed to happen on Sunday when Weller returned from wherever he was.  Since it’s now Wednesday and the last time I talked to him he was playing Monopoly in Indiana, I’m going to go ahead and start the revolution now.  Or as my wife put it, “You both suck, someone post something.”

This is for you, dear.

Anyway, the Major League Baseball Trade Deadline is this Saturday and there will be plenty of action before then.  So for our first post in a while I’m going to give you five moves that I’d like to see happen (or not happen, ooooo).

Winter Meetings – The Rich Get Richer

Curtis Granderson

Baseball held their annual Winter Meetings in Indianapolis over the past three days which are always interesting to the Hot Stove crowd.  This year’s edition featured a blockbuster trade and a few free agent signings, plus just enough rumors to make us all want baseball to come back.

Let’s review.

The Yankees acquired Curtis Granderson, the D’Backs acquired Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy , and the Tigers acquired Max Scherzer, Daniel Schlereth, Phil Coke and Austin Jackson in a three team trade.

The World Series Champs made their team even stronger by acquiring the speedy lefty Granderson to man center field for the next few years.  Granderson mashed 30 homers last year in Detroit, so there’s no telling what number he’ll reach at the new Yankee Stadium.  Than lineup is actually scarier now than it was last year.

Friday 5 – Switch Hitters

After last week’s time off, I’m back with today’s Friday 5.  Since baseball season just ended and I’m not ready for it to be over, I’m dedicating today’s list to switch hitters.

During my brief and generally forgettable baseball career, I toyed with the idea of switch hitting.  It lasted for a practice before I got tired of striking out.   Since then, I’ve always been enamored with the idea of it.  So let’s take a look at the Top 5 switch hitters in the game today starting with:

5. Kendry Morales – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Can one season make you one of the top five switch hitters in the game?  Sure it can.  Morales was given the full-time starting job for the first time this season and he didn’t disappoint.  The 26 year-old put up .306 batting average, 34 long balls, and 108 RBIs.  For years we heard of his potential and it finally came to fruition.  Morales hits for right around the same average from both sides of the plate, but he has markedly more power from the left side where he hit 30 homers.  If Morales can do this for a few more years he’ll become one of the premier switch hitters in the game.

The Yankees Win the World Series. Oh Goody.

As I watched the Yankees close out one of the most ant-climatic Major League Baseball playoffs in recent history, I was reminded of all the reasons why I despise the Yankees.  When I was younger, I hated the Yankees.  I mean HATED them.  Luis Gonzalez’s bloop hit in the 2001 World Series is still one of my favorite sports memories of all time.

Then the the Yanks went eight years without winning a World Series including last year where they missed the playoffs completely.  Gosh, that was fun.  My hatred waned.  The Mets became my most hated team.  They suddenly started competing with my Braves for the NL East Crown, something that was unthinkable five years before.  It made sense.

But as I watched last night, it struck me.  The main reason that I hate the Yankees is that they make baseball boring.

This Is Getting Ridiculous

I know the baseball playoffs have been largely ignored around here but it’s tough when you don’t have any rooting interest whatsoever.  Rest assured, I have been watching the majority of the games and, well honestly, it hasn’t been very exciting.

Three of the four Divisional Series ended in sweeps and both League Championship Series have the potential to end in five games (The Phillies are up 5-2 and threatening in the 4th as I type this).  Just nothing terribly exciting in any of the games that’s worth talking about.  One thing, however, cannot escape unnoticed.  That’s the horrific umpiring that has gone on this postseason.

As a general rule, I don’t like officials.  I don’t not like them, I guess, I just hate how they are immune to any sort of criticism.  I realize that they do the best they can and most of the time, they get the calls correct.  When they get the calls wrong, however, they should fall under the same scrutiny that any of the rest of us would be subject to if we messed up our job.  Especially if we messed up our jobs as bad as Tim McClelland did his last night.

Fearless Playoff Predictions

Last night the Twins and Tigers treated us to another great opening to the Major League Baseball playoffs.   The Twins downed the tigers in 12 innings to earn the right to take on the New York Yankees later today in the Divisional Series.  Lucky guys.

So last year I accurately predicted every series except the Dodgers-Cubs opening round set.  With that in mind, I’ll probably get two of these series right and negate all the good feelings I still have about that post.  Either way, this is always fun, so lets see who is going to win the 2009 World Series

Yankees vs. Twins

The Twins have been on a crazy hot streak before ousting the Tigers in last night’s one game playoff.  In the past decade, three teams have entered the playoffs on similar streaks.  Two of them lost in the Divisional Series and one lost in the ALCS.  So not only do the Yankees have history on their side, but they also have the better team.  I don’t have to go through their vaunted lineup or pitching rotation because everyone of them is a household name, it seems.  The Twins will miss Justin Morneau greatly in this series, but Joe Mauer and Nick Punto will get them two games.  Yankees in 5.

2009 Baseball Previews – AL East

It’s about time for the 2009 Major League Baseball season to commence, so I’m going to do a little division by division break down.  Today, we’ll look at the best division in baseball, the AL East.

Last year, the Rays dropped the Devil and took home their first Division crown since joining the league in 1998.  In fact, they finished above last place for the second time ever.  In 2004 they cruised to a 70-91 record, good enough for 4th. 

Apparently, Manny Ramirez Doesn’t Want to Play Baseball in 2009

I don’t know how else to put it than the title of this post. The only other options are: 1) Scott Boras is the Dumbest and Greediest Man on Earth or 2) Scott Boras is a Magical Sports Wizard Agent That is 15 Times Smarter Than Us Mere Mortal Sports Followers.

Because today I thought for sure Manny would be saying yes to a 2 year $45 million offer to stay in Dodger blue. The first year of the deal paid $25 million and it had a player option for the second year at $20 million. If Manny and Boras thought he could get more on the open market, they could opt out. Tonight, I read that once again Manny and Boras are turning down the Dodgers. That makes four offers from the Dogders and four “no’s” from Manny and Boras.