MLB Playoff Predictions

More of the same in baseball this year, as the playoffs are extremely predictable.

Once again, the big-market teams have managed to outspend - and outplay - everyone else. In the NL, Los Angeles, New York, St. Louis and Chicago will play for the title. The AL slate includes New York, Boston, Los Angeles and Chicago.

If only the market disparity in baseball would change, things would improve!

Wait, what's that? WHO? What the hell happened to the SoCal teams? No Red Sox?

WWWEEEEEEEIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRDDDDDDDDD . . . .

OK then:

NL:

Cincinnati vs. Philadelphia: Philly in four. Too much pitching.
San Francisco vs. Atlanta: San Francisco in four. Same comment.

Philly wins NLCS, Giants' World Series title drought begins to reach Cubbie proportions.

AL: New York vs. Minnesoooota: Yanks in four.
Tampa Bay vs. Texas: Tampa Bay in three.

New York wins ALCS. haters melt down.

Yanks win it all again.

;D ;D :-* 8) 8)

 

Judging by those first couple graphs, I'm beginning to think Piotr stole my login.

ALDS:
Yankees over Twins in 4. Yanks look like crap but the Twins' pitching has been terrible down the stretch.
Rangers over Rays in 5. Best series of the playoffs, total crapshoot. Rangers are toast if Cliff Lee isn't a stud.

NLDS
Phillies over Reds in 3. Won't be close.
Giants over Braves in 4. Cox does at least one thing that reminds us his playoff managerial record is pockmarked at best.

ALCS
Rangers over Yankees in 6. One pitcher will not be enough to lift the Yankees.
Phillies over Giants in 5. And that's being generous.

WORLD SERIES
Phillies over Rangers in 4. Juggernaut.

 

I predict I will have even more time to watch 48 Hours Mystery reruns. Fuck baseball.

 

Yeah, Yankees beating the Phillies in the World Series would really just kill every argument I've ever made here, Piotr.

 

NL
Philly over Cincy in 3
Atlanta over SF in 5
NLCS: Philly over Atlanta in 5

AL
Yanks over Minny in 4
Rangers over Rays in 5
ALCS: Yanks over Rangers in 6

World Series: Phillies over Yanks in 5

 

I posted this earlier today on the MLB Divisional Playoff Series thread:

Phillies over Rays/Yanks is where smart money likely lies.
I gotta figure the Braves will win it all, though, for the Skipper.
Never has a franchise deserved another World Series title more than the Braves do now.

 

NEVER?

DESERVE?

Yeah, OK.

 

Okay, so I'm somewhat of a romanticist.
I'll stick this Atlanta Braves edition, in Cox's last season, at least among the Top 20 MLB editions all-time that deserved a second World Series title.
How's that?

 

As a Phillies fan, the only team in the NL that scares me is the Giants. They're the only ones that have the starting pitching to match up. San Fran's pitchers were phenomenal over the last month, and the Phillies hitters have a tendency to up and hit a dry spell for no apparent reason.
I'll still go Phils over Reds in four; Giants over Braves in four; and then the Phillies over the Giants in six.

In the AL, I just don't trust Minnesota or Texas. The Twins' pitching hasn't been good, and Morneau and Mauer are dinged up. I see their series with the Yankees going the same way they always do -- they'll lose Game 1 to Sabathia, win Game 2 at home, lose Game 3 in New York, and be on the brink of winning Game 4 when some shady umpiring call goes against them.
So .... Yankees in four; Rays over Rangers in three; Rays over Yankees in seven.

World Series: Phillies over Rays in six.

 

ALDS:
Yankees over Twins in 4. Cy Sabathia carries Yanks.
Rays over Rangers in 5. Rays win entertaining series, Tampa yawns.

NLDS
Phillies over Reds in 4. Brook Jacoby's wisdom worth one win.
Giants over Braves in 3. Fuck the Braves.

ALCS
Rays over Yankees in 6. Rays celebrate with their 117 fans.
Phillies over Giants in 4. Phils pitch a little better.

WORLD SERIES
Phillies over Rays in 5. It rains, everyone fears the worst.

 

And I'm a cynic.

So it's amusing as hell that the franchise that dared to put "team of the '90s" on the title rings after its first - and what would be its ONLY - World Series win, hasn't won jack since then.

"team of the '90s," indeed.