MLB Playoffs

Divisional playoffs are the best 3 out of 5, there is always at least one shocker in a short series;

American League
Detroit at Yankees; What a duel to start. Verlander is a beast, but CC Sabathia is a top notch postseason pitcher. Pulling for DaveNearDc's favorite team and just as hard against the Pinstripes.

Tampa at Texas; WIll the Rays have that 'Team of Destiny' thing or is the gas tank empty? The Rangers' have a lineup that is really deep.

National League
St. Louis at Philadelphia; Cards are in same boat as Tampa. The Phillies are the best team in baseball on paper, but that doesn't always translate.

Arizona at Milwaukee; How will the Brewers handle actually being the favorite instead of the usual underdog role? DBacks are a reflection of their manager Kirk Gibson, and that means they aren't just happy to be there.

 

Brewers vs Yankees in the world series. Really like the Brewers lineup and their home record is amazing. If the Rangers can hit then they could beat the Yankees, but they have had droughts all throughout the season.

 

I don't have a dog in this hunt. You can find my teams at the bottom of the standings. I'm pulling for Texas, Detroit, Milwaukee and a natural disaster. It'll probably be NY v Phi, but I'm hoping for Tex v Milw.

 

My Redbirds squeaked in this year, but, hey, they won 90 games this season. They only won 83 (and lost 78) in 2006...WHEN THEY WON THE WORLD SERIES!!! I've learned that the post-season is, literally, a whole new ball game.

And TLR is still the best manager in baseball, IMHO.

Sooooo....Look out for St Louis!

 

Come on you Tigers!!! Let's just hope this rain didn't screw up the whole series for us

 

3 of the series tied 1-1, with only Milwaukee up 2-0. What has to be a major concern to Bud Selig (of course he'd sugar coat and come up w/bs excuses) is the putrid tv ratings. Baseball has become a sport where the only markets watching are the ones that have a horse in the race. The Yankees the one team always counted on to move the needle drew a nationwide audience far less than the Alabama-Florida football game.

 

Squeaky bum time when Carp got rocked, but this club is nothing if not resilient. Suffice it to say that you haven't beaten the 2011 Cardinals until you've gotten 27 outs. The best team doesn't always win the World Series anymore (see 2006).

COME ON YOU CARDS!

 

I also rarely watch the games. Really I dont watch much after the Mariners are done in April. This year I was treated to 2 months of competitive baseball lol.

 

How about them Rangers! I think they are going to take it in four. Detroit is looking pretty good tonight as well. Truth be told, I think we don't match up against either team (Detroit/NY)very well...

 

Tigers are looking goo, but we could use our big bats to show up it in the last few innings here.

 

The playoffs are so great because of the inherent pressure of the late game situations. Tigers/Ranger fans are living and dying and covering their eyes with every single pitch. The Detroit closer Valverde talks the talk (he said the series isn't going back New York) and last night walked the walk (by striking out Jeter to end the game). Yanks and Rays on the brink.

 

-Beltre w/3 HRs in the same game to close out the Rays in 4.
-Phils get homefield back.
-DBacks stay alive. Absolutely loved the Brewers Pitcher after going back and forth with the catcher on what pitch to throw, finally threw one which was hit for a Grand Slam and he throws his glove up in the air...classic.
-Yankees force a final game behind AJ Burnett, he off the million dollar arm and the 10 cent head, of all people (w/big help from former Tiger' Curtis Granderson). The Game 1 rainout where for some unknown reason they chose to start the game and got thru 2 innings, thus forcing Verlander and Sabathia not to be available for Game 5 has really screwed up this series.

 

Cards force a showdown in Philly Friday night. Why do they do this to me every time they make the post season? Pepto-Bismol time, for sure.

 

Carpenter v Doc Halladay. What a great pitching matchup in the deciding game of the Cards-Phils series.

Game 5 in the Bronx tonight. Nova starting for Yanks is a big edge, but hope the boys from MoTown find a way.

 

Props to the Tigers for getting 'er done. A-Fraud aka A-Roid strikes out w/the bases loaded and one out in the 7th and again to end the game. Mr. June might want to A-Void all NYC media (don't even think about turning on sportstalk radio) for awhile.

 

Couldn't agree more, McCarver drives me insane and Buck is smug.

Brewers are Jekyll and Hyde at home and then on the road. They have homefield against Cards and lead 1-0, but teams let are that bad on the road usually don't go all the way.

Tigers suffer a huge loss with Magglio Ordonez getting hurt. Can they rally around that or are the Rangers being the best team left too much? I'll go with the latter.