The Road to the 2005 World Series
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I'm hoping Indians. Death to anything that comes out of the Boston area. That includes Red Sox or the Patriots. I don't care about the Celtics as they've sucked lately so they aren't an issue.
sidekick said:
It was worth it getting my playoff Tickets at face value of $45.00ea last monday when they went on sale for the L.A Angels. Game #1 here I come
Im not much of a Yankee fan, my teams are the RedSox and Angels.. which I would like to see in the ALCS
Another prediction? I do not know about that. The Yanks flaw is in middle relief. Their starters are suspects in any given day. They have great chance to win if they have a lead in the 8th. So to them a nine inning game is a 7 inning game. If the starters can go 7, they will win the game. Otherwise it will be a long series for them.
Make your picks. I posted the "experts" and non-expert picks on the first post. If you give me yours, I will add it to the table.
cards in 3
astros in 5
yanks in 5
red soxs in 5
championship
cards over astros 4-3
red soxs over yanks 4-3
world series
cards over red soxs 4-3
astros in 5
yanks in 5
red soxs in 5
championship
cards over astros 4-3
red soxs over yanks 4-3
world series
cards over red soxs 4-3
Seven legitimate teams made the playoffs, and the Padres, too.
That's the accepted wisdom as the 2005 postseason begins with three series openers today and one Wednesday, and there's no disputing that the Padres bring along the worst regular-season record of any playoff team in major-league history, a half-game shy of the 1973 Mets.
The Padres aren't even as good as they were last year, when they finished 12 games above .500 and third in the National League West. This year's team, after May, went 49-61. Pathetic, yes.
But that has nothing to do with the issue here. The issue here is this:
The Padres can beat the Cardinals in a best-of-five series.
Perhaps it wouldn't be shocking, either, all things considered.
Remember, it's often more rewarding to be the hotter team than the better team in October, and the Padres finished 5-1, beginning with three straight wins over the Giants. The Cardinals lost nine of 16 -- and that counts sweeping the Reds in the final weekend -- not the prettiest way to wrap up a 100-win season.
Another October key is starting pitching, and San Diego's starters posted a 1.01 ERA in the final six games while St. Louis' starters labored at the end, going 3-4 with a 6.00 ERA in the 14 games after the Cardinals clinched the NL Central.
Furthermore, the Game 1 starters took different paths in September, the Padres' Jake Peavy posting a 2.03 ERA in the final month and the Cardinals' Chris Carpenter showing a 9.14 ERA in his last four starts. If Peavy wins the opener and if one of the other starters -- Pedro Astacio (4-0, 2.20 in last six starts) and Adam Eaton (7-1, 3.88 in 10 home starts) -- could sneak a victory against Mark Mulder and either Jeff Suppan or Mike Morris, it could be a Peavy-Carpenter rematch in Game 4, and anything goes.
The injury report favors the Padres because the Cardinals are without third baseman Scott Rolen and valuable reliever Al Reyes, who tore an elbow ligament Sunday. Reggie Sanders and Larry Walker have been banged up, and Jim Edmonds missed time in the end with a shoulder ailment. Meantime, the Padres are expecting their catalyst, leadoff hitter/center fielder Dave Roberts, to return after an eight-game layoff (quadriceps strain).
Despite their sub-standard 82-80 record, the Padres went 58-43 with Roberts in the lineup, and now they want to prove they're a worthy playoff team after beating the Cardinals four of seven times during the season. Then again, if Carpenter hurls a shutout today and is aided by a pair of Albert Pujols home runs, all bets are off. But at the moment, we'll take the Padres in an upset.
In the NL's other first-round series, the pick is Houston over Atlanta because Roger Clemens, Roy Oswalt and Game 1 starter Andy Pettitte are three mean dudes, not to mention the courage shown in overcoming a 15-30 start. The A's also were 15 games below .500, but they're done. So the Astros became the first team since the 1914 Braves to overcome such a deficit and make the postseason.
The Astros dropped last year's NLCS in seven games, and then lost Carlos Beltran and Jeff Kent. But this time, they have a healthy Pettitte, so the pitching is far superior, easily the most imposing threesome in the postseason. Clemens posted a 1.89 ERA. The ERAs for Oswalt and Pettitte, who combined for 37 wins, are two-something. Same with closer Brad Lidge, who has 42 saves and plenty of bullpen support.
All the Astros need are some hits. Jeff Bagwell is back as a part-timer, joining old pals Craig Biggio and Lance Berkman, along with rookie center fielder Willy Taveras (.291, 34 steals) and All-Star third baseman Morgan Ensberg (36 homers, 101 RBIs). They can't afford to get in a slugging match the Braves, who were built around Andruw Jones (majors-leading 51 homers) and Chipper Jones (21 homers, 109 games), but got a boost from several rookies, including Jeff Francouer (ghost of Dale Murphy) and Ryan Langerhans.
Tim Hudson, who was 1-2 with a 3.44 ERA in seven playoff appearances for Oakland, will start Game 1 so that John Smoltz, who has had recent shoulder stiffness, can go Game 2, against Clemens. On the mound, the Braves are neither as deep nor as healthy as the Astros.
The Braves won 14 straight division titles and usually fade in October. They lost their last three first-rounders, starting with a five-game loss to the Giants in 2002.
In the AL, the Yankees must open at Anaheim because they lost their season finale in Boston and, therefore, the home-field advantage -- both teams had the same record, but the Angels won the tiebreaker by winning the season series. Tough to blame Texas manager Buck Showalter, who pulled his front-line guys early in Sunday's loss to the Angels. The Yankees blamed him anyway, though they could have hosted Game 1 today by beating the Red Sox.
Instead, after clinching the division title Saturday, they chose to scratch Mike Mussina from Sunday's start and then lost 10-1. Mussina will pitch today, facing 21-game winner Bartolo Colon.
The Angels won't be a surprise to the Yankees, as they were in the first round of 2002, when they eliminated the Yankees on their way to a World Series title over the Giants. This is the third time in four years the Angels reached the postseason, and the Yankees won't consider them underdogs again.
Unlike the Braves, the Yankees are perennial October participants who usually advance deep into the postseason, and this year shouldn't be an exception so long as the patched-up rotation doesn't suddenly collapse. Outside of Mussina and Randy Johnson, the rest of the starters -- you pick 'em: Shawn Chacon, Chien-Ming Wang, Aaron Small -- wouldn't seem to match up with the Angels' rotation.
But the Yankees' offense is so superior (outscoring the Angels 886- 761) that perhaps it won't matter. It's tough measuring up to old standbys Derek Jeter, Gary Sheffield, Jorge Posada, Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi, Hideki Matsui and, to a lesser extent, Tino Martinez and Bernie Williams. Also, the presence of Mariano Rivera will go a long way toward neutralizing the Angels' deep bullpen.
We'll take White over Red in the battle of the Soxes. Both teams pushed themselves in the final weeks just to get to the playoffs, but the White Sox seem more equipped, the Red Sox more taxed. Boston's rotation wasn't as deep as last year's anyway (minus Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe), but using their best starters in the weekend series against the Yankees leaves them with Matt Clement, who had a lousy second half, for Game 1.
Curt Schilling, so instrumental in postseason runs for the Red Sox in 2004 and Diamondbacks in 2001, won't pitch until Game 4 because he was needed Sunday. David Wells and Tim Wakefield have 2 and 3. By contrast, the White Sox like the way they're lined up. Jose Contreras, who won his last eight starts (and was pursued by Boston after he defected from Cuba), will pitch the opener, followed by Mark Buehrle, Freddy Garcia and Jon Garland.
Kenny Williams could be the game's top GM for how he rebuilt the roster, and it goes well beyond ex-Giants A.J. Pierzynski and Dustin Hermanson. Leadoff man Scott Podsednik stole 59 bases, second baseman Tadahito Iguchi is everything countryman Kaz Matsui isn't and right fielder Jermaine Dye proved he's still productive when healthy. Plus, Paul Konerko had another 40 homers and 100 RBIs.
Because of their near collapse (15 1/2-game lead became 1 1/2), it's suggested the White Sox snuck into the playoffs despite owning the best record in the league. The games at Fenway Park are a must-see, considering the Red Sox own the majors' best home record (54-27) and the White Sox sport the best road mark (52-29).
Boston's pitching staff produced one of the highest ERAs in the league, and closer Keith Foulke is shelved, replaced by Mike Timlin. But the offense remains terrifying with David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez back-to-back, competing to drive in Johnny Damon, and the presence of Jason Varitek, Bill Mueller and Kevin Millar, along with 2005 newcomer Edgar Renteria is a reminder of how the Red Sox were the only team to score 900 runs.
In the LCS, it's Yankees over White Sox and Astros over Padres, with the Astros beating the Yankees in the World Series and all eyes on Clemens and the intriguing story line of whether he'll retire, finally, on top. For the fourth straight year, a wild-card team wins it all.
Source
That's the accepted wisdom as the 2005 postseason begins with three series openers today and one Wednesday, and there's no disputing that the Padres bring along the worst regular-season record of any playoff team in major-league history, a half-game shy of the 1973 Mets.
The Padres aren't even as good as they were last year, when they finished 12 games above .500 and third in the National League West. This year's team, after May, went 49-61. Pathetic, yes.
But that has nothing to do with the issue here. The issue here is this:
The Padres can beat the Cardinals in a best-of-five series.
Perhaps it wouldn't be shocking, either, all things considered.
Remember, it's often more rewarding to be the hotter team than the better team in October, and the Padres finished 5-1, beginning with three straight wins over the Giants. The Cardinals lost nine of 16 -- and that counts sweeping the Reds in the final weekend -- not the prettiest way to wrap up a 100-win season.
Another October key is starting pitching, and San Diego's starters posted a 1.01 ERA in the final six games while St. Louis' starters labored at the end, going 3-4 with a 6.00 ERA in the 14 games after the Cardinals clinched the NL Central.
Furthermore, the Game 1 starters took different paths in September, the Padres' Jake Peavy posting a 2.03 ERA in the final month and the Cardinals' Chris Carpenter showing a 9.14 ERA in his last four starts. If Peavy wins the opener and if one of the other starters -- Pedro Astacio (4-0, 2.20 in last six starts) and Adam Eaton (7-1, 3.88 in 10 home starts) -- could sneak a victory against Mark Mulder and either Jeff Suppan or Mike Morris, it could be a Peavy-Carpenter rematch in Game 4, and anything goes.
The injury report favors the Padres because the Cardinals are without third baseman Scott Rolen and valuable reliever Al Reyes, who tore an elbow ligament Sunday. Reggie Sanders and Larry Walker have been banged up, and Jim Edmonds missed time in the end with a shoulder ailment. Meantime, the Padres are expecting their catalyst, leadoff hitter/center fielder Dave Roberts, to return after an eight-game layoff (quadriceps strain).
Despite their sub-standard 82-80 record, the Padres went 58-43 with Roberts in the lineup, and now they want to prove they're a worthy playoff team after beating the Cardinals four of seven times during the season. Then again, if Carpenter hurls a shutout today and is aided by a pair of Albert Pujols home runs, all bets are off. But at the moment, we'll take the Padres in an upset.
In the NL's other first-round series, the pick is Houston over Atlanta because Roger Clemens, Roy Oswalt and Game 1 starter Andy Pettitte are three mean dudes, not to mention the courage shown in overcoming a 15-30 start. The A's also were 15 games below .500, but they're done. So the Astros became the first team since the 1914 Braves to overcome such a deficit and make the postseason.
The Astros dropped last year's NLCS in seven games, and then lost Carlos Beltran and Jeff Kent. But this time, they have a healthy Pettitte, so the pitching is far superior, easily the most imposing threesome in the postseason. Clemens posted a 1.89 ERA. The ERAs for Oswalt and Pettitte, who combined for 37 wins, are two-something. Same with closer Brad Lidge, who has 42 saves and plenty of bullpen support.
All the Astros need are some hits. Jeff Bagwell is back as a part-timer, joining old pals Craig Biggio and Lance Berkman, along with rookie center fielder Willy Taveras (.291, 34 steals) and All-Star third baseman Morgan Ensberg (36 homers, 101 RBIs). They can't afford to get in a slugging match the Braves, who were built around Andruw Jones (majors-leading 51 homers) and Chipper Jones (21 homers, 109 games), but got a boost from several rookies, including Jeff Francouer (ghost of Dale Murphy) and Ryan Langerhans.
Tim Hudson, who was 1-2 with a 3.44 ERA in seven playoff appearances for Oakland, will start Game 1 so that John Smoltz, who has had recent shoulder stiffness, can go Game 2, against Clemens. On the mound, the Braves are neither as deep nor as healthy as the Astros.
The Braves won 14 straight division titles and usually fade in October. They lost their last three first-rounders, starting with a five-game loss to the Giants in 2002.
In the AL, the Yankees must open at Anaheim because they lost their season finale in Boston and, therefore, the home-field advantage -- both teams had the same record, but the Angels won the tiebreaker by winning the season series. Tough to blame Texas manager Buck Showalter, who pulled his front-line guys early in Sunday's loss to the Angels. The Yankees blamed him anyway, though they could have hosted Game 1 today by beating the Red Sox.
Instead, after clinching the division title Saturday, they chose to scratch Mike Mussina from Sunday's start and then lost 10-1. Mussina will pitch today, facing 21-game winner Bartolo Colon.
The Angels won't be a surprise to the Yankees, as they were in the first round of 2002, when they eliminated the Yankees on their way to a World Series title over the Giants. This is the third time in four years the Angels reached the postseason, and the Yankees won't consider them underdogs again.
Unlike the Braves, the Yankees are perennial October participants who usually advance deep into the postseason, and this year shouldn't be an exception so long as the patched-up rotation doesn't suddenly collapse. Outside of Mussina and Randy Johnson, the rest of the starters -- you pick 'em: Shawn Chacon, Chien-Ming Wang, Aaron Small -- wouldn't seem to match up with the Angels' rotation.
But the Yankees' offense is so superior (outscoring the Angels 886- 761) that perhaps it won't matter. It's tough measuring up to old standbys Derek Jeter, Gary Sheffield, Jorge Posada, Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi, Hideki Matsui and, to a lesser extent, Tino Martinez and Bernie Williams. Also, the presence of Mariano Rivera will go a long way toward neutralizing the Angels' deep bullpen.
We'll take White over Red in the battle of the Soxes. Both teams pushed themselves in the final weeks just to get to the playoffs, but the White Sox seem more equipped, the Red Sox more taxed. Boston's rotation wasn't as deep as last year's anyway (minus Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe), but using their best starters in the weekend series against the Yankees leaves them with Matt Clement, who had a lousy second half, for Game 1.
Curt Schilling, so instrumental in postseason runs for the Red Sox in 2004 and Diamondbacks in 2001, won't pitch until Game 4 because he was needed Sunday. David Wells and Tim Wakefield have 2 and 3. By contrast, the White Sox like the way they're lined up. Jose Contreras, who won his last eight starts (and was pursued by Boston after he defected from Cuba), will pitch the opener, followed by Mark Buehrle, Freddy Garcia and Jon Garland.
Kenny Williams could be the game's top GM for how he rebuilt the roster, and it goes well beyond ex-Giants A.J. Pierzynski and Dustin Hermanson. Leadoff man Scott Podsednik stole 59 bases, second baseman Tadahito Iguchi is everything countryman Kaz Matsui isn't and right fielder Jermaine Dye proved he's still productive when healthy. Plus, Paul Konerko had another 40 homers and 100 RBIs.
Because of their near collapse (15 1/2-game lead became 1 1/2), it's suggested the White Sox snuck into the playoffs despite owning the best record in the league. The games at Fenway Park are a must-see, considering the Red Sox own the majors' best home record (54-27) and the White Sox sport the best road mark (52-29).
Boston's pitching staff produced one of the highest ERAs in the league, and closer Keith Foulke is shelved, replaced by Mike Timlin. But the offense remains terrifying with David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez back-to-back, competing to drive in Johnny Damon, and the presence of Jason Varitek, Bill Mueller and Kevin Millar, along with 2005 newcomer Edgar Renteria is a reminder of how the Red Sox were the only team to score 900 runs.
In the LCS, it's Yankees over White Sox and Astros over Padres, with the Astros beating the Yankees in the World Series and all eyes on Clemens and the intriguing story line of whether he'll retire, finally, on top. For the fourth straight year, a wild-card team wins it all.
Source
As much as I'm a Yankees fan, I think it's time for the Sox (White) to take it all. They've already gotten through their slump and are peaking again at the right time. We'll see ......
Being a Braves fan, I have become used to them choking in October, so it doesn't bother me much, I'm just happy to see them continue their streak of 14 consecutive division titles.
At this point I just root for whoever is playing the Yankees, wow, that can't be healthy, I wonder if I should seek professional help. Oh well, go Angels
At this point I just root for whoever is playing the Yankees, wow, that can't be healthy, I wonder if I should seek professional help. Oh well, go Angels
