Out In The Sticks
October 02, 2006
By
Michael Rauch
LDS: What Might Happen
I don’t want to come right out and call these predictions, as I am not an expert prognosticator, self-proclaimed or otherwise. But after mulling over the possibilities, I have come up with the winners of the League Division Series.
I’m not going to throw out a bunch of stats and matchups, since, frankly, I’m don’t have the time to do the research. And I don’t think that stats and matchups can give any better indication of who is going to win than my gut.
Conventional wisdom (along with many so-called baseball “experts”) points to another subway series between the Yankees and Mets. Why not? Both had the best record in their respective leagues. But the regular season means nothing once the post season begins.
American League
I’ll admit I had a hard time in the AL. After the playoff teams were solidified, I did a little mental pre-ranking, based on my own delusional views and nothing more.
First off, I put Detroit on the bottom. They staggered into the post season, letting the Twins catch up (and then finally surpass, but that didn’t figure into my pre-rankings at the time). I thought either Oakland or New York would be able to handle the Tigers, what with their young pitchers struggling a bit down the stretch. Therefore, by default, the first team into the LCS is the New York Yankees.
The other series gave me much more trouble. Minnesota has played the best baseball down the stretch, having to in order to even reach the post season, while Oakland could coast for pretty much the last week of the season. Most gave the Twins up for dead when Liriano was done for the season, but they still have Santana. Oakland has a very good starting rotation, but besides Frank Thomas, leave you wondering where their runs come from (Nick Swisher anyone?). So, as we all know, rarely does the best team win the World Series, or make it for that matter. Minnesota seems to have the momentum and the karma, so it will be the Twins to face the Evil Empire in the ALCS.
National League
The two-round tournament for the honor of being swept by the AL representative starts off very similar to the other LDS with one team being at the bottom.
Of course I’m talking about the St. Louis Cardinals who almost gave up a 24 game lead in the last four days of the season, but somehow managed to get on a roll by splitting a four-game series with the Brewers to back into the playoffs with a Houston loss. The San Diego Padres in two. I know it’s a best three of five, but the Cards could find some way to lose three in two.
The Mets should be the pick in the other LDS. They had the best record in the NL and what some “experts” call an AL-type lineup. After New York clinched early, they stumbled around for a while and end up losing Pedro for the playoffs. While I don’t think losing Pedro is a deal-killer (he wasn’t going to have that old Pedro effectiveness anyway), psychologically it can’t help. Meanwhile the Dodgers seem to have a little bit of magic in them. Some dramatic late-inning comebacks – that sort of thing. So the pick here is an all NL West LCS with Los Angeles facing the Padres.
College Football Musings
I’ll take a look back at some of the happenings in college football as well as a look at some of the upcoming big games.
How far has Miami fallen?
Even though the Hurricanes got the victory Saturday night, it wasn’t pretty. A 14-13 victory. Over the Houston Cougars. In the Orange Bowl. This coming after an annihilation at the hands of Louisville. Oh sure, Houston was undefeated coming in. One of their victories was even over a BCS school. Oklahoma State. Perennial doormats in the weak Big XII North. Larry Coker, it was nice knowin’ ya.
On a side note, lousy weekend for Miami football overall with the Dolphins falling to the Houston Texans. Ouch.
Can parity be on the horizon?
It seems like parity is coming to the ranks of college football. Not the “any given Sunday”-type you see in the NFL. Ohio State is not in any danger of losing to the Univeristy of Lousiana-Lafayette (ULaLa?) anytime in the near future, but every week you see closer games than expected and seemingly more upsets.
Just this past week Washington State takes Southern California to the last possession of the game in Pullman. Georgia scrapes by Ole Miss. The aforementioned Miami/Houston matchup. Illinois upsets Michigan State in Lansing. Granted, for the most part the cream ends up rising, but it isn’t getting any easier.
Game of the Week
No brainer this week. The Red River Shootout between Texas and Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas during the State Fair of Texas. This should be a pretty good matchup in which I believe each team is not as good as they think they are. Can OU put the Oregon game behind them, quit whining and go on? I think so, but it may not matter. Sooner QB Paul Thompson strikes fear in the hearts of no one and Adrian Peterson can’t do it all by himself against a very good Texas defense. Texas QB Colt McCoy will be just good enough for a four-point Longhorn victory.
Quick Picks
Florida falls from the ranks of the unbeatens with an LSU victory in the Swamp.
Texas Tech ruins Missouri’s unblemished record in Lubbock.
I don’t like the way Georgia has played the last two weeks against weaker competition in Colorado and Mississippi while Tennessee’s offense is on a roll. TheVolunteers get the win between the hedges on the road.
Nate Longshore has gotten Cal’s offense lighting up the scoreboard. Oregon can put points up with the best of them. The Golden Bears at home with about 85 points put up between the two teams.
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