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MLB: Rays are The Team to Beat… So Far

Charlie — Sat, 08 May 2010 11:51:01 +0000

It’s hard to believe but we’re already almost 30 games into the 2010 Major League Baseball season. That’s about 1/6th of the season already down. And so far it has been the Tampa Bay Rays that stand above all the other teams.

Not only are the Rays the first team to reach 20 wins this year, they are the first team to win 22 games. No other team, except the New York Yankees, has won 20 games yet. The Rays are clearly playing the best baseball in the league. And they will most likely continue to be at least one of the very best teams. They have great pitching that will continue to carry them.

But the Rays are going to need to be really good in order to win the American League East. The second best team is nipping at their heals and they just happen to be the other 20 win team and the defending World Series Champions – the New York Yankees. The Yankees are looking even stronger than they were last year. This promises to be a great race. Throw in the Toronto Blue Jays playing better than average baseball and the always potentially dangerous Boston Red Sox, and you have an awesome division.

Is there another division in baseball that even comes close to the American League East? The easy answer to that is: no. Not even close. But there will still be great races in every division. Right now it looks like all the divisions will be battled out by at least 2 teams. And we’ve learned from past seasons that no team can be given the divisional crown in June or July. We’ve seen other teams start out great and then fade down the stretch. That very well could happen again this year.

But right now, as early May begins to turn into mid-May, the Tampa Bay Rays are the best team in baseball. But the Yankees aren’t far behind. Every other team in baseball is no more than a distant third.

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MLB: Looking at the AL PLayoff Picture

Charlie — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:05:24 +0000

In the American League there are a couple intriguing match-ups. We have the Minnesota Twins taking on the New York Yankees and the Anaheim Angels taking on the Boston Red Sox. I really believe that both of these series will go 5 games.

The Yankees crushed the Twins last night but that really wasn’t any surprise. The Twins were mere hours away from their thrilling extra inning victory over the Detroit Tigers. They didn’t have their pitching lined up either. So, the big bad Yankees were just waiting for the Twins to come in so they could whack them. But the Twins aren’t discouraged, believe me.

The Twins are just waiting to face other pitchers and to have a minute to exhale. And the Twins would be fine with losing both games in New York. Then they’ll go home, where they play very well in their own dome, and then hope to get on a little roll and sneak out a game 5 victory in New York.

That’s their plan. And it will work. But I don’t see the Twins pulling it out in a game 5. I like the Yankees to advance in 5 games.

The other series, between the Angels and the Red Sox, will go 5 games too. It seems that all the people in the east think that a Red Sox and Yankees ALCS is guaranteed. But it’s not.

I just don’t see the Angels losing the Red Sox. The Angels are going to get on the bases and produce runs like crazy. That’s what they do. And the Red Sox aren’t going to be able to keep up. Yes, I do think the Sox will win 2 and force this series to go 5 games, but the Angels will win it in the end.

And that’s how the ALDS will go. It will wind-up with a Yankees and Angels ALCS.

MLB: Looking at the NLDS

Charlie — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 01:06:35 +0000

Everything is now all set in the National League, as it has been for a few days. But we know that all 4 teams in the National League will be in action tomorrow. So, now is the perfect time to try to predict how each of these series will play out.

The first game of the entire baseball playoffs will be between the Colorad Rockies and the Philadelphia Phillies. The Rockies, of course, got in as a Wild Card team. The Phillies are the defending World Series Champions. Don’t expect the Phillies to let this series get away. But the Rockies have been pretty hot since around mid May. Still, the Phillies have been here before and they will get the job done. This series will be over in 4.

The other National League game will pit the Los Angeles Dodgers against the St. Louis Cardinals. Thanks to a slide at the end of the season, the Cardinals will be the away team in this series. That’s a pretty big advantage for the Dodgers. If the Cardinals were the home team in this series then I would give them the advantage. But the Dodgers are the home team. Plus, they have Joe Torre. His influence in the playoffs can’t be underestimated.

So, I like the Dodgers to win this one. But I do think it will go 5. And it will be a great series to watch. Especially great will be Albert Pujols vs. Manny Ramirez. The managers match-up great too. Both Torre and Cards’ manager Tony LaRussa have won World Series titles and they know how to manage. That’s why this should be a classic 5 game series. The only bad thing about this series is that it can’t go 7 games. The divisional series is best of 5 games. And this one will go 5.

So, that will pit the Dodgers and the Phillies in the ALCS. That will be a great one too.

MLB: Down the Stretch they Come!

Charlie — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 01:26:52 +0000

We now know 5 of the 6 playoffs teams for 2009. With the Rockies clinching at least a Wild Card spot, we now know that it will be the Philadelphia Phillies, the St. Louis Cardinals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Colorado Rockies in the playoffs.

The one uncertainty in the National League is in the NL West. As the Dodgers and the Rockies get set to play for the final regular season series, which team is which is still up in the air. With a sweep the Rockies can win the division and send the Dodgers back to the Wild Card. That would be a pretty stunning result. But I highly doubt the Dodgers will get swept, especially on their home field.

Over in the American League we know the Yankees have won the American League East. We also know the Boston Red Sox are the Wild Card team. In the American League West the Anaheim Angels have won the division. We also know that the divisional playoffs will feature the Red Sox and the Angels and the Yankees and the winner of the AL Central.

But the winner of the AL Central has to be decided. The Tigers have the definite advantage heading into the weekend but it isn’t too far-fetched to think the Twins may at least tie the Tigers before the weekend is over. If that happens, a one game playoff will take place in Minnesota on Tuesday.

Boy how the Yankees would love that. That would mean the winner of the division wouldn’t have any time to set up their pitching. And the team coming into New York won’t even have time to take a breath.

So, just about everything is set. And within just a day, everything could quickly be set. Or it could go right down to the last day of the season and beyond. We’ll just have to wait and see.

MLB: Twins are Staying Alive

Charlie — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:44:14 +0000

It’s not over yet. But it’s getting closer with each passing day.

The Twins went to Detroit at the beginning of the week hoping to take at least 3 of 4 from the Tigers. They would’ve loved a sweep but with Justin Verlander pitching in one of the games, that didn’t seem too likely. But after winning the first game in 10 innings, the Twins had hope to take 3 of 4. That would’ve pulled them even with the Tigers.

However, the Tigers played inspired baseball last night and came away with an easy win. So, that made today’s game huge, A win for Detroit would eliminate the Twins and give the AL Central to the Tigers. Well, wouldn’t you know it? The Twins won the game and they’re still alive. But just barely.

Now both teams will host less than average teams the final weekend. But the Tigers draw a slightly shorter straw with the White Sox coming to town. The Twins will play the Royals. I could see the Twins sweeping the series. The only problem will be going against Zach Grienke on Saturday.

But the Tigers have to hoping to take the first 2 games of the series. They would love nothing more than to be able to rest Verlander for the playoffs. If Monday’s game means something, Verlander will have to pitch and that will limit him to just one game in the divisional playoff. So, the Tigers are hoping to have everything wrapped up by Saturday night.

But the Twins are looking to sweep the Royals and put all the pressure on the Tigers. A sweep of the Royals will mean that the Tigers have to take 2 of 3 from the White Sox. Taking just one will force a one game playoff. (You know that’s what the Yankees are hoping for.)

So, we’ll have to wait and see. But this is the only race left in baseball and it’s looking like a great one.