This is a little late, but here is my outlook for the first round of the 2008 Major League Baseball Playoffs, the Divisional Series. In the National League, I picked the Phillies and Cubs. I thought Philadelphia would easily handle Milwaukee, winning the series in three or four games. The only reason the Brewers made the postseason was because of another monumental collapse by the New York Mets in September as the Brewers largely staggered though the final five weeks of the season and were fortunate Hurricane Ike took the sails out of a streaking Houston Astros club by forcing postponements and relocations of key games at a critical juncture. At the end of the regular season the Phillies had about the best team on paper and had demonstrated that on the field with a prolific offense, solid defense, better than expected starting pitching, and the best bullpen in the game led by the unbeaten Brad Lidge. Philadelphia is my pick to go all the way in the NL as they have more than enought to upend the Cubs, or now LA, in the NLCS.--
As for the Cubs, at the time of this post they have been eliminated in a three game sweep by the seemingly upstart Los Angeles Dodgers. I thought this series might go five as I saw it largely evenly matched, but the Cubs looked old and tired much as they had down the stretch in the final six weeks after a strong first four and a months into the season. LA caught lightning in a bottle for this series and overwhelmingly outplayed Chicago surprisingly. I thought the Cubs would step it up for the postseason but they had clearly lost it and badly underperformed in all aspects of the game as the cracks in their armor I saw in August and early September became inevitably clearly and obviously evident. In some ways they were victims of overwhelming expectations that put an enormous amount of pressure on everyone of the players that was all but impossible to meet as clearly Chicago had the most to gain and the most to lose in this postseason. It is going to be a long cold hard bitter winter in Chicagoland as the second century dawns without a world championship for the Northside Windy City baseball club and its eternally disappointed fans. I believe the Pirates will win another World Series before the Cubs ever do again. Can the Dodgers maintain this momentum in the NLCS ? Possibly, but they will be likely facing a club with virtually no expectations in Philadephia which should slow LA down.
-As for American League, the Anaheim Angels, like the Cubs, had the best record in their league and were a clear favorite to win the AL pennant. I believed they would oust the defending champion Redsox in five games in a hard fought largely evenly matched series. But Boston has jumped out to a 2-0 series lead with two road wins at The Big A and seems all but sure to oust the Angels making for an upset. Anaheim has had their chances but has failed to take advantage of opportunities in the first two games as they did during the regular season, and K-Rod blew at least a hold in a epic manner with the Drew home run off him in the 9th in game two. Can Anaheim come back ? It seems unlikely, but its not impossible with the team they have. But I now think Boston will take with two games upcoming at Fenway.
-Meanwhile, the upstart Tampa Bay Rays are doing just what I expected in rather easily handling an obviously overmatched and fatigued Chicago White Sox in probably three games. Chicago had to work very hard with two extra games after the normal end of the regular season Sunday just to make to the ALDS. The young Rays are pretty much doing everything right in all aspects of the game and they continue to live the dream and pursue the impossible -- worst to first. Their run this year is simply amazing, much like the Mets in '69, the Pirates in '79, the Mariners in '95, and the Rockies last year. I cannot see the White Sox stopping them. It seems we are headed for another classic all AL East ALCS for yet another year with the Redsox defending their pennant against the young Rays. Will youth be served, or will experience overcome ? I think the Sunshine Boys will continue their march towards a sweet destiny.
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In conclusion, at the start of the playoffs my picks were for the Angels to meet the Rays and the Cubs to face the Phillies in each of the league's championship series. I now think it will be Tampa Bay and Philadelphia in the World Series with the Rays taking it all.
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One other thing...isn't it sweet and great not to have the New York Yankees in the playoffs...
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