October 10, 2007

ALCS & NLCS Thoughts.

In order to understand what I'm going to be saying, I recommend that you review my post-season predictions I made last week.

Well, that wasn't what I exactly had in mind. I was 50% correct from the standpoint that I picked two teams out of 4 to advance, but the two teams that I had going to the World Series found their way home after a 1st-round knockout.

Now lets get some perspective. I am horrible at predicting these kinds of things. I have never agreed with that fact, but I really am. I chose the Twins to sweep the A's last year (before the opposite happened), I chose the Yankees to beat the Tigers (nope) and then I later thought that the Cardinals were "no-match" for the Tigers (again, nope). And it took me almost 3 years before I was right about Kyle Lohse being traded, so there are just a "few" circumstances.

But anyways, I want to continue my "excellence" of predicting what I think will happen from here on out. After watching the previous series, here are my new predictions.

NLCS: Colorado Rockies vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
These two teams are very familiar with each other after facing one another 18 times this season. The Rockies won the season series 10-8, but obliviously that's too close to say one team has been superior to the other. I really expect to see a very hard fought series by both teams and I see this one coming down to the wire. Although I won't be surprised to see the Diamondbacks come out on top in this series, I just think that Colorado's momentum will continue to carry them like I though Minnesota's momentum should have carried them in '06.
Predicition: Colorado Rockies in 7 games.

ALCS: Cleveland Indians vs. Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox have something that the Indians don't have, experience. Although that theory didn't faze the Tribe in the first round when they faced the Yankees, I am (fairly) sure that it'll finaly make it's stand in this round...right? The Red Sox won 5 out of 7 games during the regular season and with the Red Sox starting the series off at home, I think that gives them the first advantage in the first 2 crucial games of the series where both teams will be sending their aces to the mound. As much as I'd like to see the Indians advance because they are our competitor and they represent our division, I don't know if they'll be able to outhit David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez. And to me, their rotations are about even. C.C. Sabathia - Beckett = wash. Curt Schilling (remember the sock) - Fausto Carmona = wash. Paul Byrd - Daisuke Matsuzaka = wash. So to me, it comes down to the hitters and I don't see Travis Hafner, Grady Sizemore, Victor Martinez out hitting Ortiz, Ramirez, or Mike Lowell.
Prediction: Red Sox in 6 games.

World Series: Colorado Rockies vs. Boston Red Sox
Now, before I begin As much as I truly would like to see the Rockies win, I just don't know if they'll match up (pitching wise) to the Red Sox. The Rockies rotation has been good thus far, but so has the Red Sox and to me, the Red Sox have the best rotation in baseball, so I really don't see a match there. Offensively, I think it's fairly even. Both teams have some exciting players who have stepped up when the pressure is on. Should/would be a fun world series to watch if both of these teams advanced (actually I think any combination of teams advancing will give us a good world series). But with that said, could I see the Rockies upsetting the Red Sox? Definitely. I just am going with the odds.
Predicition: Red Sox in 5 games.


Arizona Fall League

The AFL officially started yesterday, and I thought I'd try to give an update of the Twins players who are participating.

Trevor Plouffe started at short stop and went 1-4 with a double and also walked. Anthony Swarzak started the game and went 2 innings and gave up 3 hits, 1 walk, 1 run and struck out 1. Unfortunately the Phoenix Desert Dogs lost 7-3 to the Mesa Solar Sox.

Matt Macri (injury replacement for David Winfree), Nick Blackburn, Brian Duensing, Ryan Mullins, and Drew Butera are also on the roster.

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