1) Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
-The most complete team. They have starting pitching, a great offense, speed, defense, and a bullpen.
2) Tampa Bay Rays
-Five great starting pitchers, youth, and plenty of energy. They also have the motivation of being a terrible team for their first 10 years of existence. With that rotation, they can win games by scoring 2-3 runs per game. More is always nice, but I'm just saying they CAN win games with mediocre offensive output.
3) Chicago Cubs
-They can run into problems against decent right-handed pitchers and lefties with a good changeup...but what National League team actually poses that threat? Oh yeah, and Rich Harden, Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly, Ryan Dempster, and Jason Marquis are the best starting five in the NL.
4) Boston Red Sox
-Do injuries trump experience? Probably when you're playing the Angels in the first round. Get to the ALCS and you may have a new favorite to win it all. That new favorite still being the Rays or the Cubs.
5) Los Angeles Dodgers
-Unfortunate for them that they're playing the Cubs instead of the Phillies or Brewers in the first round.
6) Philadelphia Phillies
-Unreliable starting pitching, and I doubt they've got the fortitude to win away from home (except against the Brewers). It helps that they'll probably be visiting Wrigley in the NLCS, but the Cubs' pitching can neutralize the Phillies' bats. If they play the Dodgers in the NLCS, they're toast.
7) Chicago White Sox
-They've got a great mix of youth and experience, but they've also got two of the craziest people in baseball in their dugout. One manages the game and the other is behind the plate calling pitches for nine innings. Alexei Ramirez can't hit grand slams every game, and Jim Thome and Ken Griffey, Jr. aren't the type of players who can carry a team through the entire playoffs.
8) Milwaukee Brewers
-A piss poor excuse for a playoff team, slightly better than the Mets, apparently. They don't even have a manager. How are they supposed to win any games NOT started by C.C.?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
11 comments:
I agree that the Brew Crew will have a tough time winning a game that CC doesn't start. But all they have to do is win one of those starts. CC isn't going to lose in this series, IMHO.
You still haven't convinced me.
I actually disagree. Nobody is safe pitching in Philadelphia. And no way you keep the Philly bats at bay two games in a row.
Phillies blow out the Brewers in game two. Suddenly, Milwaukee decides C.C. isn't all that and a bag of chips once he gets out of the N.L. Central.
Non-playoff question here. Why does Minaya get a new deal (it will happen soon) when the Mets collapsed the past two seasons? Also, do you think Delgado 'dogged' it while Willie was running the team or was it a coincidence that he didn't like him and started putting up numbers after Willie was gone?
All this heat on Manny (which is deserved) and nothing really was heard on Delgado when (I'm assuming this remember) he pulled the same shit. One cost a team a player where the other cost a few men their jobs.
The Mets improved their team last offseason, and they'll improve their team this offseason. As GM, Minaya has repeatedly made moves to improve the team, the Mets just have fallen a game short each year, to no fault of Minaya.
I think Delgado just happened to heat up at the same time Willie's departed. I blogged when Willie was fired that it's going to make Minaya look like a genius because the Mets' bats were bound to heat up sooner or later, and Delgado is the prime example of that.
Manny and Delgado have different personalities so it's tough to compare them. Plus, Manny is still the force that carries whatever team he's on whereas Delgado is a complement to the Big Three who are supposed to carry the Mets.
Wow.. I think you just owned me. I have nothing to type as a counter-point. Bastard.
sorry.
You were correct Travi, sweep!!
I should probably move the Dodgers up in my next issue of Power Rankings.
I think my terrible predictions have now become a part of the Cubs' curse!
Does that mean you'll finally show some Dodger blue, or will I have to wait to see your next blog?
Something tells me you'll love and hate my next entry at the same time...LCS previews and WORLD SERIES PREDICTION!
Post a Comment