Major League Baseball has often used the expression "You can't script October," to emphasize just how unpredictable the postseason can be. This year is no exception. With eight teams from the National League and the American League in the running for a World Series championship, the focus now turns towards who has the best chance of claiming the title. The Divisional series are set to get underway starting today, and it's anyone's guess as to who will rise and make a name for themselves.
The Tampa Bay Rays take on the Texas Rangers in one of the American League Divisional Series. The pitching for each club is stellar, with the likes of Cliff Lee on the mound for the Rangers and David Price on the mound for the Rays. Lee had an up and down year. He was traded from the powerhouse Philadelphia Phillies during the offseason to the Seattle Mariners. He was hurt during that short stint with the Mariners and was dealt again early this season to the Rangers. Price won close to 20 games and looks about as good as he ever has during his time in the majors. Vladimir Guerrero and Josh Hamilton lead the way offensively for Texas, while Evan Longoria, Carl Crawford and others carry the big sticks for Tampa. My prediction for this best-of-five series is for Tampa to win it in four games. As far as talent and drive is concerned, I give the edge to the Rays. They might not have fans show up to the ballpark, but they are one of the most tenacious teams in the league.
The other American League Divisional Series pits the AL Central-winning Minnesota Twins against the Wild Card winning New York Yankees. The Yanks are, of course, a staple in the postseason, adding their 27th championship to the trophy case last year. The Twins have been hit or miss once they have gotten into the postseason during the last several seasons, but I would look for them to make a splash. They will certainly miss the production of first baseman Justin Morneau and will rely on guys like Joe Mauer to pick up the slack. Francisco Liriano, the fiery left hander for Minnesota gets the ball in the first game against C.C. Sabathia of the Yanks. I think the tone for the series will be set from the get go in Game 1. Those two pitchers for each club can deal it. My take is for the Twins to take it in five games. I know I'll get a lot of flak for going against New York, but it is time for Minnesota to prove they can compete in the playoffs.
Now comes the two divisional series in the National League. First, it's the Cincinnati Reds against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Reds' story is pretty awesome, given the fact that the team had not won a divisional title since 1995. With Dusty Baker at the helm and MVP candidate Joey Votto carrying the lumber for the ballclub, it should make things interesting. Brandon Phillips and Scott Rolen would be my two guys to watch from the Reds, with one having youth and speed on his side (Phillips) while the other is in the twilight of his career (Rolen). Meanwhile, the Phillies want to continue a string of strong postseason appearances dating back to their World Series victory in 2008. Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Shane Victorino, Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt are names that don't even begin to scratch the surface of the depth of the Phillies. As much as the Reds are a Cinderella story, the Phillies bats and pitching rotation may spell doom for Cincy. Look for Philly to take the series, possibly in a clean sweep.
The final matchup of the divisional round is the Atlanta Braves against the San Francisco Giants. For the Giants, this is their first playoff appearance since winning the National League West division in 2003. Tim Lincecum, one of San Fran's fireballers, will take the mound for Game 1 on Thursday night. It's the first playoff appearance of his career and he will try to make the most of it. Derek Lowe is on the mound for the Braves, coming off a fantastic month of September during which he went 5-0 as a starter. Atlanta just snuck into the playoffs with the Wild Card spot after leading the NL East for much of the year. Now that they are in, and given that this is Bobby Cox's final season as manager, I'd say they will be fighting from Game 1 on. The rest of Atlanta's rotation includes Tim Hudson, the NL Comeback Player of the Year and Tommy Hanson. The Giants' ace Jonathan Sanchez will look to have a big impact, as well. I will also be keeping my eye on twenty-year old rookie outfielder Jason Heyward of the Braves due to his propensity for coming through in clutch situations. My take is that Atlanta wins the series, quite possibly in five games.
And so the stage is set. This has been the year of the pitcher in the MLB and I think it will continue into the postseason. There is also a lot of young and old talent on every ball team. In thinking about the postseason, I'm reminded of the old Doors song "Roadhouse Blues," in which Jim Morrison says the future is uncertain and the end is always near. For all of these teams, the future is indeed clouded and every game counts.
