My Best Guess

I am aware that the postseason has already started. But only one game has actually ended (PHI-3, MIL-1) and it won't change my pick in that series as I, being a loyal fan like my fellow Brothers of Love, watched and cheered through every pitch of Cole Hamel's gem. Do you think Milwaukee really had a chance from the start? Because we didn't. We beat them in the season series, C.C. pitches Game 2 on very little rest, they just fired their manager and Prince Fielder is fat. Okay, maybe that has nothing to do with it. But you see what I'm saying. So please, don't give me a hard time for making my picks a little late. Thank you much.

I've always had mixed feelings about Major League Baseball's playoffs. First, I never liked the fact that only four teams make it from each league. My belief is that the NHL and NBA allow too many teams (16 total) to take part in their postseasons. The NFL has it just right with four division winners and two wild cards from each conference (12 total). But they have 32 teams and I would never want baseball to get that watered down. Back to my point... Practically every season, you'll see a division winner sneak into the MLB playoffs with about 85 wins (Dodgers had 84 this year) while a second or third-place team from a tough division gets no shot at the "world" title. And that definitely isn't fair when you consider my next point.

My second reason for the MLB playoffs sucking is that it always seems like the best team never wins anyway. Those teams that got snubbed for an 85-game division winner would've had a chance to win it all. Want proof? Over the last 10 years, only twice has the team with the regular season's best record won the World Series. The first occurrence was exactly ten seasons ago, when the Yanks finished the regular season with a mind-boggling winning percentage of .704, and the other was last year as the BoSox tied for the best record (with Cleveland) before going on to win it all. But the craziest part of this stat is: In between the 1998 Yankees and 2007 Red Sox, we had five seasons where the best team didn't win the WS and three seasons where two teams tied for the best record and none of them won it. So much for all that hard work.

But despite my reservations about pro baseball's playoff format, it's still the October Classic. It's America's original pastime. For anyone who has ever played baseball or ever been formerly introduced to this great game, you know what I'm talking about. You know the feeling that comes along with watching each pitch. Hell, my favorite team has only made the playoffs three times (including this season and last) in my twenty-one years, spanning twenty-two playoff races. And I've still been mesmerized from a very young age. Unfortunately, many young people today have little, if any, appreciation for it. And it's sad. They say it's slow and they say it's boring. "Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn." But I'm not here to defend how great a game baseball is. I think it's rich tradition over the last hundred-plus seasons speaks for itself.

That's enough preaching for tonight. So, considering the fact that the World Series Champ is extremely hard to predict and the fact that the best team rarely wins it all, I will now attempt to make my picks. Although I must warn you, these will be a mix of predictions and dreams of mine. If you know me at all, you know that when it comes to sports, I am very fair. I'm the farthest thing from a homer that you'll find. I rely on statistics for all my points and you know I can back them up with the numbers if challenged. So don't automatically suspect that I'll pick the Phils to win their second championship in, oh, about a million years of existence. I'd prefer to be right than to be the ultimate fan. And so it goes...

Divisional Series:
Angels def Red Sox 3-2
Rays def White Sox 3-1
Cubs def Dodgers 3-0
Phillies def Brewers 3-1

Championship Series:
Rays def Angles 4-3
Phillies def Cubs 4-2

World Series:
Rays def Phillies 4-2

Quickly (or not), I'll note some things about these picks. I look at them, and for a moment, they're brilliant. The next moment, they're idiotic. I picked the Rays to win it all. Why? I don't know. A few weeks ago my opinion was that no matter who they played, they would lose in the ALDS. But they play outstanding defense behind a very good, young staff and if you don't like Joe Maddon, you haven't heard him speak yet. I picked them to upset the Angels who seemingly have it all. Why? Remember what I told you about teams who have the best regular season record? Both of these teams could very well lose to Ozzie's ChiSox or the experienced BoSox. But I'm sticking with my picks. I picked the Phils to beat the Brew Crew for reasons I've already given you. Such as Prince being too fat. The Cubs will win their NLCS because the Dodgers suck. Manny can be Manny all he wants. I know he is basically the greatest thing that the MLB playoffs have ever seen. I don't care. And I love Joe Torre. He's the man and I'm so glad that he made the playoffs and the Yankees didn't (Suck on that, George). But the Cubs are just too good. Ol' Lou is, too, the man and his pitchers are unreal. That will at least win them one series. But eventually, I think that the Cubs will have bad luck (again) and choke against my Phils. Or so I hope. And the Rays win The Series versus Team MVP (Howard, J-Roll, Howard?) because: a) the Phils don't feel like a championship team, b) they score inconsistently and c) the Rays are then winners based on the process of elimination. Think I'm nuts? Great. Comment, leave a message, let me know what you think.