Baseball

OK, since the baseball season is officially over in the Bay Area, I’m gonna review my predictions for the 2005 season and… what?  I didn’t make any predictions?!  Oh well, I’ll tell you up front that I predicted the NL exactly right (San Diego, St Louis, and Atlanta winning the divisions, with Houston as the Wild Card), but so did just about everyone else.  In the American League, I would’ve picked everyone except for Chicago, who I would’ve pegged for third place.  So a good year for my predictions….

On to the playoffs….

Houston-Atlanta – Strangely, everyone is picking Houston to roll in the NL.  Have you forgotten about Tim Hudson and John Smoltz and Andruw Jones?  Atlanta’s been coasting for awhile (as they typically do through September), and will make this a close series, but the deciding factor will be Brad Lidge.  Houston wins one game late against a shaky Braves bullpen and it’s enough to take the series 3-2.

St Louis-San Diego – If San Diego can score a wad in the first three innings, they might steal a game.  Otherwise, this’ll be a sweep.  I’m saying they won’t, 3-0.

NLCS – Houston–St Louis redux – I don’t care what happened earlier this year.  Chris Carpenter is NOT an ace.  This series will hinge on one person, Matt Morris.  If he wins his games, St Louis wins.  If he gets shelled, they lose.  Six games, with Morris taking the pipe in game Six.  Houston 4-2.  Series MVP is Lance Berkman.  By the way, the same thing goes for Atlanta if they win the divisional playoff.

New York-Anaheim – The over-under on each game should be ten runs.  Anaheim will spare us the constant NY/Boston hype and smoke the terrible Yankee staff, losing one game to the Big Unit.  All of the networks cry as the Yankees lose 3-1.

Boston-Chicago – A lot of baseball insiders are touting the ChiSox as the best pitching staff in the AL playoffs.  Well, that’s like having the biggest dick in China.  And no team has a righty-lefty combo like Manny and Papi.  Is the Big Hurt even playing anymore?  You know you’re in bad shape when your best hitter is Paul Konerko.  Boston 3-1.

ALCS – Ah, shades of 1986.  Ghosts of Donnie Moore and Dave Henderson.  KRod and the Angels avenge Donnie Moore and win in Game Seven late inning comeback.  Keith Foulke pitches with a bloody stump, but it’s not enough.  Series MVP is Vlad.  Angels 4-3.

World Series – Houston-Anaheim – Geez, the network execs will be diving from their penthouse suites when this matchup happens.  And it’ll be a low scoring series, making it even more difficult to watch.  But fundamental baseball still has a place… or so I’ve been told.   Brad Lidge takes the MVP with four saves, including a Game Six five-outer to slam the door.  Houston wins their first World Series 4-2.