… I’m really, really wrong. Let’s see. My prediction for the series: Cardinals over Angels in six. Well, aside from the Cards getting knocked out in 6, the Angels getting knocked out in five, and me apparently having no handle on the strengths of either Houston or Chicago, it was pretty much a flawless call. I guess there’s a reason Peter Gammons is making a touch more money than me analyzing baseball.

Man, it wasn’t easy watching the Cards go down. Second year in a row they’ve gone into the postseason with, theoretically, the most balanced roster from top to bottom, only to come up short. I know they’ve had some injury issues (This just in: Scott Rolen’s a very good baseball player), but it just felt like it was their year. Probable Cy Young winner in Carpenter. Possible MVP in Pujols. Guys like Sanders stepping up. And while there was certainly a huge part of me rooting with my heart, I honestly thought, with all objectivity I could possibly muster, that they were the best team in baseball. But I was wrong, and I’ll very begrudgingly give it up to Houston. In the meantime, my visions of Busch Stadium spending its final days as the house of the World Series champs will remain a mere fantasy. Any chance I could get the Powers That Be to change their minds about bringing in the wrecking ball? Oh well, I’ll get more into my feelings on this as we get closer to Nov. 7^th, the scheduled day of carnage (Yes, carnage may be a bit strong, but that’s kind of how it seems to me).

I was also pretty surprised about the Angels, too. Vladdy, what happened, buddy?  I wouldn’t have predicted you going cold like that in a million years. And did you have to share whatever flavor Kool Aid you were drinking with the rest of the fellas?  But you also have to wonder how much Doug Eddings call at home messed with the Angels’ heads. I wouldn’t go so far as to label it a Denkinger-esque situation, but on its best day, this was bizarre (When it comes to non-verbal communication, Eddings certainly has no future as a mime), and it absolutely shifted the tide in Chicago’s favor. Like Bartman-gate and the Cubs, or even the Cards in ’85, the fault ultimately lies with Anaheim. They’re professionals, and professionals are paid to rise above adversity. But the entire situation changes if Chicago would have played the next three in Anaheim down 2-0, as opposed to all squared with the wind at their back.  But I suppose any team capable of ripping 3 straight W’s in someone else’s house deserves the benefit of the doubt. In the end, maybe there’s a reason they had the best record in the AL.

Everyone, myself included, has spent the year not giving the White Sox much respect. And from here on out, that’s gonna change. They had 11 more wins than Houston playing in a more competitive division. They’ve got pitching. They’re getting props. The Chicago White Sox will win the series. There. I said it.

Which basically means, if I were a Houston resident right now, I’d be putting all the champagne I own in the fridge to get it nice and cold.


 

I’m a writer, and I like to think of myself as a decent writer. On my better days, maybe even a pretty darn good writer. But I’m failing to come up with the words that properly sum up, in terms of accuracy, emotion, and perhaps even pure spite, how happy I was to see the Yankees go down in game five. It’s so hysterically ironic (and appropriate) that a team spending 200 mil + managed to do worse than the year before in their quest to purchase greatness. Truth be told, they spent most of the season flailing about, occasionally getting on nice rolls, but never managing to accomplish anything remotely resembling dominance. I can only imagine how much they’ll spend in the off-season to right the ship, but it’ll be hilarious to watch. I’m gonna put this out there, not because I think it’ll actually happen, but because it would be too classic. Ten words. Bernie Retiring. Milton Bradley. Large contract. NY media. Oh… my!

            On to the final four. As a Cards fan, I’m with my boys 100%, and really do think they’re gonna come out on top. But I don’t love the prospect of them facing a team with Petite, Oswalt and The Rocket in the rotation. That’s nastier than R.Kelly having a night out with 3 underage hookers and a fleet of camcorders. But Carpenter’s gonna win the Cy. Morris and Mulder are nothing to sneeze at, either. Not having Reyes doesn’t help matters, but I do like Izzy (although Lidge is flat out sick, and if it gets to some late inning showdowns, our odds do decrease a bit, for sure). But St. Louis has been the best team in baseball all season for a reason. They’ve dealt with injuries, including Rolen, arguably their second best player, who’s been out basically forever. They’re balanced. They’re ego-free. And they’ve got a few guys like Eckstein and Sanders who’ve been there, done that, and that experience is crucial when you get down the stretch (although you wouldn’t know it from the way Boston crashed and burned). I would never count Houston out, but I’m not scared, either.

            In the AL, this should be a great series. I’m rooting Angels, partially because, as a 15-year Southern Cal resident, I feel it’s something of my duty to go local, partially because I really like the guys on that team and the way Moreno spends with purpose in mind, as opposed to name dropping (like, say, the team they beat to get here), and, well… because I predicted Cards over Angels in 6 in an earlier entry. Unless the Angels advance, I can’t be right. I really like being right. I’m a little concerned about this Bartolo Colon injury, but really only if Washburn’s still sidelined with what seems to be the worst illness since the bubonic plague. Last I heard, he had a temperature of 117 and was speaking in tongues. Well, assuming he can pitch 6 innings sometime in the near future without dry (or wet) heaving, as good as Colon is, I think the team can win a round without him, as evidenced by the scrap they showed coming together when he went down. But it’s never easy when your best arm can’t take the hill. And Ozzie Guillen does have a right to yap about the lack of respect they’ve been getting all season, especially down the stretch. Even though they didn’t play their best ball when it nearly counted the most, they still got the job done, and nobody gave them much credit afterwards. Of course, now everyone’s jumping on the Chicago bandwagon in a last second effort to give props, which almost guarantees they’ll choke. The media can never be right. Unless it’s me. Because I'm stubborn.

Just wondering. If Lou Pinella disagrees with a call while doing commentary during the ALCS game 1, is he gonna sprint down to the field and scream at the ump? That would be beyond awesome. If I ran Fox, it would be in his contract.

Oh, did I mention the Yankees lost? Just wanted to make sure.

If I were a Red Sox fan, I’d be really worried. Not about this round against Chicago. They might as well resign themselves to the fact that they’re out, barring some kind of miracle, which I don’t think they can muster two years in a row. Granted, they’re a dangerous team to count out, I’m shocked they’re in this position in the first position, and they’re good for at least one win at Fenway. But it’s hard to buy winning out 3 straight. But that’s not even why Chowder heads should be freaking. What they should be worried about is the Graffanino error. Scarily reminiscent of Buckner, dontcha think? And while I know I’m not the first to make the comparison (frankly, if this comparison even slightly blew your mind, log off now, because you’re too stupid for me to appreciate your readership), I’m a very superstitious guy, and think of this choke as the baseball Gods looking down on Beantown and saying, “Psyche! Hope you enjoyed ’04, boys! Because you ain’t winning again until 2090! And here’s a little reminder of the pain you thought was long gone.” Brutal! But such is sports. At least y’all got the Pats… for now.

C’mon, Angels! Papa needs a new pair of shoes… to keep kicking the Yankees with! (I didn’t actually put any money on the series) But let’s pull this out, boys! It’s too early for my St.Louis-Anaheim series prediction to already be down the tubes.

Just wondering. Did they even bother securing venues for the “if necessary” games 4 and 5 between St. Louis and San Diego. If I ran Petco, I’d feel pretty secure scheduling a monster truck pull the day after game 3.  Some things are pretty much done deals. And speaking of St. Louis dominating in the postseason, Yo, Atlanta, wanna pick it up, fellas?  While I like our chances in a 7 game series against Houston more than five, I’d rather avoid them altogether. That top starting 3 is scary. And Clemens must be seriously motivated after not getting a CY with an ERA under 2. I’ll skip that one, thank you very much.

I’m happy for Giambi. I don’t condone anything he did in the past, and he deserved the heat he took. But he also took his lumps like a man, and owned up to it, even if in occasionally vague terms, more than any player whose name has popped up in the BALCO era. And the guy was left for dead coming into this season. The Yanks were talking about releasing him. Everyone thought he’d be in the minors. And he was coming off tumors, parasites, and a seriously wounded psyche. There are some who would say the health issues came as the results of steroids, but they honestly don’t know. Nobody knows. But even if these obstacles were the results of Giambi’s own doing, he still had to overcome them. And he did an incredible job of it. On top of it all, he’s a good guy, even if he’s a good guy who tried to cheat the game. That doesn’t make him a bad person, just a flawed one. He paid a price, and moved on with class. So I’m glad to see him win.