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Originally posted by Paradigm City Hustla
This one is for all my sports hustlers.
It's around this particular time that all sports start to get their season going or are about to end their season. Basketball is starting up next month, as is hockey (Don't call it a comeback!). Football is under way and baseball is entering its final stretch of the season.
Hell, even Nascar is starting their playoffs.
So, with all the sports intergrated at the time being, you do you think will be the champions of their respective sports? Will the Red Sox and Spurs repeat or will someone finally shut up New England? And will the NHL World Champions, the... um... um... well, will the NHL World Champions be able to defend and repeat?
Peace. |
Red Sox might not even make the playoffs, and I certainly don't see them repeating.
I'm not really sure, but the way the baseball season is winding down, these are my predictions by division:
AL East
New York ~ 96-66 (1st - Second Seed)
Boston ~ 93-69 (2nd - Miss Playoffs)
AL Central
Cleveland ~ 98-64 (1st - First Seed)
Chicago ~ 95-67 (2nd - Wild Card)
AL West
Los Angeles ~ 93-69 (1st - Third Seed)
Oakland ~ 91-71 (2nd - Miss Playoffs)
NL East
Atlanta ~ 94-68 (1st - Second Seed)
Philadelphia ~ 87-75 (2nd - Miss Playoffs)
Florida ~ 86-76 (3rd - Miss Playoffs)
NL Central
St. Louis ~ 102-60 (1st - First Seed (Already Clinched))
Houston ~ 89-73 (2nd - Wild Card)
NL West
San Diego ~ 82-80* (1st - Third Seed)
*I'd love to see this team finish below .500, just so I can have a nice long laugh.
ALDS
Chicago White Sox @
New York Yankees (3-1)
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim @
Cleveland Indians (3-0)
NLDS
San Diego Padres @
Houston Astros (3-0)
Atlanta Braves @
St. Louis Cardinals (3-1)
ALCS
New York Yankees @ Cleveland Indians (4-3)
NLCS
Houston Astros @
St. Louis Cardinals (4-2)
WS
St. Louis Cardinals @ New York Yankees (4-2)
It's tough, because I don't want to say St. Louis will win it all because I don't think they will, though they have the best chance on paper. There is a lot hinging on a few factors. First, whether Cleveland manages to stay hot into the playoffs: I think they have a legitimate shot at winning the Central, and I can certainly see them plowing through Los Angeles (perhaps losing the game Colon pitches). The White Sox are fading, and the Yankees have proven they can defeat the White Sox in a short series when Chicago is not playing at full strength; New York, surprisingly, probably has the strongest rotation going into the playoffs of any American League team
if Johnson and Small continue pitching the way they have in their previous few starts and Mike Mussina returns to form. If Jaret Wright cannot recover in time for the playoffs, Chacon or Wang are both solid No. 4 starters. I honestly do not think Chicago's Three of Buerhle-Garcia-Garland will hold up in the playoffs, especially since all three starters haven't been particularly consistent over the last month or so. Besides, Chicago's lack of hitting is a serious problem, especially in the American League. The Chisox have not been running, and without that part of the game they are very vulnerable. New York's biggest question mark is, again, its bullpen: can Sturtze and Gordon hold up this year? If so, New York has a legitimate chance to go deep with its good rotation and excellent hitting.
Cleveland has a great one-two punch in Sabathia and Lee, and the back end of their rotation is equally solid. They can have a better rotation than New York if Johnson and/or Small slow down and Mussina gets rocked. Nevertheless, it is their hitting that will probably carry them through the playoffs, so long as the young talent does not choke up. I think New York's experience will probably pull them through to the World Series, however. But I think it will be a great ride regardless.
The Angels, as far as I am concerned, have little pitching after Colon, and their hitters have been very inconsistent over the last month. Anderson has to step up, else Guerrero will just be treated as the AL's Barry Bonds. I cannot see them advancing past the first round.
The National League is really interesting. I think Houston has the best rotation in the majors by far (Clemens-Oswalt-Pettitte is the best three-man rotation in the league), they have a dominant closer in Lidge, but...their hitting is very suspect. They won't get far if they increase Clemens' shutout total (by that I mean Houston getting shutout when Clemens pitches). They have the potential to go to the World Series if their offense can get rolling.
Atlanta...is a wild one, I think. They have pretty good pitching and pretty good hitting, but their bullpen is very vulnerable and they are relying on a lot of rookies. Atlanta hasn't been particularly special over the last month; they're winning the games they should win, but they have not been as dominant as Cleveland, a team which is built in a similar fashion (though the Indians probably have more power). Against St. Louis, though...I don't think Atlanta has much of a chance.
St. Louis has arguably the best pitcher in baseball (apologies to Roger Clemens) in Chris Carpenter, but the rest of their rotation (Mulder, Suppan, and either Morris or Marquis) is certainly solid. Their bullpen isn't dominant, but it doesn't need to be because their starters
will eat innings (especially their top two). The offense is the best in the National League, so hitting their way through the playoffs is always an option.
They'll probably be the most well-rested team down the stretch, being as (1) they have already clinched and (2) still have two off days left in the season (one before their last series of the season). Lucky bastards, as if they need any more help this year.
Padres aren't even a .500 team. Sorry, but they stand no chance in the playoffs, whether Peavy pitches well or not. They shouldn't even be in the playoffs this year.
If St. Louis and Houston match up again in this years' NLCS, it'll be more exciting than last year. Granted, the Astros can't throw out a Carlos Beltran, but they can throw out a healthy Pettitte who has been lights-out second half of the season. I think Houston could really shut down St. Louis' offense if necessary, but without an offense of their own, the Astros are going to be dead in the water.
When all is said and done, these scenarios might not happen. The Indians might realize they're pulling off the impossible--eliminating a 15-game lead. When there was only two months left in the season. The White Sox might wake up and remember they are supposed to be running away with the division. Florida might wake up and remember they are supposed to be able to hit. The Red Sox might actually construct a bullpen, and Schilling might remember that he's an ace. The Big Unit might revert back to his inconsistent self, and Mussina might struggle when he returns. And Small might remember that he's a nobody, a career-AAA starter who shouldn't even be in the major leagues.
Though I hope, for Small's sake, that previous point is false. I'm rooting for Small all the way this year, whether the Yankees make the playoffs or not.
Regardless of what occurs, almost all eight playoff spots are still up for grabs, so almost anything can happen. Good for baseball? Nay, I say--
great for baseball. Welcome to the most exciting September we have seen in years.
Now, if only Barry Bonds had done us a favor and gotten his knee hit by a fireballer in his first game back (thereby ending his career), the baseball world would be perfect.