American League Championship Series Preview

Will A-Rod's clutch play continue? or is it time to throw in the towel? The ALCS begins tonight.

Written by: MJK


New York Yankees vs. Anaheim Angels of Los Angeles (AA of LA...how annoying is that?)

The Breakdown:  Disciplined on-base machines.

The Lineup: Anaheim’s lineup mimics the annoyance of a small mosquito trapped inside your bedroom at night. You snuggle up under the covers, kill the lights, shut your eyes and suddenly you start smacking yourself in an attempt to kill that damn buzzing in your ear. Yea, its something like that. Anaheim has continuously proven it's effectiveness in manufacturing runs through their efforts on the bases with great team speed and a knack for the big hit.  They say the fastest way from point A to point B is a straight line. The Angels oblige.  Table setter Chone Figgins is a classic singles hitter with almost no power to speak of. He utilizes a slapstick approach that has proven very effective in recent years and when on base look for him to steal every time he has an open base in front him.   Bobby Abreu and Tori Hunter are great hitters that will most certainly take advantage of clutch situational hitting to advance runners and drive in runs. Abreu and Hunter give this Angels team a core of poised veteran leaders that not only can work the count but also hit the occasional home run and look to steal a base more often than not.  If there is one glaring weakness of this lineup it is its' inability to drive in runs via the home run. Even though chicks do (and always will) dig the long ball, Kendry Morales poses the only true threat to go deep on cue. If Anaheim wants to change this they will need Morales to continue his breakout 2009 campaign.  Fan favorite Vladimir Guerrero is a shell of his former self.  He is showing some signs of real age and looks like his knees are about to give in every time he runs the bases.  Still, we all know how dangerous he can be if he can just find even a little bit of that stroke that every pitcher in baseball feared for so long. Manager Mike Scoscia has already commited to giving catcher Jeff Mathis a good amount of playing time this series. Mathis is a defensive stalwart behind the plate but offers nothing in the form of offense. I would like to see the Angels use Mike Napoli a bit more especially against a Yankees offense that the Angels may be trying to keep up with.

The Yankees offer almost the complete opposite in terms of offensive philosophy.  Sure, they use the same level of plate discipline and veteran core that Anaheim does but New York wants to beat you with the long ball.  Alex Rodriguez has (somewhat) shed his post-season demons by showing some clutch hitting of his own right in the divisional series versus the Twins.  That being said, I will refrain from fully jumping on a “changed” A-Rod bandwagon, because the real pressure at bats are still to come.  What I won’t refrain from is fully backing the potency of this lineup top to bottom.  It offers everything a major league lineup could want. High on-base percentage, high average, lots of power and the ability to steal a base when in need.   Angels pitchers will have to execute pitches to perfection for the duration of the series if they want to have a chance versus this explosive offense.  Derek Jeter continues to prove just how important he is to his lineup.  He has had yet another fantastic season and has really set the tempo at the top of this lineup.  Mark Texeira has risen to every occasion in his debut season with the Yankees and he should be very excited about facing an Angels staff he has had very good success with in the past.   It is very hard to find many (if any) holes in this lineup.  It will be interesting to see how the big name big bats hold up as the pressure of the postseason mounts.

Given the Angels knack for scrappy and timely base hits, the decision is closer than one would think by looking at the teams on paper but it would be naïve of me to ignore just how good this Yankee lineup really is.  I’ll take the Yankees here.

The Rotation:  With both teams offering up deep and veteran lineups, the pitching staffs will look to manage games while attempting to keep pitch counts in check. This will prove to be very difficult on both sides of the series.  Anaheim’s rotation has made up for its immense lack of overwhelming talent with effective and workhorse like outings that the team has been able to latch onto as an anchor for the better part of the season.  The rotation for the ALCS should be four deep with John Lackey, Scott Kazmir, Joe Saunders, and Jered Weaver.  The quartet has formed one of the more reliable staffs in all of baseball. All of them have the ability to go 7+ innings when effective and will look to slow down this Yankee offense with a steady diet of off-speed and breaking pitches that will help in keeping this lineup off balance.   The series for the Angels will come down to how well this staff can hold up while facing the best lineup in all of baseball. Scott Kazmir has had a good amount of success against the Yankees in his career and John Lackey has held A-Rod under a .200 average when the two matchup against each other. Jered Weaver does not possess any sort of plus pitch but has done very well for himself this season in mixing pitches while really establishing a sense of control in what would seem to be his break out season. 

The Yankees landed two prized pitchers this offseason in CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett solely for the purpose of making a deep run into the playoffs for years to come.  Well here is their first true test at making this a reality.  The Yankees will put their faith in a three-man rotation of Sabathia, Burnett, and Andy Pettite in this series. Sabathia and to a lesser extent Burnett make this rotation extremely top heavy with very little to offer on the back end.  Sabathia has been as advertised in his first full season in pinstripes, but much like A-Rod still has a lot to prove in terms of post-season efficiency.  Burnett has an array of lights out pitches that he uses to great effectiveness when he is locked in.  The problem is, he loses his focus at times and in turn has a hard time regaining control, which ups his pitch count a great deal.  He has been both dominant and extremely ineffective at different points of the season which is both exciting and troublesome all at once.  Andy Pettite is a year older and does not offer the same mix of pitches that he used to in his younger days.  However, he is the only member of this rotation that has won a championship and will use this experience to his advantage.  He still has not lost his knack to be a smart and very controlled pitcher. If he can hit his spots he can prove to be just as effective as any pitcher in the series.

The Yankees paid big money to have this staff come together when the opportunity presented itself.  Well, the opportunity is now.  I just hesitate to pour an overwhelming amount of confidence into this rotation that is not nearly as deep as the Angels’.  If CC can rise to the occasion in games 1 and 4 then it should be smooth sailing for New York. The Angels are a smart lineup that will adjust quickly and on the fly, something that I feel will exploit the disadvantages to having a 3-pitcher rotation in a 7 game series. I like the depth of the Angels staff here.

The Intangibles:  The Angels come to play with the greatest intangible of all, heart. They have always played a style of baseball that showcases scrappy, hard working players who refuse to keep their jerseys clean. This season they have an additional reason to rise to the occasion.  The Nick Adenhart tragedy has brought this team together in ways that few other locker rooms in any professional sport come to experience. They carry his jersey on the road, a locker still graces the clubhouse of the big A and the team truly seems inspired and empowered by the loss of one of their comrades. This story is important on so many levels and it is not to be over looked.  Mike Scosica is a fantastic manager who knows how to take advantage of every situation.  He has had to stress the little things this season and it has led to his Angels scoring the second most runs in the AL. Pretty impressive for a team that doesn’t rely on the home run.

The Yankees have a bullpen that has gone through some serious reform through out the course of the season. What once was a glaring weakness has now become an immediate strength.  The relegation of super prospect Phil Hughes into he bullpen has really worked to the team’s advantage, as he has been electric down the stretch. Although the “Joba Rules” didn’t do Joba Chamberlain or the team any favors during the regular season, he is still possesses a live, exciting arm and is probably best served in a bullpen roll. Throw in the greatest closer of all time in Mariano Rivera and the Yankees should have no qualms about going to the bullpen early and often if they feel the need to. The weather in New York is calling for frigid temperatures and a good chance of rain. Regardless, it will be an atmosphere best suited for the home team as the Angels have been playing in near perfect southern California weather for quite some time now.   While the storylines of the Angels are enticing, its hard to overlook the obvious advantages the Yankees have on multiple levels of this series.

The Pick: It's tough. It really is. I believe the Angels will work the count and get men on base any way possible as they usually do. But the Yankees have not slowed down at any point this season and offer a much more complete team top to bottom. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Angels pull this one out on heart alone, but I think the Yankees will power their way to the World Series. Yankees in 5.

National League Championship Series Preview

The cover gets taken off what should be an exciting Dodgers-Phillies NLCS matchup

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Written by: MJK

The Breakdown: Balance and confidence.

The Lineup:  The Phillies and Dodgers boast two of the more potent and balanced lineups in all of baseball.  You don’t make it this far into the baseball season without having a boatload of talent and this series is no exception.  The Phillies offense is deep for a multitude of reasons. They offer an amount of power that is matched by few teams around the league.  Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Raul Ibanez will need to seriously take advantage of men on base by driving in runs via the long ball.  Even with those big bats anchoring the lineup, the heart and soul of this Phillies team is shortstop Jimmy Rollins.  When he is able to get on base with any sort of consistency, he creates another level of excitement for the team to rely on. Rollins, paired with Shane Victorino and Jason Werth offer just the right amount of speed to put the pressure on any pitching staff.  The Phil's must be able to work deep counts and get on base at a high rate if they want their offense to perform like we all know it can.  If they can force pitchers out of games early and often then good things are bound to happen.

The Dodgers are coming off of a series that saw them really get after a prized pitching staff as the Cardinals hailed two potential Cy Young candidates at the top of their staff.  It didn’t matter. This lineup offers just as much balance as Philadelphia but for a number of different reasons.  Rather than hanging their hat on huge power bats and elite speed, LA uses an approach that stresses the importance of the of the little things. While extremely effective, the Phillies lineup does not offer the sort of average balance that the Dodgers do. Philly only had two regular starters (Utley and Victorino) that batted above .280 this season, a huge drawback in my eyes. Over half of the Dodgers lineup marched through the regular season batting at a .280 clip or higher. Pretty impressive.   What’s more, minus Rafael Furcal (who when hot is an on base machine, he is just getting a bit older now) the ENTIRE lineup boasted an On-Base Percentage of over .350, anchored by Manny Ramirez’s .418 clip. These are huge intangible stats that should never be overlooked. And I wont. The Dodgers get the slight edge here.

The Rotation: Cliff Lee has allowed the Phillies faithful to breathe much easier this postseason as he has arguably been the best pitcher in the playoffs to this point. In two starts versus the Rockies in the NLDS, Lee amassed 16.1 innings while only allowing 2 earned runs and striking out 10. Stellar numbers for a guy who has assumed the role of staff ace. On the contrary, Cole Hamels has gone from postseason hero in 2008 to regular season inconsistencies that have carried over into the playoffs after he only last 5 innings while giving up 4 runs in the divisional series.  He still has a great deal of potential to offer this staff.  If he can just find the right mix of location while taking advantage of his masterful changeup, he could prove to be the wildcard in this series.  As of right now, the ageless Pedro Martinez has gotten the call for a game 2 start. ‘Dro will be pitching with a chip on his shoulder as he has openly admitted to feeling slighted by the Dodgers for showing zero interest in his most recent comeback attempt (the one that saw these Phillies swoop him up), while still carrying a great deal of bitterness over his departure from LA all the way back in ’93.  How much this plays into the effectiveness of Martinez is to be seen considering he is now 37 years old and probably limited to 5 or 6 innings tops. One thing can be for sure…he will be prepared mentally. His location will have to be on point if he wants to have success versus the Dodgers.

LA’s rotation is highlighted by a squad of unsexy names that have proven to be just as effective as any rotation in baseball over the home stretch of the regular season.  Clayton Kershaw’s knee buckling curveball is worth the price of admission on most nights.  He has shown poise and confidence in his 2^nd full season, a notion that was further proven by his stellar showing in the divisional series against the Cardinals after allowing just 2 earned runs over 6.2 innings in his first career postseason start. It is baffling to think that he is only 21 years old.  He sure doesn’t pitch like it. After Kershaw, this rotation offers a pair of steady-as-she-goes starters in Randy Wolf and the LA rejuvenated Vicente Padilla, who was basically left for dead after being cut by the Texas Rangers earlier this year.  Wolf has been a very pleasant surprise for a staff that really needed some veteran leadership and now he will look to assert that leadership and experience against a Phillies team whom he played 8 seasons for. Chad Billingsly has the potential to offer somewhat of an ace in hole for manager Joe Torre. He has been relegated to the bullpen after an inconsistent back end to the season but if things at the top of the rotation falter for any reason, Billingsly offers an electric arsenal of pitches that could stifle any lineup if he can harness some of the command that got many people so excited at the beginning of the season. Watch out for Hiroki Kuroda coming back from injury to play a big role in a game 3 or 4 start as well. He provides the team with another experienced and well-equipped arm that should give a good amount of stability to this staff. When it comes down to it these rotations match up relatively well on paper, as both will probably not be asked to win many games but rather contain these offenses to a point that things don’t get out of hand. That being said, I like the depth and overall stability of a Dodgers staff that has shown a knack for being both effective and reliable throughout the season. The Dodgers get the edge again.

The Intangibles: Both of the managers of these respective teams have qualified resumes that would make any general manager in the MLB salivate. Joe Torre will look to take this opportunity to prove to his doubters that he can lead a team to the world series without having to rely on the payroll of a team like the Yankees who seemingly can buy whatever talent they please. Thus far Torre has done a great job in not only managing his team, but also the media and cohesiveness of his locker room (especially after the Manny Ramirez steroid suspension earlier this year). If there is one thing the Dodgers have an overwhelming advantage in it is their bullpen. The acquisition of George Sherrill at the trade deadline gave this team an 8^th inning stopper and perfect bridge to closer Jonathan Broxton.  Additionally, lets not forget about the deep bench Torre can tap into if necessary. Juan Pierre, Mark Loretta and Jim Thome are the perfect combination of bench bats that the Dodgers will surely look to take advantage of if the situation calls for it.   If Philadelphia gets into the late innings of any game, they will have to rely on a bullpen that has been shaky at best throughout the regular season.  But if closer Brad Lidge can find some of that late inning magic that propelled him to such fantastic run in 2008 he may be able to right the ship on what has been a disastrous season.  Something tells me that wont happen. Torre and his bullpen take this one home.

The Pick: This should be a fantastic series as I would expect it to go no less than 6 games. Both teams are coming off of convincing divisional series wins and come into the championship series with a huge head of steam. Still, as I have said before LA has been the best team in the National League all season long and I don’t expect that to stop now.  The Phillies are no pushovers by any means but I am taking the Dodgers in 6.

NFL Week 5 Quick Hits

Roddy White and the Atlanta offense went head over heels in Week 5

It was an ugly weekend for the bottom tier of teams in the NFL.  While this is almost certainly to be expected, it was rather unfortunate that the winless Rams, Bucs, Titans and Chiefs as well as the one-win Raiders and Lions all found themselves squaring up against powerhouse teams or teams that are aspiring to make deep runs into the postseason.  Aside from a Cowboys team that celebrated as though they had won the Super Bowl after barely squeaking out a win versus the Chiefs, every one of these hapless teams got crushed by their opposition (the final score to the PIT-DET game was closer than the others, but the Steelers led by double digits for most of the game).  Of course I find all of this humorous because I have been preaching the parity of the NFL in a couple of posts prior to this week, but even so the strong looked real strong in Week 5.

-Speaking along those same lines, it seems as though we have a pack of teams really separating themselves from the rest of the league. We have seen the Colts, Giants, Vikings and most surprisingly the Broncos shoot out of the gates to impressive 5-0 starts.   The first three teams had cake walk matchups this weekend versus teams mentioned in the first bullet point.  However, Denver took it upon themselves to perhaps make the biggest statement of any team so far in the early goings of the season as they knocked off the New England Patriots in a matchup that pitted Pats head coach Bill Belichick against his former apprentice and assistant coach Josh McDaniels. Without getting into much of the back story that played into Denver’s locker room this offseason, I think it goes without saying how well McDaniels has this team playing right now.  They are buying everything he is selling.  Wide receiver Brandon Marshall has righted his personal demons and continued his steady improvement with 2 TD catches, rookie running back Knowshon Moreno has looked stronger every week, and quarterback Kyle Orton has played solid, mistake free footbal. Most surprisingly McDaniels has this defense playing at a level that is really unforeseen considering how much the unit struggled in 2008. That all being said, Ireally cant remember another instance where a city (Denver) went from complete AWOL in regards to a situation to absolute love fest in such a short amount of time.  Lots of people were questioning the direction of this team just five weeks ago, all of whom have since been silenced.   It’s amazing what winning games will do.

Big Ups

Miles Austin, WR, Dallas- Whew. That was a performance.  While the rest of the team struggled to get things going against a horrible Chiefs team, Austin took full advantage of the opportunity and torched KC’s D to the tune of 10 catches-a franchise record 250 yards and 2 TD’s.  Not bad for a guy who was coming off the bench the first 4 weeks.  A Roy Williams injury changed all of that and the rest is as they say history.  Look for Austin to get more looks in weeks to come as none of the other Cowboys receivers have looked even remotely consistent.

Jeremy Maclin, WR, Philly- Another receiver who had a big game on Sunday.  Maclin got his first career start after Kevin Curtis was ruled inactive due to injury and boy did he impress.  The rookie hauled in 6 catches for 142 yards and 2 touchdowns.  While his routes are still a bit inconsistent and his polish as an NFL receiver needs work, no one can argue with his game breaking speed and elusiveness. He and Desean Jackson are very similar in their own rights, and if the early goings of the season are any indication Philly has all the makings for a very exciting offense for years to come.

Roddy White, WR, ATL- Yeah, the ATL had some offense going on Sunday.  White showcased his abilities with a fantastic 8 catch, 210 yard, 2-touchdown day against a formidable 49er defense.  The addition of tight end Tony Gonzales seems to have taken away a good amount of targets from White in the early goings but it should be noted that his rapport with Matt Ryan is second to none.  White should be able to use this performance as a catapult and go on a tear here very soon.

Michael Turner, RB, ATL- Its about time he got things rolling a little.  Granted he hasn’t exactly been a huge bust so far this year but the expectations of him are very high following his breakout 2008 campaign. Turner rumbled through the 49er defense for 97 yards and a vintage 3-touchdown performance. He seems to be keeping pace with his penchant for running through sub-par defenses while performing under par versus tougher foes (even though San Fran has played some inspired defense thus far, I don't know if I would go as far as calling them a "tough foe").  Either way, Atlanta needs him to pound the rock with success in order to keep the pressure of Matt Ryan and company.

Low Downs

Derek Anderson, QB, CLE- 2 completions. That’s it. You know nothing too special or anything, I mean after all it was two more than you or I had on Sunday. Right?  No biggie. And oh yeah, Cleveland actually WON the game after Andersons scintillating 2-14, 23 yard performance.   Maybe…just MAYBE this is the new blueprint for winning in the NFL.  Anderson made Jemarcus Russel look like Dan Marino in Week 5 and THAT is saying something.  Congrats to the Browns and Bills for taking part in a game that was sure to knock 30 years off the lives of anyone that watched it. Final score: 6-3. A win is a win right? Only sometimes.

Calvin Johnson, WR, DET- Megatron caught only 1 ball for 2 yards in a game that saw the Lions hang tough against the Steelers. What should really alarm Lions fans is that he left in the 1^st quarter and didn’t return after sustaining an injury to his leg.  Although it doesn’t sound too serious right now, if it was anything more than a cramp the Lions will have to bite the bullet once again after 1^st overall pick Matthew Stafford sustained a leg injury last week.

Washington Redskins- Washington was supposed to be a big player in the NFC (aren’t they always?).  This season the Redskins are once again under achieving and of course all of the blame is being thrown in head coach Jim Zorn’s direction.  Fair or not it is the reality of the situation and it never seems to matter how much talent this franchise brings in.  They are always simply mediocre at best.  Washington barely pulled out victories against winless St. Louis in week 2, gave Detroit their first victory in two seasons in week 3, and barely got by Tampa Bay (16-13) in week 4 before losing to the previously winless Carolina Panthers this past weekend.  If you exclude their season opening matchup versus the Giants (a game that they…well, lost) the cumulative record of all the teams they have played thus far is a paltry 2-17. Two wins between four teams.  The Redskins have no excuse for NOT being at least 4-1 right now. 

College Football-Week 6 Preview

#1 Florida heads into Baton Rouge to take on #4 LSU

Written by: D. Wash


#1 Florida at #4 LSU

Perhaps the biggest factor in this matchup is still an unknown until game time tomorrow.  Will Heisman winner Tim Tebow play in this game? I doubt Tebow or head coach Urban Meyer knows, and if they do they’re not going to disclose any information before game time. With Tebow, Florida will be able to beat LSU even if they do make a few mistakes. The defense can allow LSU running back Charles Scott to get away on a big run if Tebow is ready and waiting to lead the fast Florida offense onto the field to answer. Receivers can drop a few balls if Tebow is there to chew them out and make sure they catch everything the second time. However, if Tebow doesn’t play everything changes. The Gators can still win.  After all, they do still have one of the best defenses in the country and one of the fastest groups of running backs ever assembled, but no Tebow equals no margin for error. Rainey and Demps can’t hesitate too long on runs and set up 3^rd and long situations. The defense can’t show any weaknesses. If mistakes are made and Tebow isn’t there to make up for them, then LSU will be able to topple the number 1 ranked team in the nation. The Tigers haven’t lost in 32 straight night games at Baton Rouge and I doubt that they will if Brantley starts at QB for the Gators.

#3 Alabama at #20 Ole Miss

With the talent on Mississippi’s roster and the obvious dominance of Alabama, many people expected this matchup to be one of unbeatens. Unfortunately, Ole Miss’ loss in South Carolina ended those dreams, but this matchup still appears to be somewhat entertaining. It’s in Mississippi, which will hopefully make quarterback Jevan Snead more comfortable. Snead, who has thrown 3 interceptions and less than a 50% completion percentage the past two weeks, needs to rebound if the Rebels want a chance at winning on Saturday against one of the top teams in the nation. This Alabama team has done something that the Crimson Tide hasn’t done in over 100 years. They’ve scored over 30 points in their first 5 games of the season, quite an impressive feat for a team that is usually defensively minded. Don’t think though that just because they can now put points on the board, it means that Bama isn’t gonna stop people defensively. Bama has, and always will, be a team that prides defense over just about everything else. They are still one of the better defensive teams in the nation, and should be able to stress out Jevan Snead to force him into a few mistakes. Mark Barron, CB, will probably have a chance to snag an interception in this game if Snead throws it his way. Ronaldo Mcclain will be able to slow the run of the Rebel’s attack, and the combination of subpar passing and stuffed running will make the normally prolific offense of Ole Miss sluggish. And that’s what’s gonna seal the easy victory for Alabama.

Baylor at #19 Oklahoma

Just because Oklahoma is officially out of the national title picture, it doesn’t mean that Sooners, or their fans, should give up on the year. Remember, they haven’t started their Big 12 schedule yet, so despite the two losses early, they can still come away Big 12 champs. If they plan to contend, they need to right the ship at home against Baylor. Sam Bradford will make his first start since the season opener in this game, and will have a chance to remind Heisman voters why he owns perhaps the single greatest piece of hardware any individual athlete could own (In my mind, the Heisman trophy ranks only behind an Olympic medal). Sooners leading wide receiver Ryan Broyles is out for this game, but being a top recruiting team, you know that they always have depth behind him. Demarco Murray and Chris Brown will be the biggest parts of this offense in the game, as it is only Bradford’s first game back from injury. They should be able to run all over Baylor’s defense, which has allowed 168 yards per game this year on the ground. Offensively, Baylor is without their greatest threat (Robert Griffin) for the rest of the season due to a knee injury, but the return of RB Jay Finley should spark some optimism. Unfortunately for Bear fans, that optimism will be short lived as OU’s defense is one of the best in the nation, allowing only 8.7 PPG and 253 YPG. It’ll be an easy Sooner victory, and Bradford should be able to finally get his first win as a starter this season.

Michigan at #12 Iowa

Michigan’s dream season ended last week with a loss at their hated rival, the Michigan State Spartans. Though the loss deflated the Wolverine team and fans, they have to get it out of their mind when they travel to Iowa to play the Hawkeyes. Iowa, though still undefeated, has shown a tendency to play down to teams worse than them. The loss by Michigan may bring out a Hawkeyes team that struggled against Northern Iowa (where they BARELY squeaked out a 1 pt win). We could also see the same team that beat Penn State by 11 points earlier this year.  If Iowa plays down to this Michigan team, then Tate Forcier (who I still believe is one of the top impact true freshman in college football this year) will be able to take control of the game and run the Michigan offense to perfection. For Iowa to win this game, they need to pull ahead early and destroy any hopes Michigan may have of rallying. For Michigan to come away from this still a one-loss team, they’ll need to keep the game close going into the fourth quarter, where they are used to winning games.


If you just finished reading this post, then you should DEFINITELY check out Laz's Blackboard for NFL picks. You need to do it. If not for Laz, then especially for yourself. 

MLB Divisional Series Rundown

Do the Phils' have what it takes to repeat? Postseason baseball is here.

Written by:MJK




Finally, the grueling 162-game regular season has come to a close and the excitement of October baseball is upon us.   After the Twins took down the Tigers in an epic 1-game playoff to determine the AL Central Champion it is time to shift our focus to the Divisional Series.  Here is a breakdown of what we can expect and my personal predictions.

American League Divisional Series:

Anaheim Angels (97-65; AL West division champ) vs. Boston Red Sox (95-67; AL Wild Card winner)

Breakdown: The Angels are looking to avoid having their season end at the hands of the Red Sox for the third consecutive year.  

Lineup: The Red Sox. Both the Angels and the Red Sox match up pretty evenly on offense. While the Angels offer more balance up and down the lineup than in seasons past. (4 players with 20+ HR), the Red Sox once again feature one of the games best lineups top to bottom. Jason Bay (36 HR, 119 RBI), Kevin Youkilis (.413 OBP, 27 HR, 94 RBI) and Victor Martinez pose a huge power threat for any opposing pitching staff.  Still, don’t discount the potency of the Angels offense either. The Red Sox definitely get the edge in sexy name value but if Chone Figgins (.395 on-base percentage, 42 steals) and Bobby Abreu (.390 OBP, 30 steals) can get on base anywhere near their OBP clip from the regular season the Angels will be in very good shape. I’d look for them to lean on the long ball a little more than usual while taking advantage of their patented small ball routine whenever possible.  That being said, the Red Sox get the slight edge if for no other reason they feature a deeper, more balanced lineup that not only will work the count, but will also make a pitcher pay with the homerun when a mistake is made.

Rotation: Angels. Everyone tends to fall in love with the story of Jon Lester or the big game pitching of Josh Beckett (probably rightfully so on both counts) but lets not over look what could be the best 5-game series starting rotation in the postseason right now.  This Angels rotation is grossly underrated. When John Lackey is on his game he is the type of pitcher that can put a team on his back for 7+ innings.  He is a true workhorse when healthy. The acquisition of Scott Kazmir from the Rays late in the season was huge. HUGE. Kazmir, though erratic at times, has pitched very well (1.73 ERA, 1.04 WHIP) since coming to southern California. When paired with Lackey and Jered Weaver the Angels boast a very dangerous rotation that is best fit for a 5-game playoff series.  Make no mistake about it. Josh Beckett will pitch well in Game 2 and probably beat the Angels. But the question marks at the back end of Boston’s rotation will be too much to overcome. Look for manager Mike Scoscia to ride his pitchers pitch counts well up into the 100’s if possible in an attempt to keep the game out of the bullpens hands.

Intangibles:  Angels. Both teams will try to take advantage of the speed within their respective batting orders in an attempt to put pressure on the opposing defense. The Angels offer much more speed top to bottom and should use this to their advantage. Boston slugger David Ortiz has really struggled this season and his lack of punch in this offense could be the determining factor in the series. He turned it on a bit in the second half, but he is by no means the Big Papi we have all grown to love.  The Red Sox bullpen is considerably better than the Angels but I would expect Angel manager Mike Scoscia to try his hardest not to tax his bullpen in the early innings of games.  The Angels have defied all odds after the Nick Adenhart tragedy early in the year and I really do think this will play into the hearts of this Angels team.

The Pick: Angels in 4.

New York Yankees (103-59; AL East Champion) vs. Minnesota Twins (87-76; AL Central Champion)

Breakdown: After defeating the Tigers in a 1-game playoff for the rights to get into the postseason, the Twins now have to face off against a Yankee team that has been rolling all season long. 

Lineup: Yankees.  This lineup really hasn’t slowed down at any point all year.  It has been a well-oiled machine and looks to continue its season long success deep into the post season.  Seven players on this team hit at least 20 homeruns, led by off-season prize Mark Texiera (39 HR) and Alex Rodriguez (30 HR).   Along with the power, the Yankees lineup saw 8 of their 9 everyday batters hit .270 or higher as well as 4 everyday players that stole 10 bases or more. Throw in Derek Jeter and Rodriguez’s 400+ OBP and we have THE most balanced offense in all of baseball.  For the Twins it wont be so easy.  Michael Cuddyer (32 HR, 94 RBI) has made huge strides this season and Joe Mauer may very well be the MVP of the league but the loss of Justin Morneau at the end of the season was a huge blow.  The Yankees get the nod here and its not even close.

Rotation: Yankees. C.C Sabathia has once again proven his worth as a legitimate frontline rotation ace, something Minnesota lacks.  However, the Yankees rotation after Sabathia is far from perfect.  The Yankees rotation love in the series is more of a testament to how sub-par the Twins rotation is. Sabathia, A.J Burnett and Andy Pettitte surely can provide the team with enough quality pitching and against this Twins lineup that shouldn’t be too much of an issue. However, the quality of pitching for the Bronx Bombers will be much more of a factor if (or when) they make it to the ALCS. After moving Francisco Liriano to the bullpen late in the year, the Twins will put their faith in a remarkably inconsistent Scott Baker and (gulp) Carl Pavano.  Not really the best-case scenario for any team.  Again, this decision wasn’t even close.

Intangibles: Yankees.  Notice a theme here? Look, I’m trying very hard not to play homer but when you look at these two teams on paper its hard not to drop the house on the Yankees in this series. Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire has once again maximized the value of his team to its fullest extent.  After all, the team needed a strong 2-week stretch to end the season AND a 1-game playoff with the Tigers just to get into the playoffs. I really think the Twins are going to be running on fumes for the remainder of the series.

The Pick: Yankees in 3. Sweep.

National League Divisional Series

Los Angeles Dodgers (95-67; NL West Champions) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (91-71; NL Central Champions)

Breakdown:  The Dodgers have been the best team in the National League all season.  Don’t expect them to stop now.

Offense: Dodgers.  When looking at the Dodgers lineup I see a little bit of everything. Even with a fertility drug-less Manny Ramirez looking rather human this lineup is extremely balanced and dangerous.  Ramirez, budding superstar Matt Kemp (26 HR, 101 RBI, 34 SB) and Andre Ethier (31 HR, 106 RBI) anchor a squad that top to bottom has almost no weaknesses.  On the flip side, the Cardinals feature a 3-4 punch that rivals some of the best in the game. NL MVP Albert Pujols (47 HR, 135 RBI, 16 SB) and Matt Holliday make this lineup extremely top heavy with out much supporting substance. 

Rotation: Cardinals.  The St. Louis staff is led by two Cy Young award candidates in Chris Carpenter (17-4, 2.24 ERA, 1.00 WHIP) and Adam Wainwright (19-8, 2.63 ERA).  What a luxury this must be.  This duo combined for 36 of the teams 91 wins this season, over a third of their victories. A fantastic ratio.  Throw in #3 starter Joel Piniero’s 15 wins and that ratio gets even more impressive. These three pose as much of a threat to offenses as any top of the rotation in baseball.   If the Cardinals have any aspirations of making it to the NLCS, these three will have to pitch exactly as they did in the regular season.  The Dodgers rotation was not nearly as productive on paper as the above mentioned but in a short series they can be every bit as dangerous. Young phenom Clayton Kershaw features a filthy arsenal of pitches that is highlighted by his knee-bending curve ball.  If Chad Billingsly can harness some of his early season form and Randy Wolf continues his stellar season than the Dodgers should be able to match St. Louis pitch for pitch.

Intangibles: Push.  Neither team offers much in the form of speed.  This series really could go either way.  On paper the Dodgers have a much deeper team, but if they fail to keep Albert Pujols in check then he alone will be able to turn the series around with one swing of the bat.  Personally, I don’t think Joe Torre will give him many pitches to hit.  Both Torre and St. Louis manager Tony LaRussa offer their teams a ton of experience and their players trust in their strategies. Still, you gotta stick with the best team.

The Pick: Dodgers in 5.

Philadelphia Phillies (93-69; AL East Champions) vs. Colorado Rockies (92-70; NL Wildcard winners)


Breakdown: Can the Rockies spoil Philadelphia's plans for a repeat?

Offense: Phillies.  Both of these teams feature very good offenses but the Phillies brings a lot more to the table.  This season the usual suspects have done their part for this offense.  Studs Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Jimmy Rollins have been fixtures in this lineup for quite a few seasons now.  But the offseason addition of Raul Ibanez as well as the emergence of Jayson Werth has really helped take this offense to another level.  I find it hard to imagine the Rockies having enough quality pitching to slow down this high-powered offensive machine.

Rotation: Phillies.  Philadelphia really did themselves a favor when they went out and added Cliff Lee at the trade deadline.  Cole Hamels has struggled to regain his 2008 form and Lee was the perfect complement.  He is a stopper that should be able to go deep into games. J.A Happ and the ageless Pedro Martinez should prove to be more than worthy as they look to form one of the more complete rotations of the postseason. 

Intangibles: Rockies.  It seems to happen every season. The Rockies catch magic in a bottle and ride an unforeseen hot streak into postseason immortality.  Earlier in the year, Colorado was almost left for dead as the division leading Dodgers looked as though they were going to pull away.  But the Rockies took them down to the final week before they were eliminated from Division Champion contention.  Can they ride on the coattails of yet another late season rally? On paper, conventional wisdom says no. Outside of pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez they really don’t have much to offer in the way of quality arms. There always seems to be a little bit of magic that happens up in the thin Colorado air. If the Rockies can win a game in Philadelphia then the trip to Colorado will not be easy for Philadelphia.

The Pick: Phillies in 5.

NCAA Mid-Week Report

Nebraska looks to march into Missouri and prove their worth in a mid-week Big 12 treat

Written by: D. Wash.

Offensive Showdown in Missouri

Thursday night will provide a treat for everyone that loves high scores and tons of offense as #21 Nebraska travels 266 miles to play #24 Missouri. Missouri is undefeated, but has yet to gain a win over a quality team. Nebraska is 3-1, but the 16-15 loss they suffered at the hands of Virginia Tech helped their ranking more than it hurt them as nobody gave them a chance in the game. Though instinct may be to side with the undefeated home team, Nebraska is truly the better team in this matchup. Why? I’m Glad you asked.

When Nebraska’s offense is on the field, they’ll be able to move the ball with ease against a Missouri team that has never had a strong defense. The Cornhusker’s running back Roy Helu Jr. has shown that he has the talent to run well against good defenses. A 100+ yard rushing performance against Virginia Tech is almost unheard of, and yet Helu pulled out a 169-yard performance against the Hokies defense. He leads the Big 12 in rushing yards per game, and should have a great game against a Missouri defense that is used to running nickel (5 defensive back) or dime (4 defensive back) packages.

In addition to the great running back, Nebraska also has a quarterback that has completed 65% of his passes in junior Zac Lee. Lee may not have the flash of a Mccoy, Bradford, or Clausen, but he’s a solid quarterback who doesn’t lose games. While the Cornhuskers don’t have a single superstar receiving option, Curenski Gilleylen is pretty close. They are about seven guys deep on receiving options. That’s more than you’ll find on most teams, and it will help to prevent double coverage on any of their receivers.

Missouri’s defense has shown a lot of weakness throughout the season, allowing 21 points against Nevada and 20 against Bowling Green. If they can’t stop those two team’s offenses, there is no way that they’ll be able to stop Nebraska’s balanced attack.

Missouri does have a lot of firepower offensively. Derrick Washington and Kendial Lawrence are like Thunder and Lighting when it comes to running the ball. Washington, the big junior, will always carry the majority of the load. If Lawrence can work his way in for a few carries, he can provide a good change of pace in this running game. However, the running game is never the focus of the Missouri offense. It is only there to set up the Tigers passing offense, which is as always, one of the tops in college football (#10 in Passing YPG this year). Sophomore quarterback Blaine Gabbert is quietly having a spectacular year. Despite having thrown the ball 131 times, he boasts a completion percentage of 66% and a big old zero in the INTs column (only 2 starting quarterbacks are still interceptionless this year). That’s placed him at number 4 in passer rating in all of college football, an impressive, but expected feat for the top pro style QB prospect for the class of 2008 (according to rivals.com). 

He also has three very good wide receivers, all of which should end up with 60+ reception seasons. Despite the talent on the Mizzou offense, the Nebraska defense WILL be able to stop them from being as productive as they are accustomed to. Nebraska’s defense has managed to lead college football in scoring defense, allowing only 28 points in 4 games. They won’t be able to hold Missouri at 7 points (Nebraska’s points allowed per game), but even holding Mizzou under 20 would be a great accomplishment that will most likely result in a Nebraska victory (Since’01, the Tigers have gone 2-23 when held under 20 points). Can the Cornhuskers do it? You better believe it.

This should be an exciting football game, and at least one team will put up huge scoring numbers. My money is on Nebraska to win decisively, and I truly think that the Cornhuskers are underrated as a team. With an impressive win at Missouri, Nebraska will fly up the rankings into the teens and to a spot that they are more deserving of.

The Top 10 Teams That Noone is Talking About

Most of the top 10 teams have garnered some sort of excitement and talk about them. Florida and Texas both have Heisman candidates. Alabama has an offense that has looked better than just about any Alabama offense in the past 100 years. LSU is still undefeated despite a thriller against Georgia last week. Boise State is recognized as the yearly “BCS buster” frontrunner. And of course, VT, USC, and Ohio State are all working their way back into the national title discussion after early season losses. However, there are two teams that no one seems to be looking at, Cincinnati and Texas Christian University (TCU).

Cincinnati is stacked with talent, especially on offense. The Bearcats QB Tony Pike is one of the top pro QB prospects in the nation (probably the third QB drafted after Bradford and Mccoy). He’s thrown for just short of 1500 yards and 13 touchdowns (ranking him at numbers 5 and 3 in those respective categories). They also feature a star wideout in Marshawn Gilyard, who is tied for the lead in college football with 7 receiving touchdowns so far on this still young season. The two back system of Jacob Ramsey and Isaiah Pead is also rather efficient, as the two backs have combined for 500 yards and 6 TDs on the ground. Their pass defense is also good as this squad is ranked second in the nation in both sacks and interceptions.

TCU has a run first offensive unit, and it has created one of the most efficient (yet still underrated) offenses in college football. The true key to this team however is its defense. They’ve held teams to an average of 47 yards per game on the ground (best in the nation) and have recorded 16 sacks on the year (tied for number 4 in the nation). They will continue to stuff teams on the ground and frustrate offenses and coaches across the country.

Though these teams have different methods of winning games, they have a few things in common. One, they’re both undefeated. Two, they’re both solid, winning teams. Three, they will both give the voters a dilemma if they continue to win. TCU looks like they can easily coast through the rest of their season, and Cincinnati looks like that feat won’t be difficult either if they can get past South Florida.

Dez Bryant Ruled Ineligible

Oops, my bad. That’s what Dez Bryant (Jr. WR, Oklahoma State) should be telling his team. The NCAA has ruled him ineligible for the rest of the year for not disclosing a conversation that he had with former NFL star Deion Sanders. What the conversation entailed is, at this time, unknown to the public, but if it violated NCAA rules it was likely about Dez Bryant’s future at Oklahoma State. Widely considered the one of the best wide receiver prospects in college football, Bryant now will have no more games to prove his worth to NFL scouts. That of course is assuming that he declares for the NFL draft, which was the assumption before the year began but now is bathed in uncertainty. I think that considering the injuries this year to Bradford, Gresham, and Tebow (all players that decided to come back for a senior season, all got injured), Bryant will choose to throw his name into the draft. It makes some sense, no one wants to get injured because they came back for another year, and at the same time hurt his draft stock. Bryant better keep in shape and get ready for a great performance at the combine if he wants to maintain his early-mid first round draft status.

Tebow is a “Gametime Decision”

Tim Tebow, who suffered a concussion two weeks ago against Kentucky, is going to be a “gametime decision” for the big SEC, top 5-ranked matchup on Saturday against #4 LSU. Tebow’s presence can change the game completely. He has become less vital in the passing game since his Heisman winning season two years ago, but he is extremely important due to his intangibles such as leadership and his willingness to get guys pumped up for the game. Without him playing, Florida still may have enough talent to win, but without that coach on the field to chew them out and hold them responsible for their mistakes they may lack a bit of fire during the game and be easily discouraged by failures. Redshirt Sophomore John Brantley is Tebow’s backup and Urban Meyer would really like to avoid throwing him into his first career start against a good SEC defense like this LSU team, but he may have no choice. If Tebow doesn’t play, LSU is instantly my favorite to win because despite Chris Rainey and Jefferey Demps, a Gator team without Tebow is like Barack Obama without a blue tie. It can still function pretty well, but it loses a big piece of its identity.