You might not have guessed it by looking at Hill 364's coverage, but there are other things going on in the world of sport besides football. It's October now, so of course that means playoff baseball.
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| The Hardware |
The old baseball adage, "Good pitching beats good hitting," definitely holds when we're describing October baseball, but we have to flip the phrase on its head when discussing who's going to be World Series champions. Since good pitching beats good hitting, it stands to reason that every team in the playoffs must have a solid pitching staff—otherwise they wouldn't have made it to the October promised land after a 162-game marathon of a season. So to succeed in the postseason, a team must have an excellent offense that can overcome the tremendous pitching it will surely face.
Texas Rangers versus Tampa Bay Rays
Good Pitching: Look no further than the matchup of Game One starters, Cliff Lee for the Rangers going up against David Price of the Rays. Two of the best lefties in the league—one a former Cy Young winner and one a future Cy Young winner—go head-to-head in the first game of the playoffs. This is what October baseball is all about.
Good Hitting: The Rangers have fielded the most dynamic offense in baseball all season with Elvis Andrus setting the table, Josh Hamilton chasing a Triple Crown, Vladimir Guerrero returning to his MVP form, and Nelson Cruz blossoming into a remarkable, young power hitter. Evan Longoria and his mates have some catching up to do.
Final Verdict: After making it to the World Series two years ago, the Rays have loaded up in hopes of recapturing October glory. But for a small-market team that even when doing well only draws about 12,000 fans a night, their current payroll is unsustainable. The time to win for Tampa Bay is now. Unfortunately for them, the Texas Rangers are here to roundhouse kick the AL East's stronghold over October into submission.
Prediction: Rangers in 4
New York Yankees versus Minnesota Twins
Good Pitching: The Twins have a rotation of efficient starters backed by a strong bullpen, but CC Sabathia followed by Mariano Rivera impresses as well.
Good Hitting: Last year's postseason was the first where Alex Rodriguez didn't choke, and the Yankees' championship was a direct result. Having Mark Texiera didn't hurt either. For the Twins, although they may have gotten used to playing without him, as he has been out since July with concussion symptoms, their lineup is a lot more dangerous with Justin Mourneau in it than with him watching from the bench, which is where he will be for the entire postseason too.
Final Verdict: Getting hot at the right time is paramount for October success, and the Twins have played terribly since they clinched their division. It will be extremely hard for the Twins to get on a roll in the playoffs against the team that has dominated them the past few seasons, including a playoff sweep a year ago, the New York Yankees.
Prediction: Yankees in 3
Cincinnati Reds versus Philadelphia Phillies
Good Pitching: The Yankees took care of the Phillies in the World Series last year as their right-handed batters got the best of Philadelphia's top of the rotation lefties Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels. To balance out the attack and counteract an unusually hot ARod and the switch-hitting Texiera, the Phillies gave up Lee to bring in Roy Halladay. There are no answers to this staff.
Good Hitting: Joey Votto has led the charge for Cincinnati all year; offense is the strength for this Reds team. Yet Philadelphia's going to be right there too with guys like Ryan Howard and Chase Utley looking to rake.
Final Verdict: Cincinnati came out of a weak division. Expectations all year were for the Cardinals to run away with the NL Central crown, yet the Reds stepped out from the Red Birds' shadow. That shadow is where a team like this belongs though. The team that has been to back-to-back World Series and features the impressive core of Halladay, Hamels, Howard, and Utley—the Phillies—will ultimately overwhelm the Reds.
Prediction: Phillies in 3
Atlanta Braves versus San Francisco Giants
Good Pitching: Two strong pitching staffs face off in a matchup that wasn't determined until the final game of the regular season. Atlanta has a good staff headlined by Derek Lowe and Tim Hudson. Those names aren't quite as imposing next to Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain though.
Good Hitting: Other than Pablo Sandoval, the Giants don't have many offensive threats, which works to their detriment in the "playoff teams need great hitting to beat good pitching" scenario outlined above. Brian McCann, Omar Infante, Martin Prado, Jason Heyward, and the ageless wonder, Chipper Jones, balance out a solid Braves lineup.
Final Verdict: The Braves were the team of the Nineties and early Naughts, reaching eleven straight postseasons. After a four-year absence they are back and about to send Bobby Cox off in style.
Prediction: Braves in 5
--from Eric
(Image from wikipedia.org)
Loved this piece, really good read. Great detail but also concise, and entertaining.
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