2011 Postseason Predictions

After quite possibly the most exciting night in baseball history, it's time for the postseason to provide a decent follow-up act (if possible)! Let's take a look at each series, and how I think they will unfold. First, the National League.


National League Division Series: Arizona Diamondbacks (94-68) vs. Milwaukee Brewers (96-66)

The Brewers cruised to the NL Central crown with a rock solid bullpen, a frightening offense, and a decent starting rotation that is light years better than they were in 2010. This enabled them to win their first ever division crown since 1982, when they were still in the AL East. In addition to this, they won a franchise record 96 games, breaking the old record of 95 set in 1979 and 1982.

Diamondbacks starter Ian Kennedy has been one of
the best (and most underrated) starters in baseball this year.

The Diamondbacks however, became only the third team in baseball history to reach the postseason after losing 97 games the previous year (the 1991 Braves and the 1999 Diamondbacks are the other two). They raced to the division crown featuring a decent offense and a very underrated pitching staff, led by Ian Kennedy, who finished with a ridiculous 21-4 record with a 2.88 ERA.

My prediction: Diamondbacks 3 games to 1. I believe that Ian Kennedy and Daniel Hudson will be on top of their game, stalling Milwaukee's offense along the way. Arizona's offense will find just enough pop to get by Milwaukee, and that will help lead them to their first NLCS appearance since 2007.

National League Division Series: St. Louis Cardinals (90-72) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (102-60)
The Redbirds were huge underdogs in the NL Central heading into 2011, as many prognosticators believed the Reds and Brewers were better teams (myself included). Honestly, for the first five months, this definitely appeared to be the case, as St. Louis was a whopping 10.5 games behind Atlanta in the Wild Card race as late as August 25. The Cards caught fire after that day, going 22-9 the rest of the way, while the Braves went a dismal 10-20 to miss the playoffs in one of the biggest collapses of all-time.

Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay may not no-hit the Cardinals,
but he'll help lead Philly to the NLCS for the fourth straight year.

The Phillies were just the Phillies, winning their fifth consecutive division title with a franchise-record 102 victories. They did this with the best rotation in baseball leading the way, which masked the fact that their aging, injury-prone offense wasn't much to write home about. However, the Phils slumped toward the end of the season, going on an eight-game losing streak just days after clinching.

My prediction: Phillies 3 games to 2. The Cardinals are a team on fire right now, and they will ride that momentum going into the postseason. St. Louis has also given Philly fits this year, going 6-3 against them in the regular-season. Nonetheless, the Phillies will hang on only because their rotation will be just strong enough for them to extinguish the Cards.

American League Division Series: Detroit Tigers (95-67) vs. New York Yankees (97-65)

Justin Verlander will have a lot on his
hands dealing with New York's potent offense.

The Tigers rode to their first division title since 1987 mainly behind the efforts of starting pitcher Justin Verlander, who has a terrific shot at becoming the first pitcher to win the MVP since 1992. The Tigers also have a solid offense, with AL batting champion Miguel Cabrera leading the way. Also, once you give the ball to closer Jose "Papa Grande" Valverde, it's game over; Valverde went a perfect 49 for 49 in saves this year.

The Yankees, as always, are riding on the heels of their intimidating offense into October, but the guy leading the wasn't Jeter, A-Rod or Teixeira. It was former Tiger Curtis Granderson, who hit an unprecedented 41 homers and drove in 119. The Yanks also stayed afloat with a piecemeal rotation behind ace C.C. Sabathia, as White Sox castoffs Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia have come through big for them this year.

My prediction: Yankees 3 games to 1. The Tigers will steal game one behind Verlander, but the lack of depth in their rotation will do them in against New York's mighty offense.

American League Division Series: Tampa Bay Rays (91-71) vs. Texas Rangers (96-66)

The Rangers will need for C.J. Wilson to
be on top of his game all throughout
the postseason.

Tampa Bay made their third postseason appearance in four years behind a comeback for the ages (and a collapse for the ages from the Red Sox). However, this should not mask the fact that they have one of the best rotations in the game, and all of their starters are under 30! Their team ERA of 3.58 was the second-best in the American League, only trailing the Angels' 3.57. Their offense isn't much to write home about, but then again, it wasn't last year, and they still managed to win 96 games. Simply put, their hitters know how to drive people in when it counts.

The Rangers theoretically are still the team to beat in the American League. After all, they are the defending American League champions and they are back in the playoffs. They reached the postseason again behind some decent pitching and an intimidating offense. As a team, the Rangers hit an AL-best .283.

My prediction: Rangers 3 games to 2. The Rays are on fire right now, but Texas will certainly cool them off behind their blistering offense and solid pitching. Like last year, the Rangers will need all five games to take out the Rays.

The Rest of the Postseason:
ALCS: Rangers over Yankees, 4 games to 2.
NLCS: Phillies over Diamondbacks, 4 games to 2.
World Series: Rangers over Phillies, 4 games to 3.

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Now, for my other award predictions:
AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers
NL Cy Young: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers
AL Rookie of the Year: Jeremy Hellickson, Tampa Bay Rays
NL Rookie of the Year: Craig Kimbrel, Atlanta Braves
AL Manager of the Year: Joe Maddon, Tampa Bay Rays
NL Manager of the Year: Kirk Gibson, Arizona Diamondbacks

Also, for your reading pleasure, here's Tom Verducci's brilliant recap of last night's drama. (Sports Illustrated)

That's all for now. Take care, and enjoy the playoffs tomorrow!

My wildly outrageous 2011 MLB Predictions

• With Opening Day quickly approaching, it's always fun to predict how the season will play itself out. Here's how I think the 2011 season will go down. It'll be more fun seeing how wrong I am at the end of the season, too. Let's go!
  
  Division Predictions (asterisk denotes Wild Card winner)
  
  AL East:
  
  1. Boston Red Sox (97-65). The new acquisitions of first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and left fielder Carl Crawford will pay huge dividends to a team that is already very talented. Should everybody stay healthy, a division title is a certain lock for the Carmines.
  2. New York Yankees (88-74). Their lineup will still mash, but will their pitching be deep enough behind C.C. Sabathia to keep pace with the rest of the AL? My guess is that it won't be.
  3. Toronto Blue Jays (86-76). Much like the Yankees, the Jays will have a very formidable lineup, but there are still several question marks regarding their pitching. Also, will Jose Bautista have an encore performance at the plate this year? Chances are that he won't hit 54 home runs again, but he'll still be a very intimidating presence in their lineup.
  4. Tampa Bay Rays (79-83). The Rays may say that their pitching will still be good, but the losses of Carl Crawford, Rafael Soriano, Carlos Pena, Jason Bartlett and Matt Garza will just be too much for them to overcome.
  5. Baltimore Orioles (69-93). Their lineup looks better, and they have some young pitchers with the potential to be good, but I still think they're a year or two away from moving out of the AL East basement.
  
  
  AL Central:
  
  1. Chicago White Sox (93-69). With the new acquisition of 1B/DH Adam Dunn, Chicago's lineup will easily be the toughest in the division. Their pitching, while not overwhelming, will be good enough for them to capture their fourth division title since 2000.
  2. *Minnesota Twins (91-71). Even though they did not do much to improve themselves in the off-season, the Twins usually still find a way to get things done, and this year won't be any different, as they will capture the American League Wild Card.
  3. Detroit Tigers (87-75). They will certainly improve on last year's mediocre performance, but will their starting rotation be deep enough behind Verlander to propel them to the postseason. My guess is that they will be good, but not good enough.
  4. Kansas City Royals (68-94). Apparently they have the best farm system in baseball, so their days of misery may not last for too much longer. However, they won't be good at all this year.
  5. Cleveland Indians (61-101). Their bullpen improved last year, but that still doesn't make up for a dreadful starting rotation, and a lineup that has a steep talent drop off once you look past Shin Soo-Choo and Grady Sizemore.
  
  
  AL West:
  
  1. Texas Rangers (88-74). A strong lineup coupled with some solid pitching will vault the defending American League Champions back into the playoffs.
  2. Oakland A's (87-75). Oakland will put up a fight, as they will boast the best starting rotation in the American League for the second year in a row. However, their lack of offense will get the best of them.
  3. Los Angeles Angels (78-84). Losing out in the free agent sweepstakes will definitely cost the Angels this year, as their lineup continues to age.
  4. Seattle Mariners (65-97). At least they have Ichiro and Felix Hernandez to keep people interested.
  
  
  NL East:
  
  1. Philadelphia Phillies (102-60). The Phillies will roll to a fifth consecutive division crown behind the best rotation in baseball and a very strong lineup.
  2. Atlanta Braves (86-76). The Braves will be solid, but will they be good enough to reach the postseason again? With the multitude of deep teams in the NL, I don't think Atlanta quite stacks up to the rest of the pack. Besides, if it wasn't for San Diego's September collapse last year, the Braves would not have reached the postseason.
  3. Florida Marlins (81-81). They always seem to be stuck in gear. They are the MLB poster-child for "average."
  4. New York Mets (77-85). They could potentially be better, but we've been saying that for the last couple of years. I'll let them prove it to me before I put them ahead of the Marlins.
  5. Washington Nationals (67-95). DC's lineup should be okay, but their pitching will be wretched, especially without Strasburg.
  
  
  NL Central:
  
  1. Milwaukee Brewers (95-67). The Brew Crew are going "all in" this year, and with the additions of Zack Greinke and Shawn Marcum to their starting rotation, the Crew will have their best season since 1982.
  2. *Cincinnati Reds (93-69). Their lineup will be great again, but their pitching should be even better than last year, as their young arms will certainly improve.
  3. St. Louis Cardinals (84-78). Losing Adam Wainwright for the season will really, really hurt the Cards. Plus, an erratic lineup behind Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday certainly won't help matters.
  4. Chicago Cubs (82-80). They won't be as dreadful as they were last year, but any improvements they make this year will be only marginal.
  5. Houston Astros (70-92). Not much to say about the Astros, other than they aren't all that great.
  6. Pittsburgh Pirates (65-97). The Bucs will be dreadful, but they won't lose 100 games again. Their lineup will be stronger than most people expect, but their pitching will easily be the worst in baseball.
  
  
  NL West:
  
  1. Colorado Rockies (91-71). In a very competitive division, the Rockies will march to their first division title in team history behind a strong lineup and some solid pitching.
  2. Los Angeles Dodgers (90-72). LA will narrowly miss the playoffs, but they will hang tough into the final week of the season behind a decent offense and a deep rotation.
  3. San Francisco Giants (80-82). The defending World Champions will experience a lay over, as their offense won't be nearly as clutch as they were last year.
  4. San Diego Padres (73-89). Last year was a fluke, trust me. They'll get a good year out of Mat Latos however, as he will settle in even more to become the unquestioned staff ace.
  5. Arizona Diamondbacks (68-94). They'll improve marginally, but they still won't be that good.
  
  
  Postseason
  
  American League Division Series:
  Boston Red Sox over Minnesota Twins 3-2. The Twins will finally win a playoff game, and not only that, they'll push Boston to a fifth and deciding game before the Red Sox take care of business at home.
  
  Chicago White Sox over Texas Rangers 3-0. Chicago will make easy work of the defending American League Champions, sweeping them out of the playoffs.
  
  National League Division Series:
  Philadelphia Phillies over Cincinnati Reds 3-1. Bad luck will strike the Reds again in the form of facing the formidable Philadelphia Phillies, but they won't get swept this time though.
  
  Milwaukee Brewers over Colorado Rockies 3-1. Milwaukee will finish off the Rockies in an easy four games.
  
  American League Championship Series:
  Chicago White Sox over Boston Red Sox 4-3. The White Sox, in shocking fashion, will take down the heavily-favored Boston Red Sox in seven games.
  
  National League Championship Series: Philadelphia Phillies over Milwaukee Brewers 4-2. The Phillies will reach the World Series again for the third time in four years, but not without a fight, as Milwaukee will give them fits.
  
  World Series
  Philadelphia Phillies over Chicago White Sox 4-1. The Phillies are just too strong for Chicago, dispatching them in a quick and easy five games to take home their third title in team history. I'm not completely drinking the kool-aid right now.
  
  Awards
  
  AL MVP: Carl Crawford, Boston Red Sox.
  
  NL MVP: Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers.
  
  AL Cy Young: Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers.
  
  NL Cy Young: Roy Halladay, Philadelphia Phillies.
  
  AL Rookie of the Year: Kyle Drabek, Toronto Blue Jays.
  
  NL Rookie of the Year: Aroldis Chapman, Cincinnati Reds.
  
  AL Manager of the Year: Bob Geren, Oakland A's.
  
  NL Manager of the Year: Ron Roenicke, Milwaukee Brewers.
  
  Other wild and ridiculous predictions:


• Joey Votto will not repeat as a MVP winner, but he'll become the first Reds player in 38 years to win a batting title, hitting .347.


• Adam Dunn will have a field day in Chicago, becoming the first player in White Sox history to hit over 50 home runs. He'll finish with 53.
  


• There will be four 20-game winners in baseball this year, with two of them coming from the Phillies (Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee). John Danks of the White Sox and Justin Verlander of the Tigers will be the others.
  


• Verlander will have the best year of his career by far, as he will become the first pitcher since 2002 to strike out 300 batters in a season.
  


• The National League will win the All-Star Game once again, securing home field advantage in the World Series for the second year in a row.
  


• After 32 years of managing and after a disappointing third-place finish, the Cardinals' Tony LaRussa will announce his retirement at season's end.
  


• Even though the Nationals insist that this won't happen, star prospect Bryce Harper will be called up to the big leagues in September.

As I already mentioned at the beginning of this post, I may be completely wrong at the end of the year when I go back and look at this. However, it's always fun to make predictions on how the year will turn out, then looking back to see how right or how wrong you are!

The 30 Team/30 Day Report Cards: Day 30- Philadelphia Phillies

Well, we did it. The final team on our list!

Philadelphia Philllies
Record: 97-65 (NL East Champions, six games ahead of Atlanta).

Batting Leaders
Batting Average: Placido Polanco (.298)
Home Runs: Ryan Howard (31)
RBIs: Ryan Howard (108)
On-base Percentage: Jayson Werth (.388)

Pitching Leaders
Wins: Roy Halladay (21)
Strikeouts: Roy Halladay (219)
Innings Pitched: Roy Halladay (250.2)
ERA: Roy Halladay (2.44). Bullpen- Ryan Madson (2.55).
WHIP: Roy Halladay (1.04). Bullpen- Ryan Madson (1.04).
Saves: Brad Lidge (27)

Highlight of the Season: What else? On October 6, Roy Halladay tossed just the second no-hitter in postseason history in Game One of the NLDS, blanking the Reds 4-0.

Lowlight of the Season: Game Six of the NLCS, when the Giants ended the Phillies' season in stunning fashion, defeating them 3-2 in Philadelphia on October 23.

The Lowdown:
The Phillies were as good as advertised in 2010, easily winning their fourth consecutive division title behind a fantastic pitching rotation and an intimidating lineup that was among the best in baseball. Oddly enough though, the Phils didn't catch fire until the second-half of the season, finishing the year with a 23-7 kick as they would enter the playoffs as the overwhelming favorite to win their third-consecutive National League pennant. That feat had not been accomplished by a National League team since the 1942-1944 St. Louis Cardinals, but if there looked like a team that could pull that off again, it was Philadelphia.

The Phillies made easy work of the Cincinnati Reds in the first round, sweeping them to set up a showdown against the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS. On paper, the match-up appeared to be a mismatch, but as we all know, these games aren't played on paper. The Phillies' mighty lineup was shut down by the superior pitching of the Giants, and not only that, the Giants' relatively weak lineup was able to get the best of their stable of outstanding starters, defeating Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels each. What looked like an easy road to a National League three-peat turned into a disappointing finish.

Offense:
Philadelphia's offense was strong yet again last year, finishing seventh in MLB in runs (772), ninth in home runs (166), 12th in batting average (.260) and 11th in on-base percentage (.332). Much like the Yankees, the Phillies featured a nice blend of contact, speed and power, between the quintet of Shane Victorino, Placido Polanco, Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth and Chase Utley.

Victorino provided an element of speed and a dash of power, hitting 18 home runs while stealing 34 bases, a nice balance you like to see from your leadoff hitter. Placido Polanco, known in many circles as the most difficult man to strike out in baseball, hit a team-best .298, while striking out only 47 times in 554 at-bats. Then came the lumber company of Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth and Chase Utley, as the three were all still very intimidating despite Howard and Utley missing time due to injuries. Howard still finished with 33 homers and 108 RBIs in 143 games, while Utley hit 16 homers and drove in 65 in just 115 contests. Jayson Werthh added an extra element of power in his final season in Philly, hitting 27 home runs and driving in 85, to go along with a nice .388 on-base percentage.

Grading this lineup isn't too difficult at all. While they weren't statistically as great as the Reds, Yankees, Red Sox or Rangers, they were still one of the best in baseball.
Final Grade: A

Pitching:
The staff was led by free agent acquisition Roy Halladay, and he was as good as everybody thought he would be in his first year in the National League. "Doc" went 21-10 with a 2.44 ERA and a MLB-best 250.2 innings pitched. Not only that, he became the first pitcher since Nolan Ryan in 1973 to toss two no-hitters in a season, as he would throw a perfect game against the Marlins during the regular-season and another no-hitter against the Reds during the playoffs. His overall effort was good enough for him to earn his second Cy Young Award, joining a select fraternity to capture the award in both leagues.

Behind him in the rotation was Cole Hamels, the 2008 World Series MVP that found his mojo again. Hamels would finish 12-11 with a 3.08 ERA and 211 strikeouts, which is certainly the kind of pitching the Phillies and their fans would love to see from him again. The Phils also received a nice boost in the rotation when they acquired Roy Oswalt from the Houston Astros via trade. Oswalt would make 13 starts in Philadelphia, going 7-1 with a 1.90 ERA along with a WHIP of 0.90.

In the bullpen, the Phils received strong performances from Ryan Madson, Brad Lidge, Jose Contreras and J.C. Romero. Madson was probably the best reliever in the bullpen last year, recording an ERA of 2.55, a WHIP of 1.04, 15 holds and 64 strikeouts in 53 innings. Lidge was solid in the closer's role once again, returning to form with a 2.96 ERA and 27 saves. Jose Contreras also saw time in the set-up role, recording 13 holds with a 3.34 ERA, while J.C. Romero had a fair 3.68 ERA in 60 appearances.

Overall, the Phillies had the best WHIP in baseball at 1.25, while they finished sixth in ERA (3.67) and 10th in "batting average against" (.254). Not too shabby.
Final Grade: A

Wild Card: Roy Halladay
The late manager Chuck Tanner once said of Willie Stargell that having him on your team was "like having a diamond ring on your finger." I'm sure manager Charlie Manuel feels the same way about Roy Halladay right now.
Final Grade: A+

Overall:
If they didn't fizzle out against San Francisco in the NLCS, they would easily get an A+ from me.
Final Grade: A

Well, that will do it for our look at all 30 teams. Even though it took much longer than 30 days, I would like to thank each and every one of you who took the time out of your day to check out my blog, I really appreciate it! Make sure to check back soon for more posts on the White Sox and Major League Baseball on "The South Side Hit Parade!"

The 30 Day/30 Team Report Cards: Day 26- Philadelphia Phillies

I would like to offer you my most sincere apologies for not being here with you during the past couple of days. As many of you may know, it is not the easiest thing in the world updating this blog everyday, but I still love doing this nonetheless because I love baseball!

Anyway, without further adieu, I bring you the report card for the National League Champions, the Philadelphia Phillies.

Philadelphia Phillies:
Record: 93-69 (National League East Champions, and National League Champions).

Batting Leaders:
Batting Average: Shane Victorino (.292)
Home Runs: Ryan Howard (45)
RBIs: Ryan Howard (141)
On-base Percentage: Chase Utley (.397)

Pitching Leaders:
Wins: Joe Blanton, J.A. Happ and Jamie Moyer (12)
ERA: J.A. Happ (2.93). Bullpen- Scott Eyre (1.50).
Strikeouts: Cole Hamels (168)
Innings Pitched: Joe Blanton (195.1)
WHIP: Cliff Lee (1.13)
Saves: Brad Lidge (31)

Highlight of the Season: Clobbering the Dodgers at home 10-4 on October 21, to advance to their second-consecutive World Series.

Lowlight of the Season: Losing to the Yankees 7-3 on November 4, to lose the World Series.

The Lowdown:
The Phils were back at it once again in 2009, bringing their high-powered offense and solid pitching with them en route to their second-consecutive National League Pennant. Their offense seemed even stronger this year with the addition of Raul Ibanez as a free agent, replacing left fielder Pat Burrell. Then, near the trading deadline, the Phils acquired left-hander Cliff Lee from the Cleveland Indians, in exchange for prospects. Once the Phils made this trade, they were seemingly invincible to the rest of the National League, as they won their division by a comfortable margin, and took the NL Pennant with ease, dispatching the Rockies in four games and the Dodgers in five during the postseason. Their only nemesis that stood between them and their second-consecutive World Title was the New York Yankees, another offensive juggernaut that won 103 games during the regular season. However, back-to-back championships were not in the works for the Fightin' Phils, as they fell to the Yankees in six games. Let's take a look at the 2009 National League Champions, beginning with their offense.

Offense:
You won't get too much of an argument from baseball fans if you say that the Phillies have the best offense in the National League, and probably all of baseball. Their lineup one through eight has enough muscle in it to make just about any pitcher tremble in their shoes. They have a blend of speed (Victorino, Jimmy Rollins, Utley, and Jayson Werth each had over 20 steals), power (Howard, Werth, Ibanez and Utley each had over 30 homers) and contact hitting (Victorino and Utley each hit over .280) within their lineup to make things incredibly difficult for the opposition. Despite the power totals, this team can still beat you in many different ways, as evidenced in their stolen base leaders.

The most difficult question of them all could possibly be this: Just who exactly was their best (or most important) hitter in 2009? Was it Ryan Howard, who put up another MVP-caliber season by hitting .275, with 45 home runs and 141 RBIs? Could it be Chase Utley, who- as a second baseman, no less- hit .282, with 31 homers and 93 RBIs, to go along with 23 steals and a team high .397 on-base percentage? Maybe it could be Jayson Werth, who put up a relatively quiet 36 home runs and 99 RBIs, along with 20 steals himself? Or could it be Raul Ibanez, who hit 34 home runs and drove in 93? I'll let you decide for yourself.

Possibly the only downfall of their lineup this year was the lack of production from Jimmy Rollins, who hit a dismal .250, to go along with an equally horrific .296 on-base percentage. However, center fielder Shane Victorino picked up the slack for him, as he hit .292 in the lead-off spot. Rollins' lack of production this year was only a minor bump in the road for the Phils though, as they had more than enough offense to make up for it.

Overall, Philadelphia finished fourth in runs scored (820), fifth in doubles (312), tied for second in home runs (224), and finished 14th in on-base percentage (.334). The only thing that they did not do well as a whole was hit for average, as they tied for 22nd in that category (.258). They can be forgiven for that minor transgression though, seeing as they have one of the most dynamic and exciting offenses in baseball.
Final Grade: A+

Pitching:
Before the arrival of Cliff Lee on July 29, it was fairly noticeable to many following baseball that the Phillies' pitching had slipped a bit from 2008. Staff ace Cole Hamels had a sub-par year by his standards, as he finished 10-11, with a 4.32 ERA. This was down considerably from his stellar 2008 campaign, when he went 14-10, with a 3.09 ERA. Along with this, Joe Blanton and Jamie Moyer were mediocre-to-below-average in the rotation themselves, as they finished with ERAs of 4.05 and 4.94, respectively. Their decent won-loss records (Blanton 12-8, Moyer 12-10) were only salvaged by the team's explosive offense. In any event, Moyer's season was bad enough for him to get demoted to the bullpen in favor of Pedro Martinez, who they signed after the All-Star Break.

It turned out to be the right move for the Phils, as Pedro proved to be a big shot in the arm for the team down the stretch. He started nine games during the season, and he proved to be pretty sharp in that time span, finishing with a 5-1 record, to go along with a 3.63 ERA. He wasn't the only shot in the arm for the Phils though, as they also received an outstanding performance from left-handed rookie J.A. Happ. The 27-year-old Northwestern alum was pretty sharp himself during the season, finishing 12-4, with a 2.93 ERA, along with a solid WHIP of 1.23. These numbers were obviously good enough to warrant Rookie of the Year consideration, and it came as a relative surprise to many when he did not win it, considering that he played on an outstanding team in a major market.

Lefty Cliff Lee came through big for the Phils in the second half, as he was the biggest difference-maker on this staff last year by far. In 12 starts with the team, he was fantastic, going 7-4, with a 3.39 ERA, along with an impressive WHIP of 1.13. He ended up carrying the staff during the second half, as he helped give the Phils a final surge to win their third straight NL East crown.

The bullpen was mediocre at best in 2009, as Scott Eyre and Ryan Madson were arguably the two best relievers on the team. Eyre would finish with an impressive 1.50 ERA in 42 appearances this season, while Madson was the jack-of-all-trades bullpen-wise, finishing with a 3.26 ERA in 79 appearances, while recording 10 saves and 26 holds. His save total came as a result of briefly replacing Brad Lidge as the closer, since Lidge fell considerably from his 2008 success. Lidge, despite recording 31 saves, also recorded a ghastly 11 blown saves, and a bloated ERA of 7.21. It is a testament to just how strong this team is as a whole that they managed to survive Lidge's woes throughout 2009, as the inability to close out games has crushed some teams in the past.

Overall, Philly finished eighth in ERA (4.16), 24 in runs allowed (709), 28th in walks (489), and tied for 18th in on-base percentage (.265). You would think that mediocre performances from some of the most important people on the staff would drag the team's numbers down, but this is truly a case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts this year.
Final Grade: B+

Wild Card: Four 30-homer-men
Ryan Howard, Jayson Werth, Raul Ibanez and Chase Utley became the first quartet of players on the same team to go deep at least 30 times each since the White Sox turned the trick in 2006, when Jermaine Dye, Jim Thome, Paul Konerko and Joe Crede pulled it off. They also were the first National League team to accomplish this since 2004, when Moises Alou, Aramis Ramirez, Sammy Sosa and Derrek Lee pulled it off for the Cubs. They are only the 12th team in MLB history to reach this milestone, as Chase Utley was the last to join the 30 homer club, drilling his 30th in D.C. on September 8. An impressive feat from an impressive team.
Final Grade: A

Overall:
Failing to win the World Series last year will only motivate this team heading into this year. With the addition of Roy Halladay, this team is locked in and ready to go, as they will attempt to become the first National League team since the 1942-1944 Cardinals to win three consecutive pennants. The bigger question heading into 2010 won't be who will make the World Series out of the NL, rather, who will be good enough to unseat Philadelphia?
Final Grade: A+

Check back soon for the report card on the Boston Red Sox!

Keep up the good work, Ozzie!

If you were watching the World Series during last night's one hour and twenty minute rain delay, you got a big dose of Ozzie Guillen and his thoughts on the World Series so far. Even though the Series is not over yet, I have to commend Ozzie on the great job he has done on Fox's panel. He has given thoughtful analysis on players from both teams, and has provided outstanding insight into the world of managing during the World Series as well. Also, he has managed to make it to Game 4 without letting a cuss word slip, so I have to give him props for that as well.

There was one moment that I particularly enjoyed during last night's rain delay. It was when Chris Rose, Eric Karros, Mark Grace and Ozzie were all talking about how the World Series gives players the opportunity to live out part of their childhood dreams, or something of that nature. While they were talking, the camera proceeded to show pictures of Mark Grace and Eric Karros when they were twelve years old. When they were doing this, I was licking my chops in anticipation of the moment when they would show a little Ozzie on there, so I, along with the rest of the nation, could kindheartedly ridicule Ozzie on his youthful appearance. Once it got to the moment when you thought they would show Ozzie's picture, they did not show it. Ozzie, keeping the humor at an all-time high on there, would say that his family did not have a camera when he was that young, and that they did not even have uniforms for him when he was that young. If those words came out of the mouth of anybody else, it would have been depressing. However, since it came out of Ozzie's mouth, it was comedic gold.

Things became more hilarious after this. After explaining why there was not any pictures of him as a child featured on there, Ozzie would end up ridiculing Chris Rose. Ozzie set the whole stage up by telling Rose, "Chris, buddy, I have something for you to see." The cameras then revealed the picture of a dorky-looking, 12 year old Chris Rose in all of its awkward glory. Guillen, Karros and Grace would all end up taking their shots at Rose because of this.

Ozzie's decision to appear on Fox's pre-game and post-game panel has been a great one so far, and the viewers at home are benefitting from this. ¡Viva Ozzie Guillen y viva su leyenda!

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In other affairs, the Yankees won 8-5 last night to take a 2-1 Series lead. The Phillies would now have to send the Series back to New York for them to have a chance of winning it all. They are also going to need the bats of Ryan Howard and Raul Ibanez to wake up if they want to have a chance of winning it all, too. The two have combined to hit 5-25 in the Series ("good" for a .200 batting average), with no home runs and three RBIs. The pitcher that they will have to face will be no walk in the park, either, as CC Sabathia is slated to toe the rubber for the Yanks in Game 4. The Phillies will counter by sending Joe Blanton out to the hill. Both pitchers are making their second career World Series start. The Phillies better hope that Ibanez and Howard can wake up, and that Blanton can come through big with a good start, or else this series will be over faster than they can realize.

The Sound of Philadelphia

Well, we are just hours away from the start of Game 3 of the World Series between the Phillies and Yankees. Cole Hamels is slated to toe the rubber for the Fightin' Phils against Andy Pettitte, who is pretty used to starting games in the World Series. Even though this is Pettitte's first start in a World Series game since 2005, he is 3-4 all-time in World Series starts (he's made 11 of them) with a pretty solid 3.82 ERA in 66 innings pitched. I think it is ridiculous that he has had the opportunity to have 66 innings pitched in the World Series, but I digress. Pettitte should not be fazed about starting today since he's pretty used to this kind of thing. What about Hamels, though?

Hamels had an absolutely fantastic postseason last year, which culminated with him taking home the World Series MVP for his performance against Tampa Bay. However, Hamels has been anything but fantastic this postseason. His ERA in the play-offs so far has risen nearly six full runs up to 6.75 this year. Hamels' regular season statistics have not been much better, as he finished with a pedestrian 10-11 record with a 4.32 ERA. Is his arm simply fatigued from last year, when he threw for the most innings in his professional career to date? Could Hamels just be a shooting star, who shines bright for just a short period of time, only to burn out quickly? We will have to see how he does for the next couple of seasons to be certain.

Nonetheless, there is one thing that I am certain of: Hamels needs to come through big for the Phillies tonight. Either that, or the offense just needs to come big for him. Ahhh, I've talked too much at this point. I'll just let the game do the talking. See you tomorrow!

Oh yes, and the title of my thread would be inappropriate if I did not include the actual song (and former "Soul Train" theme), "The Sound of Philadelphia." Have fun, and happy Halloween!



Oh yes, and since this is Halloween, please treat yourself to at least one more rendition of "Thriller."

Mo, Mo, Mo! How do you like me? How do you like me?

The New York Yankees, behind the dominant pitching performances of A.J. Burnett and Mariano Rivera, took Game 2 of the World Series by a score of 3-1. With that win, the 1990 Reds can sleep easy, because they will remain the last NL team to sweep the World Series for at least one more year.

In all seriousness though, even though the Yankees took Game 2 yesterday, I still believe that they have an uphill climb ahead of them to win it all. This is because of two reasons:

1.) The Yankees are in Philadelphia for Games 3-5. This is pretty self-explanatory.

and

2.) Prior history is going against them. Yes, I know, some of you might say that history does not mean a damn thing right now. Dig this though: in the last 20 World Series that were played prior to this year, the team that won Game 1 won 17 out of the 20 titles. The only three teams who won Game 1 and failed to win it all were the 1992 Braves, 1996 Braves and the 2002 Giants.

Also, you do not have to look any farther than last year to see how prior history could go against the Yankees. In last year's World Series, the Phillies split two games in Tampa, with Philly taking Game 1 (much like this year). When the series shifted to Philadelphia for Games 3-5, the Phillies won all three to take the title, outscoring the Rays by a combined 19-9 in the process.

Of course this is just speculation on my part. This is only because I really do not want to see the Yankees win the World Series (along with a good portion of baseball fans in North America). However, if the Yanks manage to steal a game in Philly, the momentum could easily shift in their favor.

Cliff Notes: How to do work on the Yankees

Well, just in case you were under a rock yesterday, Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee was doing work on the Yankees. What is "doing work," the un-hip, uneducated observer of this blog might ask? Well one definition of it could be when you throw a complete game, strike out 10 and walk no one in Game 1 of the World Series. Lee became the first pitcher to record 10 strikeouts with no walks in a World Series game since 1949, when Don Newcombe accomplished the feat in Game 1 against none other than the New York Yankees.

Lee never seemed to break a sweat during any point of the game. He dazzled the mighty Yankees line-up with an array of well placed changeups, fastballs, and curveballs. He ended up making accomplished hitters such as Mark Teixeira look foolish and Alex Rodriguez look feeble. Even his basket catch of Johnny Damon's pop-up in the sixth inning of yesterday's game seemed effortless. It seemed like Lee could do no wrong, and despite the fact that he surrendered one run in the ninth inning (albeit unearned), he had 'em all the way.

My recap of Game 1 would not be complete without giving props to Chase Utley, who lit up CC Sabathia for two solo home runs. Utley became the first left handed hitter to hit two home runs in a World Series game off a left-handed pitcher since Babe Ruth in 1928. Now that is some mighty fine company, there.

Now that the Phillies have solved CC Sabathia, it is time for them to try to take down A.J. Burnett in Game 2. He has a pretty pedestrian 4.42 ERA this postseason. The Phillies will counter with Pedro Martinez, who is making only his second start this postseason. Martinez did well in his only postseason start in Los Angeles during the NLCS, giving up only two hits with no walks over the course of seven strong innings. Will the Phillies take a convincing 2-0 lead in the World Series, or will the Yankees fight back to split the homestand? One thing is for sure: it should be a lot of fun finding out. Off to Game 2!

The 2009 World Series- Philadelphia Phillies versus New York Yankees

Well, the end of October has come, and with it, the World Series. This year's edition of the Fall Classic is set to start on Wednesday, October 28, which will be the latest date a World Series has ever started (you can thank your loyal friend and MLB commish Bud Selig for that). Anyway this series really has the potential to be great. Not great as in "oh, this should go six games" great, but clash of the titans, you're-going-to-remember-where you-were-when-Game-Seven-went-down kind of great. It's featuring a re-vamped New York Yankees team that won 103 games during the regular season, and the defending World Champion Philadelphia Phillies, who are hell-bent on repeating as World Champions. This series will be featuring a cavalcade of stars from both teams, from Ryan Howard to Alex Rodriguez and from Derek Jeter to Chase Utley. The two starting pitchers for Game 1 on Wednesday, CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee, used to be teammates on the Cleveland Indians. With those storylines, how can you not be excited to watch the World Series this year?


Many casual fans of baseball will likely give you the same cookie-cutter, tepid response as to why they will not watch the World Series. "It's the same teams in it every year," or "my team is not in it, so why should I watch," or my favorite: "I'm sick of baseball, the season is too long." The people who say these things will usually watch a regular-season NFL game over watching the World Series. I am sorry, but if you are watching Sunday Night Football over Game 4 of the World Series, it is your loss.


Even though the ratings for the World Series have been poor over the last several years, that should be no reason for you to not give this year's World Series a chance. This year's Fall Classic could have the makings for an epic showdown for all of the reasons above, despite the fact that the Yankees are in it once again. Besides, baseball is due for an exciting World Series again. We have not seen a seven-game series since 2002 and we have not seen a six-game series since 2003. We could finally have another true classic this year.


Call me old fashioned if you want, but once Wednesday rolls around, I'm going to be in front of my TV watching the 105th edition of the Fall Classic. Feel free to join me, if you wish.