Well that didn’t last long. I can’t believe we are already in the postseason. Where has the time gone? It’s been a while since I’ve checked in. I’ve had to put baseball on a list of to-dos while my wife and I spoil our new son rotten. It wasn’t until I unwrapped the Red Sox mobile that it even occurred to me it was time for the playoffs. Well, maybe that isn’t entirely true. I have watched a couple Red Sox games with my son.
The first game we watched was some forgettable loss to the Devil Rays that was broadcast by the morning zoo deejays Fox Sports Southeast cast as announcers. Dreadful, glad he slept through it. Our second game was a no-hitter thrown by Mr. Clay Buchholz of the East Texas Buchholz’s. Red Sox announcers Jerry Remy and Don Orsillo were phenomenal in their narration and the game was just surreal to watch happen.
If you missed it, the Red Sox September call-up Clay Buchholz no-hit the Orioles for the second start of his major-league career. On to my brackets:
ALDS Red Sox vs. Angels – Red Sox in three.
The Angels earned their postseason paycheck by beating up on the Texas “still no pitching” Rangers (might have caught lightning in a bottle with the Kason Gabbard trade), Oakland “ER” Athletics, and the Seattle “damn we sure could have used Lou this season” Mariners. While one of my tubes to the Internets was left open I overheard someone yammering on about how the Angels manufacture runs like a National League team. They are going to have to mass-produce runs on a made-in-China scale in order to keep up with the Red Sox. Especially if John Lackey (I won’t bore you with his ERA at Fenway … oh OK, if you insist, 7.49) is your No. 1 starter. They won’t beat Daisuke Matsuzaka and they will not beat Curt Schilling when they finally get home to rally-monkey land.
ALDS Indians vs. Yankees – Indians in five.
This match-up is much tougher to call. I’ve done a good deal of staring at both of these teams and the way they match-up with each other and it might come down to the Yankees severe lack of pitching. But hey! They got here with that pitching and they’ll probably put up a decent fight. The Yankees last week of regular season games seemed to drag on like the Bush administration. Extra-inning games, lots of pitchers used and a very touchable Mariano Rivera does not bode well for this rickety ship. Its crew is feisty and its skipper is a cross between Captain Queeg and Charlie Allnut. Sadly, this boat will not make the journey, they will fall just short because they can’t pitch Joba Chamberlain every night and Rivera won’t be able to plug the leaks or stop the ghost of Trot Nixon from rattling his chains in Fenway. Look for lots and lots of runs with football-like scores.
ALCS Red Sox vs. Indians – Red Sox in seven.
The winner of this series will win the World Series. I like the Red Sox bullpen of Hideki Okajima, Manny Delcarmen, Jonathan Papelbon, and even to a certain extent Eric Gagne to stifle any big innings the Indians will need to out-slug the Red Sox. However, Cleveland’s starters against Boston’s starters should keep these games in the 4-3, 6-4, or the 2-1 variety. Their No. 4 starter, Jake Westbrook, will be the cotter pin to make sure Cleveland sticks around to see the New England foliage peek. Trot Nixon will rattle his chains and outdo his replacement, J.D. Drew, and the Red Sox may have to throw a game on the leaf pile with a Julian Tavarez start but in the end David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, and Mike Lowell will clutch-hit their way to the World Series.
World Series Cubs vs. Red Sox – Red Sox in six.
What a shame … let’s get there first before picking this one apart … I’ll be checking in.
This article appears in September 28 • 2007.