I remember last October vividly — the seven-game nail-biter series, the walk-off home runs, Carlos Beltran’s heroics and, of course, the miracle BoSox comeback — but it is now time to push those memories aside to make room for the all-new 2005 Major League Baseball playoffs. Some races are yet to be decided and therefore the matchups for the playoffs are not set in stone. However, I would like to use my comprehensive baseball knowledge to enlighten the world to this year’s Division Series winners in my 2005 MLB playoff preview.
National League
Division Series
The National League has a clear playoff picture, with two clinched divisions and one on the way. The Houston Astros have the wild-card slot almost wrapped up and, barring an autumn miracle, it seems that the St. Louis Cardinals will play the San Diego Padres and the Atlanta Braves will face the Astros.
Cardinals vs. Padres
This one’s a no-brainer. The Padres could become the first team to win a division with a sub-.500 record and the Cardinals could win 100 games. The Cardinals have the bats of Pujols and Edmonds to complement their elite rotation, led by 21-game winner and Cy Young Award candidate Chris Carpenter. The Padres have a fighting chance if Peavy can match up against Carpenter in game one and take the lead in the series. I doubt that will happen, however, and give the Cardinals the win in the series in three games.
Braves vs. Astros
This one is a coin-flip. The Braves have now won 14 straight NL East titles, but for the first time this year, they accomplished it with a youth invasion. Andruw Jones’ breakout year was long overdue and helped the team beat out tough competition in the NL East with the additional help of 21-year-old Jeff Francoeur. The ‘Stros will ride Roger Clemens’ bleach-blond highlights and 1.89 ERA, coupled with Roy Oswalt’s 19 wins, to a second-straight wild-card finish. This series will be close, but the Baby Braves lack the playoff experience they used to rely on and do not have the pitching that the Astros bring to the table. Look for the Astros to upset in five games.
American League
Division Series
Before I begin this AL playoff preview, I must announce that three playoff spots are still up in the air in the AL and therefore I cannot guarantee the matchups for the two division series. For this preview, I am assuming the following: the Chicago White Sox will hold off the Indians and take the AL Central title. Also, the Yankees will take two out of three in Boston and grab the East, leaving the BoSox in a tie with Cleveland for the wild card. Boston will win the tiebreaker match and that leads us to a White Sox vs. Red Sox and Yankees vs. Angels division series.
Yankees vs. Angels
I despise the Yankees more than any other team in professional sports. They have an unfair advantage in payroll in a game that should mandate a level playing field. However, I’ll discuss this at a later date. The 2005 Yankees are not the caliber of previous Yankee teams. Randy Johnson was thought to be a good pick-up. However, he, like his fellow overpaid Yankee pitchers, has performed below expectations with a subpar season. The Yankee lineup is as terrifying as it has been in years past, but I don’t see the Yankee pitchers being able to quiet Big Daddy Vladdy Guerrero or the rest of the stocked Angel lineup. Meanwhile, Bartolo Colon has had a career year with 20 wins. Expect Frankie Rodriguez to shut down the Bronx Bombers in the ninth while Mariano Rivera watches from the bullpen. I’ll take the Angels in four.
Red Sox vs. White Sox
The White Sox have played horribly in September and are lucky to even make the playoffs with the way the Indians have been playing. However, I do believe that the White Sox will be able to barely hold them off and will wind up playing the Red Sox in the first round. Facing the Red Sox is no easy task, as the Yankees learned last year, and the White Sox do not have the momentum needed to succeed in the playoffs. The Beantowners have a lineup like no other (except maybe the Yankees), but it will come down to their pitching. Pitching wins World Series. However, I can’t imagine Curt Schilling pulling any heroic antics this year to lead the Sox to victory. But, beacuse the Red Sox are still a better team and will have more momentum than the White Sox coming into the series, they’ll advance after four games.
That is all the predictions I can pull out of my crystal baseball for now, so until the next edition of preposterous predictions, enjoy the MLB playoffs and expect an “I told you so” column next week if I’m right.
