Post Your MLB Playoff Picks!

[Zomby Woof]

NL:

L.A. over N.Y. Mets

San Diego over St. Louis


AL:

Detroit over N.Y. Yankees

Minnesota over Oakland



I will make the NLCS and ALCS picks when this round is out of the way...

[WannaBeGrumpy]

1. Yeah Detroit's gonna take it all.....

Minnesota's been hot for awhile but they will peter out! I just hate the Yanks. Oakland I hope beats minnesota because I don't want to deal with them. I hope the Mets take it to the World Series cause a Mets vs. Tigers World Series would rock! As for San Diego and St. Louie, well I'll have to go with the west coast here. And that's my biased yet totally psychic view! :hi:

[Zomby Woof]

3. I want Detroit to beat the Yankees

But the Tigers have faded in the past few months, and will not make it to the Series.

Oakland's statistically improbable season will finally catch up with them.

I don't see a rematch of the 1984 San Diego-Detroit Series, but if so, San Diego is strong enough to avenge that one. :-)

What I am hoping for is a rematch of the 1965 Series between L.A. and Minnesota, with L.A. being victorious AGAIN. :bounce:

No New York teams in the Series! That's my motto. :D :hi:

[WannaBeGrumpy]

5. Uh every team has a slump...

you get over it.. we have at least 3 times this season!

[Zomby Woof]

9. As long as they beat the Yankees

That's okay by me, at least until the ALCS. :P

[bigwillq]

2. Mets over LA

St. Louis over SD

Yankees over Detroit
Minny over Oakland

:bounce:

[Mutley]

4. The following is based on nothing other than my own personal preferences

:P

LA over the Mets

St. Louis over San Diego

Detroit over the Yanks.

Minnesota over Oakland.

[Zomby Woof]

7. 3 out of 4 ain't bad!

St. Louis is managed by the greatest playoff choker of the past 15 years: Tony LaRussa. SD beat St. Louis head-to-head this year, and I see no reason for the playoffs to change that.

Now, considering that SD owned L.A. this year, I would probably prefer the Cards prevailing in that matchup, if it would bolster L.A.'s chances.

If SD makes it to the Series, I am pulling for them, based on my southern CA loyalty (and although I am a Dodger fan, I am originally from SD, although the Padres were a AAA team in my youth, hence my early alliance with the Dodgers). :hi: Mutleypants!

[Mutley]

10. Well, my alliance is with the Baltimore Orioles.

Sigh. Yes, I know.

x(

[Zomby Woof]

11. That's alright!

The Dodgers have only won one playoff game since winning the 1988 Series. :o

[Initech]

6. My scenario:

AL:

Twins over A's

Detroit over Yankees

NL:

Dodgers over Mets

San Diego over St. Louis

ALDS:

Detroit over Twins

NLDS:

Dodgers over San Diego

World Series:

Dodgers over Detroit

[Zomby Woof]

8. Nice!

If that occurs, I am going to have to set up a World Series wager with WannabeGrumpy. :D

[WannaBeGrumpy]

12. I'll win.. you know I will....

you're scared of me! :hi:

[Zomby Woof]

13. Balderdash!

And fiddlesticks! (ask your Mom what those old geezer terms mean!) :evilgrin:

I am going to have to come up with s suitable wager for us if the Tigers and Dodgers meet! *rubs hands in glee*

:hi:

[WannaBeGrumpy]

14. I may be young but I'm not stupid....

I can't wait for the playoffs to begin!

[Zomby Woof]

18. Oh I know that!

But I know your Mom will eventually read this and I had to needle her somehow. ;-)

[Initech]

22. I dunno, the Padres could offer up some good competition against Dodgers

[Zomby Woof]

28. That is my biggest worry

The Padres owned the Dodgers this year. But as I have learned, the biggest obstacle to the Dodgers is the Dodgers. Their streakish nature has caused quite the Rolaids Ride for this fan.

[ComerPerro]

15. The Yankees WILL NOT be eliminated

They have way too much money, and are way too deep. They win playoff games because they can keep digging in their bullpen, a luxury smaller market teams just don't have.


I pick:

Yanks over Tigers
Twins over A's

Dodgers over Mets
Padres over Cardinals


League Championship:
Yanks over Twins
Dodgers over Padres


World Series:
Dodgers over Yankees


The World Series is more of a hope than a prediction. If LA wins, it will be in six or seven games, and they will have to come out and win the first two, otherwise they will lose if they get behind.


My hope, though, is that the Yankees get swept in the ALDS and everyone is reminded just why Torre is an overrated sack of crap

[ScreamingMeemie]

36. The yankees have a very suspect bullpen.

Yes, this year they are way overrated. And I'm not much of a baseball fan.

[sir_captain]

55. I don't get this

until about a month ago when they went into boston and massacred the red sox, the yankees have been *underrated* all year. coming into the season, it was all about how their pitchers were too old, and then matsui and sheffield got hurt and basically missed the whole year.

it's funny how much anti-yankees sentiment resembles freeper talking points--so little of it has any basis in reality. so much nonsense about how the yankees spend more than everyone to win--except that the yankees haven't won shit since 2000. whoever wins this year will make the sixth different champion in the last six seasons.

i'm a big baseball fan, and while i do agree with you that the yankees bullpen is suspect, to say that they are overrated is silly. they had, along with the mets, the best record in the MLB this year, and were by far the best team in the 2nd half. that's simply a fact.

[ScreamingMeemie]

57. Sorry..you can read what I said in any paper today.

:hi:

[sir_captain]

58. even if that's so

it doesn't make it less wrong. you can read a lot of stuff in the newspaper, after all. :shrug:

[ScreamingMeemie]

59. I'm sorry sir_captain, I know you want your team to win, but there it

is. It's good to support your team, but they are not a power house. It's anybody's game tonight.

[sir_captain]

61. Of course it is

that's the beauty of baseball. You're only as good as tomorrow's pitcher.

That said, I just think you're wrong. That doesn't mean that I don't think the Yankees are capable of losing--the team with the best record in the regular season has only won the world series once since 1990 (the 1998 Yankees.) I'd put the odds on the Yankees beating the Tigers in this particular series somewhere around 65% if I had to put a number on it.

It's nothing personal, of course, but I really do disagree with you on objective terms--the only people overrating the Yankees are non-objective Yankees fans (of which I don't believe I am, actually) and considering that 99% of everyone can't stand them, that doesn't leave too many people, does it?

There are simply a lot of canards that get thrown around about the Yankees--look back at the pre-season picks before the seasons started and see if you can find more than one or two baseball writers who picked the Yankees to win the division--you won't be able to.

[ScreamingMeemie]

90. You still feel that way???

:shrug:

They had a good season though.

[Zomby Woof]

70. Actually, the best team of the 2nd half didn't make it

The Angels had the best second-half record in all of baseball. *Yankee Bubble Burst*

[sir_captain]

71. Records are not be-all-end-alls, Zomby

Look at the Mets--would anyone suggest that they are the best team in baseball even though they tied for the best record this year?

The Yankees led MLB in run differential in the second half, which is a much better indicator of team performance, since, after all, that is the object of the game. And this was with the Angels in a pennant race and the Yankees playing most of their AAA team the last 15 games or so.

No slight on the Angels though--I'm real glad we didn't have to face them this time around!

[Zomby Woof]

72. I don't even like the Angels

It's just that they had such a bad first half, that it was quite a feat to cobble the best second half record. They were hampered by injuries and such.

The fact is, the post-season wipes away the regular season, and there are no reliable indicators of who will be successful and who will fall. Thankfully so, for it's part of the beauty and fun of the game. :-)

[sir_captain]

74. Completely agreed

It really is a crapshoot at this point. Just look at the White Sox last year and the Red Sox the year before...

:toast:

[Oeditpus Rex]

16. You mean picks or hopes?

If the latter, I echo yours.

If the former, I don't make picks.

[Zomby Woof]

19. I refuse to tell you the difference!

:P

[Fox Mulder]

17. The Twins are going to take it all.

The other games are meaningless. :P

[GOPisEvil]

20. Picking with my heart...

St. Louis over San Diego. :7
Los Angeles over New York Mets (I grew up in San Antonio, which used to be the AA affiliate of the Dodgers. Definitely my second favorite NL team.)

St. Louis over Los Angeles, with David Eckstein hitting a homer to win it a la Ozzie Smith vs the Dodgers in 1985.


Oakland over Minnesota (I can't STAND indoor baseball. :shrug:)
Detroit over the Yankees (Ditto the above parenthetical remarks for the Yankees.)

Detroit over Oakland


St. Louis over Detroit to redeem themselves for 1968.

[ComerPerro]

25. St Louis is a terrible team this year

[GOPisEvil]

62. Care to retract that, pard?

I know...one game does not a series make, but the Cards ain't getting swept!

[ComerPerro]

64. I sure don't. They are a really bad team.

Lucky for them, the NL was full of crappy teams this year.

[dog_lovin_dem]

91. I like the way you think!

Go Cardinals!!

[GOPisEvil]

21. Picking with my head...

LA over the Mets
Padres over Cardinals

LA over the Padres

Twins over A's
Yankees over Tigers

Yankees over Twins


Yankees over LA

[Zomby Woof]

24. Ooo!

So you're going with a classic Dodgers-Yankees matchup!

Although to keep the Yankees winless in the Series in this century, we mustn't let that happen. :D

See? You can have a second favorite NL team! (Mine is the Cubs, who poetically finished in the cellar...)

[ComerPerro]

26. nothing poetic about sucking so bad

that you finish dead last in the worst division in baseball...

[Zomby Woof]

29. When you consistently lose like they do

It takes on the air of epic tragedy. ;-)

[ComerPerro]

30. I blame the Tribune Company and Wrigley Field

[Arkham House]

23. *sigh*...the Damnyankees...

...just too much firepower...:-(...

[DainBramaged]

27. NY vs. NY, NY wins

[ComerPerro]

32. NY vs NY is a media wet dream

because, finally, they will have an excuse to pretend that the rest of the country doesn't exist...

[DainBramaged]

34. START SPREADING THE NEWS

[sir_captain]

56. inferiority complex, much?

all the media cares about is ratings and advertising revenue. the 2000 WS had some of the lowest ratings ever. FOX would choose Yankees-Dodgers among the playoff teams over any of the other matchups. and the highest rated series i can possibly think of would definitely be red sox-cubs.

[ComerPerro]

63. No complex. Its just basic truth

most of the media is based in NYC, and all it cares about is NYC.

There could be record snowstorms in the midwest, and no one gives a fuck. But if it snows 2 inches over a day in NYC, get ready to hear about it for the next week all over the media...

[sir_captain]

65. You don't get it

yes, the media is focused on what happens in the NE and on the West Coast. But when it comes to television, all they care about it money. And having a WS based in just one market is a really bad way to make money cause the rest of the country won't give a shit. They want a NY-LA world series cause it gives them the two biggest markets in the country plus lots of old (yes, NY-centric) Yankees vs. Brooklyn Dodgers stories. But if you can't see that at the end of the day, this is all about economics, then you have your head in the sand.

[ComerPerro]

66. But the media knows that people hate to watch west coast game

especially people on the east coast, who bitch and moan ("why can't the games be put on our schedule so they are conveneient for us")

[sir_captain]

67. wrong again

You clearly don't have any idea what you are talking about. All postseason sporting events are timed to the east coast (higher concentration of major markets and it's easier for west coasters to watch stuff in the late afternoon than it is for east coasters to have to stay up all night.) The WS games will start at 8:05pm EST no matter who the teams are--even if it's LA vs. Oakland. The Superbowl is played on the west coast all the time, and it starts at 6:30 EST even so.

Seems to me that you mainly just don't like the east coast, which is fine, though totally irrelevant to this discussion.

[ComerPerro]

68. Yep, wouldn't want you people to stay up late.

Better to inconvenience other people.

[sir_captain]

69. Way to ignore the actual point

you know--the one addressing the erroneous point *you* made.

Not to mention that an 8:05 game, which doesn't really start til around 8:30, doesn't particularly inconvenience anyone.

Would it kill you to just admit that you were wrong?

[ComerPerro]

73. 805, on the east coast

means 505 on the west coast.

Some people who work 9-5 don't even get home till 6...

[sir_captain]

75. You really can't do it, can you?

Just fricking admit that you were wrong and that the national media and the FOX broadcasting network is not frothing at the bit for a NY-NY series.

If you insist on continuing to argue your ridiculous point, fine. As you ignored, those 8:05 games start around 8:30 after all of the pre-game crap finishes. The vast majority of people in the continental US can be home by that time from work. Yes, of course, some can't. And they are either going to miss the 1st inning or they work nights, etc, etc, and most importantly, none of this provides even the slimmest amount of evidence that a NY-LA series is not more preferable economically than a NY-NY one.

I mean for the love of god--this isn't rocket science--it's common sense.

[Name removed]

76. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[sir_captain]

78. Sure thing, buddy

Also, last time I checked, calling someone an asshole violates the rules on DU--I'll not stoop to your level.

Here are the ratings and share for the world series since the strike in 1994. You will note that the rating in 2000 sucked. Yes, 2002 sucked slightly more, but those two clearly scrape the bottom of the barrel.

Convinced yet?

1995 19.5
33

1996 17.4
29

1997
16.8
29

1998
14.1
24

1999
16.0
26

2000
12.4
21

2001 15.7
25

2002 11.9
20

2003 13.9
25

2004 15.8
25

[ComerPerro]

79. And you left out 2005

probably on purpose, since it had a worse rating than the 2000 series.

as did 2002.

I also know that the series in 2000 had 61% in NY in the fifth game...

No one lost money.


Only problem with the subway series is that people didn't start watching after the series started.

So the later games, which usually can generate more viewers because there is more suspense, didn't turn out the viewers the same way other series' did.

But, again, no big loss.

The difference isn't that noticeable, and excluding any other factors (since you are talking ratings only) then even the ratings from 2000 would be a marked improvement over last year, wouldn't it?

[sir_captain]

81. Site I found didn't have 2005, but I'll take your word for it

Of course the 2000 series had a great NY share, but as you so gently pointed out, NY does not the whole country make.

And of course no one lost money--but they didn't make as much money as they could have, and you and I both know that means a lot more than you are implying.

And again, of course the network would prefer a NY-NY series over, say, a SD-Minnesota series cause those are smaller markets. But this simply does not at all have anything to do with the fact that *obviously* a NY-LA series (given the current playoff teams) would bring the highest ratings, and hence, the most money. It's *obvious*

[ComerPerro]

82. just closed the window before you replied, lol

try "baseball" "world series" "ratings" "historic"


something like that.


but make sure you type baseball in there.

My first google gave me thousands of compelling and informative web pages...


About the World Series of Poker.


WTF is that????

Poker gets more search engine hits than MLB????



EDIT to fix html tags

[sir_captain]

83. heh...that's funny

i totally don't get the obsession with tv poker

[ComerPerro]

84. not funny, its a frickin crime....

I have 4 guitar students, two in High School, the other two in middle school. All boys.

Apparently, poker is HUGE in schools.

A couple of them each get together with friends and play poker (TV style, the name for that format escapes me) for pennies...

Odd...

Its a crazy obsession, and its a huge trend for some reason.

[sir_captain]

85. Not sure promoting gambling is so fantastic either

most people don't win a million dollars on ESPN, you know?

[ComerPerro]

87. yeah, that's the troubling thing about it.

But, yeah, just seeing that Poker returned more hits on "World Series" than baseball really blew my mind...

Was the top several hits, had to refine my search...

what a shame

[sir_captain]

88. It's a pathetic commentary

on how low our national pasttime has fallen--people just don't have the attention span for it anymore. Those shares were a hell of a lot higher, forgetting about which market, 40 years ago. Of course, there were fewer entertainment options, but even so...

Alright, I've got to hit the sack. Good sparring with you--no hard feelings?

[ComerPerro]

89. course not. we found common ground on our contempt for TV poker

[Blue_Tires]

31. ok.....

OAK over MINN in 3 (yeah, i'm calling the sweep--reality time for the twinkies)

DET over NYY in 4

NYM over LA in 5

STL over SD in 5



LCS:

OAK over DET in 6

NYM over STL in 5

and in the rematch of the 1973 WS, Oakland avenges themselves in 7 games, and Frank Thomas completely shits on the Kenny Williams and the ChiSox who are watching at home...

[ComerPerro]

33. People have been going nuts about how Frank has such a low salary

and how he is performing now, and how the White Sox must be kicking themselves for letting him go and blah blah blah...

You know what?

Frank fucking sucked, he has sucked ever since the late 90s when he just stopped playing and just started going throgh the motions, making millions on his contract.


And the A's can have him, because he isn't much of a hitter, and can't play defense to save his life.


The ChiSox may be watching Frank suck it up from the comfort of their homes, but they will be doing so with the knowledge that on their way to last year's World Series sweep they only lost one playoff game, and totaled more wins this season than 24 other teams, including 3 of the 4 NL playoff teams...

[Shakespeare]

43. "Thomas isn't much of a hitter"

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Yeah, okay. *cough* Just homered off Santana *cough*

And his ankles are blown to hell, so he's a DH now. "Can't play defense" doesn't mean a whole hell of a lot right now, and he's been one of the biggest bats out there this year.

Gotta love a guy who practices batting using a piece of rebar. Why? 'Cause he's a 6'4" homer-hitting badass.

[ComerPerro]

45. He is an overrated jackass

there is a reason Chicago got rid of him. They weren't even playing him. He sucks. Hard.

Hell, I can't even remember the last time he was a 300 hitter...

And 40 HR, while an impressive number, doesn't really mean much when he can't hit anything else.

You like him, though, enjoy, you can have him.

Just don't start paying him very well. Because he will get lazy on you.

[Shakespeare]

47. Chicago treated him like shit the last few years.

And yes, he's talked extensively about his attitude pre-injury; but the last couple of years the man has simply been too hurt to play. He's been a fantastic player for us--LOVES the A's, as most players do when they come here--and is a strong shot for both comeback player of the year and AL MVP. Where you get the "jackass" bit from I don't know, because his teammates here LOVE the guy.

Beane, while he pisses me off, has handled Thomas exactly right. Kept the salary incentive-based, and Thomas has made the most of it. Look for a two-year deal after this season with similar incentives. I'll take his 40 HR and 110+ RBIs any day--and it's sure as hell working for us.

Thomas will be a Hall of Famer--I honestly don't know how you can sit there and claim he's not that good.

[ComerPerro]

48. Did you live in Chicago in the late 90s? Just curious

He refused to practice, he sulked whenever we brought in anyone else who could hit, and in spite of his declining performance he kept insisting on more money.

You should have heard him bitch when Konerko started replacing him...

[Shakespeare]

50. Mmmm-hmmm, and that's why he still gets such a warm welcome....

...from the crowd every time they play there. Oh, they just hated him. :eyes:

I have acknowledged his attitude from a few years ago--but for his entire career, he was a loyal Chicago player (who performed beautifully for them for most of his career), and he's much loved. By Chicago fans.

[ComerPerro]

52. Yeah, he is loved there. For the way he played in his early career

And I used to love the guy. He was a really good player.

And then he just got really arrogant and greedy.

[Mz Pip]

44. I like the way you think.

Go As!

Mz Pip
:dem:

[ComerPerro]

49. What do you think about the other games, though?

Although, I suppose, if you say the As will win the WS, then the other games don't matter much, do they?

LOL

[Mz Pip]

53. I confess

I know very little about the other teams. I root for the As because they are our local team and we spent many a day at the ballpark back in the 80s when my boys were little. My younger son lives in Oakland and is a huge As fan. When they win he's happy, so when they win I'm happy too.

Whatever games he can't get tickets to he'll come over here to watch. We've got the big TV. :-)

Mz Pip
:dem:

[ComerPerro]

54. Well, then like I said, the rest doesn't matter, LOL

AL team A over AL team B
Oakland over AL team C

NL team A over NL team B
NL team C over NL team D


then,

Oakland over AL team A
NL Team C over NL team A


World Series:

Oakland over NL team C

[ScreamingMeemie]

35. I agree with you about the NL, and the Tigers.

Oakland over Minnesota (who are going to choke)

Detroit over the Yankees. The Yankees pitching is extremely suspect, especially if Placido can get them to dig into their middle bullpen early.

:hi: :D Sorry about that baby... I edited.

[Zomby Woof]

38. I picked Detroit!

They MUST defeat the Yankees. Civilization DEMANDS that the Yankees lose, lose, lose! :hi:

[ScreamingMeemie]

39. Apparently I am blind...

So, we are mostly on the same page then. :loveya: They will defeat the Yankees... I can feel it in my bones... :hug:

[Zomby Woof]

41. Well, it isn't as if...

You picked the Grumpyville Pandas to defeat the Zombyland Yaks or something crazy like that! :P :loveya:

[Oeditpus Rex]

46. And democracy!

Jankee fans hate America. :cry:

[noonwitch]

37. Sock it to 'em Tigers!!!

I hate the 1984 "Bless You, Boys" slogan that is being used again (get some originality, local media!).

I prefer the 1968 slogan, "Sock it to 'em Tigers".

[mvd]

40. Mine

NL

L.A. over NY Mets - I predicted the Mets to win the division, but as the Phillies know, LA is a hot and more fresh team.

San Diego over St. Louis (San Diego has better pitching)

AL

NY Yankees over Detroit (I'm predicting the Yankees to win it all)

Minnesota over Oakland (Twins are hard to beat at home)

[ComerPerro]

77. I think you have some pretty good picks there

Much as I hate to say it, I think the Yanks are gonna win it, too

[reyd reid reed]

42. Okay

NL: Dodgers over Mets. Cards over Pads.

AL: Detroit over Yankees. Twins over Athletics (because I hate typing A's).


then

NL: Dodgers over Cards

AL: Twins over Tigers.

Finally

Dodgers over Twins.

There. That oughta do it.

[Zavulon]

51. I disagree with all four of your picks.

Your best chance of being right is Minnesota. I believe you're going to lose that one, though, and I'm convinced you'll lose the other three in a big way - especially the two picks involving the city of New York. Like it not (and I don't), we're in for another subway series.

[sir_captain]

60. Alrighty

Dodgers over Mets in 4 games
Padres over Cardinals in 5 games

Yankees over Tigers in 3 games
Oakland over Minnesota in 4 games (yeah, it's sort of cheating with Oakland up 1-0 already--I admit it)

Dodgers over Padres in 6 NLCS MVP: Derek Lowe
Yankees over Oakland in 5 ALCS MVP: Robinson Cano

Yankees over Dodgers in 6

WS MVP: Mariano Rivera

[Broken_Hero]

80. well, realistically

speaking, if I had a large amount of money on it...

LA vs NYM, I go with the NYM

SD vs St. Louis, I go with the cards

Detriot vs. NYY, goes to the Yankee's, they are just that damn good.

Twins vs. A's, I go with the Twins.

[FogerRox]

86. Frank Zappa over Napolean Murphy Brock

No really , NY over NY


Mets over Yankees.