Joey's Soapbox: My Biased 2012 Wild Card Game Picks

What an unusual season it's been so far.  The Philadelphia Phillies and the Miami Marlins were expected to ride their high payrolls into October.  Neither team finished with a winning record.  Meanwhile, the Baltimore Orioles and the Oakland A's were supposed to kneel before Zod (and by Zod, I mean the Yankees and Rangers).  Instead, they competed with New York and Texas throughout the entire season and were rewarded with two unexpected playoff berths.

Of the ten teams in this year's postseason party, two of them (Texas and Washington) have never won a World Series.  Four others (Baltimore, Detroit, Oakland, Cincinnati) have gone more than 20 years since they last celebrated with the trophy, while the Braves have only won one title since moving to Atlanta in 1966.  The other three teams in this year's playoffs have won each of the last three World Series, with the Yankees buying the title in 2009, the Giants finally winning their first crown by the Bay in 2010 and the Cardinals coming from out of nowhere to take it all last year.

But the World Series is still three weeks away.  For today, I'd like to focus on Friday's wild card games.  Are you ready for some playoff baseball?  Here are my very biased predictions for the 2012 wild card games.


American League Wild Card Game


Baltimore Orioles vs. Texas Rangers

This is the toughest game for me to pick, considering I want both teams to knock off the Yankees in the ALDS.  Prior to Opening Day, I thought Texas would win their third consecutive American League pennant and finally finish the season hoisting the World Series trophy.  Then came the little engine that could in Baltimore and now I'm torn.

Do I go against my preseason pick and choose the feel-good story from Charm City?  Or do I continue to go for Nolan Ryan's team until he finally gets his first World Series ring that doesn't say New York Mets on it?

Decisions, decisions.

Well, since I can't pick both teams, I'll go with ... Textimore.  No, wait.  That sounds like a rejected slogan for the latest smartphone.  The winner of the game will be Balxas.  No, that's not right either.  In fact, I have no idea how I'd even pronounce that

Fine, the Orioles will win.  Why?  Because Jeffrey Maier will not be in attendance at the Ballpark in Arlington to help defeat the O's.  We all know he's the only reason Baltimore failed to go to the World Series in 1996...

National League Wild Card Game


St. Louis vs. Atlanta

Chipper Jones has had an amazing career in the big leagues, one that has him on course for Cooperstown.  That being said, after Friday night's game against the Cardinals, that opening sentence will read "Chipper Jones HAD an amazing career in the big leagues" because his days as an active player will end after St. Louis wins.

In 2011, the Cardinals came from nowhere to stun the Braves, taking the wild card and riding their September momentum all the way to the World Series championship.  Without question, the Braves are looking to exact some modicum of revenge against the Redbirds.  But "Braves" and "revenge" go together like CC Sabathia and tofu.

For example...

The Braves lost to the Yankees in the 1996 World Series.  When they played them again in the Fall Classic three years later, they lost again.  NO REVENGE FOR YOU!  In 2004, the Braves fell to the Astros in the NLDS.  One year later, the two teams met again for the right to go to the NLCS.  Different year, same result.  NO REVENGE FOR YOU!  A few years before that, in 2002, the Braves lost to the Giants in the division series.  Then from 2006 to 2009, the Braves failed to make the playoffs each year.  When they finally returned to the postseason in 2010, the Giants were waiting for them again.  Do I need to tell you who won the series?  NO REVENGE FOR YOU!

So give us a good reason to pick the Braves to defeat the Cardinals on Friday, especially after their collapse to St. Louis in 2011.  I triple dog dare you.

The Cardinals have the Braves licked in the wild card game.

Please join me tomorrow when I give you my picks for all four division series.  Will there be some surprises with my picks?  Probably.  Will they be very biased?  Definitely!

If Only This Trade Had Been Made...

In December 2009, the Mets were coming off their worst season in six years and were looking for a way to upgrade their team, especially in the power department after Daniel Murphy led the team with 12 home runs.  They needed a power-hitting outfielder and settled for Jason Bay after Matt Holliday signed with the Cardinals.

But one other option that eventually fizzled was a trade between the Mets and Brewers that would have netted the Mets the power-hitting outfielder they coveted and all it would have cost them was John Maine.  The outfielder in question was Corey Hart.

Corey Hart could have had many more high-fives at Citi Field had he been traded to the Mets in 2009.

At the time of the potential deal, the Brewers were desperately seeking a starting pitcher, as CC Sabathia was leaving behind all the bratwurst and cheese he could eat for the filet mignon of the Yankee organization.  Corey Hart was considered a trade chip since he was coming off a poor season with the Brewers.  After a two-year stretch that saw him average .280, 39 doubles, 22 HR, 86 RBI and 23 SB in 2007 and 2008, Hart suffered a dramatic dropoff in 2009 (.260, 24 doubles, 12 HR, 48 RBI, 11 SB).

With Rick Peterson in Milwaukee as the Brewers' pitching coach, it made sense that his previous relationship with Maine while with the Mets would benefit the right-hander, who was coming off an injury-plagued 2009 campaign.

But alas, the trade was never consummated and Maine remained a Met.  After the non-deal, John Maine won one more game in New York before being granted free agency at the end of the 2010 season.  Since then, he's been bouncing around the minor league systems of the Rockies, Red Sox and Yankees, hoping to get another shot in the majors.

Meanwhile, Hart proved that the 2009 season was a fluke, averaging .282, 31 doubles, 28 HR and 81 RBI per season since then.  (His steals have dropped to about half a dozen per season.)  The power-hitting outfielder the Mets signed instead still hasn't hit a total of 28 home runs in nearly three seasons as a Met.

So the next time you think of the gaping hole in the outfield for the Mets, think of the deal that never was.  The trade that brought John Maine to the Mets in 2006 was considered one of the best made by Omar Minaya during his tenure in New York.  But the one he didn't make involving Maine could have helped the team far more than the first.

The Mets will be playing against Corey Hart and the surging Milwaukee Brewers this weekend at Miller Park.  John Maine will be playing golf.  Somewhere.  If only the Mets had been able to pull off this deal...

Gettin' Iggy With It: The Richest Ass In The World

Hi, everyone!  This is Iggy Beartran.  You may know me as the cute sister to Studious Metsimus roving reporter and culinary expert Joey Beartran, but I'm more than just looks.  I also have a brain.  And today my brain is thinking about the asinine contract the Phillies just gave to starting pitcher Cole Hamels.  Or should I say ASS-inine, because they just made Hamels the richest ass in the world.

In case you hadn't heard, the last place Phillies agreed to terms with Hamels on a six-year, $144 million contract.  The deal will keep him in the city of No Brotherly Love through the 2018 season.  There is also a vesting option for 2019.

I'm not a numbers gal, but I'll give them to you anyway.  Since making his debut for the Phillies in 2006, Hamels is 85-58 with a 3.38 ERA.  However, he has never won more than 15 games in a single season despite the Phillies averaging just under 95 victories per year since his first full season in 2007.  Even Steve Trachsel won more than 15 games in a season for the Mets, winning 16 in 2003.

Now I know what you're thinking.  I shouldn't judge Hamels by the number of wins (or lack of) he has.  After all, Felix Hernandez won the Cy Young Award in 2010 despite a mediocre 13-12 record.  Rather, I should judge him by whether or not Hamels can keep his team in the game.  Fair enough.  I had someone who doesn't fall asleep when looking at baseball stats do the research for me (thanks, Joey) and came up with the Phillies' record in games started by Hamels over his career:

• 2006: 23 starts, 13-10
• 2007: 28 starts, 19-9
• 2008: 33 starts, 19-14
• 2009: 32 starts, 16-16
• 2010: 33 starts, 18-15
• 2011: 31 starts, 18-13
• 2012: 19 starts, 12-7
• Overall: 199 starts, 115-84, .578 winning percentage

Okay, so a record of 31 games above .500 over the past seven seasons is not bad at all.  I'm sure many teams, including my beloved Mets, would love to have a pitcher like that.

But let's look at what the Phillies have done over those seven seasons to make a comparison between the team's overall record and their record in Hamels' starts.

• 2006: 85-77
• 2007: 89-73
• 2008: 92-70
• 2009: 93-69
• 2010: 97-65
• 2011: 102-60
• 2012: 43-54
• Overall:  1069 games, 601-468, .562 winning percentage

The Phillies have a better winning percentage in games started by Hamels since he made his debut in 2006, but Hamels has been playing for a contract in 2012.  Prior to 2012, the Phillies were 103-77 in Hamels' starts for a .572 winning percentage.  Meanwhile, over the same time period, the Phillies' overall record has been 558-414.  That's a .574 winning percentage.

So in years when Hamels isn't playing for a contract, the Phillies actually perform better when he's NOT on the mound as opposed to when he is.  But according to them, it makes good sense to lock up a pitcher into his mid-30s with a contract worth an average of $24 million per season when he gives them a worse chance to win the game, especially when he's not being motivated by the prospect of a lucrative deal.  But hey, it's not my money!

The Phillies will now be paying Cole Hamels, Ryan Howard, Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee a minimum of $20 million each in 2013, not to mention the $15 million that Chase Utley will be earning to miss his usual month or two of action.  Haven't they learned yet that doling out huge contracts to aging, fragile players always come back to bite you in the ass?

Then again, the Phillies have plenty of experience when it comes to signing an ass.  They're paying for it now with Shane Victorino, who has been the talk of many trade rumors.  They're paying for it with the plethora of injuries to their aging sluggers (Utley, Howard) and thirty-something pitchers (Halladay, Lee).  And they will pay for it with the ridiculous $50 million deal they gave to closer Jonathan Papelbon prior to this season.  But that didn't stop them from giving the second-most lucrative deal ever given to a starting pitcher (after CC Sabathia's deal with the Yankees) to Colbert Hamels.

Billy Crystal said it best in When Harry Met Sally.  In the first of many famous restaurant scenes with co-star Meg Ryan in the film, Crystal discussed why one of her ex-boyfriends could never have done what she claimed he could do:

"A Sheldon can do your income taxes.  If you need a root canal, Sheldon's your man.  But humpin' and pumpin' is not Sheldon's strong suit.   It's the name.  Do it to me, Sheldon.  You're an animal, Sheldon.  Ride me, big Sheldon.  It doesn't work."

The same thing applies to Colbert Hamels.  A Colbert can fix your aluminum siding.  If you need someone to clean your septic tank, who better than Colbert?  But earning $24 million per season to be a top-notch starting pitcher?  That's not a Colbert thing.

That type of money should only go to pitchers who are locks for the Hall of Fame.  As much as it pains me to compliment a Yankee, CC Sabathia is that type of pitcher.  He has earned his exorbitant salary and barring injury, should be a 300-game winner before he retires.  (At age 31, Sabathia is 14 wins away from 200, averaging 19 wins per season since 2007.)

Cole Hamels is not a Hall of Famer.  He isn't even worthy of cleaning my septic tank.  But he is an ass.  He is also a rich ass, agreeing to terms with the Phillies on the second-highest dollar amount ever given to a pitcher in major league history.

Let the Phillies spend their money however they want.  Hey, if they need someone to figure out how much they're going to pay in luxury tax fees next year because of all their eight-figure contracts, they can contact Sheldon.  (I hear he's good for that type of thing.)  I'll just continue to be a Mets fan, watching our general manager do things wisely so that the team doesn't get saddled with bad contracts.  All the Phillies put saddles on are asses like Cole Hamels.  Giddy up.

Cole Hamels is smiling all the way to the bank.

Oliver Perez Brings His Balls To Mexico

Do you recognize the man to the left? (Apparently, the people in the background don't, because they're cheering for him.) It's none other than our very own Oliver Perez, who is now pitching for his hometown Culiacan Tomateros in the Mexican Pacific League.

In an effort to hone his eroding baseball skills, which is a polite way of saying that he's trying to improve enough so that he can get another major league contract that doesn't involve cleaning out the toilets in the clubhouse, Oliver Perez has taken his impeccable ability to throw balls to Mexico.

He is not letting his ball-throwing fanbase down. In 4.1 innings of work, scattered over four relief appearances, Ollie has faced 20 batters. Eight of the 20 have reached base (three walks, five hits) for a .400 on-base percentage. The eight baserunners over 4.1 innings actually represent a slight improvement over his numbers for the Mets in 2010, when he allowed 96 baserunners (54 hits, 42 walks) over 46.1 innings of work.

Right now, Oliver Perez couldn't hit a CC Sabathia-sized piñata if he was standing directly underneath it. He can't retire 40% of opposing batters in the Mexican Pacific League, so what chance does he have of getting the job done as a Met in 2011?

Oliver Perez used to be a decent pitcher with a lot of potential. Now he's just an expert at throwing ball four. His potential has never been realized in the major leagues and he's certainly not realizing it as a Tomato Picker (which is what "Tomateros" means in English).

One more thing. Remember the photo you saw at the top of this post? It's actually cropped from the photo below (courtesy of the Tomateros website):


The only way for Oliver Perez to get to the pitcher's mound unscathed is to run with a kid by his side. This would definitely come in handy on the date when the Tomateros have their "Free Tomato Day" giveaway.

Oliver Perez is in the last year of his three-year, $36 million swindle, I mean, contract. For his own sake, he better re-learn how to throw strikes. If not, he may just be a Tomatero for life.

If It's October 19, It Must Be Molina Time

Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson was known as Mr. October to baseball fans, primarily because of the three home runs he hit on three pitches in the deciding sixth game of the 1977 World Series.

If Mr. Candy Bar was Mr. October, then the Flying Molina Brothers (Yadier and Bengie) can both claim to be Mr. October 19.

Last night, big brother Bengie became the second Molina to hit a crushing home run against a New York team on an October 19. With the Rangers down 3-2 to the Yankees in the sixth inning, A.J. Burnett intentionally walked David Murphy to pitch to Funky Cold Molina.

Earlier in the game, Burnett harpooned the rotund Molina with a pitch. This time, Burnett decided to add a sixth inning insult to the third inning injury by choosing to pitch to Molina rather than Murphy with two outs in the inning. This time, Molina was the one who hit Burnett hard, as he whaled a pitch over the left field wall for a go-ahead three-run HR. The shot put the Rangers ahead 5-3, a lead they would never relinquish.

New York had been stung by another big home run by a member of the Flying Molina Brothers, as four years ago to the day, little brother Yadier hit a go-ahead two-run homer against former Met whipping boy, Aaron F. Heilman in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series.

Editor's note: We'd show you a photo of Yadier Molina hitting the home run off Aaron F. Heilman, but instead we'll show you the cover of the Faith and Fear in Flushing book, written by the Tom Seaver of Mets bloggers, Greg Prince. Go read the book (and the blog of the same name). It's an Amazin' read!


The third member of the Flying Molina Brothers (Jose Molina) played for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2010, but he was a member of the World Champion Yankees last year. However, he did not get a chance to play on October 19 last year (Game 3 of the ALCS), as the Yankees were taking on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the Western Hemisphere of the Planet Earth in the Milky Way Galaxy. His sole appearance in a major league game on October 19 came during Game 1 of the 2002 World Series, as a member of the then one-named Anaheim Angels, when he came in as a ninth inning defensive replacement for his brother, Bengie.

Perhaps Jose Molina is adopted, as he has not delivered a crushing blow to a New York team on October 19, which is the biggest national holiday in Molinaville.

Bengie Molina celebrates not being the fattest man in baseball, a title held by the man in the Yankee dugout, C(onstantly) C(hewing) Sabathia.

Regardless, Bengie Molina can now say he is a true Molina, as he joined Yadier in delivering series-changing home runs against a New York team on the 19th of October.

Reggie Jackson might have had a candy bar named after him and might have made the Hall of Fame despite holding the major league record for career strikeouts, but his legacy was cemented by his repeated post-season heroics, earning him the nickname "Mr. October".

In addition to sharing a last name, Yadier and Bengie Molina can now share the "Mr. October 19" moniker. Move over, Reggie Jackson. There's a whole family coming after you.

Joey's Soapbox: LCS Picks That Appeal To All New York Sports Fans

Hello, everybody! I'm your sometimes prognosticator and always big masticator, Joey Beartran. Now that we've advanced to the American League and National League Championship Series, it's time for some new predictions.

I didn't do too well when I made my Division Series predictions last week, picking only one winner (San Francisco) correctly out of the four series. However, I'm not disappointed about it. After all, Oliver Perez can't even throw one strike every four pitches, so as long as I'm more effective than El Perez-idente, I know I can continue to be Studious Metsimus' resident baseball psychic.

So why is the title of the blog "LCS Picks That Appeal To All New York Sports Fans"? Read my predictions and you'll see exactly what I mean.

American League Championship Series

New York Yankees vs. Texas Rangers

The Yankees have never lost to the Texas Rangers in the playoffs, defeating them in the ALDS in 1996, 1998 and 1999. Over those three seasons, both teams had explosive offenses, but the Rangers did not have the pitching to contain the Yankees' high-powered bats, finishing the regular season with ERAs of 4.65 in 1996, 4.99 in 1998 and 5.07 in 1999.

This year is another story, as the Rangers finished the regular season with a team ERA of 3.93. It was the first time since 1990 that the Rangers kept their ERA under 4.00, when Bobby Valentine was their manager.

Note: To this day, Valentine remains the Rangers' all-time leader in managerial wins, in addition to his second-place standing on the Mets' all-time ranks.

The previous Ranger teams that were disposed by the Yankees could not compete with their softball league pitching staff. This year's team has a legitimate ace in Cliff Lee, who sports a perfect 6-0 postseason record and a sparkling 1.44 ERA in seven career playoff starts. In addition, he was undefeated in three starts against the Yankees this year, including a complete game victory on June 29, when he was a member of the lowly Seattle Mariners.

Lee isn't the only Ranger starter who pitched well in 2010, as C.J. Wilson (15-8, 3.35 ERA) and Tommy Hunter (13-4, 3.73 ERA) also excelled during the regular season.

Consider this. If the series goes seven games, the Rangers will get two starts from Cliff Lee and one start against A.J. Burnett. That looks like three victories there. Also, one cannot expect that the tandem of Wilson and Hunter, who combined to go 28-12 this season, will go winless during the series.

The Yankees might have had the Rangers' number in previous postseason meetings, but this time Texas is armed and ready for them. It'll be a hard-fought series, but Cliff Lee in Game 7 (against a Yankee starter NOT named C(onstantly) C(hewing) Sabathia) will be the difference.

Rangers in 7.


National League Championship Series

San Francisco Giants vs. Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies may have the odds-on favorite to win this year's Cy Young Award in Roy Halladay, but the Giants have the pitcher who's won each of the last two Cy Young Awards in Tim "No, I Was Not In Dazed And Confused" Lincecum. Therefore, even a no-hitter by Halladay might not be enough against the Giants, who boast one of the best and most complete pitching staffs in baseball in Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan "I Threw A No-Hitter Before Halladay Did" Sanchez and Madison Bumgarner.

The difference in this series will come down to two things - who scores first and who has the better bullpen.

The Phillies and Giants had the two best records in the major leagues when they scored the first run of the game, with the Phillies going 64-13 and the Giants finishing 63-19 in games where they put up the first run. Since runs may be few and far in between, the team who scores the first run might be the team who scores the only run.

So once the starters come out of the game, it'll be up to the bullpens to keep the runs off the board. That's where the teams differ. The Phillies have Ryan Madson (6-2, 2.55 ERA) and Brad Lidge (27 saves, 2.99 ERA), but none of their other relievers posted an ERA under 3.34, and that ERA was claimed by 99-year-old Jose Contreras, who once chose Jackie Robinson as his idol because "he hit his changeup better than anyone else could".

The Giants, on the other hand, can trot out four excellent relievers. Ramon Ramirez gave up a two-run HR to leading NL MVP candidate Joey Votto on August 25. Those were the only earned runs he gave up as a San Francisco Giant. His 0.67 ERA in 25 appearances led the bullpen, but the three-headed monster of Sergio Romo (2.18 ERA, 0.97 WHIP), Santiago Casilla (1.95 ERA in 52 appearances) and closer Brian Wilson (1.81 ERA and a major league leading 48 saves) aren't too far behind.

The Phillies may have a number of weapons on offense, but the old baseball adage of good pitching defeats good hitting will determine the series. The Phillies have excellent starting pitching, but the Giants have outstanding pitching both in their starting rotation and in their bullpen.

Philadelphia will not become the first National League team since the 1942-44 St. Louis Cardinals to three-peat as pennant winners. They will leave their pennant in San Francisco.

Giants in 6.


So let's get back to why these picks will appeal to all New York sports fans. Clearly, if you're reading this, you're more than likely a Mets fan or a confused person who's wondering how on Earth you got to a site where a bear is making baseball predictions. Let's assume you're the former and not the latter.

No Mets fan is going to want another Doomsday Series in which the despised Phillies play the hated Yankees. Those Mets fans have probably turned off baseball for the season and have now moved to football and hockey. Perhaps the football fans root for the New York Giants. Maybe the hockey fans root for the New York Rangers.

Therefore, for those Mets fans, you can take comfort that this year's World Series will feature your Giants and your Rangers.



Say it with me. Let's Go Giants! Let's Go Rangers!

Maybe this won't be such a bad postseason after all.

MLB Execs Think Lackey Is Coming To New York

According to an article by Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com, a recent survey polled 20 MLB executives (general managers, assistant GMs, etc.) on a number of topics, including where they believe free agent pitcher John Lackey will sign. They also revealed their thoughts on the possible length and dollar amount of his contract.

Of the 20 executives, the majority believe his new area code will be 718. However, will that be in the Bronx or in Queens?

Only three executives believe he will return to the Angels, while four think the Mets will sign him and eight believe the Yankees will buy him at wholesale price.

Lackey is originally from Abilene, TX, so it's surprising that the Rangers and Astros weren't seen as potential suitors for his services.

As for the years and dollars being bandied about, the executives believe that it could take as little as three years and $36 million (although this was an anonymous poll, I'll bet you Oliver Perez's sombrero that I know which GM thought Lackey would find that deal to be reasonable. Ollie's Money Ain't Reasonable!)

Other GMs thought it would take as much as six years and $100 million to sign Lackey. I don't think the Mets would go that high for Lackey as far as years go. I do believe they would sign him for that average annual value. They'd probably have to offer a minimum of four years and quite possibly five to get Lackey to come to Flushing.

It may take an A.J. Burnett-type deal (five years, $82 million), but Lackey is worth it. He is as consistent as they come and he will be coming to the National League, where he will not have to face a DH. Although he has begun each of the past two seasons on the DL, he has recovered well from each injury.

Of course, his intangibles also make him an attractive commodity. He is a fierce competitor and his tenacity on the mound is matched by few. One pitcher who could match him is Johan Santana. Imagine if Santana and Lackey were able to start 40% of the games in 2010. The Phillies would have to pray for more three-run homers because they surely wouldn't be able to beat that one-two punch.



If executives think John Lackey will be a New Yorker next year, Omar has to go all out for him the way he went all out for Johan Santana. He can't let the Yankees scoop him up. They added an ace and a solid #2 pitcher last year in CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett and they helped lead the team to a World Championship.

If C(onstantly) C(hewing) Sabathia could be swayed to sign with the Yankees instead of with a team in his home state of California, then why can't the Mets do the same with Lackey? He is a native Texan, but if Omar can pony up the cash for this stud, he must rope him in.

Lackey would have to change his uniform number (his #41 is kind of reserved for a certain wine connoisseur. I think his initials are GTS.), but perhaps with a few extra numbers in his contract, he can put a new one on his back.

Now pitching for the New York Mets, John Lackey! I expect to hear that at Citi Field in 2010 and in the years following next season. Are you listening, Omar? You better be if you want to be at Citi Field in the years following 2010 as well.

Joey's Soapbox: My Unbiased LCS Picks

Greetings, SMFs and welcome to the latest edition of Joey's Soapbox! Your favorite teddy bear blogger was stranded in Colorado due to the recent snow event that temporarily postponed Game 3 of the NLDS between the Phillies and Rockies.

Fortunately, I have my hoodie and an internet connection so I can present my unbiased picks for the American and National League Championship Series. Remember, I'm picking the best teams, not the teams I want to defeat the Yankees and the Phillies.


American League Championship Series

Yankees vs. Angels

If there's one team who has had the Yankees' number over the years, it's the Los Angeles Angels of Wallyworld. Since Derek Jeter's rookie season in 1996, the Angels are 73-63 against the Yankees. That's the best record compiled by any team against the Bronx Bummers. In that time, the Angels have also defeated the Yankees twice in the postseason.

Joe Girardi has stated that the Yankees will be using a three-man rotation in the series. That means Subway spokeseater CC Sabathia could potentially make three starts if the series goes seven games. How did C(onstantly) C(hewing) Sabathia do against the Disney team in 2009?

• May 2: 6.2 IP, 4 ER, 8 hits, 1 BB
• July 12: 6.2 IP, 5 ER, 9 hits, 3 BB

That adds up to a 6.08 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP. It also adds up to two losses. The only other team Sabathia lost to twice in 2009 was Tampa Bay, although his second loss to the Rays was in his last start after the Yankees had already clinched the division title.

If CC continues to pitch against the Angels as he did in the regular season, home field advantage will mean nothing in this series.

Prediction: Angels in 6. The Yankees may have won the Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia sweepstakes from the Angels, but that won't put them in the Fall Classic. Joe Girardi's success is due to the players he inherited. Mike Scioscia's success is due to his superior managerial skills. The Angels will win their second pennant and Aunt Coop will be quite happy!


National League Championship Series

Phillies vs. Dodgers

This is the fifth NLCS matchup between the Phightin' Phils and the Better Team. The Dodgers won the first two matchups in 1977 and 1978, while the Phillies won the last two in 1983 and 2008. Last year, the Phillies defeated the Dodgers in five games, but the Dodgers barely made it to the postseason, winning 84 regular season games. This year, Los Angeles finished with the best record in the National League and have been on a mission since the season started.

The Phillies lost four of the seven regular season matchups against the Dodgers. Three of the four losses were credited to the bullpen (Chad Durbin lost twice and Brad Lidge lost once).

Philadelphia won the last two games of the NLDS against the Rockies in the ninth inning. The Dodgers have Ronald Belisario (4-3, 2.04 ERA), Ramon Troncoso (5-4, 2.72 ERA) and closer Jonathan Broxton (7-2, 2.61 ERA). If the Phillies want to win this series, they'd better have a big lead early in the game. Games that go down to the last at-bat are determined by the bullpens and the Dodgers' bullpen is superior to the Phillies' pen.

Prediction: Dodgers in 6. Fred Wilpon has already been looking for a spot on the left field wall at Citi Field to put up a Dodgers' 2009 World Championship banner. The Dodgers will continue to give him hope for his banner after dispatching the Phillies.


That means we'll be having a Freeway Series this year between the Angels and the Dodgers. That's fine with me. A Yankees-Phillies matchup wouldn't have been as attractive to my unbiased self.

See you next week when I get back on my soapbox to give you my World Series predictions, assuming I can get out of this Winter Wonderland in one piece!