| On Saturday night, the Chicago Cubs' postseason | | | | home-field advantage, which the Rays have. The |
| struggles continued as the Los Angeles Dodgers | | | | Rays have been magnificent at home, with a |
| completed the 3-game sweep with a 3-1 win at | | | | winning percentage over .750 in the regular |
| Dodger Stadium. This makes it 101 years since | | | | season. The Red Sox couldn't buy a win at |
| the Cubs have won a World Series. The North | | | | Tropicana Field in '08, and the majority of games |
| side has not seen the Cubs compete in a single | | | | in this series are scheduled to be played in Tampa |
| October Classic since 1945. My deepest | | | | Bay. The Rays struggled somewhat at Fenway |
| sympathies go out to all of the Cubs fans around | | | | during the regular season, but were able to win |
| the world. As they say in Chi-town, "Wait till next | | | | there more often than the Red Sox were able to |
| year." | | | | in Tampa Bay. I expect this series to go the full 7 |
| Next year will certainly have to go better than | | | | games. The home team will, in all likelihood, win |
| this one if the Cubbies have any hope, at least as | | | | every time. We saw some fantastic battles |
| far as October is concerned. Saturday's loss | | | | between the Sox and the Rays this year and |
| marked the ninth straight postseason loss for the | | | | that is why this series will turn into one of the |
| Cubs, who were also swept in three games by | | | | best 7-game playoff series America has seen in |
| Arizona during their NLDS appearance last year. | | | | over a decade. My prediction: Rays in 7. |
| The Cubs also became the first team since the | | | | NLCS, Dodgers/Phillies: This series will be |
| 2001 Astros to finish with the best record in their | | | | dominated by offensive prowess. The Dodgers |
| league and be swept in their initial playoff series. | | | | have been a different team since the July 31st |
| Curse or no curse, the Cubs just played horribly. | | | | acquisition of Manny Ramirez. Ramirez has |
| They were outscored by the Dodgers 20-6, an | | | | changed the culture out in L.A. and has turned the |
| embarrassing statistic for one of the National | | | | Dodgers' offense into one of the most productive |
| League's most versatile offenses. | | | | in the N.L. The only offense that compares to the |
| The surprise of the Cubs being swept shows that | | | | Dodgers is, yes, the Phillies. Each and every game |
| just about anything can happen in baseball, | | | | will be a slugfest. Pitching will make a huge |
| especially in October. It's way too hard to tell who | | | | difference in this series, even though most |
| is going to come out on top these days. Just take | | | | pitchers who take the mound will be getting |
| a look at the many Wild Card teams that have | | | | pounded. The Phillies have the edge here with |
| won the World Series from each league over the | | | | names like Cole Hamels starting games and Brad |
| past couple of decades. That number is | | | | Lidge closing them out. My prediction: Phillies in 6. |
| staggering. With that said, it has inspired me to | | | | World Series, Phillies/Rays: 5 of the last 10 World |
| make my own postseason predictions this year. | | | | Series have been sweeps. I don't expect that |
| Both ALDS series and one NLDS series are yet | | | | trend to be any different. The Rays have one of |
| to be completed. The ALCS, NLCS, and World | | | | the few pitching staffs that is capable of shutting |
| Series will take place in the coming weeks | | | | down the Phillies offense. Philadelphia pitching is not |
| throughout this month. Here are my predictions | | | | good enough to quiet the Rays' bats. Let's just |
| on what is left to be played: | | | | face it, the American League is much stronger |
| ALDS, Red Sox/Angels: Boston leads this series | | | | right now than their counterpart National League. |
| 2-0. Game three takes place tonight at Fenway | | | | This one is easy to call. The Rays became only |
| Park. John Saunders (17-7) will face off against | | | | the second team (Atlanta Braves) to finish a |
| Josh Beckett (12-10). Beckett has suffered from | | | | season in dead last and then follow up the very |
| injuries all season long and he makes his | | | | next year in first place. The Braves were not able |
| postseason return to the mound tonight. Beckett | | | | to pull out their World Series in '91, but I do think |
| was 4-0 in October in 2007 and his postseason | | | | the Rays are a better team than those Braves |
| starts over the past 8 years, with the Marlins and | | | | and, also, they will be facing a much weaker team |
| now the Red Sox, have earned him the honor of | | | | than the '91 Braves had to face. Everyone wants |
| being called the greatest postseason pitcher of | | | | to see a Cinderella story have a happy ending, |
| this millennium. Expect Beckett to make his return | | | | myself included. The Rays are too good a team |
| to glory tonight as his arm will carry the Red Sox | | | | for the Phillies to beat on four different occasions |
| past the Angels and into their 5th ALCS | | | | over seven games. The A.L. won the All-Star |
| appearance in the last 10 years. | | | | game, meaning the Rays have home-field |
| ALDS, White Sox/Rays: Tampa Bay leads this | | | | advantage. Let me remind you once again how |
| series 2-0 with game three taking place tonight in | | | | good Tampa Bay has been at home this year. My |
| Chicago. Matt Garza squares off against John | | | | prediction: Rays in an easy 4. |
| Danks. Garza has been exceptional for the Rays | | | | While these predictions come from hours of |
| all season long and Danks has been mediocre at | | | | research into each team, hundreds of regular |
| best against the Rays in '08. Rookie sensation | | | | season games that I have viewed and attended |
| Evan Longoria has been the difference maker in | | | | this season, and my vast knowledge of the game |
| the first two games of this series. Don't expect | | | | of baseball (the greatest sport known to man), |
| that to be any different in game three. The Rays | | | | you will still look at these predictions when the |
| lineup comes at you 1-9 and never lets up. | | | | postseason and October are all over with and gain |
| Longoria is batting .571 with 2 home runs and 3 | | | | insight into how great a game baseball is and, also, |
| RBI's so far this October. Longoria and the rest of | | | | as to how anything can happen in sports. |
| the Rays juggernaut offense will be too much for | | | | The game of baseball means a great deal to |
| the White Sox pitching staff tonight. The Rays | | | | America. Afterall, it is our national pasttime. The |
| get the sweep and make their first ALCS | | | | game has a great deal to do with how this |
| appearance ever. | | | | country has grown and prospered. The game and |
| NLDS, Brewers/Phillies: Philadelphia leads this series | | | | it's players have instilled dreams into the heads of |
| 2-1. The Brewers salvaged a win on Saturday | | | | children and adults alike. The legends of the game, |
| night, but will face Joe Blanton, a midseason | | | | legends who will be forever immortalized, display |
| acquisition from Oakland, on Sunday. Blanton has | | | | what it really means to be American. Baseball is |
| not lived up to the expectations of Phillies fans, | | | | 100% American and it will forever be the |
| and expect him to struggle against Milwaukee. | | | | standard by which we as Americans live and die. |
| Blanton does not match up well against Brewer | | | | Let me leave you with this final thought: Major |
| hitters such as the big man and slugger, Prince | | | | League Baseball is the only business in American |
| Fielder. However, a powerful Phillies offense will still | | | | history in which the government constituted an |
| be too much for the Brew-Crew to match. | | | | exception for in relation to the Sherman |
| Expect this series to be over tonight, Phillies in 4. | | | | Anti-Trust (monopoly) laws. The NFL, NBA, and |
| The bats of 1B Ryan Howard and 2B Chase Utley | | | | NHL all had to make accomodations to not violate |
| will carry the Fightin' Phills. | | | | the infamous laws. To the game of baseball, the |
| ALCS, Red Sox/Rays: The key to this series is | | | | rules somehow did not apply. |