Fans
seeing red in baseball’s postseason
Jesse Munoz
October has arrived and the real baseball season has finally begun. The previous
162 games were only stepping-stones for each of the eight teams heading into
postseason action.
And though the road was long and hard with victories, home
runs and strikeouts that is now meaningless. Each player has one focus and each
team has one goal—to win the World Series.
The postseason brings out the best in baseball. All the history and tradition
of the game, combined with the intense strategic maneuvering that goes into every
pitch and every at-bat, is what makes the World Series a magical event.
Each
divisional series poses an interesting match-up and will most likely keep me,
and other hardcore baseball fans, glued to the tube.
The local favorite is the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and the match-up between
the Angels and the New York Yankees has to be the most anticipated series.
The Yankees have struggled all year, and any team with a $200 million-plus
payroll should have cruised to a division title instead of clinching it on the
second
to last day of the season.
Their pitching is suspect, and while postseason legend
Derek Jeter and MVP candidate Alex Rodriguez will keep it interesting, the Angels
are too strong in the bullpen.
The Halos are a tough and gritty team that led the league in stolen bases,
and can both play small ball and take it deep to win games. If they can even
the
series before heading to the Bronx, the Angels should move on.
And even if they
do go down 0-2, Angels fans can cross their fingers and
remember last year’s historic Yankee collapse at the hands of the Boston
Red Sox.
The National League matchups feature another local favorite,
the San Diego Padres. The NL West Champions limped into the playoffs with an
unimpressive 82-80
record,
winning the weakest division in baseball.
I don’t think anyone in their right mind has picked the Padres to
upset the Cardinals. The Cardinals bring a potent lineup stocked with power and
a Cy
Young-caliber pitcher, Chris Carpenter, and the Padres are packing Ryan Klesko
and Mark Loretta.
To make’matters worse for the Padres, their best pitcher, Jake Peavy, suffered
fractured ribs during the team’s division-clinching looker room celebration
last week. Although he toughed it out and took the mound on Tuesday, he is going
to miss the rest of the season.
Miracles do happen, but they won’t this time. Look for the Cards
to sweep and get some extra rest while waiting for the Houston Astros and Atlanta
Braves matchup to play out. That series should go the
full five games.
Both MVP candidate Andruw Jones and Atlanta favorite Chipper Jones will have
their share of moments, but the ageless Roger Clemens wants another ring and
should lead the Astros into the division series, and, perhaps, beyond.
|
