BASE-BALL

[Takumi]

Time to start busting out the predictions...

Orioles over Rangers: Texas slid into this position and is reeling. Baltimore is chugging along and will be stronger.

The Wild Card game winner plays the Yankees, because they have the best record. But I agree that the Rangers haven't looked that good lately, so the Orioles may have a good chance, even though they played most poorly against the AL West this year.

[NYYPhil777]

Time to start busting out the predictions...

Orioles over Rangers: Texas slid into this position and is reeling. Baltimore is chugging along and will be stronger.
Braves over Cardinals: 5-1 head to head regular season. Easy call.

Yankees over Orioles in 4:  sorry Baltimore, but the Cinderella story this year is 50 miles to the south.
A's over Tigers in 4: the A's are on a roll right now. That will keep up.
Reds over Giants in 5: another toss-up, but for the sake of this exercise I have to pick one.
Nationals over Braves in 4: the Braves are overrated. And this is clearly Washington's year.

A's over Yankees in 7: The Bombers do not have a good record over the past decade or so of converting postseason appearances into championships. This year will not improve that record, but they will go down respectably.
Nationals over Reds in 6: will be a tough matchup, but again, this is Washington's year.

A's over Nationals in 5: But then in the world series, the carriage turns back into a pumpkin and the Nats fall to a team that has good experience with championships. "Their year" is just a pennant.

edited to fix seeding error

My predictions:
a. Yes, the Braves will beat the Cardinals. After all, you can't expect the defending champion team to be able to defend their championship by repeating when their head coach (Matheny) was previously a little league head coach. And Atlanta will want revenge for their fallout last year. Though it's crazy how the Cardinals have never repeated a World Series win.
b. Orioles over Rangers may be a little far-fetched, but the Rangers in my opinion are like the Buffalo Bills in MLB. I'll agree to this prediction. And the Yankees should be able to win against Baltimore.
c. The Reds will beat any NL team in their path. I don't think this is the Nationals year.
d. Yes the A's did sweep the Yanks this year  but I think the Yankees will have revenge.
So my World Series prediction is:
Yankees vs. Reds. To be optimistic I'll say Yanks in 5. If Mariano Riveria is retiring this year, he should be able to do it in style. 

[amroad17]

I like your prediction NYYPhil777!  Being a Yankees fan living outside of Cincinnati would make this World Series sweet.  Might even splurge and get tickets if this comes to fruition.

[akotchi]

The AL playoff teams are set. The Yankees win the East, the Tigers the Central, the A's (!) the West, and the Rangers and Orioles (both 93-69) the wild cards. The Rangers won the season series over the Orioles, so the Wild Card game is in Texas.

Also, Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers wins the first Triple Crown since 1967.

(emphasis is mine)
I'm happy.

[triplemultiplex]

How about a Bal-Wash World Series?
I want that to happen just so I can use that funny shorthand.
And because those teams have been terrible forever and I'm jonesing for some more parity in baseball.

But as usual I'll cheer for anyone playing the Yankee$.

[Alps]

Texas-Baltimore: Saunders vs. Darvish. I think Texas has the better pitcher lined up here, so I'll give them the win.
St. Louis-Atlanta: Both pitchers look to be excellent - Medlen has out of this world numbers, but anything can happen in 9 innings. This game I predict hinges on hitting, which I'll give to the Braves.

NY-Texas: Here's where the streaks come in, the Yankees having gotten hot at the right time. Sweep.
Detroit-Oakland: Ride the hot hand. Oakland in 5. (Detroit has some good pitching and hitting, so it will be hard won.)
Washington-San Francisco: Don't forget that the Nats and Braves can't play in the first round. Washington sweep.
Cincinnati-Atlanta: Atlanta in 4, the upset special of the DS. They've been there before, and the Reds always seem to underperform at the end of the year.

NY-Oakland: Yankees in 5. People will be expecting this to be a longer series, but a couple of breaks can make it go a lot faster. This is just a gut feeling, I can't back it up. (Also, the Yankees are known for defeating the A's in the playoffs.)
Washingon-Atlanta: Washington in 6. I want to pick Atlanta for many reasons - heck, look how close the regular season ended for the team supposedly "best in baseball" - but Washington has so much pitching depth they don't even need Strasburg to win in the playoffs. That said,

NY-Washington: Yankees in 6. Strasburg will be the difference between a WS win and a WS loss.

[Alps]

How about a Bal-Wash World Series?
I want that to happen just so I can use that funny shorthand.

As per the parkway, it's Balto-Wash.

[NYYPhil777]

The Reds might be underrated- after all, the NL Central champs aren't at said position for no reason. If the Reds can hold the defending champion Cardinals to second place, that has to be something special. And if San Francisco is to face Washington, I'd say it would be San Francisco sweep.

[akotchi]

Texas-Baltimore: Saunders vs. Darvish. I think Texas has the better pitcher lined up here, so I'll give them the win.
St. Louis-Atlanta: Both pitchers look to be excellent - Medlen has out of this world numbers, but anything can happen in 9 innings. This game I predict hinges on hitting, which I'll give to the Braves.

NY-Texas: Here's where the streaks come in, the Yankees having gotten hot at the right time. Sweep.
Detroit-Oakland: Ride the hot hand. Oakland in 5. (Detroit has some good pitching and hitting, so it will be hard won.)
Washington-San Francisco: Don't forget that the Nats and Braves can't play in the first round. Washington sweep.
Cincinnati-Atlanta: Atlanta in 4, the upset special of the DS. They've been there before, and the Reds always seem to underperform at the end of the year.

NY-Oakland: Yankees in 5. People will be expecting this to be a longer series, but a couple of breaks can make it go a lot faster. This is just a gut feeling, I can't back it up. (Also, the Yankees are known for defeating the A's in the playoffs.)
Washingon-Atlanta: Washington in 6. I want to pick Atlanta for many reasons - heck, look how close the regular season ended for the team supposedly "best in baseball" - but Washington has so much pitching depth they don't even need Strasburg to win in the playoffs. That said,

NY-Washington: Yankees in 6. Strasburg will be the difference between a WS win and a WS loss.

I thought the rule of same-division teams facing one another in the Division Series was removed with the new format.  Isn't it strictly seeding now?

Also . . . thanks for reminding me of 2001 Game 3 all over again . . . 

I'd like to think the A's will go deep in the playoffs (though I am biased) -- they faced all of the other AL playoff teams just during September.  Question is . . . can they do as well going through it a second time, especially worn down by the first time through.  Might be a light clubhouse, but there are many heavily-worked arms on the pitching staff right now and quite a few rookies not used to that amount of work.

We shall see, though.

[Duke87]

I thought the rule of same-division teams facing one another in the Division Series was removed with the new format.  Isn't it strictly seeding now?

Yup. 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3. 4 is the wild card team. 1, 2, and 3 are the three division winners from best record to worst record. This works out as NYY(1) vs WC(4) and OAK(2) vs DET(3) in the AL, and WSH(1) vs WC(4) and CIN(2) vs SF(3)

[Alps]

I thought the rule of same-division teams facing one another in the Division Series was removed with the new format.  Isn't it strictly seeding now?

Yup. 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3. 4 is the wild card team. 1, 2, and 3 are the three division winners from best record to worst record. This works out as NYY(1) vs WC(4) and OAK(2) vs DET(3) in the AL, and WSH(1) vs WC(4) and CIN(2) vs SF(3)

I searched online for that and didn't see it, but if they removed it, so it goes. In that case I definitely hope Baltimore wins - it's a better baseball matchup. (Though, as a Yankees fan, I should want the weaker opponent.)

[74/171FAN]

I thought the rule of same-division teams facing one another in the Division Series was removed with the new format.  Isn't it strictly seeding now?

Yup. 1 vs 4 and 2 vs 3. 4 is the wild card team. 1, 2, and 3 are the three division winners from best record to worst record. This works out as NYY(1) vs WC(4) and OAK(2) vs DET(3) in the AL, and WSH(1) vs WC(4) and CIN(2) vs SF(3)

I searched online for that and didn't see it, but if they removed it, so it goes. In that case I definitely hope Baltimore wins - it's a better baseball matchup. (Though, as a Yankees fan, I should want the weaker opponent.)

It has been removed.  I definitely know that because as a Braves fan I know they will be playing the Nationals if they win tonight.  This MLB.com article that verifies that point as it is referencing these matchups possibly happening.

[CentralCAroadgeek]

So the Cardinals have beaten the Braves 6-3 to win the NL Wild Card. The Cards will now face the Nats in the NL(D?)S.

As for my World Series predictions, I just hope it'll somehow turn into the Battle of the Bay with the Giants in the A's facing each other. That'll be epic.

[hbelkins]

I haven't been a MLB fan since the 1994 strike, but I couldn't help but notice tonight. My FB feed blew up over an alleged bad call concerning the infield fly rule.

[corco]

You mean the outfield fly rule?

[Takumi]

The Orioles won the AL wild card game, 5-1. Joe Saunders (VA represent!) outdueled the Rangers' Yu Darvish, with the Orioles adding a few more runs late in the game. The O's now face the Yankees in the ALDS. Should be an interesting series, since they split the season series 9-9.

[TheHighwayMan3561]

I haven't been a MLB fan since the 1994 strike, but I couldn't help but notice tonight. My FB feed blew up over an alleged bad call concerning the infield fly rule.

The more I see replays and hear about it the less horrible I think it was, but I still don't agree with it. At the same time though people can't compare it to the Packers/Seahawks call. The Braves were losing at the time of the call and still would have needed 2 or 3 clutch hits to tie or lead.

[Alps]

You mean the outfield fly rule?

It wasn't egregious. The thing is, the infielder was clearly camped under it well before the ball fell - but between the late fly rule call and the outfielder behind him, he pulled out at the last second. If the call had been made earlier or not at all, it might have played out differently. (Unless the umpire didn't make any noise when he called. I don't know.) It didn't concern me as something worth protesting, which was borne out by the quick decision.

[Duke87]

I just don't see how running back halfway to the warning track constitutes "ordinary effort". Yes, it's at the umpire's discretion and the call is legit by the book, but come on now.

[hbelkins]

he pulled out at the last second

[NYYPhil777]

Yankees beat Baltimore tonight 7-2. 
Like I said, the Reds will be a force to be reckoned with- they shut-out the Giants tonight 9-0.
Now I'm thinking the Tigers will destroy the A's.
And the Nationals beat the Cardinals 3-2.
Looking good so far.
(Corrected- the Nationals did not score 4 and the Cardinals did not score 3.)

[triplemultiplex]

The Reds and the Tigers will be going for the sweep today.  Seems likely at least one will prevail.
Things are all even after 2 in the other Division Series'.  The Cardinals did it with offense; the Orioles with pitching (and a lot of LOB).

It seems unfair that only the World Series and one of the League Championships are broadcast on free TV.  Make people have cable/satellite to watch the playoffs for America's Past Time?  That's bullcrap.
I guess I should be happy they still broadcast baseball games at all on regular TV in this media landscape.

I say this as a person who has all the requisite cable channels at his disposal (in HD no less).  It's the principle of the matter.  Baseball should be important enough for network television in the United States of America; especially the playoffs.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

It seems unfair that only the World Series and one of the League Championships are broadcast on free TV.  Make people have cable/satellite to watch the playoffs for America's Past Time?  That's bullcrap.
I guess I should be happy they still broadcast baseball games at all on regular TV in this media landscape.

I say this as a person who has all the requisite cable channels at his disposal (in HD no less).  It's the principle of the matter.  Baseball should be important enough for network television in the United States of America; especially the playoffs.

Other than the NFL, all the other sports have taken their "postseason" to cable.

[Duke87]

It doesn't really matter, anyway. The days of free TV are gone now that the signal has been switched to digital, nobody makes TVs with rabbit ears anymore, and the antenna hookups have been removed from a lot of old buildings and aren't installed in new ones.

I do not have TV service in my apartment at all because I am not paying for cable. There is no hookup available for free TV, or for satellite, and I as a lowly tenant cannot put one in.

[Desert Man]

Only one California team the Giants made it to the NLCS by reversing their 2-0 game loss to a 3-2 game victory. I watched the Cards game 5 surprise over the Nationals and tonight the Cards beat the Giants in the 1st game of the NLCS. I'm keeping an eye on the Tigers-Yanks ALCS as the Tigers' 2nd straight appearance should bring out civic pride to an economically troubled city like Detroit. The Yanks got lucky in game 5 of the ALDS over the O's due to umpire interpretation and instant replay analysis, while the Tigers manage to get back for the A's shocking moments to withheld the Tigers' victory.