There really aren’t words to describe the way the MLB season concluded Wednesday night. It may very well have been the greatest night in sports ever! Now of course fans who have had the privilege of watching their hometown team in a championship game would always say that night was the best sports night ever. But collectively Wednesday night gave sports fans just about everything they could possibly ask for.
So, with the regular season finale comes the MLB postseason and I believe baseball fans everywhere are in for more dramatics. So without beating around the bush any longer lets just jump right into it…
NLDS Philadelphia Phillies vs. St. Louis Cardinals
The Phillies were one of those teams that seemed to of wrapped everything up in mid July while a team like the Cardinals were fighting for a playoff spot literally to the very end. St. Louis obviously has some nice pitching in Chris Carpenter and Edwin Jackson as well as one of the most feared hitter to ever play the game in Albert Pujols. However in addition to Philadelphia’s very good offense, their pitching staff of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels is just sick. Furthermore it’s something that St. Louis will simply not be able to keep pace with.
Phillies in 4
NLDS Milwaukee Brewers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks
How many fans out there saw first year manager Kurt Gibson getting the Arizona Diamondbacks into the postseason? I sure didn’t. Gibson had the D-Backs playing out their minds this season, especially in the final stretch run as they pulled away from the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants in the NL West. The Brewers though have a good rotation, a scary two-headed monster in Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun and a very nice back-end of the rotation.
Brewers in 3
ALDS Texas Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Rays
Like the St. Louis Cardinals the Tampa Bay Rays’ march to the postseason will go down in MLB history. When you couple that with the fact that Tampa Bay lost huge pieces of their team in the offseason, it makes that run that much more special for the Rays and the city of Tampa. However in that march Joe Madden (who very well may be the BEST manager in all of baseball) may have used all his cards to get his team into the postseason. It seems like a lot of fans are losing perspective that the Texas Rangers are the defending American League Champions and primed for this series against the Rays.
Rangers in 5
ALDS New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers
Here we have a rematch of the 2006 ALDS in which the Detroit Tigers stunned the veteran Yankees on their way to the American League Championship. Many would’ve thought that the much more experienced and talented Yankees team would steam roll the Tigers. It didn’t happen and it won’t happen this year. At first glance it may appear that the storied Yankees will take this series and go to the World Series. However when you look at the lineups, when you look at the rotation and when you look at the bullpen, from top to bottom the Tigers are simply a better team.
Tigers in 5
NLCS Philadelphia Phillies vs. Milwaukee Brewers
Going into the postseason in the National League, the only team that can really pose a threat to the Philadelphia Phillies is the Milwaukee Brewers. Like the NLDS the Brewers’ lineup should give the Phillies a good series but like any other series that we’ve seen before, good pitching always trumps good hitting.
Phillies in 6
ALCS Texas Rangers vs. Detroit Tigers
It’s hard to get a good gage in on this series. Both teams have good starting pitching. Both teams have good back ends of the bullpen and both teams have good lineups. I’ll go ahead and go with the season series though in which the Tigers won.
Tigers in 7
World Series Philadelphia Phillies vs. Detroit Tigers
Finally it comes down to two teams looking to take it all after a long and grueling regular and postseason. We’ve got probably the best two pitchers in the month of September, Justin Verlander and Doug Fister going head to head with Philadelphia’s remarkable duo in Halladay and Lee. Fortunately for the Phillies their starting rotation is much deeper past their top two pitchers which will tip the series in their favor.
In 6 games the Philadelphia Phillies are your 2011 World Series Champions.
