The Baltimore Ravens.

 

What I want to happen:
Twins over Yankees
Rangers over Rays
Phillies over Reds
Braves over Giants
Twins over Rangers
Braves over Phillies
Twins over Braves

What I think will happen:
Yankees over Twins
Rays over Rangers
Phillies over Reds
Giants over Braves
Rays over Yankees
Phillies over Giants
Phillies over Rays

I honestly don't care who wins as long as its not the Yankees for obvious reasons.

 

Only the second no hitter in postseason history. Not a good start for the Reds.

 

Halladay is insane. Just ask the Marlins.

That said, I’ve still got the Reds going to the WS vs the Yankees.

 

Halladay is not human.

 

A no hitter, though. How is he this good?

 

The Twins really have a beautiful stadium.

I can’t wait for the Marlins to host some playoff games in their new home.

 

Both of my World Series favorites apparently don’t travel very well. Yankees down 2-0.

Maybe I should change my picks to whichever teams have the best pitching. MLB is really a pitcher’s paradise this year.

 

Roy Halladay is good.

 

A no-hitter in your first ever playoff game. Christ does it get any better? Maybe if he hit 3 HRs they'd elect him Mayor of the entire state of PA

 

Pittsburgh only votes for him if he gets traded to the Pirates. :lol:

Yankees just walked a better with the bases loaded, tied up at 4. This is a great game.

 

CC did:lol:

He and Posada also let a run score on passed ball/wild pitch...and yes, walked 3 batters in this inning (after getting the lead) including one with bases loaded.

Story of the Yanks since Sept rolled around....Ugly baseball.

 

The Yankees are tied on the road in a tough place to play. Better to be tied than to be the Reds.

 

Thanks for the edit (class move):up:

Tex just made me happy (2 run HR)...I am in a good mood:lol:

Yanks arms have to step up.....been a fact for over a month.

P.S. We only judge ourselves against our HISTORY, not any other franchise!:lol:

 

You weren’t supposed to see that! :lol:

See? Don’t worry. You’re the Yankees. MLB rigs it for you. :up:

And then 2003 happened… :shifty:

 

Hater......:cry:

 

because he is....he has made mince-meat of the AL East for years, been in true battles for years against the Sox and Yankees, he will ***** slap the Reds, Braves, or the Giants and not even lose sleep over it......this is common place for Roy....

 

Phils vs. Cin - something to consider and gets lost in Hallady's No-No!

Phils only managed 5 hits, and were shut down by the Lefty's out of the Reds Pen (and Chapman hasnt pitched yet). And Hallady really delivered the key hit too.

Batting slumps can kill momentum quickly. I know Philly has H20 as a 3 headed staff. And that could be enough...but Phils bats if they slump could change not only this series, but spell trouble in the next one too. Long way to go.

 

Phillies are sweeping the Reds...playoffs is all about pitching....and the Phils arent little sisters of the poor in the hitting department either, they will get it right tomorrow...

 

That often is proven based on Bats slumping....look back on 2003 Yanks (WS was slump city following questionalbe performance in fortunate ALCS with Boone Dinger saving our bacon), and 2004 Yanks up 3-0 (beat Shilling in Game 1, Pedro Game 2, blow out in Game 3 - then tank against same arms down the line). Playoff pitching is deeper and more consistent, no argument, but often the minute clutch hitting goes out the window, especially 2out RISP hitting, it makes all Pitching look better. It can be a chicken or the egg...but in 2003 and 2004 Yanks bats which had leads, went in the tank and the Arms they faced didnt suddenly change.

Its an age old debate, but I have been on great hitting clubs facing the same pitcher many times, and when we tanked hitting, it had little to do with that same arm....it had to do with our bats. Feel the same when it comes to "Playoff pressure" changing batting approaches, etc and turning 3's and 4's into Aces. It cuts both ways. I agree ACES shut down teams...but we are talking about Bullpen guys or watch when bottom rotation guys step up. Just saying. Been there.

Last night we got our bacon saved by Posada & Grandy....2 out RISP clutch hits.

 

It’s not as if the Reds don’t belong in the playoffs either. They should panic when they’re down 3-0. Until then, whatever.

 

Offense wins you games, but defense wins you championships in baseball....I agree what is first chicken or the egg on this debate...but good pitching has always trumphed good hitting....give me the cliff lee's roy halladay, and CC's anyday of the week over the reds batting...or any monster hitting teams for that matter....over blown regular season offensive numbers against inferior opponets cease in the playoffs....

case in point, after the Yankees last won in 2000, they got cute buying all the bigtime powerhitters, and thought they were going to mash their way to mutliple championships...they didnt until they got some pitching last year...

 

They dont, I mean I guess somebody had to win right??....the NL Central is a joke akin to the NFC West.....if the Red Sox played in the NL Central they win that division this year.....:lol:...even with all their injuries...

 

And they were up 3-0 vs Sox best arms in 2004....then suddenly went into hitting slump....agreed.

Teams usually have 1 ACE...after that, its all about Hitting slumps.

No team wants to go down 2-0 in a short series, ever.

 

Philly agruably has 3 aces...

 

someone forgot to tell TB, you need to score in the playoffs....they have time though it is only the 4th...but me thinks the pucker factor starts to kick in.........ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh right about.......













......now.....

 

Absolutely....they are the clear front runner....but it may take all those ACES to be NO-NO guys to overcome any sort of slump from their bats. Being shutdown by the Reds pen and only getting 5 total hits could turn for the worse if someone doesnt step up.

Unless they plan on relying on Oswalt and Hamels to drive in runs ala Halladay.

 

Lee wasnt on fire coming into this series, and Wilson a converted bullpen arm has never tossed this many innings........so, thoughts on TB bats sleeping through these two games????:lol:

Down 6-0 in 2nd game (clutch 2 out RISP hits).....TB Bats...Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...puts a lot of pressure on TB arms.

 

Remember Lee's game coming off the DL in Sept?? You should it was against the Yankees, guys like Lee are in a consistant state of being on fire...:lol:

yeah that good ole playoff pucker factor is in rare form down in the Trop bro......

 

He is their ONE ace....still TB bats are tanking this.

 

right....they do have a good pen though too...Lee 3 times in ALCS...ouch...

I think the youngins from TB might be feeling it a little bit right now....never been that big a fan of Garza..

 

Ouch for TB....2nd and 3rd no outs (once again not pushing the action)....called strike three (in the zone you have to hack and put it in play) 1 out; swinging strike three (out of the zone - way to help the opposing shaky relief arm) 2 outs; walk for bases loaded still w/2 outs; then soft pop up to Center 3 outs (on the 1st pitch following a 4 out of 5 pitch walk).

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz night night bats!

TB down 2 games to zip vs TEX.

 

Here's my predictions for the WS: Rays vs Giants. With the Giants winning it all. Reason is because I'm bias and I like both of those teams, though I'm a Giants fan.

 

pretty much....

 

I’ll say. Ruining my World Series pick. :tantrum:

 

Wow that was easy for the Phillies...see bro good pitching crushes hitting...the Reds were what the top hitting ball club in the NL....mehh...they were held to under a .200 batting avg in that series...

btw, I would have loved to see the Reds do it......it just wasnt realistically going to happen for 3 games...

 

I didn’t even watch.

Considering a Yanks/Phillies rematch.