Teams 1-8 Heading Into Playoffs

[yankeessuck013]

Who has the best chance to win the world series:

 

1.) Boston Red Sox - not being bias, but they have the strongest lineup top to bottom and the best starting pitching in the playoffs. The Red Sox led the majors in runs by a wide margin, plating 53 more runs than the second-place Yankees .

2.) St. Louis Cardinals- solid lineup, But St. Louis lagged at the finish, losing five of its last seven and three straight to Houston, amid mounting questions about its starting pitching

3.) New York Yankees- what is Gay-Rod, Vazquez and other new Yankees going to do against the pressure of being a Yankee in October? The Yankees have the worst starting pitching of any team since Joe Torre took over as manager in 1996, a significant deficit, questioning Orlando Hernandez's "tired arm."

4.) Houston Astros- The Astros have the best tandem of starters in the NL, in Roger Clemens and Roy Oswalt, and the best closer in Brad Lidge. They won the division with the likes of Brandon Backe, Chad Qualls, Pete Munro and Chad Harville, and they need to get more from their ranks of the pitchers unproven in the postseason. Setup man Dan Miceli, who does have postseason experience, will play a critical role.

5.) Minnesota Twins- how can you go against Johan Santana?

6.) Anaheim Angels- possibly the best bullpen in the playoffs? better beat Anaheim in the first 16 or 17 outs of the game, because after that, the Angels have K-Rod and Brendan Donnelly (who is throwing well again) and Troy Percival.The Angels are going to run. They're going to try to steal bases, hit-and-run, go first-to-third on a single, score from first base on doubles. They led the AL in stolen bases, they made a lot of contact, finishing next-to-last in the league in strikeouts -- and they had more runners thrown out on the bases than any other AL team. This is who they are, this is what they do.

7.)LA Dodgers- Besides Adrian Beltre, the Dodgers have a very left-handed roster, with Steve Finley, Shawn Green, Alex Cora, Brent Mayne, Hee Seop Choi and Robin Ventura; even switch-hitting shortstop Cesar Izturis is much better as a left-handed hitter. And King and Kline are probably the two best matchup left-handed relievers in the playoffs, stifling lefty hitters in the late innings.

8.)Atlanta Braves- always win the division...but don't do to well in the playoffs

[ahhchon]

you sound like espn writers.. oh wait, half your info is taken from that site.

 

get your own information, if you're going to take info give people credit.

 

a-rod also isn't gay. he's one of the top 5 players in the game. he's gay because the players association didn't let him get traded to the sox, yeah, that makes sense. damn bandwagon a-rod haters.

 

john

[stocker323]

I was going to say if only your trades were as smart as this post until I realized that this list wasn't your own.

[YanksHater213]

HAHA! Owned...

[noonanberg]

I'm sorry did you say Brad Lidge was the best closer in the NL? Are you forgetting about a little Canadian named Eric Gagne? Oh right, he only has the most consecutive saves in history and, obviously, rarely blows a save. I think I would rather have Gagne closing it out for me. The only other reliever in the game I would take over him would be (gag) Rivera.

[elsrbueno]

Originally posted by noonanberg@Oct 5 2004, 11:12 PM

I'm sorry did you say Brad Lidge was the best closer in the NL? Are you forgetting about a little Canadian named Eric Gagne? Oh right, he only has the most consecutive saves in history and, obviously, rarely blows a save. I think I would rather have Gagne closing it out for me. The only other reliever in the game I would take over him would be (gag) Rivera.

This is HILARIOUS to me... that all of a sudden Lidge is the best closer in the NL because he's had 1 good half season after taking over for Dotel.

 

Gagne's better, and I'd even trust John Smoltz over Lidge in a key situation.

 

Gagne, Rivera, Smoltz have TRACK RECORDS. Lidge has nothing. Better, more experienced pitchers have fallen apart in playoff situations...

 

Not so fast, yankeessuck013/ESPN.

[Zenny]

Yeah, I mean, he only set the National League record for strikeouts by a reliever this season.

 

Oh dammit, the Braves just tied that game.