2009 Playoffs Predictions

[bsox0407]

of course i think i will hear some bias cause this is sox forum. Who do you think will make the playoffs first of all out of the divisions and wild cards which are still up for grabs and what are your playoff perdictions.

 

ALDS

BOSTON-3 LAA-1

NYY-3 Detriot-0

 

NLDS

STL-3 COL-2

LAD-3 PHI-1

 

ALCS

BOSTON-4 NYY-3

 

NLCS

LAD-4 STL-2

 

WS

BOSTON-4 LAD-1

 

i dont remember if it was this or next year or if at all that the division series was going to be seven games.

[RWTP24]

Colorado is going to be th sleeper in the NL again.. I would not be shocked if they found a way to get in the WS again.

 

Also, I don't think the Dodgers are going to get very far, but if they do, i guess it would not be that big of a shocker.

 

And i would love to see a Red Sox vs. Yankees to go to the WS.

[bsox0407]

Colorado is going to be th sleeper in the NL again.. I would not be shocked if they found a way to get in the WS again.

 

Also, I don't think the Dodgers are going to get very far, but if they do, i guess it would not be that big of a shocker.

 

And i would love to see a Red Sox vs. Yankees to go to the WS.

 

i would like to see the sox vs LAD cause i wanna see manny cry when papi celebrates on manny home turf. and to see torre cry.

[RWTP24]

i would like to see the sox vs LAD cause i wanna see manny cry when papi celebrates on manny home turf. and to see torre cry.

 

That would be fun to watch..

[jacksonianmarch]

Yanks vs Phils in the series

[RWTP24]

Yanks vs Phils in the series

 

Jack, wake up!! :harhar:

[bsox0407]

Yanks vs Phils in the series

 

the phillies bullpen will kill them and the yankees are making the playoffs because of offense not what wins championships. Defense and pitching.

 

Joba isnt gonna be able to start and pitch 7 innings because he hasnot thrown more than 65 pitches in well over a month. but he still gives up a few runs in three innings.

[Dojji]

BOS 3, ANA 2

DET 3, NYY 1

 

COL 3, STL 0

PHI 3, LAD 2

 

BOS 4, DET 2

COL 4, PHI 0

 

BOS 4, COL 3

[bsox0407]

BOS 3, ANA 2

DET 3, NYY 1

 

COL 3, STL 0

PHI 3, LAD 2

 

BOS 4, DET 2

COL 4, PHI 0

 

BOS 4, COL 3

 

detroit over the yankees. detroit is having real trouble on the road. but i would love to see you prediction.

[Dojji]

Jackson and Verlander > Sabathia and Burnett

[bsox0407]

Jackson and Verlander > Sabathia and Burnett

 

very true i would only be worried about cc and then pettitte

[Dojji]

I'm not that worried about Pettitte. He's still capable of flashes of the old Andy but he's pretty much a league average pitcher anymore.

[bsox0407]

I'm not that worried about Pettitte. He's still capable of flashes of the old Andy but he's pretty much a league average pitcher anymore.

 

yeah thats true and i think the yankees hitting will be dominated by the pitching of the tigers. hope they get swept

[Dojji]

I don't think there's really a team in the East that makes me nervous right now. No one can really quite match what we can throw out there when Beckett, Lester and Buchholz are firing on all cylinders. The Angels have Lackey and Kazmir, the Tigers have Verlander and Jackson, the Yankees have Sabathia and... umm.... uhh gimme a minute. Anyway, no one really has three top pitchers in their rotation except us.

 

When the Yankees don't have weak teams to pound they won't last long in the playoffs IMHO. In a short series, they can't match Verlander and Jackson. The Sox on the other hand are perfectly built to win a short playoff series. If we can handle the Angels running game I think we meet Detroit in the ALCS.

[bsox0407]

I don't think there's really a team in the East that makes me nervous right now. No one can really quite match what we can throw out there when Beckett, Lester and Buchholz are firing on all cylinders. The Angels have Lackey and Kazmir, the Tigers have Verlander and Jackson, the Yankees have Sabathia and... umm.... uhh gimme a minute. Anyway, no one really has three top pitchers in their rotation except us.

 

When the Yankees don't have weak teams to pound they won't last long in the playoffs IMHO. In a short series, they can't match Verlander and Jackson. The Sox on the other hand are perfectly built to win a short playoff series. If we can handle the Angels running game I think we meet Detroit in the ALCS.

 

the angels dont have a good lineup and the tigers have one or two good hitters but their pitching may scare me. the yankees lineup scares me a little bit. not a-rod especially in october.

[ElMaestro]

the phillies bullpen will kill them and the yankees are making the playoffs because of offense not what wins championships. Defense and pitching.

 

The yankees have the best ERA in the AL since the break (4.05), and if we see the whole season, they have an AMAZING .10 ERA over Detroit and Boston (4.34 vs. 4.24)...

 

Also they have, as you may know, the best offense. They have .4 runs per game more than Boston, and 1.13 more runs per game than Detroit.

 

So, you can tell what you want, and hope the yanks get swept by Detroit, at the end, anything can happen in a short series, even more if is a best-of-three series, but you cant deny that the yanks have been the best team in the league overall.

 

Yankees over Phillies in 6.

[yankees228]

Jackson and Verlander > Sabathia and Burnett

 

The Tigers may win the series, but the fact that the Tigers number two starter is better than the Yankees number two starter, by itself, does not justify the prediction.

[a700hitter]

Girardi will make some bonehead move, ARod will hit into a double play or strike out with a tying run on 3rd and Burnett will implode. Girardi will get thrown out of the deciding game, and the Yanks will exit in the first round.

[ElMaestro]

Girardi will make some bonehead move' date=' ARod will hit into a double play or strike out with a tying run on 3rd and Burnett will implode. Girardi will get thrown out of the deciding game, and the Yanks will exit in the first round.[/quote']

 

Now we are talking

[jacksonianmarch]

You can continue to pick your matchups all you want. The fact is, 1-3 Sabathia, Burnett and Pettitte can stack up with anyone's top 3. Hughes and Mariano are better than anyone's 8-9 punch in the bullpen. And our offense will roll with anyone's pitching. Put that together with probable home field in a stadium where the yankees are a ridiculous 50-22, and you have to say that NY is the favorite. Now, as we all know, that doesnt guarantee s***. But any predictions of them getting steamrolled in the early going are nothing but homerism.

 

Going team by team, I have to say that Detroit is the weakest. They do have a nice 1-2 punch of Verlander and Jackson, but Verlander really is the big #1. Jackson is still wild at times and easily waited out by a patient team. After those two, you run into a rookie in Porcello, and a guy who has been miserable since coming to Detroit in Washburn. Also, they have a bullpen that has been porous through the yr and also is missing their most important piece in Zumaya. Their offense is centered around 2 guys in Granderson and Cabrera, and as a whole has been incredibly disappointing.

 

The Angels are actually the second weakest team IMO, in the AL. Not based on record, mind you, but based on what they have become. Over the yrs, when they would steamroll us out of the playoffs, their starting pitching would be good and their bullpen would be completely and totally stacked. That is no longer the case in the pen, but the rotation remains strong. Lackey remains their ace and is starting to pitch like one. Weaver and Kazmir get to slot in as the #2 and #3 and Saunders has been an inconsistent #4. But their bullpen, the crux of their postseason success has crumbled. KRod is gone. Shields is out for the yr. Fuentes is in, and while he has saved a bunch of games, he has really been a middle of the road reliever with the ERA over 4. And there are a bunch of inconsistent guys in the middle. Their biggest improvement has been the offense with Morales and Hunter stepping into the middle of the order, and Vlady falling back a bit due to injury. Regardless, their offense can hang with NY and Boston. Their starting pitching can hang up front with Boston and 1-3 with NYY. But their bullpen no longer has that lock down quality that they used to have, which was the absolute dagger that they could throw into the hearts of NY.

 

Boston and NY are the top two teams in the AL, and this is after the sox slipped from that ranking for a short period of time around the AS break when their pitchers went down like flies and the offense hibernated. They are 1 and 2 in run differential. Both teams clobber opponents in their venues (1 and 2 in Home records). Both teams have a rather good 1-2 punch for the playoffs. Both teams have the lights out October closer. And both teams have offenses that score.

 

So, to expound on my predictions....

 

ALE winner- NYY

ALC winner- DET

ALW winner- LAA

ALWC winner- BOS

 

First round- NYY def DET 3-1

NY with the home field and pretty much the full team advantage should take this series based on the overwhelming offensive advantage and the bullpen advantage. I would assume we split the first 2 games but close it out in Detroit with Sabathia on the hill

 

First round- BOS def LAA 3-2

The sox will have to lean heavily on their top 2 in this series IMO. They have sucked on the road this yr, but they always seem to play LAA tough in any venue. My prediction is based on Boston taking 1 of 2 in Anaheim with Lackey outlasting Beckett and the sox team sleeping through one of the games on the road. My prediction also assumes that Saunders is outlasted in game 4 in Boston with Kazmir winning game 3 vs Buchholz and the sox sending Beckett to the hill in game 5 with everything on the line.

 

Second Round- NYY def BOS 4-3

Home field advantage comes into play something fierce in this one. We can hit Beckett. We havent been hitting Lester, but outlasting him. We can hit Buchholz and any other slop you throw out there. Its gonna be a war, predicting individual games is gonna be a waste cause nothing ever comes out the way it should. But, this time around, the home field will make all the difference. I think it ends with Pettitte facing off vs Buchholz in game 7 and a possible long game going deep into the night. Would it be any other way?

[bsox0407]

The yankees have the best ERA in the AL since the break (4.05), and if we see the whole season, they have an AMAZING .10 ERA over Detroit and Boston (4.34 vs. 4.24)...

 

Also they have, as you may know, the best offense. They have .4 runs per game more than Boston, and 1.13 more runs per game than Detroit.

 

So, you can tell what you want, and hope the yanks get swept by Detroit, at the end, anything can happen in a short series, even more if is a best-of-three series, but you cant deny that the yanks have been the best team in the league overall.

 

Yankees over Phillies in 6.

 

cool you guys have played bad teams. we did have a stretch were we could not pitch like when we were in texas. 8 runs in two games by just starters.

 

Girardi thinks that joba can be a good pitcher after not pitching more than 5 innings in over a month and expects him to be amazing.

 

Burnett will implode and cc is not as good as verlander or jackson. cc has better stats because he has been saved by the offense. you cant say that the yankees offense isnt winning them games. the red sox pitching staff has had a great year. with our starting pitching getting where it needs to be right now. also key injured players coming back and getting healthy. Bay and Drew getting healthy and back to hitting the ball has helped.

 

Our pitching has helped the Sox more than the Yankees has. LESTER BUCHHOLZ BECKETT>the yankees rotation.

[bsox0407]

You can continue to pick your matchups all you want. The fact is, 1-3 Sabathia, Burnett and Pettitte can stack up with anyone's top 3. Hughes and Mariano are better than anyone's 8-9 punch in the bullpen. And our offense will roll with anyone's pitching. Put that together with probable home field in a stadium where the yankees are a ridiculous 50-22, and you have to say that NY is the favorite. Now, as we all know, that doesnt guarantee s***. But any predictions of them getting steamrolled in the early going are nothing but homerism.

 

Going team by team, I have to say that Detroit is the weakest. They do have a nice 1-2 punch of Verlander and Jackson, but Verlander really is the big #1. Jackson is still wild at times and easily waited out by a patient team. After those two, you run into a rookie in Porcello, and a guy who has been miserable since coming to Detroit in Washburn. Also, they have a bullpen that has been porous through the yr and also is missing their most important piece in Zumaya. Their offense is centered around 2 guys in Granderson and Cabrera, and as a whole has been incredibly disappointing.

 

The Angels are actually the second weakest team IMO, in the AL. Not based on record, mind you, but based on what they have become. Over the yrs, when they would steamroll us out of the playoffs, their starting pitching would be good and their bullpen would be completely and totally stacked. That is no longer the case in the pen, but the rotation remains strong. Lackey remains their ace and is starting to pitch like one. Weaver and Kazmir get to slot in as the #2 and #3 and Saunders has been an inconsistent #4. But their bullpen, the crux of their postseason success has crumbled. KRod is gone. Shields is out for the yr. Fuentes is in, and while he has saved a bunch of games, he has really been a middle of the road reliever with the ERA over 4. And there are a bunch of inconsistent guys in the middle. Their biggest improvement has been the offense with Morales and Hunter stepping into the middle of the order, and Vlady falling back a bit due to injury. Regardless, their offense can hang with NY and Boston. Their starting pitching can hang up front with Boston and 1-3 with NYY. But their bullpen no longer has that lock down quality that they used to have, which was the absolute dagger that they could throw into the hearts of NY.

 

Boston and NY are the top two teams in the AL, and this is after the sox slipped from that ranking for a short period of time around the AS break when their pitchers went down like flies and the offense hibernated. They are 1 and 2 in run differential. Both teams clobber opponents in their venues (1 and 2 in Home records). Both teams have a rather good 1-2 punch for the playoffs. Both teams have the lights out October closer. And both teams have offenses that score.

 

So, to expound on my predictions....

 

ALE winner- NYY

ALC winner- DET

ALW winner- LAA

ALWC winner- BOS

 

First round- NYY def DET 3-1

NY with the home field and pretty much the full team advantage should take this series based on the overwhelming offensive advantage and the bullpen advantage. I would assume we split the first 2 games but close it out in Detroit with Sabathia on the hill

 

First round- BOS def LAA 3-2

The sox will have to lean heavily on their top 2 in this series IMO. They have sucked on the road this yr, but they always seem to play LAA tough in any venue. My prediction is based on Boston taking 1 of 2 in Anaheim with Lackey outlasting Beckett and the sox team sleeping through one of the games on the road. My prediction also assumes that Saunders is outlasted in game 4 in Boston with Kazmir winning game 3 vs Buchholz and the sox sending Beckett to the hill in game 5 with everything on the line.

 

Second Round- NYY def BOS 4-3

Home field advantage comes into play something fierce in this one. We can hit Beckett. We havent been hitting Lester, but outlasting him. We can hit Buchholz and any other slop you throw out there. Its gonna be a war, predicting individual games is gonna be a waste cause nothing ever comes out the way it should. But, this time around, the home field will make all the difference. I think it ends with Pettitte facing off vs Buchholz in game 7 and a possible long game going deep into the night. Would it be any other way?

 

even if burnett has not pitched well in over a month against a good team. plus the angels are still a great team. they will put up a fight. teams can hit pettitte and CC ccan stop a lot of teams but as for october i have yet to be impressed. he can be beat.

[yankees228]

cool you guys have played bad teams. we did have a stretch were we could not pitch like when we were in texas. 8 runs in two games by just starters.

 

Girardi thinks that joba can be a good pitcher after not pitching more than 5 innings in over a month and expects him to be amazing.

 

Burnett will implode and cc is not as good as verlander or jackson. cc has better stats because he has been saved by the offense. you cant say that the yankees offense isnt winning them games. the red sox pitching staff has had a great year. with our starting pitching getting where it needs to be right now. also key injured players coming back and getting healthy. Bay and Drew getting healthy and back to hitting the ball has helped.

 

Our pitching has helped the Sox more than the Yankees has. LESTER BUCHHOLZ BECKETT>the yankees rotation.

 

How exactly have the Yankees played bad teams? They play in the toughest division in all of baseball.

 

Also, Joba, at least in the first round, will not start any games (if the Yankees have the best record in the AL).

[bsox0407]

How exactly have the Yankees played bad teams? They play in the toughest division in all of baseball.

 

Also, Joba, at least in the first round, will not start any games (if the Yankees have the best record in the AL).

 

BAL, TOR, OAK, SEA, CWS, KC, TB only real hard was texas who was ice cold when they got to town and the Angels coming up.

[yankees228]

BAL' date=' TOR, OAK, SEA, CWS, KC, TB only real hard was texas who was ice cold when they got to town and the Angels coming up.[/quote']

 

How is that any different from the Red Sox?

[jacksonianmarch]

Are you 12? Cause those are the exact same teams the sox have played and sucked hard against. Stop being an idiot

[Spudboy]

BAL' date=' TOR, OAK, SEA, CWS, KC, TB only real hard was texas who was ice cold when they got to town and the Angels coming up.[/quote']

 

 

wut

[Optimist]

ALDS

BOS:3 LAA: 2

NYY:3 DET:0

 

NLDS

STL: 3 COL: 2

LAD: 1 PHI: 3

 

ALCS

NYY: 4 BOS: 2

 

NLCS

STL: 4 PHI: 1

 

WS

NYY: 4 STL: 3

[26 to 6]

Yanks vs Phils in the series

I'm hoping for either a Yanks/Cards or Yanks/Dodgers series. But the fact of the matter is I dont care who we beat

[RWTP24]

I'm hoping for either a Yanks/Cards or Yanks/Dodgers series. But the fact of the matter is I dont care who we beat

 

So, seeing that the Yankees right now are the best team in baseball, how upset are you guys going to be if they don't go all the way? And are you worried about your big guns not performing like years past in the post season?