Playoff Prediction Showdown

[Beaneater]

I don't see a comprehensive playoff prediction thread around. Maybe there is one and I'm too dumb to find it.

 

Anyway, here's the place for your random guesses, clever predictions, gambling insights culled from fortune cookies, peyote-inspired visions, and other assorted prognostications. 1 point for each Division Series winner you pick, 2 for the Championship Series, and 4 for the World Series. Number of games in WS is the tiebreak. Series MVP is the double tiebreak.

 

Winner gets undying glory and maybe a custom haiku from me if he/she so desires.

 

I suck at predictions, so it might be a good idea to pick the opposite of whatever I pick. Here are my calls:

 

AL

Sox over LAAAAAA

Yanks over Twingers

Yanks over Sox (booooooooooo)

 

NL

Rox over Phils

Cards over Dodgers

Cards over Rox

 

WS

Cards over Yanks in 6 (Wainwright MVP)

 

I guess in theory this should wait until we know who the AL Central champion is, but I don't suspect that many people will be picking either of the candidates to beat the Yanks in the ALDS.

[Dojji]

Sox over Angels

Yankees over Twins

Sox over Yankees

 

Phillies over Rockies

Dodgers over Cardinals

Dodgers over Phillies

 

Sox over Dodgers in 5 (Lester MVP)

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

Sox over Angels

Yankees over Tigwins

 

Yankees over Sox

 

Rockies over Phillies

Dodgers over Cardinals

 

Dodgers over Rockies

 

Dodgers over Yankees

[Quinny]

Sox over Angels

Yankees over Twins

Sox Over Yanks

 

Phills over Rockies

Cardinals over Dodgers

Cardinals over Phillies

 

Cards over Sox in 7

[Christian Snyder]

Sox over Angels

Yankees over Twins

Sox over Yanks

 

Phillies over Rockies

Cardinals over Dodgers

Cardinals over Phillies

 

Sox over Cards in 7

[yeszir]

Nononono, you're all wrong.

 

Sox over Angels

Yankees over Tigers (I'm even predicting this game in progress!)

Sox over Yankees

 

Philles beat Rockies

Cards beat Dodgers

Phils beat Cards

 

Sox beat Phils in 6. I just want to get into fights with Phillies fans. But hopefully not fights as intense as this one.

[example1]

ALDS:

Sox over Angels 3-2

Yankees over Twins 3-0

ALCS:

Yankees over Sox: 4-1

 

NLDS:

Phillies over Rockies: 3-2

Cardinals over Dodgers: 3-0

NLCS:

Cardinals over Phillies: 4-2

 

World Series:

Yankees over Cardinals: 4-1

 

I really, really hope I'm wrong.

[ORS]

LDS

 

Angels

Yankees

Cardinals

Rockies

 

LCS

 

Yankees

Cardinals

 

WS

 

Cardinals

[yeszir]

My prediction is already wrong.

[Beaneater]

LDS

 

Angels

Yankees

Cardinals

Rockies

 

LCS

 

Yankees

Cardinals

 

WS

 

Cardinals

 

You made almost the same picks as me. That's probably a bad sign for you.

 

Care to provide tiebreakers? Or I can do them for you... Cards in 4, Smoltz MVP.

[rhet]

Red Sox over Angels

Yankees over Twins

Yankees over Red Sox

 

Phillies over Rockies

Cardinals over Dodgers

Cardinals over Phillies

 

Yankees over Cardinals in 6

[Paradisecity]

I think this should be the Yanks year but if the Halos beat us, the yanks have a curveball coming:

 

Angels over Red Sox

Yankees over Twins

Angels over Yankees

 

Phillies over Rockies

Cardinals over Dodgers

Phillies over Cardinals

 

Angels over Phillies

[BSN07]

Obviously being a Sox fan my picks may seem biased, but I will try and give a little background as to why I chose them.

 

 

Red Sox vs LAA- Red Sox win in 4 games. History says the Sox. The only SP LA has that I don't like is Kazmir. He seems to pitch good against the Sox. Beckett/Lester> Lackey/Weaver

 

NY Yankees vs Twins- Arod, CC both have playoff issues. Joba has fallen off. This isn't as cut and dry as it was say a couple months ago when the Yanks were steam rolling. The Twins are coming off a huge win and have great momentum, and we have all seen what that can do. So with the Yankees struggles in 5 game series, and the Twin momentum I'm going with the Twins in 5 games.

 

 

 

 

 

Phillies vs Rockies- I was going to go Rockies, but with De La Rosa being out I think the Phillies have too much pitching. Phillies in 5

 

 

St. Louis vs LAD- St. Louis has the pitching and the lineup. St. Louis in 3.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boston vs Twins- Sox have more pitching. I expect the Twins to be some what tired from the Yankees series, but still riding the momentum bus. Red Sox in 6 games.

 

 

St. Louis vs Phillies- This could be a really good series. Good pitching match ups, deep lineups. Phillies make a run, but in the end Carpenter and Wainwright are too much. St. Louis in 6 games

 

 

 

Red Sox vs St. Louis- Beckett/Lester= Carpenter/Wainwright. Buchholz/Dice-K > Pinerio/Lohse/Smoltz.

Sox BP > St. Louis. Red Sox in 7 games.

 

 

 

 

 

I will add if that I believe the Champion will be one of St. Louis, LAA, NYY, BOS. Obviously I chose the path that leads to a Red Sox WS championship. But I fully expect the Champions to be one of the four.

[yankees228]

Obviously being a Sox fan my picks may seem biased, but I will try and give a little background as to why I chose them.

 

 

Red Sox vs LAA- Red Sox win in 4 games. History says the Sox. The only SP LA has that I don't like is Kazmir. He seems to pitch good against the Sox. Beckett/Lester> Lackey/Weaver

 

NY Yankees vs Twins- Arod, CC both have playoff issues. Joba has fallen off. This isn't as cut and dry as it was say a couple months ago when the Yanks were steam rolling. The Twins are coming off a huge win and have great momentum, and we have all seen what that can do. So with the Yankees struggles in 5 game series, and the Twin momentum I'm going with the Twins in 5 games.

 

 

 

 

 

Phillies vs Rockies- I was going to go Rockies, but with De La Rosa being out I think the Phillies have too much pitching. Phillies in 5

 

 

St. Louis vs LAD- St. Louis has the pitching and the lineup. St. Louis in 3.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boston vs Twins- Sox have more pitching. I expect the Twins to be some what tired from the Yankees series, but still riding the momentum bus. Red Sox in 6 games.

 

 

St. Louis vs Phillies- This could be a really good series. Good pitching match ups, deep lineups. Phillies make a run, but in the end Carpenter and Wainwright are too much. St. Louis in 6 games

 

 

 

Red Sox vs St. Louis- Beckett/Lester= Carpenter/Wainwright. Buchholz/Dice-K > Pinerio/Lohse/Smoltz.

Sox BP > St. Louis. Red Sox in 7 games.

 

 

 

 

 

I will add if that I believe the Champion will be one of St. Louis, LAA, NYY, BOS. Obviously I chose the path that leads to a Red Sox WS championship. But I fully expect the Champions to be one of the four.

 

You cite the Red Sox past success against the Angels as a reason why the Red Sox will win.

 

You don't mention the Yankees' past success against the Twins.

 

That reeks of bias.

[RWTP24]

You cite the Red Sox past success against the Angels as a reason why the Red Sox will win.

 

You don't mention the Yankees' past success against the Twins.

 

That reeks of bias.

 

Oh come on, the Yankees are only 7-0 over the Twins. That is not that good at all.

 

All that is funny as hell, because there are a number of people were rooting for the Twins to beat the Tigers and you should clearly know the Twins suck. They have no pitching at all.

 

Yankees will win this series.

 

Also, I think he was saying that CC has not been very good in the playoffs and ARod suck big time as well. If I remember right, ARod has 1 RBI in something like 58 AB. So, with that said, if those guys struggle, the Yankees might have a little bit of an issue.

[Dipre]

Oh come on, the Yankees are only 7-0 over the Twins. That is not that good at all.

 

All that is funny as hell, because there are a number of people were rooting for the Twins to beat the Tigers and you should clearly know the Twins suck. They have no pitching at all.

 

Yankees will win this series.

 

Also, I think he was saying that CC has not been very good in the playoffs and ARod suck big time as well. If I remember right, ARod has 1 RBI in something like 58 AB. So, with that said, if those guys struggle, the Yankees might have a little bit of an issue.

 

Everyone on the Yankees can struggle and Gardenhire will still find a way to lose the series.

 

The man is terrified of the Yankees.

[yankees228]

Oh come on, the Yankees are only 7-0 over the Twins. That is not that good at all.

 

All that is funny as hell, because there are a number of people were rooting for the Twins to beat the Tigers and you should clearly know the Twins suck. They have no pitching at all.

 

Yankees will win this series.

 

Also, I think he was saying that CC has not been very good in the playoffs and ARod suck big time as well. If I remember right, ARod has 1 RBI in something like 58 AB. So, with that said, if those guys struggle, the Yankees might have a little bit of an issue.

 

I never said the Yankees will win the series. My only point was that BSN's logic is flawed, intentionally or unintentionally.

 

You cannot factor in past history in once instance, and then completely ignore it in another instance.

[rhet]

If I remember right' date=' ARod has 1 RBI in something like 58 AB. [/quote']

 

That means nothing,

because Theo said RBIs are meaningless.

 

[Dipre]

That means nothing' date='[/b']

because Theo said RBIs are meaningless.

 

 

It does mean nothing.

[RWTP24]

That means nothing,

because Theo said RBIs are meaningless.

 

 

Ok, you need to stop that.. Holy hell, go listen to what he was saying again. When he was talking about Drew, he was saying, where Drew is batting in the lineup, we do not need him to get a bunch of RBI's. We need Drew to do what Drew does every day, get on base.

[jacksonianmarch]

s*** luck plays into a lot of this. Theoretically, the Twins shouldnt even take one game. They have a worse lineup by far. They have a worse 1-2 punch at the end of the bullpen by far. And they have a worse rotation by far. Heck, even the defense is about even. The Twins have no advantages over NY, but the game of baseball can be funny sometimes.

 

That being said, the best playoff pitchers we seem to remember are all power pitchers. And a rotation of Duensing, Pavano, Baker is about as powerless as you get. Looking to NY, CC, AJ and Joba are all power pitchers, so we should win this series hands down. But, a hot team coming in with the right attitude and they get the calls and the bounces can win any series

[yankees228]

Joba is not going to start a DS game.

[TheKilo]

Sox in 4

Yankees in 3

 

Phillies in 4

Cardinals in 4

 

Sox in 7

Cardinals in 6

 

Sox in 6

[msubulldogs21]

Red Sox in 5

Yankees in 3

 

Cardinals in 4

Phillies in 5

 

Yankees in 6

Cardinals in 7

 

Yankees in 6

[Beaneater]

Sox in 4

Yankees in 3

 

Phillies in 4

Cardinals in 4

 

Sox in 7

Cardinals in 6

 

Sox in 6

 

From your keyboard to God's ears.

[Beaneater]

Well, I'm not sure how much we care about baseball at this point, but here's an update on the Showdown. Each participant has some points (or point) in hand, with the chance to get more if things fall their way. Here's the rundown:

 

beaneater - 1 point, max of 3

Dojji - 3 points, max of 5

Jacoby_Ellsbury - 2 points, max of 10

Quinny - 2 points, max of 2

Christian Snyder - 2 points, max of 2

yeszir - 2 points, max of 2

example1 - 2 points, max of 8

ORS - 2 points, max of 4

rhet - 2 points, max of 8

Paradisecity - 3 points, max of 11

BSN07 - 1 point, max of 1

TheKilo - 2 points, max of 2

msubulldogs21 - 2 points, max of 8

 

Paradisecity will walk away with it if the Angels win it all. Several others will do well if the Yanks win. BSN07 gets the prestigious "First to be Assured Last Place" Award, thanks to his courageous pick of Twins over Yanks. I may still join him with 1 whopping point.

 

Anyone have rooting preferences among the remaining teams (obviously there's no need to voice an opinion about the Yankees)? My second team was going to be the Rox -- I have a brother who's been in CO for many years so I root for them by osmosis or something. I dislike the Phils and am pretty much neutral about the Dodgers. So I guess it's Angels by default.

 

Then again, considering that my preferred teams went 0 for 4 in the first round, maybe I should trick the baseball gods into thinking I'm rooting for someone else. Hey, uh, go Yankees! Yeah, Yanks-Phillies in the WS all the way!

[rhet]

Nicely done, beaneater.

[Beaneater]

Well, here's the pre-WS update:

 

Beaneater - 3 points, 3 max

Dojji - 3 points, 3 max

Jacoby_Ellsbury - 4 points, 4 max

Quinny - 2 points, 2 max

Christian Snyder - 2 points, 2 max

yeszir - 4 points, 4 max

example1 - 4 points, 8 max

ORS - 4 points, 4 max

rhet - 4 points, 8 max

Paradisecity - 5 points, 5 max

BSN07 - 1 point, 1 max

TheKilo - 2 points, 2 max

msubulldogs21 - 4 points, 8 max

 

Basically, if the Phillies win, Paradisecity is the the talksox champ. If the Yanks win, example1, rhet, and msubulldogs21 share the crown.

 

So the teams I'm rooting for are 0 for 6 this postseason. All it will take is a Yankees victory to seal the craptacularness of this October.

[Beaneater]

OK, final results here. example1, rhet, and msubulldogs21 all finished atop the board with 8 points. rhet and msubulldogs21 nailed the first tiebreak -- a 6-game World Series. Neither of them bothered to fill in a WS MVP, so they're both disqualified and I declare myself the winner.

 

On second thought, maybe I've been in the Third World too long. That's how elections here work half the time.

 

The prizes, custom haikus, will be forthcoming. I will even generously donate one full haiku for each winner.

 

And yes, with the Yankees' WS win, this postseason pretty much qualifies as the most useless waste of time in playoff history. Seriously -- the teams I was rooting for went 6-24 this postseason. That bites.

[Beaneater]

Here's msubulldogs21's prize:

 

Autumn's last chill rain

Falls on steaming asphalt--

More pink Yanks hats now

 

And rhet's:

 

rhet wins talksox pool

A Bronx win becomes his own--

Cold, tainted vict'ry

 

Feel free to have them printed on T-shirts.