2003 ML Baseball Playoff Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

Hello, baseball fans! This thread is for the discussion of the playoff for Major League Baseball.

Please discuss anything non-playoff-related in the 2003 MLB thread.

Discuss away!

I'm not really sure how the Braves/Cubs will turn out. I think the Cubs pitchers will do well, regardless of how poorly they did in june, but I think the Braves will jump all over that bullpen. Who knows though, it really depends on the Braves offense. If they don't score 5-6 runs then they are in trouble. Prior gave up 6 runs to them earlier this year, so it's possible. Wood and Ortiz can have really bad off days, so can Hampton and Maddux. I've seen the Braves all year not get much out of good starting pitching, but when they get pulled in the 7th they stomp the bullpen. Hoping that will happen against the Cubs because I expect Prior and Wood to pitch very well. But I wouldn't be surprised for the Braves to get knocked our early, again. Play good all year and forget to bring their bats to postseason, yeh it could happen.

No clue on Florida. They are playing really good right now but I see the Giants winning.

AL, I'll be pulling for the Sox. I really would love to see a Braves/Sox world series. Terrible bullpens, good offense, good matchup. Plus I want to see our righties get to play at Fenway. The worst thing that could happen is for Clemens to get a world series ring in his last year. Go twins.

I'm am cautiously optimistic about the Braves chances. If the bats show up, the Braves have a real good chance. If the bats are silent and the Braves have to rely on their bullpen to win games, it's going to be over quick for them.

For some reason, none of the teams in the NL make me all that nervous. It's a matter of who gets hot starting tomorrow.

Boston's bats scares me. New York doesn't scare me, neither does Oakland. The Twins are a mystery to me.

Let me be the very first (in this thread) to mention The Curse of the Bambino.

Or, put another way, Boston has no chance.

Dick.

.
.
.
.
.



Seriously, though... It's high time someone killed Dan Shaugnessey for popularizing that stupid idea. And for wasting column-inches in the Globe. And appearing on NESN. And the radio. And...

And who really wants to bring that foolishness up when there's good baseball to be played here and now?

Going to tomorrow's Yanks-Twins game. Seats seem to be in the front row of the upper deck down the 3rd base line. I think I'll have to make up a bunch of Bullwinkle posters to hang up when the Moose strikes out Twins' batters.
It pains me to admit it but, I think the Yanks are very beatable despite winning 101 games (thank you unbalanced schedule!). Our bullpen scares me. The formula of 6-7 innings from the starter, then 2 from the set-up guy and 1 from Mo is broke. The starters can go the 6, but the bullpen is the weak link. We'll see if Nelson still has it. Here's another thing that is painful for me to admit, Mo Rivera is hittable ! He still throws in the upper 90's, but seems to have lost the late hop on his fastball.
Oh well, let the games begin !

I'm happy the A's are underdogs. No MVP, no Cy Young. Just a crappy team ready to lose again in the first series.

Go A's!

I seem to have good luck in the "Virtual Waiting Room."

PC: In once - single for ALCS #4
G4 Tower: In twice - 4 for ALCS #3, 2 for ALCS #5
PBG4: In once - second single for ALCS #4

Most likely I'll be losing out on the games to family, unless I can get two days off to fly to and from. I wish I had my Sept schedule in Oct. When do Twins ALCS tickets go on sale? They're closer to me at this point than Fenway.

(While I was typing this I got in again on the G4, but it appears all the tickets are gone and I'm back in the MLB level WR (not the regular one) while they check for more tickets.)

Braves are sold out. I guess you can thank Cubs fans for that more than Braves fans.

ESPN poll.

1) Which team's pitching staff would you want heading into the playoffs?

40.9% Cubs

18.2% A's

17.1% Yankees

6.6% Red Sox

6.2% Braves

4.5% Giants

4.5% Twins

2.0% Marlins


2) Who will be MVP of the Red Sox-A's series?

29.9% Pedro Martinez

18.0% Manny Ramirez

17.1% Nomar Garciaparra

12.9% Other

11.7% Miguel Tejada

6.2% Tim Hudson

4.1% Eric Chavez


3) Will the Twins upset the Yankees?

63.9% No

36.1% Yes


4) Which player would you most like to see get a World Series ring?

34.9% Sammy Sosa

34.4% Barry Bonds

30.7% Pedro Martinez


5) If the Cubs and Red Sox were to meet in the World Series, who would win?

55.6% Red Sox

44.4% Cubs


6) Will the Florida Marlins give Barry Bonds any pitches to hit?

56.0% No.

28.8% Yes. They will challenge him and lose.

15.2% Yes. They will challenge him and win.


7) Who will represent the American League in the World Series?

47.9% Red Sox

31.3% Yankees

11.8% A's

9.0% Twins


8) Who will represent the National League in the World Series?

36.9% Cubs

36.2% Giants

22.0% Braves

4.8% Marlins


9) Who will win the World Series?

25.3% Red Sox

19.8% Yankees

18.1% Cubs

14.2% Giants

10.3% Braves

5.8% Twins

4.5% A's

2.0% Marlins


Total Votes: 95,519

My divisional series picks:

Braves in 4
Yankees in 4
Giants in 5
Red Sox in 5

2.0% ???

I think people are really underestimating the Marlins

Sox in 4 (Oakland has better pitching, but the Sox offense is a monster and they will tailor their pitching to the park)

Twins in 5 (Same kind of offense that will exploit the Yankees' defensive shortcomings that the Angels had last year)

Giants in 3 (Marlins squeaked in, Giants a force)

Braves in 4 (Dusty Baker will do something incomprehensible)

The battle of the payrolls is about to start.
The Yankees' with seven players with over $10 mil contracts & $180 Mil+ team payroll.
The Twins with no $10 Mil contracts and $50 Mil team payroll.
Today I think the Twins pull it out late 4-6 with Twins take the series in five.
Play ball

Javy Lopez put his big foot in his big mouth (saying that basically the Braves were going to kick the Cubs to the curb in this playoff series). Today he couldn't deny it, so he just owned up to it, and what is is what it is.

Bernie Williams need to take some of that payroll and buy a new throwing arm.

Good news is that Shane Reynolds did not make the playoff roster, I only hope the same is true of Roberto Hernandez.

Naturally I am p-o'd that the M's blew their lead and are watching the playoofs on TV again.

I am rooting for the Cubs to beat the Red Sox in seven (somehow the Red Sox again will blow the chance to win in Game 6 and lose it all in Boston in Game 7).

After watching The Curse of the Bambino on HBO I hope the Red Sox never win.