Detroit Tigers: Real or Footnote?

It's been a while, but let's see if I've still got this. I was happy to attend the Labor Day game at Progressive Field (Indians vs. Tigers), and thought for a while my Tribe was still in it. That was until Ubaldo Jimenez left a pitch over the plate that even I could crush for Victor Martinez. That's kind of like leaving a buffet in front of a fat man, it won't last long and boy are you going to be paying for that!

Then, when it looked like a comeback might be upon us, Doug Fister turns into freakin' Cy Young and Jhonny Peralta decides to grab his gold glove (we could have used that when you were in Cleveland, you putz). As I watched the remnants of the 2007 Tribe put the final dagger through the hearts of their 2011 counterpart, it occurred to me, these guys really peaked at the right time.

But the more I thought about it, and the more nachos I downed to ease the pain of another Indians season, I realized the Detroit Tigers will be nothing more than a footnote on the 2011 MLB Postseason. Whoever comes out of the AL Central will be staring down the barrel of either the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox. The Yankees seem to hit home runs at will, and even with Bartolo Colon & AJ Burnett in their rotation they still find a way to win. I would not want to go into Yankee Stadium and stare down CC Sabathia in Game 1. CC's at 19 wins already, and if it weren't for Justin Verlander he would be in the discussion for AL Cy Young. Ivan Nova is a solid, young pitcher who has handled the AL East well. I would not doubt his continued success in the postseason.

Boston is a little more questionable, but when you field a lineup that includes Adrian Gonzalez, Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, & David Ortiz, you really don't have to worry about scoring runs. What you should worry about is how badly you're about lay the smackdown on the opposition (or their "candy asses" as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson would kindly remind us).

It's always been said hitting wins games, pitching wins championships. That's all well and good. But look at Detroit's rotation beyond Verlander. Impressed? Me neither. Doug Fister was a consolation prize when Detroit lost out on the big name pitchers at the trade deadline. Rick Porcello is a hot & cold pitcher; one minute unhittable, the next the Little League World Series Champions could tee off on him. Brad Penny can't seem to find what he had in 2006 & 2007 with the Dodgers- talent. I must admit I like Max Scherzer. I've liked him since he started his major league career in Arizona. But he has yet to prove he can handle the #2 spot in the rotation.

Bottom Line: Justin Verlander is an incredible pitcher, but he can't pitch every game. And that's the only way Detroit can stop New York or Boston.

(Editor's Note: This was kind of fun. Maybe I should do it again sometime?)

Cash Cow, Baseball & Congressional Playoffs

Just how much is a left handed starting pitcher worth these days? I would think it is not as much as CC (Cash Cow) Sabathia will be making as a member of the New York Yankees. It seemed common logic Sabathia was going to be a very wealthy man in 2009, but the rediculous amount of money being thrown at a pitcher who has one of the worst postseason records of any Cy Young winner in the past decade leaves me wondering just what the Yankees won't do to bring a championship to their new home. With the economy in a state of shock, and investors unsure what to throw their pots of gold into, the Yankees' deal with CC is the biggest middle finger to the working class that could be made. Not only did they overpay, but they did so at a time where their fans' wallets are getting lighter. And they aren't done yet. This is one of the biggest reasons why the Yankees are so hated by the rest of the country. What will it take to get the Steinbrenners to close their wallet and use some "home-grown" talent to win some throphies?

It's times like these that I wish I had spent more time working on my fastball and less time on "i before e except after c."

On a positive note, the World Baseball Classic is returning in 2009. I really like the idea behind this, and I hope that the tv networks get their coverage right this time around. The last time it was held, in 2006, nearly half of the games were presented with abbreviated video. However, the advent of the MLB Network gives me hope. Competiton drives invention and a desire to succeed. Hopefully, ESPN will use this as a chance to deliver a better tv product this time around. In other words, show the whole game or don't show it at all!

The wonderful folks up in Bristol (ESPN) broke a story today on their Outside the Lines program that made me laugh. Apparently there is only one thing Republicans & Democrats can agree on, college football needs a playoff. And they want to do something about it. The planned legislation does not specify how the playoff system would be implemented, but it is clear on one thing: The BCS needs to go. It seems anyone who has watched one snap of college football has an idea of how to fix the BCS mess. Most will cite the March Madness college basketball tournament as a reason for why the playoff is needed for football. March Madness is one of the most lucrative tv contracts in all of sports and is currently owned by CBS. The network does a tremendous job of promoting, televising, and analyzing the games since they picked up the contract for the games in 1991. Nearly 20 years later, the Madness has thrived on CBS and the station has become synoymous with the March basketball.

Now, imagine if in 2010 when ESPN picks up the rights to the BCS that instead, we have a playoff system in place. The possiblities of some of those useless bowl games actually mattering would have fans salivating. Now, I have a reason to tune in for the Allstate Sugar Bowl because a team's chances of winning a National Championship will be ended within 4 quarters of play. It gives those games a sense of importance and urgency, which are two things sports thrive on. Why else would fans wish for a Game 7 in other sports?

Who would have thought I would agree with congress on something? The playoff system is long overdue for college football. There should be no guess work in determining the National Champion. No one wants to share the throphy. And congress is going to make sure that no one has to share a throphy again.

I was deeply disappointed to hear that Petty Enterprises has released 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Champion Bobby Labonte amid concerns of no sponsorship. Times are tough, especially when one of the crowned jewels of the sport is forced to merge with another team just to make ends meet. The year 2009 will not be a kind one to NASCAR; I certainly hope Brian France has a plan to keep teams afloat this season, or we may be left watching Hendrick Motorsports battle Roush-Fenway Racing for the championship. Oh wait, we already did. Oh well.

Another sad note for NASCAR fans, the Wood Brothers team, another staple of the Cup Series garage for over 50 years, announced plans earlier this week to cut its racing schedule drastically. They will no longer run a full season, and their plans for the Truck Series have also been put into question. I hope this is not a sign of things to come for NASCAR, but with two of the most legendary teams in desperate trouble things do not look promising. Looks like Jimmie Johnson's road to the 4 in a row is going to be easier than previously thought.

Thanks for stopping by, and next time wipe your freaking feet off on the door mat!

MLB Playoffs Preview

First, let me apologize for some of the missing elements of this page. The Soapbox is currently undergoing reconstruction. I'm currently looking for a really cool blogger template to brighten things here, and I have very little knowledge of HTML, so if anyone knows how to increase the width of the blog columns. I have found a really cool template, but the columns are just too freaking narrow!

Alright, enough of the house cleaning, let's get down to baseball! This is the time of year that I can't get enough of! This is the reason 32 teams play 162 games for 6 months straight. This is the Playoffs, where one loss could cost you the championship! Eight teams, four per league are vying for the right to play for the title. While I'm not going to say I did great with my picks last year, I am hoping to bounce back this year.

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What I like about this series, is the story of redemption. Last year, the Sox sweeped the Angels taking two at Fenway Park then finishing them off at Angel Stadium. This year, the Angels could do to Boston what the Red Sox did to the Angels. I like the team the Angels have. Good starting pitching with John Lackey and Ervin Santana, plus the best closer in the majors in Francisco Rodriguez. Couple that with the two big acquistions of Torii Hunter and Mark Texiera, and I see a team that is being overlooked. And they will use that to their advantage to surprise the Red Sox and knock off the defending Champions.

My Pick- Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 3 games.

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Who would have thought the "devil" was keeping down the Rays? I have enjoyed watching the young Rays shock the baseball world this season. Really, who picked the Rays to win the AL East at the beginning of the season? And who could have imagined that it would take a one-game playoff between the White Sox and the Twins to decide the AL Central, which many handed to the Cleveland Indians right out of Spring Training? The point is, going by conventional wisdom usually leads to predicitions that are just plain wrong. I've waffled on this pick since late last night. On one hand, you have the ChiSox momentum, coming out of the regular season winning two "do or die" games. The last team to do that, was last year's Colorado Rockies, and they made it all the way to the World Series. On the other hand, the Rays have come out of nowhere this season and have left a huge imprint on the entire 2008 season. It's hard to choose, so I'm going to go with my gut here.

My Pick- Tampa Bay Rays in 4 games.

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Has there been a time when Chicago has been any more excited? Both teams in the playoffs for the first time since 1906, when the White Sox won the championship. Could it be the Cubs' time to shine? Not if the Dodgers have anything to say about it! Many are considering the trade for Manny Ramirez one of the best trades of this season. It was absolutely key to getting the Dodgers to the playoffs, but I don't think it is enough to keep them going in the playoffs. It has been 100 years since the Cubs won their last World Series championship, and this series is going to be one of the biggest tests.

My pick- Chicago Cubs in 5 games.

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If there's any series I'm looking forward to, it's this one. The Phillies had a rough NLDS last year, as they were swept, at home by a surging Colorado. This year, they face another surging team, the Brewers. CC Sabathia has been the best pitcher in the NL since being traded by the Indians. He has put the Brewers on his back and has carried them to October baseball. This will be Sabathia's second trip to the postseason in a row, and I hope for Milwaukee's sake he has learned from his many mistakes last year. But I do not think he has, and that will hurt the Brew Crew.

My Pick- Philadelphia Phillies in 4 games.

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I like the boppers of the Angels. There is some serious power in that lineup! Having home-field advantage can only help the Angels, but as much as I like the Angels I just have this feeling in my gut that the Rays are the team to beat in the American League. I had that same feeling last year about Boston, and I foolishly ignored it. I won't be doing that again!

My Pick- Tampa Bay Rays in 5 games.

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The season series between these two was very close, with Philly winning it 4-3. I like the Cubs in this series. Their pitching is good, they have the bats in the lineup to get the job done, and they have Lou Pinella who knows how to handle October baseball. Philly is good, don't get me wrong, and this series is so close it really could go either way. The one question I have about the Phillies is Brad Lidge. He won the NL Comeback Player of the Year, but I question his reliablity in pressure situations. If you recall this is the same closer who could not get the job done for the Houston Astros in 2005. That is not something you can fully recover from. And I feel like it will rear its head again in 2008.

My Pick- Chicago Cubs in 7 games.

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Holy cow! Rays & Cubs? How the hell did that happen? We have a team that has never even sniffed the postseason until 2008 going up against a team that has not won a World Series Championship in 100 years! I think this series is one of the best possiblilties of the postseason. I would love to see what the Rays lineup would do against Carlos Zambrano. Or how about Kosuke Fukudome going against Troy Percival with the game on-the-line? The possiblilities are endless! Now for the tough part. Who would win in the this series? As much as I love the youth of the Rays, the Cubs' experience is a big key to this series. As much as I would love to see the Rays pull off the biggest shocker in MLB history with the ultimate worst to first story, I don't see it happening.

World Series Champions- Chicago Cubs in 5 games.

So, 100 years after their last World Series Championship, the Chicago Cubs will bring the title home to their very excited fans in a story bigger than that of the Red Sox in 2004! I'm sure that makes a lot of you happy. And I'm sure those of you who have followed my picks in the past know that I have cursed every team I picked last season. So some Cubs fans might be angry with me, but that's my preview of the 2008 MLB Postseason. So I ask you now, who are your picks?