MLB 2004

[Nicklab]

That's a bigtime record to break.  Congrats Ichiro!  Too bad it's been mired with some controversy.  Some baseball purists were suggesting that Ichiro's record should have something akin to an asterisk next to it since he acheived this in the era of the 162 game series.  Hasn't anyone learned from the terribly time Roger Maris was put through when he held the single season homerun record?  The stupidity of some people is really staggering at times.

[JediMAC]

How awesome is it that the A's and Angels get to decide the West in a best of 3 final series?

Just about as awesome as the fact that their two National League local counterparts are doing the exact same thing.   

Makin' my head spin this past week!

But the Halos definitely took care of business tonight, clocking in a 10-0 drudging of the A's.  Still nervous about the next couple games though.  Gotta win just ONE more!  Same goes for the Dodgers, who didn't come out to play tonight, and looked lethargic against the Giants.  Lead's down to 2.  I wouldn't be totally shocked to see the Giants take all three, that I've gotta think/hope that it's highly doubtful.

And as much as I hate Bonds, it really sucks to watch us (or anyone else for that matter) intentionally walk the guy when he's LEADING OFF an inning with no one on, and no outs.  That's embarrassing for us and for baseball, and the rules should be changed where the batter is awarded SECOND base on some bull**** kinda walk like that.   

And congrats to Ichiro as well.  Incredible achievement with the alltime single season hits record there...   

[Holographic Elvis]

Congrats to Ichiro.  Very impressive accomplishment.

I'm stunned at how bad the A's have played this last month and a half.  Had they played the way they've played the last few years in the second half, they would have run away with this thing.  Everyone in the West was struggling.  I'm amazed at how bad Mulder has been as well.  The pressure is on now.  They've gotta win the next 2.  If not, hats off to the Angels and I'll be pulling for them in the postseason against the Red Sox.

[Darth Kenobi]

Angels WIN  . 
I'm going to my first playoffs every soon.

[Dressel Rebel]

Well, it's all set.  The 8 playoff teams are Astros, Braves, Dodgers, Cardinals, Yankees, Red Sox, Twins, and Angels.

[Scott]

Yanks and Twins in the first round if the Angels win tomorrow or Minnesota loses either game

The game today was suspended because they had to get the Metrodome ready for the Gopher game tonight...weird

[Holographic Elvis]

Well, it's all set.  The 8 playoff teams are Astros, Braves, Dodgers, Cardinals, Yankees, Red Sox, Twins, and Angels.

Not yet.  Astros have to win today.

Congrats to the Angels.  They earned it.  Now here's hoping they get the Sox so they can wax them.

[JediMAC]

Wow.  Yesterday will definitely go down as one of the greatest days in my sports fandom history.  I'm sitting there in the 7th/8th innings of both the Dodgers and Angels games, screaminig obsenities and shouting at my wife how ****** up it was that NEITHER of my teams was going to make the playoffs...

Then, RALLY TIME.  Angels chip away and pull out another amazing comeback against the A's, at which point I tell the Mrs. "well, I did say I'd take the Angels over the Dodgers", so I'm one happy MF right then.  Haven't won the division in almost 20 years (got in with the Wild Card a couple years ago).

So after reveling in the Angels celebrating for about 15 minutes, I finally switched back over to the Dodger game for good, to endure the last inning or so of pain.  Well, I think you all saw what happened there.  Unbelievable.  Topped by Finley's walk off grand slam...  Did I mention unbelievable?  What a moment.

So we stunningly pulled off both division championships within 29 minutes of eachother.  I'm one happy man.  Exhausted too, from switching back and forth between channels between practically every single pitch of both games.  Sheesh!  But getting the Dodgers AND the Angels in the playoffs in the same season for the first time EVER was well worth the worn out thumb muscle!   

But what's odd, is that I won't feel like the Dodgers victory is really complete until the Giants are completely eliminated from the playoffs.  Seeing them (and Bonds) left out is almost as good as us getting in.  So today's game is still pretty damned important in that respect.  It'd be the icing on the cake if we could knock them out of the playoff picture today.  At least the Astros have Clemens pitching today, so that should definitely help them get the W they need.   

Woohoo!  I want my Freeway World Series!!!   

[Holographic Elvis]

Well no Clemens today Matt, but Brandon Backe is doing the job thus far.  5-2 'Stros at the moment.

I'm not a Dodger fan by any stretch, but that was an amazing moment yesterday that I won't soon forget.  Bonds not making the playoffs is great, so the Dodgers are the lesser of 2 evils. 

I was impressed that the A's did what they did this year because this was by far their weakest club in the last 5 years.  The bullpen was horrendous and neither Arthur Rhodes nor Dotel were the answer at closer, so even had the A's gotten into the postseason, I doubt they'd have made any noise in round 1.  I had picked the Angels to win the West based on their offseason moves, so I'm really not surprised they won.  I think it's great that they did too.  They have a chance to make some noise and go deep into the postseason. 

The NL playoffs are going to be interesting.  If the Cards pitching holds up, I think they will take it all the way.  They'll get the Blue Crew if the 'Stros hang on and win. 

As a side note, I read in the Sporting News this week that the Angels may make a run at Pedro Martinez this offseason.  I also think the A's will shop Barry Zito.  I'd love to see the Angels get him.

[Jedi Idej]

Lord, please have mercy on the Dodgers, the Angels, JediMAC and Holographic Elvis, when you plunge southern California into the Pacific Ocean on their way to hell.

[Dressel Rebel]

Well, it's all set.  The 8 playoff teams are Astros, Braves, Dodgers, Cardinals, Yankees, Red Sox, Twins, and Angels.

Not yet.  Astros have to win today.

Yeah I know, but if the Astros win and Giants lose, both win, or both lose, then the Astros are in.  The only of the 4 combinations that could have forced a one game playoff would have been Giants winning and 'stros losing.

At any rate, Astros vs. Braves round 1.

[Scott]

I've been absolutely PATHETIC in my picks of division champs the last 3 years but here goes

AL East: NY Yankees
AL Central: Kansas City Royals (same spot the Twins were in 2 years ago, they are hungry and have gotten better while the Twins got worse)
AL West: Oakland A's (pitching wins baby)
AL Wild Card: Boston Red Sox

NL East: Philadelphia Phillies (I think I've picked them 3 straight times, bastards)
NL Central: Chicago Cubs (too many weapons plus they added more from last year)
NL West: San Franscisco Giants
NL Wild Card: Houston Astros (see Oakland)

National League Champs: Chicago Cubs
American League Champs: New York Yankees

World Series Champion: Chicago Cubs

As much as I hate damn Cubs fans and the 80 million bandwagon jumpers they get when they make the playoffs, I think they have a real shot at winning it all.  LaTroy Hawkins was a huge signing, he absoultely shuts teams down in the 7th and 8th when he most needed, something the Cubs really need.  Sosa, Alou, Ramirez, Patterson and Lee make for a really solid line up and Prior (when he gets back) Wood and Clement are pretty solid 1, 2, 3.  Its their year, God help us all

2 for 4 in the AL, 1 for 4 in the NL   Great Work OCB

So...Round 1

AL Playoffs

Twins over Yankees in 4
Red Sox over Angels in 5

NL Playoffs

Cardinals over Dodgers in 4
Astros over Braves in 5

One thing that has me chewing my fingernails to nubs is the Twins Middle Relief, those guys have fallen apart at the end of the year.  And you can't do that with the Yankees, they'll kill ya

Santana for 2 means that Radke or Silva needs to win 1 game, I think its more than possible that there will be an upset, in fact its gonna happen.  How can it not with basically the same teams minus Clemens and Pettite and Wells from last year?  Sorry New Yorkers, not gonna happen again!

[Jeff]

I, too, am a crappy division-winner chooser, but it never stops me from trying...

AL East: New York Yankees
AL Central:  Minnesota Twins
AL West: Oakland A's
AL Wild Card: Toronto Blue Jays

NL East: Atlanta Braves
NL Central: Chicago Cubs
NL West: LA Dodgers
NL Wild Card: Houston Astros

2/4 in the AL, 3/4 in the NL.

Would have had 3/4 in the AL if Oakland hadn't choked the last weekend of the year 

And, to those who scoffed at my pick of the Dodgers way back in March, *cough*Dressel*cough* to you I say, "HA!".

 


Now, for the Playoffs:

Twins over Yanks in 5
Red Sox over the Halos in 3

Red Birds over the Dodgers in 3
Astros over the Braves in 5

[Holographic Elvis]

Not sure I even made picks since I didn't register until just recently, so here's mine for the playoffs:

ALDS
Angels over Red Sox in 5
Yankees over Twins in 4

NLDS
Cards over Dodgers in 5
Braves over Astros in 5

ALCS
Angels over Yankees in 6

NLCS
Cards over Braves in 5

World Series
Cards over Angels in 6

I don't like to pick against the Yankees this time of year, but the Angels are hot right now and I've just seen too many teams ride that wave into the postseason and go far.  Same can be said for the Astros, but I like the Braves head-to-head against them.

[Mikey D]

I'll save myself the embarrassment of posting my choices.  Let's just say that only three are going to the playoffs and only one of those finished where I predicted But hey, at least the Mariners were in it until early May.

Playoff picks:
-Twins over Yankees in 5.  The stuff that helped the Yankees in the playoffs previously, pitching, is really going to hurt them.  
-Red Sox over Angels in 4.  The Halos are hot, but it's not like the Sox have been playing ****** ball lately.  Plus the Angels might be tired, having played hard until the final days, where as the Sox have been resting up for almost a week.

-Cardinals over Dogders in 4.  Better team the entire season wins here.
-Astros over Braves in 4.  Clemens and Oswalt in a five game series? Tough to win.