dtheriault

AL:

Boston:
Shilling, Martinez: Foulke (Iffy) (Plus best team hitting stats in MLB)
Minnesota: Best Team Pitching in American League
Santana, Radke/Silva: Nathan
New York no (Unless they have a lead late)
A’s no:
Angels: maybe (second best team pitching in AL: best bullpen/tied with Boston for best batting average in MLB- the combination of the last two makes them dangerous until the last out)

NL

Atlanta:
Wright, Thompson, Oritz, Hampton (Imagine putting one of these guys in the bullpen for long relief if someone gets rocked early) Plus Smoltz in relief.
St. Louis:
Carpenter, Marquis, Suppan, Williams, Morris (Best 5 man rotation in baseball- don’t know how it will work in the playoffs) Closer: Isringhausen
Houston:
Clemens and Oswalt make a nice 1-2 punch, but I don’t know about the rest of the staff
Cubs:
Zambrano and Maddux: the rest of the staff scares me.
Dodgers and Giants: (except for Gagne and Schmidt the rest of their pitching is smoke and mirrors)

Final Analysis:

For baseball’s sake I would love to see the Sox play the Cubs in the series, but I think it will be the Sox (Shilling will make the difference this year) playing Bobby and the Braves. Although I wouldn’t count out my local team, the Angels, to make a run for the title.

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Glory's Sun

my dream series is also the sox and cubbies..but if the two met I'm sure that the cubbies pitching would control the game. I don't think anyone can stop the cards this year but I'm really hoping my sox can do it. The Stanks have gone to crap as far as their farm system and their pitching isn't close to what it used to be. Boston needs to take advantage of this before Georgie Poo can get his check-book out.

Delirious

LOL you must be a Boston fan.. You are listing Pedro Martinez and Keith Foulke yet you haven't listed any Yankee pitchers~ Pedro's best pitching days are long gone and NY is his daddy now.. And Rivera blows away Foulke any day of the week... Yankees have the best bullpen and that is what wins them games. 60 come from behind wins this year so far which beats the MLB record of 58 and is why I would say the NY bullpen is one of the best all-time.

dmt767s

The Yankees bullpen has been very good, but they have been used a lot this year, it is possible that they will implode like the starters did in '02. The Crapinals will be without Carpenter in the first round, and they lack a tru dominant Santana-like starter, so I doubt they'll go very far in the playoffs. Atlanta has the same problem, so real dominant guy. The A's staff hasn't been as good this year, so I'm thinking that if they make it we'll see another5 game ALDS loss. I really like the Cubs' chances if they can get their heads out of their asses and win a game or two. Wood dominated in the NLDS last year, Prior has been less bad in his last couple of starts, Zambrano could be a dark horse Cy Young candidate.

I like Sox BoSox and Angels in the AL, but I dont see anyone in the NL (outside the Cubs who probably wont make the postseason) being able to compete with the pitching and hitting the BoSox or Angels can throw at them. Atlanta and StL have been good regular season teams, but they dont have the next step up pitching that can carry a team to the ring. Even as a Wild Card Houston would have to be considered a favorite, Clemens and Oswalt can be Schilling and Johnson.

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onetime2

If Boston gets by the Yankees I think they will win the Series. (Yes I am a Boston fan.)

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Sargeman

Smoke and mirrors for the Dodgers? The starting pitching, I agree. Even with Mota gone they have the best bullpen in the MAJORS. I don't know where you got the Angels from.

But because their starters haven't been very good this year I'll be happy for them to make it to the post season.

Based on pitching the Braves should win it. But stats don't mean much when you actually have to play the games. The postseason is a whole new ballgame.

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Halx

Earlier this year, I would have said Los Angeles. Now, I dunno. Their starting has stabilized a little. They now have 2 and a half reliable starters. Their bullpen is great, of course. Weaver and Perez will have to be aces. Penny is coming back. Lima and Ishii are touchy, while Alvarez, if healthy, can be #4.

In truth, I think their bullpen has faltered pretty bad in the last couple weeks. Stewart and Dessens are terrible additions. Brazoban is way too young to be a setup man. For some reason Cararra isn't doing the good job I KNOW he can do. He could be a starter. That leaves Venafro, who is a situational submariner lefty, Sanchez, who is great, but STILL a rookie, and Gagne, who is a god among men. I would rather have San Diego's pitching staff.

I watch this team every night, so maybe I know too much. Boston has the edge, though. The Diamondbacks proved that you can win with only 2 pitchers.

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canuckguy

In the first round with the short series its a scary thought that boston could throw schilling and pedro and then come back with schilling in game 4. Same with minny, santana has been lights out and he could easily go twice in the first round. I dream for a boston/chicago final, but if I had to pick a staff Chicago would be it. Prior struck out 16 throwing 3 hit ball today. damn! I do have to admit that i am bias as I desperately do not want a west coast team in it as the time difference would make me miss some of those games as i work early in the morning.

Mojo_PeiPei

My Twinks could really struggle here, 3rd and 4th is sketchy. Radke never gets run support it seems, he has a misleading record at 11-8 because his Era is under 3.50. Our bullpen is solid, Romero is a stud plus it's looking like Lohse or Mullholland will be coming out of the pen, who knows maybe thats a better fit for them. Nathan is a very strong closer, no worries about him.

P.S. I'm hoping the Twins get NY in the ALCS, even though we've gotten worked these last two games here, I think we'll do it and return to the glory of 87' and 91'.

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Esen

I would say Yankees, but if Houston can hold onto the wildcard,
There pitching may hold up

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djtestudo

The Yankees have two starters at this point: Vasquez and Mussina. Lieber has been a disappointment, Hernandez is having problems and it will take a miracle for Brown to be effective again this year. Their bullpen has been fantastic, but they have been fantastic in WAY too many games.

Boston looks ok. Schilling is now their ace, Pedro can still be Pedro, although he is now a seven-inning-max pitcher, Lowe and Wakefield are solid enough and Arroyo has pitched well. The bullpen is ok, but who knows what Foulke will do.

Minnesota has possibly the best 1-2 punch right now in Santana and Radke, but after that it falls off. The bullpen is solid, and Nathen looks great.

Atlanta has a bunch of solid-to-good starters, and should be ok. Any bullpen with John Smoltz is a great bullpen.

St. Louis will be without Carpenter, but the other four have pitched well. Their bullpen is questionable though, but solid.

I think that of all the teams Boston has the best starting pitching. New York has the best bullpen. Overall, based on the pitching I would put my vote with Boston.

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dylanmarsh

Your wisdom exceeds your years, dj. Boston will beat NY this year. The World Series? I dunno.

It really isn't too tough to figure out what wins in the postseason: timely hitting and a deep bench coupled with strong pitching and defense. This is exactly what the Yankees had all those years before the D-Backs stopped their dynasty.

What about the potential unsung heros, everyone?

I could see Bill Mueller or Bronson Arroyo having a huge postseason for the Sox. Same thing with Chone Figgins in Anaheim and Lew Ford in Minnesota.

The one person who scares the crap out of me for a MFY-Sox match up is Bubba Crosby. Yes, I know, he's a worthless spot on the road of MLB baseball history, but his name begins with "B", and we all know about Babe Ruth, Bucky Dent and Aaron Boone.

lost22coast

the giants are my team so here goes:

best pitcher in baseball is kirt "woody" rueter. he has a shamrock in his pocket. has the 3rd most wins among active left handers.

jason schmidt can beat anyone's ace

jerome williams just came back from injury and pitched great. get the pooka shells out, the kid is good.

noel lowry. the rookie is 6 and 0

brett tomko. he has been lights out the second half of the season

dustin hermansen. got to love the peace goatee and now that he is their closer, i feel better.

and their offense has scored 2nd most runs in national league to back up the staff which is pitching the best they have all season. anything can happen in a baseball game and aces get beat all the time in the playoffs. giants finally get over the hump and win one in s.f.. giants over red sox in 6 where the curse continues for sox.

pan6467

Best staffs for a the short playoffs are without doubt the A's and Cubs.

Hudson, Mulder, Zito and Redman, they had problems in the season but they are still the strongest 1-4 in the A.L. If they had the hitting they'd be shoo-ins. For short term the pitching is unbeatable, over the season, without run support it's killed them. the SP have worked too hard and it shows.

Pedro with the Sox is a post season choke king. Schilling can't do it all by himself and Lowe is not doing all that well. I don't see the Bosox getting through the first round.

Yankees are a joke.

Angels have a chance but it's in their offense and Colon being a true ace and leader (which being a Cleveland fan and having watched him, I just don't see him doing).

Without the A's I like the Twins chances, in all honesty. Very strong pitching and offense when needed. In the short series' they could be this years sports story.

NL

The Cubs have the best 1-2-3-4 punch in baseball when healthy. Again short series I could see them tearing it up. But doubt they'll even make the post season. If they do, we could see a Cubs WS. But they have the same problem Oakland does, no offense production this year when they need it, and it's caused the pitchers to try to hard.

Atlanta, Byrd and Wright are killer but Ortiz and Hampton can be hit hard. Short series, they have a chance, without the Cubbies we're looking at a St. Louis - Atl. NLCS and that is a tough call, based on pitching. With offense considered.... St. Louis.

Houston, another team that had a great staff pre-season but fell apart. Clemens -Oswalt then who? They get a five game series and Clemens or "O" can go on the short rest and not be affected..... They could surprise, but I seriously doubt it.

Giants/ Dodgers based on pitching they have good staffs that are upper tier, but not elite and I don't think they will last the first round.


My call: based on pitching alone Cubs/A's 7 game series to close to call.

My reality call: Twins/St. Louis St. Louis takes it in 4...... but the Twins like I said maybe the biggest surprise in sports this year.

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I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"

Konichiwaneko

I'm an Atlanta Fan so I like the braves, but our starters aren't consistently good annually but instead are having break out years this year. I've always been a fan of LA pitching also as the Braves vs. LA games always end up being 50/50 and provide some of the best baseball I've watched. The teams are very much alike.

I love boston but other then Schilling I think the teams pitchers are mediocre at best. I just remember reading the last few weeks of Pedro and Wakefield sub par performance.

For New York, I dislike new york, I can't say anything about them that isn't unfavorable. Well maybe, there's only one thing good about NY and that's Gary Sheffield. He was a great Atlanta player, and I like the fact that he's doing VERY well in NY.


My guess for the world series may would be

Cardinals or Atlanta vs. Red Sox or the Angels.

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dtheriault

I was wondering when the last time so many elite teams relied on coming from behind with the help of great bullpens. Just look at the clinching games for the Angels and Dodgers. And the Yanks have done it all year.

Can you guys think of a series team that won it all with mediocre pitching and a great pen/timely late inning hitting besides the Angels two years ago? I'm not a Yankee fan so I try and forget all of their successes, but didn't they win one of their most recent rings with a flurry of late inning hitting and a dominant pen?

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Unless you are the freakin Highlander, what is the point in learning how to fight with a sword?

pan6467

Think the Big Red Machine in the 70's did fairly well without any true great starters. But the bullpen with Rawley Eastwick and I believe it was Jack Billingham helped win the series.

'95 proved you can have the greatest offense in the world and it still comes down to pitching.

The Indians had the best lineup in '95 that I have ever seen (Big Red in the 70's was close but they didn't have an allstar at every freaking position)

cf-Lofton
ss-Vizquel
3b-Thome
lf-Belle
c -Alomar/Pena
2b-Baerga
1b-Murray
rf-Ramirez
dh-Sorrento/Winfield
sp:Nagy, Hershiser, Martinez
rp:Plunk, Assenmacher
cp:Mesa

It was stacked, but the Braves pitching just did them in. Pitching wins. That's why, I truly believe, the Yanks won't get through the first round.

__________________
I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?"