Five months, 4,860 games and two million sunflower seeds later ,we finally have those eight teams who will compete for a chance to hoist the 30-pound, $15,000, brass and pewter construction that is the World Series Trophy. Whoever puts together 11 wins first will be crowned the champion. It’s as simple as that.
What’s not so simple, however, is attempting to sift your way through each roster, its numbers and the match-ups to determine who will pop the bubbly come the end of October. Here at the Serm, we’re gonna give it a shot and see how it all sorts out.
When it comes to the National League, the Padres have got to feel lucky if they even take one game from the Cardinals. “Nailing down” the division title with a measly 82-80 record isn’t all that promising. That said, the Cards are our pick to move on.
To all you Braves’ fans: Sorry, but unless Andruw Jones can hit 50 home runs in the Atlanta-Houston series, we’re gonna have to pick the ‘Stros. Since May 24, the Astros own the best record in baseball at 74-43 and don’t look to stop now. With Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte No. 1 and No. 2 in the league in ERA and 20-game winner Roy Oswalt as a third starter, don’t look for that stupid tomahawk chant anywhere in the NLCS.
As much as I hate to say it, the Yankees have got to move on to the ALCS. While they may not have the pitching, they’ve already faced Bartolo Colon and won. Anaheim’s best chance to win behind their Cy Young candidate is gone, and any lead the evil empire has going into the ninth is as good as gold with Mariano Rivera.
Sox-Sox is the toughest divisional series to pick. And as much as we’d like to have another Red Sox-Yankees ALCS, we just don’t think it’s gonna happen. This year is different from last for the defending champs in two respects, albeit major ones: there’s no Pedro Martinez and no healthy Curt Schilling at the top of their rotation. Even with a bloody-sock-less Schilling, they don’t have anyone overly intimidating at No. 2 while the White Sox have one of the strongest and deepest pitching staffs in the game. Sorry “chowdaheads,” but unless you score 20 a game, you can leave those Duck Boats parked along the banks of the Charles.
In the League Championship Series things get a little tougher. Houston was oh-so-close to taking out the Cardinals in last year’s NLCS and this year we think they’ll finish the job. Not only do they have a solid rotation, they have Brad Lidge closing things in lights out fashion with a 2.29 ERA. And the Cardinals aren’t nearly as potent offensively this year, having scored almost 50 fewer runs. But the biggest reason the Astros will make the Fall Classic: a wild card team has done so the past three years.
In the AL, things are a little easier. The Yankees always step it up in the postseason (minus last year’s collapse) and are proven winners. On the other hand, the White Sox have no one on their young squad who’s really been under the pressure of the postseason before. With Randy Johnson now at his disposal, Joe Torre will find a way to guide his pinstripes back to where they are accustomed.
In the World Series between the Astros and the Yankess, the result is simpler than many might think. The ‘Stros have to be a lock when Clemens throws in Game 1, and if he matches up against the Big Unit, the Yankees are going to have a tough mountain to climb. With home field advantage, the Yanks should take a few, but we’re picking the ‘Stros to win in seven for all the reasons mentioned above and one more. Those last three wild card teams to make it to the World Series? They all won.
