Talkin' Baseball

While discussing many of life's important issues, your authors, (Yes, all three of us), turned to the baseball playoffs. Yes, we know that 3 series have already started, but we had our conversation and predictions at lunch yesterday. Just getting to the post toda. Here are our respective predictions, along with the transcript of our exact converstion.

Pepster: Hey Hopps, Sinickal, good to speak with you guys again. How are you doing?
Sinickal: Not too bad, lots of golf over the weekend. Got to get all the east coast golf in that I can before it gets too cold, and I have to concentrate on only Arizona golf.
Hopps: Besides the fact that the family is driving me crazy? I'm doing great.
Pepster: Good, Good. So, playoffs starting today. After that Minnesota-Detroit play-in game, I am ready for some good playoff baseball.
Sinickal: Can you believe how the term "Play-in" game has become so widespread? Just because the NCAA tourney wanted to have 34 at large teams. Ridiculous.
Pepster: I know. They even had a "play-in" game in my kickball league this season.
Hopps: You clowns still playing kicball?
Pepster: Yep.
Sinickal: Not exactly playing since the Achilles incident.
Hopps: Dopes.

Pepster: Anyway, let's start with the Yankees/Twins series, since the Yankess outdistanced everyone else in the Major Leagues by 6 whole games.
Hopps: You know I hate them. I'll just say Yankees in 4.
Pepster: Excellent analysis Hopps.
Hopps: Shut up. I just hate them soooo much.
Pepster/Sinickal: We know. We know.
Sinickal: I think that the Twins are just on a real hot streak right now. Mauer is as good as they come with the bat, Kubel and Spann have been hitting machines this year. Plus, remember that run the Rockies went on a couple of years ago. I don't think that the Twins will win, but they will play the Yanks tough. Yankess in 5.
Pepster: Interesting. Don't forget how well Young has been hitting the last 6 weeks or so too. Bottom line, the Twins are spent. Morneau would have made a big difference as well. Sabathia's inninngs have been lowered, so he's rested, and the bullpen is just lights out. I think the Yankees sweep.

Sinickal: So, we all agree on the Yankees. Let's turn to the other American League series. Hopps, what do you think about this one.
Hopps: Sox will win it all!!!!
Sinickal: So you expect them to beat the Angels.
Hopps: I expect them to beat the Yankees.
Sinickal: They aren't playing the Yankees.
Hopps: Who cares. Sox sweep!
Sinickal: Pepster, your take?
Pepster: I think I am in the minority in this room. I think the Angels will win, in 4.
Sinickal/Hopps: What?!
Pepster: I know, I know. Sox have won 9 of the last 10 in the playoffs against the Angels, but I just have a different feel about this series. It used to be the Angels were Vlad Guerrero at the plate, and hope Glaus, Kotchman or somebody else could hit with him, and maybe Figgins get on base. Not so this year. Kendry Morales hit over .300 with his 34 homers and over 100 RsBI.
Sinickal: Just stop it with your RsBI. I know it is Runs Batted In, not Run Batted Ins, but call them RBIs anyway.
Pepster: Like I was saying, Morales has flat out hit, Torii Hunter, Mike Napoli and Howie Kendrick have had solid seasons, and Abreu will take about 1,000 pitches, wearing down the Sox staff. Although Ortiz has been coming along, Youkilis doesn't seem the same, and he is incredibly important for the Sox.
Sinickal: All true and good points, except that the Angels pitching staff remains the same. Lackey, Saunders, Santana. Kazmir doesn't seem to be himself. Beckett is a big-game pitcher. Sox in 3.
Pepster: Don't I know that. Beckett is money.
Sinickal: Shut up - don't bring up 2003 with me.
Pepster: Why not? Because Beckett shut down your Cubs? Are you going to predict the Cubs will win next year for the 108th consecutive year? (Purposefully not mentioning the word "Bartman").
Sinickal: Find some fans. Really. Like there are more than 14 Marlins fans in the world.

Hopps: OK, guys, that seems like a good time to switch to both of your beloved National League. Before we start, let me remind you that my team is the only one in the playoffs.
Pepster/Sinickal: Shut up.
Hopps: Dodgers-Cardinals. Who you got?
Pepster: I would think that this will be a split-decision amongst ourselves. You can't find 5 bigger Manny Ramirez fans in the country (not named Ramirez) than me. However, Pujols is the best player on the planet. That alone is worth one game. The Holliday and DeRosa pick-ups have proven to be the best mid-season moves in baseball. I say Cardinals in a hard fought 5. Wow - I didn't even talk about pitching.
Sinickal: Carpenter/Wainwright. Enough said. Cardinals in 4.
Hopps: Really? Ramirez is just as deadly at Pujols, because he just doesn't care if he fails in a big spot. That makes him that much more dangerous. Ethier and Kemp are incredible in the field, and at the plate. And you really want to pitch to either Ramirez or Ethier at the plate in a big spot? Billingsley and Kershaw have incredible stuff. Not as good over the full season as Carpenter and Wainwright, but for any given game, those guys can pitch with anyone. Dodgers in 4.

Pepster: What about the Phillies series?
Hopps: The Rockies are a formidable enough team to win 1 game. Phillies in 4.
Sinickal: I would love to give some fascinating analysis about this series, but it isn't really worth it. Phillies sweep.
Pepster: I concur.

Pepster: Gentlemen, it has been a pleasure. I'll call you both before the LCS starts. Closing thoughts?
Hopps: My analysis is a little hindered and blinded by my fandom, but with Lester and Beckett, the Sox have two power, power pitchers to go in any series. That gives them a huge advantage. I just hope that they can take advantage of it.
Pepster: Now I know that we are nowhere near being what others would call emotional guys, but I have to give props to how the Angels have handled the Nick Adenhart situation. Great celebration when they clinched the playoff spot. That would be a great story if that continued. Sinickal - how 'bout our Bears?
Sinickal: Doing great so far. Glad Gould is better than each of the other kickers he has faced so far. Cutler is definitely worth it to date. But, they have a bye this week, so go Syracuse.
Pepster: They are 2-3, going against West Virginia this week. Make that 2-4.
Hopps: And you have to root for Paulus. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Sinickal: Yeah, well Harvard may run the world, but Syracuse writes, produces and directs it.
Hopps/Pepster: Yeah, yeah. Like we haven't heard that before.