League Championship Insanity

At least there's no cowbell.
(photos.upi.com)

It's League Championship time, a series which has proven to be more exciting than the World Series in recent years due to the matchup competitiveness. Despite my fears of the Yankees potentially running the table, I think that this year's postseason is shaping up to be worth the money. Don't let the umpire blindness and the three sweeps in the divisional series fool ya'! My predictions for the LDS were pretty much spot on, nailing three of the winners, including 2 where I guessed the duration correctly. Let's just not talk about that Cardinals-Dodgers series I completely butchered. However, my head is suffering a severe case of prediction block from trying to figure out the triumphant teams in this go round. As I continuously look through all the rosters and statistics, I can easily see any one of these four teams can feasibly make it to the Series. The potential October/November classic matchups are just oozing storylines. A Yankees-Dodgers for example will mark the 12th time these two storied franchises have faced each other in the Fall Classic dating back to the Brooklyn days, and will also include the return of revenge-seeking Joe Torre to the Bronx (you know he wants that matchup!). The Yankees-Phillies duo will be a rematch of the 1950 World Series (Get excited!) and will display two of the most passionate sports fans the East Coast has to offer. Angels-Dodgers would provide us some West Coast flavor with a Freeway series and us would have us pining for the sun up here in New England. Finally, an Angels-Phillies combo will not only bring seas of red to the stands, but it would involve two teams playing not only for themselves, but for a fallen member in their respective families (Kalas and Adenhart). Regardless of the matchup, I believe this will be the best set of LCS matchups since 2004, the last year in which both battles went 7 games. My brain is a plate of scrambled eggs right after reading every little factoid, but I hope I can dish out the goods with my LCS picks.

"Why do you look so familiar?"
(nbcsportsmedia1.msnbc.com)

Los Angeles Dodgers (95-67) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (93-69)
We're back for another round for what I call "The Fresh Prince" series, one that will bounce from Philly to L.A. Last year's installment produced some bad blood, but overall an underwhelming 4-1 Phillies victory. Although I must alert you that these Dodgers are far different this year coming into the 5th installment of the NLCS between these two clubs (Even at 2-2). Yes, maybe I'm covering up for my trashing of the Dodgers on my last pick. It wasn't a trashing, but I didn't necessarily give then a chance against Pujols and the "mighty" Cardinals even after everything they had displayed during most of the season. A Kemp homer, a Holliday error and a solid Padilla outing suddenly has me thinking that this team has the gusto to make it to the big show, and it's not because I just noticed the Dodgers had a 4-3 edge in the regular season. For example, it seems as if the Dodgers don't have to center their offense around "Manny being Manny", especially with the existence of Andre Ethier, who batted .500 with 5 extra base hits against the Cardinals in the LDS. Matt Kemp proved solid as he helped the Dodgers launch the initial suffocating blow that demised the Cardinals with that homer off Carpenter. They have a dominating bullpen, which not only has Broxton, but has lefties like Hong Chih Kuo and George Sherill who can neutralize a Phillies lineup that has a trio of 30-homer lefty powerhouses. However, you can't ignore the Phillies swagger, evidenced by that comeback win in Game 4 on the road in Colorado to wrap up the series. For starters, Philadelphia was 3-1 in the regular season against the lefty starters (Wolf, Kershaw) that are supposed to neutralize them. Also, you can argue that Cliff Lee has been one of the Top 3 postseason performers so far with 2 ER allowed in 16 1/3 innings, and will match up well against Game 3 opponent Hideki Kuroda in Philadelphia. Can't forget that Game 1 starter Cole Hamels has a 1.20 ERA in 30 innings against the Dodgers since last year's NLCS, and he will pitch more quality innings now that the baby drama has passed. However you have to admit that it is a major concern that the Phils are limiting their closer to one out saves. In a 7-game format, you need to rely on your bullpen to be consistent, especially in a series as grueling as I think this one will be. However, if there starters can deal like I know they can, Philly fans possibly can be spared from the heart attack that will come from a 9th-inning appearance from Lidge and his 11 blown saves. Plus, you can never count out Petey Martinez in the big stage! I don't know about you, but I believe that this NLCS will be one that we will be talking about for years to come, possibly the best one of my lifetime.

Prediction: I've flip-flopped like John Kerry in this one, but Dodgers in 7. If you asked me yesterday, it would have easily been the Phillies. But just like the last back-to-back NLCS matchup with the Cardinals in the Astros in '04-'05, I believe that the pecking order of the National League will be flipped the other way. The Phillies swagger impresses me, but their bullpen didn't in the NLDS, especially by making Game 4 an interesting affair, and I'm not sure things are going to be easier for them against a deep Dodgers team. As much as I think Cole Hamels could be a potential factor for the Phillies if they're gonna pull this off, I'm not sure that his hot run against the Dogers will continue this October with a much improved Kemp-Ethier duo and with the sleeping giant Ramirez waiting to turn on his afterburners. I have to say that both teams get the victory here, for it actually made me interested in watching an entire NLCS, so big kudos there!

Hopefully the face I constantly see in this series.
(espn.com)

New York Yankees (103-59) vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (97-65)
Ah yes, more emotional attachment in a series, more emotion coming in than Abreu and Teixeira, who played for the opposing teams last year. The Yankees are probably coming off the most thrilling sweep of a series in recent memory against the Twins as they enter their 4th ALCS since 2001. They go up against the Angels, who have the other 5 wins in the ten games the two have played head-to-head in the regular season. The two bring explosive, yet fundamentally different offenses. The Yankees come in with 7 guys who have hit 20+ homers, with a totally transformed A-Rod clicking at the right time. From Jeter to Melky, there is not a break in this lineup, but they might be facing a worthy counterpart in this series. The Angels at one point in August had all 9 starters bat .300 or above, becoming the first team since the 1934 Tigers who accomplished this feat past the 100 game mark. On top of that, they are the only team to have 11 guys drive in at least 50 runs, one of two teams to have 10 guys to get at least 100 hits and one of two teams to have 9 guys score at least 60 runs. The Halos have a highly-dynamic Chone Figgins, who brings his .395 OBP and 42 SBs to charge a lineup consisting of experienced on-base machines like Abreu, Hunter and Cuban sensation Kendry Morales. As phenomenal as the offenses are, the most intriguing matchup here is between the starting pitching. C.C. Sabathia pitched a brilliant game 1, but still has a 6.54 ERA that will loom over him until he wins the prize. Then there is A.J. Burnett, who I believe is the key to this series for the Yankees if they want to ultimately win the William Harridge Trophy. He had 6 Ks in 6 IP against the Twins, but he also drew 5 walks, a point of concern as they go up against a patient and speedy Angels lineup. And then there is Andy Pettitte, who has a reputation for coming through in the big game throughout his career, but has produced a disastrous 7.88 ERA against the Angels this year. They go up against a duo of Lackey-Weaver, who tallied 14 2/3 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 3 BB and 11 strikeouts against the team I won't mention (at least for the next 4 days) in the ALDS. However, the key for the Angels maybe in the performance of Scott Kazmir, who is 4-2 with a 2.21 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 33 Ks against the Yankees since 2008. The Angels got this guy knowing that the playoffs might go through the two giants of the AL East, and his Game 4 start might decide whether Kazmir's experience in the Eastern division will ultimately pay dividends for the Halos. The big weakness for the Angels will probably be their bullpen, which doesn't have the arms like in previous years, but Brian Fuentes may prove to be more effective against the Yankees than people are gonna give him credit for due to all those lefties in the lineup. With all this, is there yet another big player in this series that I haven't mentioned? Mother Nature maybe more of a factor than any of the players, as it might force the Yankees to insert Chad Gaudin as a 4th starter, giving a huge advantage to the Angels. I have a feeling that this ALCS will be classic, with moments that will create more buzz than this amazing goal from this 9-year old that was scored at the Garden in Boston. The only true guarantee I'm gonna make is that they will be broken glass objects in my room. I feel like a million needles going through my stomach as I approach this prediction. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Prediction: I really hate myself for this, but Yankees in 7. Looks like another episode of the Yankee-Dodger show. That seventh game postgame show might be a dark moment for me. As much as the Angels have depth in starting pitching, the Yankees have depth in aura. It's just a different culture in that locker room, and it just can't be ignored. History dictates that the Angels remain the pests they have been and beat the Yankees like they did in the 2002 ALCS, but history has been defied a lot this postseason. I mean, the Angels beat the team that won't be mentioned for the next 4 days and A-Rod is finally proving he is clutch.....in OCTOBER! But if it goes like I predicted, and the Yankees continue to go with their 3 man rotation, the Yankees would potentially use Sabathia a total of three times in this series, which could prove detrimental come World Series time (wishful thinking, of course). And for my one last gasp..........GO ANGELS!!!

Before I Peace: Rush Prevention

(spokesmanreview.com)

It is confirmed info that St. Louis chairman Dave Checketts has removed the controversial, right wing radio kingpin Rush Limbaugh from his ownership group that will attempt to buy the St. Louis Rams. Hallelujah! There is one part of me that sort of questions the right to revoke anyone's right to own anything. On the other hand, I totally see where Checketts and the NFL are coming from. Bringing in a guy who exposes his political heart on his sleeve is one thing, but having a guy own a team that has been known to have made several overtly racist comments in a league that is 70% African-American opens up a new can of worms. On top of many of the players expressing their displeasure of the man who once compared the league to a battle between the Bloods and the Crips, we must realize that this is less of a political move and more of a business move for the NFL. Other than some criteria in the realm of discrimination of course, companies can make any character judgments whenever they hire or promote any individual, which can include the utilization Facebook profiles to make some educated guesses. The Limbaugh removal is just another example of a business group doing what it had to do, in this case shed some weight, to further their optimal potential to achieve their ultimate business goals. In the aspect of branding, no one should be bigger than that NFL shield logo, and Limbaugh's status as a controversial lightning rod in his own field could undermine that belief by diminishing the integrity of that brand for players and fans alike. Calling one of Checketts's speculated top investors on his left-wing politics and accusing the NFLPA head DeMaurice Smith of using him as an example is a sorry enough rant. What's even worse is that he is making the excuse that he was the victim of an Obama-run political conspiracy, which is another case-and-point as to why he shouldn't be running an NFL franchise. Limbaugh realized that his attempts to enter the ownership bid would cause a firestorm, but instead places the blame on everybody but himself, showing a huge lack of personal awareness and responsibility. So have some cheese with that wine, Rush. Cry me a river, or an ocean. No one is going to feel sorry for you and your millions. After all, the Dolphins are probably looking for more celebrity limited partners to run their team anyway.