Who will advance to the World Series?

The weather is getting cooler, the leaves on the ground are beginning to outnumber the ones still in the trees, and the calendar has reached mid-October. That means final four time in the baseball playoffs!

With both League Championship Series set to start this weekend, the Taking Back Sports writers have taken the time out of their busy schedules to make some ALCS and NLCS predictions in today’s 5-Minute Break column. While none of these predictions will amount to hill of beans in this crazy world, it’s a time-honored sports writer tradition to attempt the impossible and predict the future.

ALCS Preview

Let’s start with the defending champion New York Yankees (95-67). Alex Rodriguez reached 600 home runs and owner George Steinbrenner passed away while the Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays waged battle all season for the NL East title. New York faded a bit down the stretch and finished as the AL Wildcard. Yet losing home-field advantage didn’t seem to matter much for the Bronx Bombers, who beat Minnesota like red-headed stepchildren in the ALDS. The Yankees might not be clicking on all cylinders like they did in 2009, but their lineup will make for a tough out in any series. Just being a tough out in the playoffs is not enough because the World Series is the only series that matters in Yankeeland.

The Texas Rangers (90-72), meanwhile, are the unexpected guest at the postseason party. This team wasn’t supposed to emerge from bankruptcy. It wasn’t supposed to have new (and competent) ownership. It wasn’t supposed to have a productive Vladimir Guerrero. And it most certainly wasn’t supposed to deal for postseason ace Cliff Lee before the trading deadline. But thanks to all of that as well as an MVP-caliber performance from “The Natural” Josh Hamilton, Texas ran away with the AL West Division. Thanks to a pair of dominant starts from the aforementioned Lee, the Rangers upset the Rays in their ALDS series. Now Texas is four wins from the World Series. All the Rangers have to do is beat the team that had ousted them from all of their previous playoff appearances.

In the ALCS, either the Rangers will exorcise their postseason demons or the Yankees will once again rain on the Texas parade.

Dr. Sports Fan

That should be enough, but I have been wrong (many times) before. In the ALCS, I really just think New York is that much better than Texas. Josh Hamilton is too banged up, and Cliff Lee will not be able to match up with CC Sabathia. Bad news all around for the Rangers.

ALCS: Yankees in 5 (CC Sabathia MVP)

Jack Bauer of All Sports

The Rangers seem to be a team of destiny this year with the acquisitions of Vlad and Cliff Lee, emergence of Nelson Cruz, and the MVP performance of Josh Hamilton. This is a very, very good team, and it showed with the Rangers surviving September with Hamilton on the DL. And the Rangers, yes the Rangers, have a better pitching staff than New York. The Yanks are the Yanks, and the defending champs, but I like the team with home field advantage in this series.

ALCS: Rangers in 7 (Vladimir Guerrero MVP)

Mr. Dude and Stuff

With the ALCS, the Yankees have a whole bunch of question marks and don’t feel as elite as they have before, but I still think it will be too much for Texas to overcome by anyone not named Cliff Lee.  I also see Mark Teixeira living up to that gigantic contract and getting himself some big late inning hits to win what I think will be relatively tight games.

ALCS: Yankees in 6 (Mark Teixeira MVP)

The Phoenix

In the AL, you have to keep your eye on one guy — not Cliff Lee, because I think we’ve figured out the guy is just good.  I’m talking about Josh Hamilton.  Ginger ale celebrations aside, the guy hit .111 in the ALDS vs. Tampa Bay with six strikeouts.  Seriously if it weren’t for Ian Kinsler (.444 BA, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 1.444 OPS), we wouldn’t be having this discussion.  We’d be breaking down the C.C. Sabathia/David Price matchup.

If the Rangers can steal game 1 vs. Carston Charles Sabathia with C.J. Wilson, they’ll have an early edge, but that’s a lot to ask – win game 1 of the ALCS in New York.  Lee wouldn’t go until at least game 3, and if Texas is down 0-2, this is going to be a really short series no matter how ungodly Lee is in the postseason.

I really hate to say it because I hate mentioning his name, but Alex Rodriguez needs to wake his bat up.  After all the talk about him breaking out in the postseason last year, A-Rod is back to being pretty pedestrian.  Teixeira is going to need all the help he can get, and I don’t think Robinson Cano is enough.

When all is said and done, these are still the Yankees.  It’s October, and somehow these guys somehow always win when everyone doubts them.  Well, I didn’t just walk in here from the cotton fields.

ALCS: Yankees in 6 (Robinson Cano MVP)

Jack Bauer of All Sports

Fact check, Adio: Texas is hosting Game 1. They have home field.

The Phoenix

Don’t the yankees have a better record..?!?

Dr. Sports Fan

Wildcard teams don’t get home-field advantage (regardless of record) unless its in the World Series after their All-Star team wins. Nothing I said makes any sense, but that’s just how MLB rolls…

Jack Bauer of All Sports

Just ask the ‘08 Eagles. Hard to argue a 9-6-1 team is more deserving than 9-7, but you get the idea…

Sports Drone

I’m not really an AL guy… but I think the Rangers are going to win this series.  Yes, the Yankees have the experience, but I trust the pitching of the Rangers much more.  Sabathia is really the only pitcher on the Yankees I trust.  I know, I know… Pettite is one of the best playoff pitchers of all time, but he’s coming off a recent injury and has only pitched 2 games since being back.  The way that the Twins were playing, I don’t really believe any of the Yankee pitchers had a challenge in the ALDS.  We’ve also seen what Cliff Lee could do against the Yankees from last year’s WS and if it comes down to 7 games… Texas has the huge advantage with Lee over the probable starter of Hughes.  Even if Sabathia pitches on 3 days… I think Lee will still have the advantage.  I think these teams match up really well, but I think it will wind up being Roy Halladay vs. Cliff Lee in game 1 of the WS.  Can you imagine what that would be like in Philly?

ALCS: Texas in 6 (Josh Hamilton MVP)

NLCS Preview

The two-time defending National League Champion Philadelphia Phillies (97-65) rode a rollercoaster season to white-hot finish with baseball’s best record. After spending much of the season in deep offensive malaise, the Phillies used a midseason trade for Roy Oswalt and the re-emergence of Cole Hamels to spark a 27-9 finish to clinch their fourth straight NL East Championship as well as the best record in baseball. Along with some pitcher named Roy Halladay, those pitchers are the main reason that Philadelphia is the odds-on favorite to win the 2010 World Series. Ironically, it’s the Phillies offense that causes most of the nail biting in the Delaware Valley. That same offense was once the strength of a team that’s been to the last two World Series and won it two years ago.

The Phillies trio of aces have nothing on the big 3 atop the San Francisco Giants (92-70) rotation. The Giants made the playoffs on the strength their big three of Tim Lincecum (reigned two-time NL Cy Young winner), Jonathan Sanchez, and Matt Cain. Thanks to an MLB-record 1.78 team ERA in the month of September, San Francisco surpassed the upstart San Diego Padres and clinched the NL West on the last game of the season. Newcomers Aubrey Huff and Pat Burrell as well as rookie catcher Buster Posey have given Kung Fu Panda some offensive help. Even though Philly is the clear favorite, no one around the game would be shocked if the Giants advanced to the World Series.

Dr. Sports Fan

The Giants and Phillies have similarly matched pitching, but I give the edge to the Phillies in hitting, fielding, and experience.

NLCS: Phillies in 6 (Shane Victorino MVP)

Jack Bauer of All Sports

The Phils have the bat power to overcome the Giants pitching. The Giants do not have the offense to overcome the Phils’ pitching. That said, the Giants are a good team and will be able to compete in the series.

NLCS: Phillies in 6 (Roy Halladay MVP)

Mr. Dude and Stuff

The Phillies just have too much more offense than the Giants, even with it under-performing in the NLDS. The Giants are relying too much on their young pitchers and Buster Posey to produce in the middle of the lineup, I just find it too hard for them to overcome the Phillies, especially in a rowdy Citizens Bank Park atmosphere to start off.

NLCS: Phillies in 6 (Ryan Howard MVP – That’s right, my MVP money is on the first base power bats in both LCS.)

The Phoenix

CAUTION — LONG WINDED

.. .. .. as a devout Phillies fan, I must beg and plead you not to toy with the baseball gods. I like how Mr. “I Don’t do Predictions” is the primary author behind this, by the way.

Anyways…

Initially when the topic of NLCS predictions came up, my initial response was “I don’t want to and please don’t make me. I test not the baseball gods.” However, since I’m a responsible journalist of sorts, I shall submit.

First of all, can we just say that this is probably one of the greatest collections of pitching in the history of the postseason: Halladay, Hamels and Oswalt on one side with Lincecum, Cain and Sanchez on the other. Both teams were top-10 in ERA, and they’re 1-2 in ERA in the postseason.

Both trios of pitchers are equally impressive, so in my opinion, pitching is kind of a wash. With all the conversation about the anemia behind the Giants offense, people fail to realize that the Phillies were equally unimpressive against the Reds. As a team, they’re only batting .212 and only Chase Utley has a home run so far. Not good. The difference between the two offenses is that Philadelphia has the personnel to get runs on the board quick, fast and in a hurry. Putting up fat numbers against SF pitching keeps the bullpen (another strength) … well, in the bullpen. Of all the people that need to get going in the NLCS for Philadelphia, the most important is Placido Polanco. Batting .111 in the two-spot is NO BUENO!

You have to like the matchup if you’re a Phillies fan for one reason: who in San Francisco’s lineup scares you? Bottom nine, two on, two outs, two run deficit: .. who’s gonna get that home run? Burrell? Strikes out too much. Huff? Kinda doubt it. Posey? Not necessarily a home run guy. I would be worried if the Giants had some kind of speed on the base paths, but they don’t have that, either, really.

I trust Philadelphia’s offense a lot more than San Francisco’s, and I trust that Howard and Utley will be “bashing the ball like the Cerrano of old.” However, since I respect the Giants starting staff, I’ll say Phillies in 6.

NLCS: Phillies in 6 (Roy Halladay MVP)

Sports Drone

The Giants really scare me as a Phillies fan. I’ve seen the Giants, even when they weren’t in the playoff race, come into Philly and dominate them the past few seasons. The fact the Phillies didn’t hit very well last series against pitching that was much, MUCH weaker than San Fran’s also scares me a little. I think the Phillies can do ok against Lincecum, but I’m really nervous about Jonathan Sanchez in game 2. He seems to always get the best of the Phillies. I still think the Phillies are going to win, but I think they’re going to have to scratch and claw to get there. I think the Phillies playoff experience is the difference here. San Fran is talented offensively, but they’re all a pack of journeyman. It won’t be enough for them to beat Philly.

NLCS: Phillies in 6 (Brad Lidge MVP — I know, I know, it sounds crazy… but I think every game is going to be won by 1-2 runs and I think Lidge will baffle the Giants hitters.)

The Phoenix

If what you say about Lidge is true, then I better go to the pharmacy and stock up on heart medication…