This is Beyond Blogging

I'm sure you've all seen those "Beyond Baseball" commercials they've been running all season long to hype up the game and now, the playoffs. They are cheesy. They are typical. They are over dramatic.They are fantastic. I love them. When I see a new one come on, my eyes automatically go to the screen. I'd love to see one about The Shore Sports Report hosts:

*cue piano music* "They know Moises Alou's career on base percentage. While others chatted up girls at parties, they loudly argued over Edgar Martinez's Hall of Fame candidacy with anyone who'd listen. Joe's been known to decline social plans for May Yankee games. Mike plans his whole summer around the Mariners/Yankees series. Their "code words" for "late night activity" with the ladies centered around who was playing what base for their favorite teams at the time. Shockingly, it took a while for "Dan Wilson" to occur.

This is beyond virginity. This is beyond Sports Talk Radio."



Brings a tear to my eye, it does. But we are now actually beyond baseball ladies and gents. We are into the 2nd season, the maddening times of ups and downs, sevens and sweeps, walk-offs and blown saves. We are in October. As any baseball fan will tell you, this makes it all worth it. The 162 game season, the sometimes excruciating minutia, trying to get not too high during win streaks and not too low for losing streaks...It all comes down to this. No longer can people like my father say "How 'bout we get to October first?" We're in October, Pops. Its business time.


8 Teams for 1 goal. 7 of those teams join the other 22 on the list of "Failed Seasons." You play those 162 (or 163 in Minnesota's case) to get the opportunity to play AGAIN to get to the World Series. And win that. Then and only then can a team claim they had a successful season. Does it get more dramatic than that? To those of you who are rolling your eyes and saying "baseball is boring". BORING! HORSEFEATHERS my friend...sheer HORSEFEATHERS. Were you not watching when Matt Stairs took Big Bad John Broxton over the right field wall, validating a long, laborious and mediocre career! Did you miss the memo about the lowly Tampa Bay Rays making a miracle run to the World Series? What about the 2004 ALCS? Under a rock for that? Or the 2003 ALCS for that matter! AND THE 1995 ALDS! REFUSE TO LOSE! REFUSE TO LOSE! HOW IS ALL THIS BORING!!!!

And if you did miss all that, do yourself (and me) a favor. Sit your baseball bashing butt down, put on ESPN or the MLB Network or go to some sports website if you're into that sort of thing and watch the highlights of yesterday's one game playoff between the Tigers and Twins. If the thought of baseball entering your eye sockets disgusts you, then just read about it. The "game recap" is more enthralling than anything Dan Brown has ever written. Nothing I say here will do it justice. Just take a break from this blog, go check it out, and come back to me.


Now tell me baseball's boring.


PREDICTIONS:

Yankees over Twins: 3-0

Note to the afforementioned "baseball is boring" guy: Watch any series but this one. I doubt this will be pretty or fun for anyone but Yankee fans. Sure the Twins have Big Mo on their side, but the Yankees have a lineup that would win the World Baseball Classic and a pitching staff that we've seen shut down the best of the best. They also have that other Big Mo, the kind that will automatically quell any chance the Twins have to comeback in the 9th in a dramatic fashion. The bottom of Minny's order is not going to do much and Jack Morris ain't taking the hill. Great run, great game, great story...but not a great team. The Yanks on the other hand, are as good as they've been since '98. God Bless Ya, Minnesota. At least you'll get one more in the Metrodome.


Angels over Red Sox: 3-1

Los Angeles has somehow, someway flown under the radar all season long. Its so strange to see an Angels team slugging their way to victory. It seems...wrong. I feel dirty when I watch it. Repressed memories aside, the Angels can hack with the best of them. Their starting pitching isn't too shabby either...its the 'pen that worries you. On the other side, the Boston Red Sox have been baseball's Jekyll and Hyde this year. For some stretches they have looked very, very good. Others...very, very bad. I expect good Boston to show up, but I just think this Angels team is built for short series success and have waaay too much emotion on their side...Number 34 will be on the hearts and minds of Angels players. Couple that with their hot bats and battle-tested pitching, and you've got yourself a Yanks/Angels ALCS.



Phillies over Rockies: 3-1
I want to believe in Purple Reign. I want to believe in Rocktober. I want to believe in Tracymania. But unfortuantley, I can't. This Philadelphia team seems too rock solid to be shocked in a short series. The starting pitching has been very good and the lineup is outright filthy. I don't see the PHailure that is Brad Lidge factoring heavily into this one, as Philly is going to try to slug their way ahead early. The Rockies are a damn good team, much better than the squad that made the Fall Classic in '07. It would behoove the World Champs to get a good start out of Cole Hamels and sweep the first two at Citizen's Bank. Otherwise, perhaps that Rocktober magic may return.



Cardinals over Dodgers: 3-2
This is going to be a fantastic series. Both of these teams have had great seasons. I almost wish this was the NLCS, so it could go a little longer. The Cards have a clear advantage in the SP department. Two Cy Young candidates at the top, and Joel Pinero (laugh all you want...he's had a fine year and is matching up with Vincente Padilla in Game 2.) The Cards have had trouble hitting lefties all year, making the Dodgers throwing Randy Wolf and Clayton Kershaw in Games 1 and 2 respectively look very good. The Cards might have the edge at the plate, with Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday forming quite the duo but L.A. is loaded with young, underrated players looking to make an impact on a national stage. Manny Ramirez also looms large, but at this point, he's become more of an abstract idea than a hitter. "If Manny gets hot", "We've seen Manny do it before", "Manny is the X-Factor." Manny's hitting .219 in September. But...if he gets hot, we've seen him do it before and that makes him the X-Factor. Expect this one to go back and forth...maybe even some extra inning affairs. Ryan Franklin has been shaky in September and Big Bad John might still be seeing Matt Stairs stride up to the plate in his nightmares...in summnation, expect some heart pounding 9th innings. Ultimately, I see the Cards Big 2 of Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright being able to lead the team to the neccessary three wins...but it ain't gonna be easy.





I hate Halloween. Columbus Day means nothing to me. And my sister has reached the age where he birthday doesn't really excite anyone (26? Call me when you're 30, Jess.) All I've got this October is playoff baseball. And I wouldn't have it any other way. Expect the next few weeks of the Shore Sports Report to be jam-packed with everything you need for October baseball. Expect arguments. Expect analysis. Expect everyone under the sun to give their two cents. Because this is beyond sports talk radio...


This is playoff baseball.