September 30, 2011|By Matt Vensel
The 2011 Major League Baseball playoffs start at 5:07 p.m. on Friday night -- why wouldn't they start at 5:07 p.m. on a weekday? -- and I have a feeling that my preseason World Series pick isn't going to get it done this autumn.
Semi-related question: Are golf courses in Boston still open in October?
The Red Sox -- and the Atlanta Braves, too -- are out of the playoff picture after Wednesday night's MLB thrill ride, and if we’re lucky, the postseason will be half as fun as the frantic final night of the regular season.
So who’s going to win it all? Your guess is as good as mine.
(Actually, it’s probably better. As you can see, once again, I’m not so good at this prediction stuff.)
After rallying to improbably make the playoffs, the Tampa Bay Rays have that team-of-destiny smell to them, and though I haven’t been following the St. Louis Cardinals as closely, I’m sure they reek of it, too.
The Arizona Diamondbacks are the season’s biggest surprise. T-Plush and the Milwaukee Brewers are a zany bunch that has quality pitching and enough bats to win the National League. And the Philadelphia Phillies, with a stacked pitching staff that includes Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels, are simply filthy.
With a rotation like that, I’d say the Phillies are the best bet to host Game 1 of the World Series.
The American League has no clear favorite. The Rays are on a roll and playing with house money. We know about the New York Yankees offense, but can the starting pitching hold up? Will the Texas Rangers get back to the World Series and win it this time? Is Justin Verlander able to start every other game for the Detroit Tigers?
I guess I’d go with the Rays out of that group, even if it’s just so I have another reason to root for them.
So I guess that means the Phillies and the Rays will partake in a rematch of the 2008 World Series. But this time, the Rays take home the trophy (giving hope that maybe someday, the Orioles might be able to do it again, too).
Write it down. In pencil. And have an eraser ready.
Your turn: Who will meet in the World Series, and which team wins that awkward handshake with Bud Selig?
