Rays over Rockies
I got home last night right before game time, so I didn’t have a chance to weigh in before the Yankee season went up in a plume of smoke. With that bullpen and Granderson clearly unable to touch lefties and CC looking like he ate the World Series trophy, they’re clearly doomed. Doomed, I say. Jeter and Mariano are in the last year of their contracts - maybe the Yankees can trade them for a C-grade prospect or two.
Anyway, with these predictions I’m anointing myself Mayor of Obvioustown. I’m basically one of those NCAA hoops pundits who, upon the bracket reveal, says, “I’ve got the four top seeds advancing to the Final Four, Greg!” (At which point a look of utter disdain descends over Greg Gumbel’s face, as if the pundit had just let fly a toxic toot.)
I just can’t find a viable candidate to sneak up on the favorites (a la the Rays in 2008) and I don’t see any of those favorites biting the dust unless they’re decimated by a mass hamstring mutiny. The major questions: Which of the three AL East behemoths - baseball’s three best teams - will go home bitter? And which of the four AL West teams will seize the day? That’s the only division in which any team could finish first as easily as it could last.
Sorry. I’m boring. The picks:
AL East: Yankees, Tampa Bay (wild card), Boston, Baltimore, Toronto
AL Central: Minnesota, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Kansas City
AL West: Texas, LA, Oakland, Seattle
NL East: Phillies, Braves, Marlins, Metsies, Nationals
NL Central: Cardinals, Brewers, Cubs, Reds, Astros, Pirates
NL West: Rockies, Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Giants, Padres
Yankees over Rangers, Rays over Twins. Rays over Yankees (young arms and legs will carry the day in October)… Phillies over Cardinals, Rockies over Braves. Rockies over Phillies (the Rockies go 25 guys deep; the Phillies only go 18)
Rays over Rockies in 6. A stunning 6,500 fans show up in downtown Tampa for the parade.
Awards: Cys to Justin Verlander (he’ll fatten up on the no-hit AL Centralites, courtesy of the unbalanced schedule) and Roy Halladay (26 wins? 32? 35?). MVPs to Evan Longoria (slightly less obvious than Mauer) and Chase Utley (slightly less obvious than Pu). ROYs to Carlos Santana (should be up by May 1, unless the decision is motivated purely by finances) and Stephen Strasburg (a top-15 starter in the NL right now).
Baseball makes me very, very happy.
