Baseball: 2005 MLB Playoffs: Division Series

NL Matchups

San Diego @ St. Louis 10/4 1:00 PM ET

The 82-80 San Diego Padres wll be facing the 100-62 St. Louis Cardinals. I only expect the Padres to get a single win, if that. The Padres are just too inconsistent, and the Cards are just unbelievable. I'm feeling a sweep, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the Pads squeeze out just one win.

Houston @ Atlanta 10/5 4:00 PM ET

All of us Braves fans dread the division seres. While we have 14 straight division titles, we are just never quite good enough to make it to that final stage. The Astrosaren't the same team they were last year. I'm thinking his will be a close series... possibly going all 5 games. The Braves will have a hard time overcoming Clemens, Oswalt, and pettite... but I think they have what it takes to make itto the NL Championship Series to face the Cards.

AL Matchups

New York @ Anaheim 10/4 8:00 PM ET

I think that if the Angels want to have a chance at beating the Yankees as thy did in 2002, Vladimir Guererro will have to have a massive series. If only they could start Colon every night. I don't think the Angels have enough fire power to beat the Yankees,but they a have enough to force it to 5 games.

Boston @ Chicago 10/4 4:00 PM ET

This will be a vey good series. The ChiSox had the second best record in the MLB, so have proven that they can beat anybody. Chicago will have to rely on pitching if they want to win. I really feel that Boston has the upperhand in this series, but I have a strange feeling that the White Sox are going to be the ones in the AL Championship series facing the Yankees.

[Edited on 10/6/2005 by GiantsFan]

Originally posted by GiantsFan

Boston @ Chicago 10/4 4:00 PM ET

This will be a vey good series. The ChiSox had the second best record in the MLB, so have proven that they can beat anybody. Chicago will have to rely on pitching if they want to win. I really feel that Boston has the upperhand in this series, but I have a strange feeling that the White Sox are going to be the ones in the AL Championship series facing the Yankees.

[Edited on 10/6/2005 by GiantsFan]

A prediction gone awry....

The BoSox lacked effort, if you ask me. Lots of guys left on base tonight, a costly error the other night that should have never happened. What happened to them? Where they that over-confident after the mracle of last year?

I think it was over-confidence the first game... then after getting blown out, they panicked. I think Ramirez and Ortiz settled down this game, knowing their season was on the ropes, but it was a little bit too late. I knew the White Sox we're gonna win, but I thought there was going to be a lot more fight out of the Red Sox. I expected 4 or 5 games... not a sweep. I'm liking the Sox in the ALCS against either team they will play. They have the pitching, and all of a sudden have the offense to sweep there too.

I'm hoping that the Angels can pull of that series, then there is no more evil empire.

ON Sportscenter this morning, I heard a comment that "the Padres have the Cardinals right where they want them", which I guess means one game away from winning the series...

Did San Diego become the first team to finish with a combined regular/post season record below .500?

Nope... they finished 82-80... 2 wins away from becoming the first sub-.500 team in history to make the playoffs. They still got the record for lowest wins and reaching the playoffs, though.

Originally posted by GiantsFan
Nope... they finished 82-80... 2 wins away from becoming the first sub-.500 team in history to make the playoffs. They still got the record for lowest wins and reaching the playoffs, though.

I know, but combined they're 82-83. Has that ever happened before?

No, never has a team had such a record. As I said before, they hold the records for fewest wins for a playoff team. They won't combine the Division Series sweep though when talking about it, so you'll only hear the 82-80, not the 82-83.

Whats the standings so far in the games?

padres, braves, red sox, are all out. the yankees and angels play tonight, loser out

Los Angeles just lost their pitcher to an injury.

The Angels are sitting on a 5-2 lead in the top of the 4th, go LAA!!!

suddenly i am a huge angels fan....

I heard some airhead commentator say one of the Yankees' outs was the key play in the game tonight. And no, not the out West called at first, and not A-Rod's double play in the 9th.

I beg to differ. Doesn't it seem clear the Crosby-Sheffield collision was the big play of the game, or at least equal in importance to any other play? Sheesh.

Anyway....

What little I've heard in the way of opinion on the airwaves is to the effect Crosby got in the way of Sheffield's catch. Hmmm....

That is NOT how I learned the game. The way I learned it, if the CF can catch it, and if he calls for it, it's his play. Obviously we'll never know if young Bubba Crosby called for it, because he sure as hell isn't going to hold a press conference and vent about Gary Sheffield's blunder. But just as obviously, he did call for it or he wouldn't have run like hell bent for election trying to catch it.

Having seen the replay about a thousand times now, I think it's clear that Crosby would--or, at least, that a competent major league CF should--have made that catch, had not the collision occurred. Anyone disagree? If not, shouldn't Sheffield be getting strafed in the media right now? I mean, that's kind of a costly mistake, since it made the difference between 3-2 Angels and 2-1 Yankees at the end of 2 innings. And it's not like the Angels hit Mussina hard in the 3rd.

Oh, well, it's also not like I'm complaining. Steinbrenner's inherited wealth is squandered once again. Who all do ya suppose the little mountebank will fire, cut and trade? When your only consolation is that you lasted longer in the 1st round than your hated rival, you're really grasping at straws.

Baseball History Nut