Blows that theory...

I looked at my pre-playoff predictions for Major League Baseball. I'm batting .250 which might be good in terms of baseball batting average. Predictions on baseball games...not so much. I got the Red Sox right, but that was about it.

So...No Chicago, LA, or New York teams advance to the LCS. I predict this may be the lowest watched League Championship series in history.

Red Sox/Indians

Identical regular season records (96-66 for a .593 winning percentage). Both won 51 games at home and 45 games on the road. Both ended the last 10 games of the regular season at 6-4. Red Sox have slightly more post season seasoning over the last few years, as Cleveland lost 5 of 7 games to the Bean Towners this year. However, Cleveland played Boston earlier in the season before they hit their stride. Cleveland likewise lost most of the regular season games to the Yankees, and that didn't save Joe Torre.

Cleveland is pretty good at "small ball" this year, which is a good thing considering Boston has a slight pitching advantage. Fireworks won't beat Boston. But then the Tribe's pitching isn't exactly mediocre.

Advantage: Slightly Boston

Rockies/Diamondbacks

This is the Whodathunkit? Series. No Mets, No Cubbies, No Braves. Rockies have won 17 of their last 18 games. Hot streaks do not last forever, however. Both teams are young and full of energy and enthusiasm. That can be both a strength and a weakness. Both have 90 wins.

I have to admit I am favoring the Rockies. Todd Helton plays for the Rockies, and I played in a high school game against Helton (a Knoxville native) once. I also watched him play a bit when he was at Tennessee. Most people think of him as a high batting average kind of guy, but he also broke the consecutive innings streak for scoreless innings in the SEC as a closing pitcher. He had a nasty curve ball. He doesn't pitch anymore, but I hope he does well. He's had to labor with the hapless Rockies for years. I'd like to see him get to a World Series once.

DBacks looked pretty good in the division series. I am also not convinced that a team from Colorado can win a world championship with air that thin. The DBacks do get 4 at home.

Advantage: Slightly Arizona

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