An Incredible End to the Season

A 1977 Match–up Would Have Been Solid

Mid–seventies expansion franchises Toronto and Seattle fall just short 

What a GREAT end to the Major League Baseball regular season. 

Okay, it's not how I wanted it to end. 

I thought a Wild Card matchup of the new teams from 1977, the Mariners and Blue Jays, would have been a fine, fine, fine Wild Card game. But, we got the next best thing, right: the vaunted Yankees and Red Sox. It is truly the season to hate the Yankees AND the Red Sox. So, this week, those two historic franchises from the American League East will meet-up to determine who gets the opportunity to play that Class of '98 AL franchise, the Tampa Rays (AKA the Tampa Bay Devil Rays). 

The rest of the AL playoff teams are the Houston Astros and Chicago White Sox, who meet up. Interestingly, this is a rematch of the 2005 World Series. That's back when the Astros were a National League team. To keep this fine patchwork quilt working, in the National League, you have the Milwaukee Brewers (the only time they were in the World Series was in 1982 and they were an American League team then) and Atlanta Braves battling. Of course, the Atlanta Braves used to be the Milwaukee Braves. And the Brewers actually used to be the Seattle Pilots — but that was only for one year so it's almost not even true history. 

The San Francicso Giants, the stalwart franchise who somehow won 107 games with a second–year manager who had allegedly completely failed in his stint in Philadelphia, have the potential to host throughout the post season. The Giants dethroned the Los Angeles Dodgers who had one eight straight National West division titles — and just happen to be the defending Champions (though we can * that!)  The Dodgers battle the St. Louis Cardinals who just seem to only win in the NLWC game. 

The Senior Circuit

Things are shaping up to be an interesting post season. I'm sure that someone has put together a comprehensive list of all of the different possible combinations. It would be exhausting to read and understand, but that's all good. Few, if any, predicted such an incredible season from the Giants. The Dodgers were expected to reign; however, the Trevor Bauer debacle probably cost the Dodgers a few wins; however, trading for Max Scherzer and Trea Turner likely wouldn't have happened without the allegations against Bauer. So the Dodgers will play the Cardinals, who weren't even in the conversation for the playoffs a few weeks ago. The Dodgers are the clear favorite here, but the Cards have a history of overcoming long odds. The Giants play the winner. The Brewers and Braves battle in the other NL game. This should be a good series. The Brewers starting pitching is solid, and might give them the edge in the battle. 

The Junior Circuit

The AL features the aforementioned AL East battle between the Red Sox and Yankees for the right to stay on the east coast and play the Rays. The other series features the White Sox and Astros. Tony LaRussa has returned to the major leagues after a lengthy retirement to join the team that never should have fired him in the '80s but did. So LaRussa is the veteran, grizzled, old school manager taking on another veteran, old school, grizzled manager for the Astros, Dusty Baker. Baker has the job by default when the Astros fired their general manager and manager for the sign–stealing scandal from 2017. That series should be interesting to say the least. 

Los Angeles and Tampa 

Lots of good baseball coming up! If I were to predict, I think that coming out of the NL will be the Dodgers, and coming our of the AL will be the Rays. The Rays will prevail and be the World Champions. You'll see lots of good games, good strategy, and solid baseball. The Dodgers have a great club and good manager in Dave Rogers, and so do the Rays. The World Series I would love to see would be the Astros and Brewers because neither team is in the right league (RIGHT!) but that's not likely to happen. The Astros are good, but not great; the Brewers have solid pitching.