Unbalance of Power

Does anyone get excited about interleague play anymore? I know I sure don't. It usually isn't even that competitive. The American League dominates and the only thing that ever brings any excitement is when an American League pitcher either gets a hit or gets hurt. It's two weeks of the season that I just check out. Wake me up when it's over. I would dislike it less if it wasn't hyped so much. Major League Baseball tries to make such a big deal of Bud Selig's brain-child that I wish more and more each season that it would just go away. The geographical “rivalries” are kind of cool, but they're all manufactured too. The Yankees and Mets have never been rivals. Does anyone really care who wins the Marlins-Rays Citrus Series? How about the I-70 Rivalry between the Royals and Cardinals? Not me. Meanwhile, the Dodgers have not played a single game at Yankee Stadium since interleague play began in 1997. That was a huge (and real) rivalry and yet nobody seems to care about it anymore. So how do we fix it? Simple. Just scatter an interleague series in each team's schedule. Baseball is the only sport in which teams from one league/conference do not regularly play teams from the other one. Granted it's the only sport that has different rules for each league, but still. What would be so bad about an interleague series in September? For all we know, it could be a World Series preview. Remember during the 2007 NFL season when the Giants and Patriots played in the season finale, only to have a rematch in Super Bowl XLII? That was great. So why won't baseball do it?

Want to know the best part about interleague play throughout the season? The leagues and divisions could be even. No more six-team NL Central. The AL West would have five teams like everyone else. Here's my proposition: make the Brewers go back to the American League Central Division and move the Royals to the AL West. The way it is currently set up is ridiculous. The five-team divisions play each other 72 times with every team playing the other four 18 times each. In the AL West, however, every team plays the other three 19 times each, for a total of 57 divisional games. The NL Central isn't even uniform in this area—some teams play 77 divisional games, some play 78, and the rest play 79. How does that make sense? Having uneven divisions messes up everyone else's schedule, too. I'll use the AL Central Champion Twins as an example. Last season, the Twins played their normal 72 divisional games and 18 interleague games, just like everyone else. Because of the uneven divisions, however, the Twins played the AL East a total of 32 times and the AL West a whopping 40 times, more than any other non-AL West team. On the last day of the season, the Twins were tied with the Tigers for the AL Central lead and the last spot in the playoffs. The Tigers had played the West and the East 36 times each. So while they were tied, they hadn't played the same schedule. I won't debate which division is better or worse, but in order for a sport to be fair, every team should have an equal chance to win. By not playing the same teams, the Twins had an unfair advantage over the Tigers (you could also argue that the Tigers had the easier schedule, but I'm using the Twins because they won the one-game playoff and thus, the division).

One of the biggest reasons the Brewers moved from the American League to the National League in 1998 was because Major League Baseball decided it wouldn't make sense to have an odd number of teams in each league because they would have to either expand interleague play, or give teams more days off. I think the season is long enough as it is (too long, really), so the only way to go is to expand interleague play. Here's how each team's schedule should be set up: 72 divisional games, 30 games against each of the other two divisions (15 home, 15 away), and 30 games against a certain division from the opposite league. No more forced interleague “rivalries” unless it happens to be the year the Cubs play the White Sox or the Angels and Dodgers face off. I might start caring about the Freeway Series if it wasn't shoved down my throat every season. If it were done my way, every team in a division would play the exact same schedule. Surely this couldn't be the worst thing to happen to baseball. Maybe one day we can fix Selig's other blunder—the All-Star Game deciding home-field advantage in the World Series.

The Rules - “A ‘Grounds’ Rule Double”

The things I love talking about most are the technicalities of a sport – especially baseball. Why? Well for one, it is interesting to me. Call me what you will, it will not change me. I was at a Yankee/Rays game at the beginning of the season with The Starving Waiter and the Grau Geist, and Evan Longoria hit the ball straight up off the roof (or what appeared to be, I never saw the replays from the game but heard about 30 different versions of it). Now while our seats didn’t allow us to actually see if the ball hit the roof or not because Tropicana Field sucks ass, I began discussing the park’s ground rules with Waiter. I know what you’re saying now – BOLOGNA! Well it goes to show you’d be wrong and I have a dated Facebook post to prove that I had knowledge of these rules prior to the game assuming I read things I post on others pages. During the offseason, an article was published on Yahoo! Sports (comment on the post and I’ll send you the link as I don’t want to exactly link to my rivals, they have much more interesting to say than I do) that highlighted the strange catwalk/roof rules of the stadium, many of which were just recently changed for the 2010 postseason. I posted this very story a few weeks before making the trip to Tampa and had a few laughs about it – like how we used to play stickball and have “cheaps” and “do overs” and “automatics.” Then poof, it came running out of our mouths as soon as Eva hit that ball, and native Tampans (hah I guess that’s what you call someone from Tampa?) were probably like “How do these people in the Yankee clothes know this about our home park!? We had no friggin’ clue!” (or: “SHUT UP! I’M TRYING TO IGNORE A PERFECTALLY GOOD GAME BETWEEN THE AMERICAN LEAGUE’S ELITE! THERE IS NO FUN ALLOWED IN TAMPA!”)

This finally brings me full circle to why I like the little technicalities of the game as well – you can talk about them and odds are the casual fan (read as: non-douchebag, non-sociopath, generally friendly) that is really there to catch a ball game actually will look impressed. After that, you can tell him you’re the CEO of GOOGLE and he’ll believe you because you’re so knowledgeable. Average fans are dumb while you, reader, are not because you care enough to read what some other die hard has to say (let me welcome you to our blog again, feel right at home).

So here is a nuance of the game that I have learned recently that I would like to pass along to you. Ok, raise your hand if you know what they call it when (and I’m trying to be as specific as possible) a batted ball bounces on the field, in fair territory, and goes straight into the stands, also in fair territory? I’ll give you a hint – it isn’t the title of this article. Oh man you feel stupid. That’s okay, I’m sure at least one of the other two current writers of this blog didn’t even know this one. Let me console you. It is not a “Ground Rule Double” (or as John Sterling calls it I believe, a Grounds Rule Double, hence the title). The fact is that it is neither. It is simply referred to in the rule book as a two base award. A ground rule double is exactly that of what the individual park’s set of rules designates as a rule that applies to their park. It doesn’t have to be specific to their park (other fields can have the same rule based on a similar layout, roof, etc.), but it can’t be in the general rules of baseball to be considered a “ground rule.” For example, a ball caught up in Wrigley’s beautiful ivy wall is considered a ground rule double.

Other examples would be the “ground rule home run” you could hit in Minnesota last year at the Metrodome. If a ball hit the right field wall (known as the “baggy”) and went out of play in foul territory (since the foul fence down the line was much lower than the wall out there) it was a “ground rule double.” However, to have that rule, they had to say the opposite in their park’s rules that if a ball hits the wall and goes over in fair territory (I assume the top of it and sneaks over) it was in fact a home run – by definition of their ground rules. I conclude that this is a ground rule home run because of the distinction made in the rulebook that it must go over, not to the side.

How about a ground rule triple? Does it exist? Well if a player throws his hat or glove at a ball and it makes contact in fair play, the batter is awarded third. However, this is called a three base award since it is universal at any stadium. There are no official ground rule triples yet in the game, even though one was rumored to once be at Fenway Park when something crazy happened with a big ladder out by the monster. But this is all just internet folklore. The two balls that ever hit said ladder turned into inside the park homers. Idiots from Boston… figures.

I know 7 of 8 Jet home games next year

I know, only four weeks into the 2010 season - who cares, right? Just thought you might like to know HOW I know whom the Jets will play at home (could also tell you road).

Simple, actually. Next year the Jets play the NFC East. They played them three years ago (2007). That year, they played at the Cowboys and Giants. Therefore, they will host both teams next year.

Similarly, the Jets play the AFC West next year. Two years ago, they played at Oakland and San Diego. So, next year, they will host those teams.

Add the division games (Dolphins, Patriots, Bills) and there are your seven. You can do the same thing for eternity, assuming the NFL never expands, and maintains this system.

But wait a minute, you say, how is it that every year it seems the Patriots host the Colts? That's where that last home game comes in. The last home game is against one of the teams that finished in the same seeding in its division that the Jets did in theirs. That team cannot be from the division the Jets are playing that year (in the case of next year, this is the AFC West. In the case of this year, the AFC North). Basically, the first place team plays the first place team, second place plays second place, etc. (HOW this seeding happens is a different story, but I imagine it has something to do with who would have qualified for the playoffs first).

When the NFL realigned a few years ago, they flipped coins or picked numbers, or whatever, and made a predetermination that, for example, the AFC South first place team would play at the AFC East first place team in the years 2010-2011, but in the years 2013-2014, the AFC East first place team would play at the AFC South first place team. (in the 2012 season, the teams would follow the pattern outlined when they play the entire division.)

Last year, the Pats played at the Colts because the Pats were playing the whole division and it was the Pats' turn to go to the Colts. But when the teams are not playing each others' entire divisions, the pattern in the paragraph rules.

Anyhow, that is why I cannot tell you whom the Jets will play in the eighth home game next year. It depends on which place they finish in and the place the other team plays in. If we assume the Jets win the division, and so do the Steelers and Texans, then the Jets will host the Texans for the third consecutive year and the Steelers will host the Jets for the third consecutive year.

Just one more reason to love the NFL - the possibilities.

Ode to Mushnick on Sterling

Phil Mushnick, writer for the New York Post, was the first person I ever heard bash John Sterling with regularity, way back when Sterling was teamed with Michael "no name... of course" Kay.

Back then, I actually thought Sterling was good and didn;t get what Mushnick's problem was. Sure, at the end of Gooden's no-no in 1996, Sterling did go into his signature, "THAAAAA ...." instead of telling the story of the game (no-hitter), but I didn;t think much of it at the time. Sterling can make a game more exciting with his descriptions. The problem is, his descriptions are almost always wrong (when he even describes anything.) How many home runs are actually hit, "High and far?" Many are line drives. You would never know that with Sterling.

But I will give Sterling his right to his call. What I can;t stand is when something will happen on the field and he stops describing it. He just goes quiet. At a really important moment. I mean, this IS radio. I really CAN'T see what is happening. After this happening a few times, I think I realized that there is just something wrong with Sterling. Mushnick always thought he was just self serving. No, I think he's just incompetent. When you look at it that way, you almost feel bad for Sterling. I'm sure he was good once (and Mushnick assures us that Sterling is a good play-by-player for basketball).

I was watching a tribute to Steinbrenner on ESPN 30-30 (or whatever) the other day. Sterling was on there and got all weepy, ala Steinbrenner. One wonders...

A Tale of Two Cities – It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. The Seattle Mariners Edition

In 1995, the year after the 1994 strike shortened season, the Seattle Mariners had a player who belted 23 HR, and drove in 96 runs in the short 145 game season (the M’s played an extra tiebreaker against the California Angels for the AL West Title and a postseason berth). Want to guess this player’s name? Griffey? E. Martinez? T. Martinez? Buhner? No, it was third baseman, Mike Blowers. While this was the only statistical bump in his career (he only hit 6 next year with the Dodgers and drove in 38, and his next highest career stats were 15 HR and 57 RBI in ’93), it still shows you the powerhouse that Seattle had become in the mid 90’s.
An example: On September 23rd, at the Kingdome in front of 54,589 fans, the Mariners started this lineup:

1) Vince Coleman, LF (split season between KC & M’s) bat a combined .288, OBP .343, 42SB)
2)Luis Soho, SS (only 1 official AB and a BB in this game – a boy named Alex Rodriguez pinch hit and tripled in this game)
3) Ken Griffey Jr., CF (injured part of the season, still belted 17HR in 314 AB – a “bad” season by his standards)
4) Edgar Martinez, DH (52 doubles, 29HR, 113RBI, .479 OBP – IN 145 GAMES!)
5) Jay Buhner, RF (.394 OBP, 40 HR and 121 RBI in 126 games)
6) Mike Blowers, 3B (see above)
7) Tino Martinez, 1B (31HR, 111 RBI, .293 avg.)
8) Felix Fermin, 2B (who cares, he bats 8 – did you see the rest of this team? Plus Joey Cora started games too)
9) Dan Wilson, C (.278 avg., 51 RBI at the end of the lineup all season)
Starting Pitcher: Randy Johnson (posted an 18-2 record striking out 294 batters in 214.1 innings)

Now while the rest of the rotation was average at best, and the bullpen combo of Bobby Ayala and Norm Charlton closing games and setting up each other weren’t ideal, did I mention their lineup was stacked? I know the cliché that hitting wins games but pitching wins series holds true most of the time, but look at what they had to build on? A-Rod was 19, Griffey 25, Tino 27, Buhner 30, E-Mart 32, Johnson 31. The team was a runs producing machine, had an ace, and a decent bullpen. Why couldn’t the front office get more arms together in this pitching staff to win a championship? In 1996, you saw A-Rod’s first full season (36HR 123RBI), E-Mart hit over .320 and post an OBP of .464 (still insane), and a replacement of Tino for Paul Sorrento (lost some production but not much, 23HR and 93RBI) and Blowers for a slew of guys manning the hot corner. Russ Davis, their 3B prospect from the Yankees for Tino, was a bit of a dud rather than a shot in the arm for the team. Regardless, the team lost Randy Johnson to injury, and the season pretty much, only finishing second in the West. The next year, everything worked again in the lineup, and they did finally add two quality arms to Randy in the rotation (Jamie Moyer, Jeff Fassero – combined to go 33-14 – ERA high 3’s) but lost to a surging Baltimore team (keep an eye out for future articles about this poor franchise in its current state was well).

After 1997, the team finished 3rd, 3rd, and 2nd in the west in ‘98’99’and ’00, winning the wildcard in 2000, but not making it past the world champion Yankees. 2000, even though some resurgence was present with some of the same core from ’95-’97, in my opinion this was the end of this mini era for the team. “Sweet Lou” Piniella was still the manager for 2000 and 2001, but the team went through some minor changes. Randy Johnson was traded in the middle of the 1998 season to Houston, and Jr.’s contract went to the Reds for the 2000 season as well. Buhner, E-Mart, A-Rod, and Dan Wilson remained from the powerhouse lineup that carried them through the mid 90’s to now, and along with the additions of John Olerud and Mike Cameron, the lineup still wasn’t too shabby.

In 2001, the “new” era for the M’s began. Buhner only played in 19 games. E-Mart ONLY hit .306 and had 23 HR and 116 RBI, but this was his best season until he retired in 2004. He was 38, so you can’t blame the guy for only being the best DH of all time for so long. Also, A-Rod left for greener pastures in Texas for a record breaking contract, and a man that goes by Ichiro arrived that had 242 hits and bat .350. A roided up Bret Boone took over at second base popping 37 out of the park in the season. Jamie Moyer (38 years old, yes in 2001)won 20 games, Freddy Garcia won 18, and Paul Abbot won 17 (losing only 4) and Aaron Sele won 15. Twenty-two year old Joel Pinero pitched in 17 games, starting 11 and posted a 2.03 ERA with 6 wins. Another Japanese import Kaz Sasaki saved 45 games with Arthur Rhodes and Jeff Nelson being his primary setup men with a 1.72 and 2.76 ERA respectively. The team won 116 regular season games and only lost 46. They scored 927 runs and allowed exactly 300 fewer. Of course the Yankees beat them 4 games to 1 in the ALCS because, well they were the Yankees.

They haven’t sniffed meaningful baseball in October since. Part of this is bad luck – running into the Yankees in 2000 and 2001 in the postseason was one thing (even though they should have beaten the Yankees on paper in 2001, they still had 4 of the last 5 World Series titles under their belt), the team was actually still good in 2002 and 2003. Each year, they posted a 93 and 69 record, but finished THIRD in 2002 in the West and second with no wildcard seat (went to Boston) in 2003. Imagine winning 93 games now and not making the postseason? The Padres won 90 games this year and were the only 90 win team not to make the fall league. 2004 saw the team get dyslexic and go 69 and 93 due to issues not even worth looking in to – this team has become a disgrace.

A brief look will be all that is necessary. Money has always been a concern for the team as it is not one of the top grossing franchises in baseball, so many players have departed via free agency or trade (A-Roid, Griffey, Johnson…). Chasing free agents like Cliff Lee, Chone (pronounced: douchebag) Figgins, and others has crippled the teams bankroll to keep players that may have a long term impact. They have the best AL pitcher (in my opinion) on their team currently in Felix Hernandez, and I doubt once he is eligible to leave, that he’d even have second thoughts. The guy went 13-12 this season, with a league best 2.27 ERA. That is sad. This past Sunday, the team lost to finish 61-101, the worst record in the American League this season. Their front office is trying, but Ichiro isn’t getting younger (even though he doesn’t look any older either – Japanese have good genes like that I guess). This team needs to win, and needs to win now. It surely has ALMOST been the best of times for them (and some eras of this team will undeservedly go under the “How the hell did they not get a championship?” banner) but lately it surely has been the worst of times. If the team is not careful, it is much easier to get lost out in Seattle than it is to get lost in Pittsburgh, and look how that has worked out for the Pirates lately. No loyal fan base (can you blame them?), no revenue to keep a good team, beautiful newer park, but no good baseball.

EDIT: 10/28/10 - I found a blog dedicated to the M's from 1995. For me, this validates it if Seattle fans still hold that year dear enough for a few people to be crazy enough to put a blog together about it. I mean they didn't even make the World Series! Check them out: 1995 Mariners: Stories from Seattle's most memorable baseball season

Dear John

Dear John (Fox, head coach of the Carolina Panthers),

You looked like an Easter egg gone wrong on Sunday. It's not that I don't support what the NFL is trying to do with Breast Cancer awareness month and all, but the pink isn't meshing too well with that pastel blue you have all over your uniform. That, along with your team's 0-4 start and not scoring a single touchdown in the preseason, makes me think the Panthers should be renamed the Lions of the South. You're starting a rookie at quarterback, we don't know how long Steve Smith will be out, and you are just about guaranteed three more losses this season against the Saints and Falcons.

Don't think that I'm only picking on you either, John. Most of the coaches looked stupid with those pink streaks all over their hats and shirts and I still don't see why some of the biggest, toughest men in the world are wearing hot pink shoes. You aren't even the only sport to do something like this. Ever see the pink dildo-bats baseball players swing on Mothers' Day? I support the cause, but the execution is suspect. And are you going to be wearing that for the rest of October since it is Breast Cancer Awareness Month? Why not just get all the causes out of the way, wear a bunch of ribbons, call yourselves the Rainbow Warriors and move on?

I'm just trying to help out, John. Why not give Tony Pike a shot? He's the only quarterback on your depth chart who won anything in college. Clausen was an overrated player at an overrated school and Moore went undrafted out of Oregon State. What's the worst that could happen if you go with Pike? You start 0-5? Big deal. If you finish 0-16, you can draft Jake Locker.

I'm sorry, John. It's not you, it's me. I just need some space right now. I hope we can still be friends. Take care of yourself, John. And be careful—that hot seat might hard-boil you pretty quickly.

Sincerely,
The Starving Waiter

Fall Ball

I was looking through some old magazines yesterday and I came across a 2010 Baseball Preview issue. With the regular season coming to an end, I thought I would check up on the experts to see how their picks turned out. To put it simply, they were not good. The only division winner they picked correctly was the Phillies. Of their five other picks for division winners, only one of those teams (the Yankees) is even in the playoffs. The Tigers, Angels, Dodgers, and Cardinals all slipped into mediocrity, with the Seattle Mariners, these experts' pick for the AL Wild Card, finished with the worst record in the American League, losing 101 games. They did pick the Braves for the Wild Card in the NL, so there's a feather in their cap. They picked both the Giants and the Reds to finish 4th in their respective divisions, and the Rangers and Rays to be 3rd place finishers. The perennial under-the-radar Minnesota Twins won the AL Central, defying the writers who had them coming up short and finishing in 2nd place in that division.

Now that I have properly dissected everything that is wrong with baseball predictions, here's my October preview. We'll start in the American League:

New York Yankees (95-67) vs. Minnesota Twins (94-68)

The Yankees swept the Twins out of the playoffs in the 2009 ALDS. As a matter of fact, including the regular season, the eventual World Champs were a perfect 10-0 against the Twinkies last year. This season, the Twins managed to pick up a win in the finale of each series against the Yanks, with Nick Blackburn getting the W in both games. The problem for the ALDS, however, is that Blackburn is not slated to pitch until Game 4, and by then it might be too late. CC Sabathia goes up against Francisco Liriano in Game 1. While Liriano made a nice comeback this season, getting close to the dominance he had in 2006, Sabathia is a legitimate Cy Young candidate, notching 21 wins against only 7 losses. With Justin Morneau out for the Twins and Joe Mauer still feeling the pain in that left knee, CC will overpower the Twins and steal Game 1 on the road.

Game 2 is up in the air, with former Yankee Carl Pavano facing one of the Yankees' current young guns, Phil Hughes. It could go either way, but with Pavano having a career ERA of almost 5 against the Yankees, I would give the slight edge to the Yanks. Game 3 features Andy Pettitte vs. Brian Duensing and it looks to be another toss-up. Pettitte has not looked sharp since coming off the DL on September 19 and Duensing has put together a nice season, going 10-3 in 13 starts this season. The edge in Game 3 goes to the Twins, even though Pettitte has had great success in the playoffs and the game will be played in Yankee Stadium.

Game 4 brings the return of CC Sabathia. He'll face off against Nick Blackburn at the Stadium next Sunday. The stage is set for Blackburn to improve to 3-0 against the Yankees, but I think he'll hit a very large bump in the road in CC and the Yankees hitters will finally figure him out. Yanks take the series, 3 games to 1.

Texas Rangers (90-72) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (96-66)

Aside from former top-pick David Price, the Rays starting pitching has been shaky at best. Going up against a 1-2 like Lee and Wilson could prove to be a challenge for the AL East Champs. Of course the Rays have the home-field advantage in this series, and throughout the AL playoffs, but if they continue to fill only 52% of the seats at the Trop, that home-field advantage ends at catwalk ring A.

Having Lee and Wilson going against the Rays is a huge lift for the Rangers. The Rays' offense goes into hibernation at times, evidenced by the fact that they were no-hit twice this season, one of those being Dallas Braden's prefect game in Oakland. Don't forget that Mark Buehrle also had a perfecto last season against basically the same Rays lineup. If Carl Crawford can go on a tear and steal some bases, the Rays will have a real shot. Otherwise, the fair-weather fans in Tampa-St. Pete might just sink back to the cellar with Crawford likely leaving for Anaheim this off-season.

A big question mark for the Rangers will be Josh Hamilton. Will his broken ribs prevent him from being a true offensive threat? And if so, will Michael Young, Nelson Cruz, and Vladimir Guerrero be able to pick up the slack? I think so, and I think they will be too much for Rays pitching. Rangers shock the world, sweep the Rays.

ALCS: Yankees vs. Rangers
Yankees defend AL crown, win 4-2

Atlanta Braves (91-71) vs. San Francisco Giants (92-70)

Both teams are back in the playoffs for the first time in a while after battling with the Padres for a place in the sun. The young Giants are looking to make a statement while the fighting Coxes will try to “win one for the Gipper.” In Cox's final season as Braves manager, he led the team to the NL Wild Card, despite losing team leader Chipper Jones to a knee injury that might end his career. A nice sub-plot of this series will be the production of rookies Jason Heyward (Atlanta) and Buster Posey (San Francisco). Both have a great chance to take Rookie of the Year honors (my vote goes to Posey).

This series is a lot like the Rangers-Rays. Up and down the rotation, los Gigantes have great pitching. Lincecum, Cain, Sanchez, and the reincarnation of Barry Zito always give the Giants a chance to win. I think the Braves will win one in Atlanta, but the Giants' pitching will be too much for them to handle. Not even the sentimental value of winning it for Bobby will be enough. Giants win, three games to one.

Cincinnati Reds (91-61) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (97-65)

The two-time reigning National League Champions earned home-field throughout the playoffs since they had the best record in the NL and because the Senior Circuit finally knocked off the AL in the All-Star game (see, this one does count) even though Roy Halladay and Ryan Howard were the only Phils to actually play in the game. The Cinderella Reds got back into October baseball after winning the NL Central for the first time since 1995, and while they are not quite the Big Red Machine, they have a nice balance of young talent with a veteran presence. Hats off to Walt Jocketty and Dusty Baker, who should win GM and manager of the year, respectively.

The Phillies' rotation has two playoff-proven pitchers in Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels. Don't forget about the other Roy, either. Halladay is probably in line for his second Cy Young award after going 21-10 with a 2.44 ERA in his first season with the Fightin' Phillies. The atmosphere in Philadelphia is electric (Scott Rolen might remember that) and the Reds should consider themselves lucky if they leave Pennsylvania with all of their limbs intact. Phillies take the series easily, three games to zero.

NLCS: Giants vs. Phillies
Giants get back to World Series, take down the Phillies in 7.

World Series: Yankees vs. Giants
The Yankees and Giants face off in the World Series for the first time since 1962. Just like that year, the series will go seven games, with the Yankees coming away winners.

There are my predictions. Who knows, they could all be wrong, but at least I got all the playoff teams correct.