2014 MLB Playoffs

The play-in games started off with a bang and ended in a thud.  I fell asleep during both and missed all the action.  Last night, too.

Can't wait to watch Strasburg this afternoon, though.  I know he hasn't had his best year but I think he's very exciting to watch.  I attended his first game and it was nuts--we expected every batter to strikeout and most of them did.

Here's what I hope will happen:

ALDS O's over Tigers

ALDS Royals over Angles

ALCS Royals over O's

NLDS Nats over Giants

NLDS Dodgers over Cardinals

NLCS Nats over Dodgers

WS Nats over Royals.

The pitching matchups in a Nats/Dodgers NLCS would be must see tv.

I'm with you all the way to that last game!  Kansas City has been nuts over the Royals this year and the turn out at the wild card game is pretty good proof of just how nuts.  There's not a ticket to be had for the two games at home, standing room only tickets are approaching $300, if you can even find one.  Support for the team has been great, last night I took my wife to Walmart just as the game was starting, I've never seen a Walmart so empty, there were five times as many workers as shoppers, never been in and out of a Walmart so fast.

At work, we get to wear jeans and Royals gear for every game they play, nothing better then casual for the next few days.

Sounds very exciting!

I'm a yankee fan, so my team is out but live outside DC so we've got both the local teams looking strong this year.  Standing room tickets for the Nationals game today were going for about $75 on stubhub--not nearly as crazy as KC.  DC really isn't a baseball town, having gone so long without a team.

I think you'll find yourself in good company with the majority of the country pulling for the Royals.

Here was my post from Monday in another thread:

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Well, now that the playoffs are here, who else is excited??? I have no real investment this year (or last year, or the year before that ,or the year before that, or basically every year since 2006) so it's nice and stress free. I get to root for good games and long series'.

I would lean towards seeing the west coast teams (and specifically the Socal teams) advance as far as possible, and this year of all years seems like the best bet for a freeway series, but anything can happen.

Here's my guesses (no research whatsoever, just hunches and hopes):

Angels over the A's in 5

Orioles over the Tigers in 4

Nationals over the Pirates in 5

Dodgers over the Cardinals in 4

Angels over the Orioles in 7

Dodgers over the Nationals in 6

Dodgers over the Angels in 6

Greinke wins the NLCS MVP award and Kershaw wins the WS MVP award. Kershaw goes 6-0 in the playoffs (winning games 1 and 4 of the DS, games 2 and 6 of the CS, and games 2 and 6 of the WS) and Greinke goes 5-0 (winning game 2 of the DS, and games 1 and 5 of both the CS and WS)

How wrong am I????

Well, the answer to the last question is:  So far, 100%!!

I turned off the O's game when the Nat's game started, so I didn't see Detroit collapse.  That team would be on the way to their 2nd or 3rd WS victory in the past 5 years if they had a bullpen.

I like that there is a chance for all of these different "local" World Series matchups this year.

Dodgers-Angels, Nationals-Orioles, Royals-Cardinals ... and when the playoffs started there was also the opportunity for a Giants-A's series.

Borrowed some headphones from a co-worker and am listening to the Giants (just scored) and the Nationals right now at work. :)

I'm streaming the video at work, though its not going very well because..well...

Can't wait to get home.

Well one baby step closer to the I-70 Series I want to see. Whew! Close game.

The Royals did their part so far. One game to go in this series for the Redbirds but a tough assignment against one of the best in the business in Clayton Kershaw.

Totally agree. Plus the Os are my team so it's that much sweeter!

As Harry Caray would say:

"The Cardinals win. The Cardinals win. The Cardinals win."

Doesn't have quite the same aplomb as "The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!" :-D

Ummmmm   NO!   This is St. Louis we are talking about.  The correct phrase is:  "That's a winner!"

That too but I think I heard the first one more often on the transistor radio under my pillow.

Well, since "That's a winner!" was Jack Buck's line and Harry went on to work or the cubs..   I think it's safe to say, most Cardinals fans will prefer Buck's line....

Maybe the young ones. Harry was there in my most baseball listening years.

About the time Harry left (got fired) was about the time I had better things to do at night than listen to the radio every night.

Why is baseball the one sport where its acceptable to bring in your 4th best player in the biggest spot, hoping that he will get you in position to use your best player when you're already winning?

Why is Matt Thornton pitching to a right handed batter in the 7th inning of a tied win-or-go-home game?  And when he gives up a hit to that guy, why do you bring in a rookie--even a rookie who has pitched well?  How can you possibly justify losing an elimination game by one run and not even playing your three best relievers?