It’s October, and October means baseball. Major League Baseball kicked off its postseason on Oct. 6, and the country is bracing itself for the World Series next week.
When playoffs started I was making jokes that we were living in the wrong century. Did you see the teams that made the playoffs this year? Cubs, Pirates, Blue Jays, Mets, Astros — I couldn’t believe it.
All baseball season I had been telling my friends that it was the Dodgers’ year. I was let down once again. In my head they were going all the way but if I had only took off my rose-colored glasses I could have told anyone that we would fall to the Mets.
After defeating my Dodgers, the Mets went on to sweep the Chicago Cubs — sorry to you “Back to the Future II” hopefuls — to solidify their spot in the World Series on Wednesday night. And now we wait to find out who will join them, the Toronto Blue Jays or the Kansas City Royals.
My love for baseball as a sport has me rooting for the Blue Jays. If the Blue Jays and the Mets are in the World Series, it would be great for the sport. The New York Mets haven’t for the pennant since 2000 and haven’t won a World Series since 1986. They haven’t qualified for the playoffs since 2006.
Toronto hasn’t seen the postseason since they last won a World Series which was in 1993. I was 7 months old. The Blue Jays hit a dry spell of 22 years.
Going into the playoffs, my money was on the Blue Jays to be the ALS champions for a variety of reasons. They led the major league in runs, homers, extra-base hits, walks, on-base percentage, slugging and on-base plus slugging, just to name a few. They also scored 897 runs in 2015. No other team even came close; no other team even reached 800.
Currently Kansas City is leading the ALCS 3-2. Toronto had to pull out a 7-1 win Wednesday night in order to stay in it. I think the Blue Jays will force Game 7 with a win Saturday night, due to their strong offensive game, but as much as I’d like for them to be in the World Series, they’re going to fall short to the Royals.
Kansas City will make its second trip to the World Series in two years. Last year the Royals fell in seven to the San Francisco Giants, and that is only fueling their fire more.
Unfortunately for the Royals, I am predicting them to get sent home upset for the second year in a row.
Both teams have strong offenses, but where Kansas City falls short is in their starting pitching. It’s inferior to say the least — Johnny Cueto and Edinson Volquez proved that against the Blue Jays.
Poor pitching just won’t do against a New York team that has hit 13 home runs in nine postseason games — a new franchise record. The Mets have an offensive front led by a strong coaching staff. They knew the Cubs’ weaknesses, they knew my beloved Dodgers’ weaknesses and they exposed and disposed. Follow that up with their impressive pitching staff, and I can’t see them losing.
The Mets will return to New York with the Commissioner’s Trophy this year. I predict them beating the Royals in seven. Yes, it’s going to be a close one.
from the sidelines 