2008 Woodie Awards
MLB Playoff Preview
Phillies in, Mets choke, Yankees and Cubs come in hot
Chris Callaway
Issue date: 10/3/07 Section: Sports
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With the playoff picture almost set (the Rockies and Padres had yet to play their one game playoff at time of publish), there is no one team that has established itself as the team to beat, in either league. The American League picture has been fairly clear for a while. Boston held of New York in the AL East, and will face a hurting Angels squad that managed to pull away from the Mariners down the stretch. The red-hot Yankees surged into the AL Wild Card, but will have to face Cleveland, with their aces C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona in the division series.
Cleveland, who secured baseball's best record last weekend, faces a Yankees squad that had a remarkable turnaround in the second half of the year. Down 14 games in the AL East and talks of firing Joe Torre, the Bronx Bombers turned it around led by (soon-to-be) AL MVP Alex Rodriguez and his 156 RBI's. This series will feature great pitching at the front of the rotations. Sabathia and Chien-Ming Wang will start Game 1, in a battle of 19-game winners. Carmona will square off against the veteran Andy Pettite, who knows how to handle the pressure of October baseball.
All three Angels outfielders went down in the final week with nagging injuries. Vladimir Guererro, Gary Matthews Jr., and Garret Anderson have not been at full strength, so the Angels will need to rely on John Lackey, Kelvim Escobar, and Francisco Rodriguez on the mound if they hope to keep up with the Yankees. New York has A-Rod of course, but will also be led by vets Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada who have been to the postseason many times before.
The National League isn't as strong, but surely more scrappy. The Cubs played great September baseball, making sure the Brewers would be on the outside looking in. Alfonso Soriano led Chicago with 14 homeruns in September, and the Cubs clinched the NL Central by two games.
The Phillies also played excellently, but would have had no shot at the playoffs without the help of the New Your Mets. The last 17 games tells the story; the Phils went 13-4 as the Mets went 5-12. Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard all threw their names into MVP consideration with their great play down the stretch.
Cleveland, who secured baseball's best record last weekend, faces a Yankees squad that had a remarkable turnaround in the second half of the year. Down 14 games in the AL East and talks of firing Joe Torre, the Bronx Bombers turned it around led by (soon-to-be) AL MVP Alex Rodriguez and his 156 RBI's. This series will feature great pitching at the front of the rotations. Sabathia and Chien-Ming Wang will start Game 1, in a battle of 19-game winners. Carmona will square off against the veteran Andy Pettite, who knows how to handle the pressure of October baseball.
All three Angels outfielders went down in the final week with nagging injuries. Vladimir Guererro, Gary Matthews Jr., and Garret Anderson have not been at full strength, so the Angels will need to rely on John Lackey, Kelvim Escobar, and Francisco Rodriguez on the mound if they hope to keep up with the Yankees. New York has A-Rod of course, but will also be led by vets Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada who have been to the postseason many times before.
The National League isn't as strong, but surely more scrappy. The Cubs played great September baseball, making sure the Brewers would be on the outside looking in. Alfonso Soriano led Chicago with 14 homeruns in September, and the Cubs clinched the NL Central by two games.
The Phillies also played excellently, but would have had no shot at the playoffs without the help of the New Your Mets. The last 17 games tells the story; the Phils went 13-4 as the Mets went 5-12. Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard all threw their names into MVP consideration with their great play down the stretch.
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