On Saturday night, the Chicago Cubs’ postseason struggles continued as the Los Angeles Dodgers completed the 3-game sweep with a 3-1 win at Dodger Stadium. This makes it 101 years since the Cubs have won a World Series. The North side has not seen the Cubs compete in a single October Classic since 1945. My deepest sympathies go out to all of the Cubs fans around the world. As they say in Chi-town, “Wait till next year.”
Next year will certainly have to go better than this one if the Cubbies have any hope, at least as far as October is concerned. Saturday's loss marked the ninth straight postseason loss for the Cubs, who were also swept in three games by Arizona during their NLDS appearance last year. The Cubs also became the first team since the 2001 Astros to finish with the best record in their league and be swept in their initial playoff series.
Curse or no curse, the Cubs just played horribly. They were outscored by the Dodgers 20-6, an embarrasing statistic for one of the National League's most versatile offenses.
The surprise of the Cubs being swept shows that just about anything can happen in baseball, especially in October. It's way too hard to tell who is going to come out on top these days. Just take a look at the many Wild Card teams that have won the World Series from each league over the past couple of decades. That number is staggering. With that said, it has inspired me to make my own postseason predictions this year.
Both ALDS series and one NLDS series are yet to be completed. The ALCS, NLCS, and World Series will take place in the coming weeks throughout this month. Here are my predictions on what is left to be played:
ALDS, Red Sox/Angels: Boston leads this series 2-0. Game three takes place tonight at Fenway Park. John Saunders (17-7) will face off against Josh Beckett (12-10). Beckett has suffered from injuries all season long and he makes his postseason return to the mound tonight. Beckett was 4-0 in October in 2007 and his postseason starts over the past 8 years, with the Marlins and now the Red Sox, have earned him the honor of being called the greatest postseason pitcher of this millennium. Expect Beckett to make his return to glory tonight as his arm will carry the Red Sox past the Angels and into their 5th ALCS appearance in the last 10 years.
ALDS, White Sox/Rays: Tampa Bay leads this series 2-0 with game three taking place tonight in Chicago. Matt Garza squares off against John Danks. Garza has been exceptional for the Rays all season long and Danks has been mediocre at best against the Rays in ’08. Rookie sensation Evan Longoria has been the difference maker in the first two games of this series. Don’t expect that to be any different in game three. The Rays lineup comes at you 1-9 and never lets up. Longoria is batting .571 with 2 home runs and 3 RBI’s so far this October. Longoria and the rest of the Rays juggernaut offense will be too much for the White Sox pitching staff tonight. The Rays get the sweep and make their first ALCS appearance ever.
NLDS, Brewers/Phillies: Philadelphia leads this series 2-1. The Brewers salvaged a win on Saturday night, but will face Joe Blanton, a midseason acquisition from Oakland, on Sunday. Blanton has not lived up to the expectations of Phillies fans, and expect him to struggle against Milwaukee. Blanton does not match up well against Brewer hitters such as the big man and slugger, Prince Fielder. However, a powerful Phillies offense will still be too much for the Brew-Crew to match. Expect this series to be over tonight, Phillies in 4. The bats of 1B Ryan Howard and 2B Chase Utley will carry the Fightin' Phills.
ALCS, Red Sox/Rays: The key to this series is home-field advantage, which the Rays have. The Rays have been magnificent at home, with a winning percentage over .750 in the regular season. The Red Sox couldn’t buy a win at Tropicana Field in ’08, and the majority of games in this series are scheduled to be played in Tampa Bay. The Rays struggled somewhat at Fenway during the regular season, but were able to win there more often than the Red Sox were able to in Tampa Bay. I expect this series to go the full 7 games. The home team will, in all likelihood, win every time. We saw some fantastic battles between the Sox and the Rays this year and that is why this series will turn into one of the best 7-game playoff series America has seen in over a decade. My prediction: Rays in 7.
NLCS, Dodgers/Phillies: This series will be dominated by offensive prowess. The Dodgers have been a different team since the July 31st acquisition of Manny Ramirez. Ramirez has changed the culture out in L.A. and has turned the Dodgers' offense into one of the most productive in the N.L. The only offense that compares to the Dodgers is, yes, the Phillies. Each and every game will be a slugfest. Pitching will make a huge difference in this series, even though most pitchers who take the mound will be getting pounded. The Phillies have the edge here with names like Cole Hamels starting games and Brad Lidge closing them out. My prediction: Phillies in 6.
World Series, Phillies/Rays: 5 of the last 10 World Series have been sweeps. I don’t expect that trend to be any different. The Rays have one of the few pitching staffs that is capable of shutting down the Phillies offense. Philadelphia pitching is not good enough to quiet the Rays’ bats. Let’s just face it, the American League is much stronger right now than their counterpart National League. This one is easy to call. The Rays became only the second team (Atlanta Braves) to finish a season in dead last and then follow up the very next year in first place. The Braves were not able to pull out their World Series in ’91, but I do think the Rays are a better team than those Braves and, also, they will be facing a much weaker team than the ’91 Braves had to face. Everyone wants to see a Cinderella story have a happy ending, myself included. The Rays are too good a team for the Phillies to beat on four different occasions over seven games. The A.L. won the All-Star game, meaning the Rays have home-field advantage. Let me remind you once again how good Tampa Bay has been at home this year. My prediction: Rays in an easy 4.
While these predictions come from hours of research into each team, hundreds of regular season games that I have viewed and attended this season, and my vast knowledge of the game of baseball (the greatest sport known to man), you will still look at these predictions when the postseason and October are all over with and gain insight into how great a game baseball is and, also, as to how anything can happen in sports.
The game of baseball means a great deal to America. Afterall, it is our national pasttime. The game has a great deal to do with how this country has grown and prospered. The game and it's players have instilled dreams into the heads of children and adults alike. The legends of the game, legends who will be forever immortalized, display what it really means to be American. Baseball is 100% American and it will forever be the standard by which we as Americans live and die.
Let me leave you with this final thought: Major League Baseball is the only business in American history in which the government constituted an exception for in relation to the Sherman Anti-Trust (monopoly) laws. The NFL, NBA, and NHL all had to make accomodations to not violate the infamous laws. To the game of baseball, the rules somehow did not apply.
-Chris Barfield (Predictions only reflect the thoughts of the author and of BARFIELD SPORTS. All predictions ARE original, formulated by research, games viewed and attended, and from a vast knowledge of the game of baseball.)
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Oregon State pulls off upset against the top ranked Trojans
In a game where the underdog was never thought to have a chance, unranked Oregon State shocked the number one ranked Southern Cal Trojans, 27-21.
In Thursday night's showdown, the 25-point favored Trojans fell to the hands of the unranked Beavers in one of the biggest upsets in college football history.
Oregon State running back Jacquizz Rodgers led the way for the Beavers with 37 carries for 186 yards and 2 touchdowns. The freshman sensation ran down the throats of what was said to be head coach Pete Carroll's best team, and best defense, in his entire tenure at USC.
Apparently not.
"Quiz" Rodgers played inspired football, getting blocks from his big offensive line, and his older brother James Rodgers. His 5 foot 6 frame was nearly impossible to spot behind his massive front five (who average around 300 pounds in weight). The Trojan defense was unable to stop him effectively.
Oregon State came out impressive in the first half, stopping the Trojans on a quick three-and-out, and scoring a touchdown on the ensuing drive. Oregon State's intensity was hard to match for the rest of the first half, as the Beavers entered halftime with a commanding 21-0 lead.
The second half consisted of the same shifty runs by "Quiz,” but less execution on behalf of the rest of the Beavers' offense. After their first drive, a quick three-and-out, USC put two touchdowns on the board making it 21-14. The Trojans looked to be regaining their swagger, but the Oregon State defense refused to submit. They held USC to three straight punts on the next three possessions.
Finally, on the Trojans following possession late in the fourth quarter, the Beavers' Greg Laybourn returned an interception to the USC two yard line. On the next play, "Quiz" punched it into the end zone for his second score, nearly sealing the Trojans' fate. However, a missed PAT kept USC in it, with the score 27-14
Fans began jumping onto the field with 2:40 left to play with the scent of an upset on their minds.
In a drive that only took 1:20 off of the clock, USC quickly marched down the field and scored, making it 27-21.
With Oregon State head coach Mike Riley already drenched in Gatorade, this was starting to bring back memories of a LSU-Kentucky game from less than a decade ago in which Kentucky thought the victory and the upset were a lock. The Kentucky players drenched their coach in Gatorade only to see LSU's “Hail Mary” attempt completed for a long touchdown as the clock expired. The Tigers won the historic game.
On the ensuing kickoff, USC attempted an onside kick but to no avail. Oregon State kneeled on the ball a few times, and before you knew it, a wave of Beaver orange rushed the field. It was all over.
This was the first time Oregon State had beaten a number one team since they beat the 1967 Trojans, led by O.J. Simpson. It was also the first time any team with a losing record had beaten the nation’s top team since 1990, when Michigan State stunned Michigan.
After the game, USC head coach Pete Carroll was asked what he thought about Oregon State's performance. Carroll replied, "They did a marvelous job, they were on point in everything they did, and I wouldn't take anything away from them." Carroll also stated the obvious. “We did not play well."
This loss puts Southern Cal in the back seat, for now, and gives way for other premier teams, such as Georgia, Florida, Oklahoma, and Missouri, to have a shot at the top spot and, eventually, to have a shot at the National Championship.
-Martin Lewis (with a thank you going out to The Associated Press and, primarily, to ESPN and its affiliates)
In Thursday night's showdown, the 25-point favored Trojans fell to the hands of the unranked Beavers in one of the biggest upsets in college football history.
Oregon State running back Jacquizz Rodgers led the way for the Beavers with 37 carries for 186 yards and 2 touchdowns. The freshman sensation ran down the throats of what was said to be head coach Pete Carroll's best team, and best defense, in his entire tenure at USC.
Apparently not.
"Quiz" Rodgers played inspired football, getting blocks from his big offensive line, and his older brother James Rodgers. His 5 foot 6 frame was nearly impossible to spot behind his massive front five (who average around 300 pounds in weight). The Trojan defense was unable to stop him effectively.
Oregon State came out impressive in the first half, stopping the Trojans on a quick three-and-out, and scoring a touchdown on the ensuing drive. Oregon State's intensity was hard to match for the rest of the first half, as the Beavers entered halftime with a commanding 21-0 lead.
The second half consisted of the same shifty runs by "Quiz,” but less execution on behalf of the rest of the Beavers' offense. After their first drive, a quick three-and-out, USC put two touchdowns on the board making it 21-14. The Trojans looked to be regaining their swagger, but the Oregon State defense refused to submit. They held USC to three straight punts on the next three possessions.
Finally, on the Trojans following possession late in the fourth quarter, the Beavers' Greg Laybourn returned an interception to the USC two yard line. On the next play, "Quiz" punched it into the end zone for his second score, nearly sealing the Trojans' fate. However, a missed PAT kept USC in it, with the score 27-14
Fans began jumping onto the field with 2:40 left to play with the scent of an upset on their minds.
In a drive that only took 1:20 off of the clock, USC quickly marched down the field and scored, making it 27-21.
With Oregon State head coach Mike Riley already drenched in Gatorade, this was starting to bring back memories of a LSU-Kentucky game from less than a decade ago in which Kentucky thought the victory and the upset were a lock. The Kentucky players drenched their coach in Gatorade only to see LSU's “Hail Mary” attempt completed for a long touchdown as the clock expired. The Tigers won the historic game.
On the ensuing kickoff, USC attempted an onside kick but to no avail. Oregon State kneeled on the ball a few times, and before you knew it, a wave of Beaver orange rushed the field. It was all over.
This was the first time Oregon State had beaten a number one team since they beat the 1967 Trojans, led by O.J. Simpson. It was also the first time any team with a losing record had beaten the nation’s top team since 1990, when Michigan State stunned Michigan.
After the game, USC head coach Pete Carroll was asked what he thought about Oregon State's performance. Carroll replied, "They did a marvelous job, they were on point in everything they did, and I wouldn't take anything away from them." Carroll also stated the obvious. “We did not play well."
This loss puts Southern Cal in the back seat, for now, and gives way for other premier teams, such as Georgia, Florida, Oklahoma, and Missouri, to have a shot at the top spot and, eventually, to have a shot at the National Championship.
-Martin Lewis (with a thank you going out to The Associated Press and, primarily, to ESPN and its affiliates)
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