2010 World Series Prediction

Ok I'm gonna make this a quick one.  Here's my World Series Preview:

We all know by now why the Giants and Rangers are facing off in this years World Series.  The Rangers Offense and the Giants pitching are those reasons.  The Giants face a tall task with Cliff Lee pitching two and maybe even three games if need be.  Good thing they have Tim Lincecum to counter.

The Rangers have been great on the road in the playoffs but several factors will come into play.  AT&T Park is not a hitter friendly park.  Will
the huge McCovey Cove winds blowing in from left hurt Josh Hamilton?  You betcha.   Can Vladimir Guerrero cover the huge RF?  No he cannot.  The decisions of Ron Washington and Bruce Bochy and the way they play a back and forth chess match will be very intriguing.  Look for Bochy to utilize Javier Lopez when Hamilton/Cruz are up.  Both managers have made great decisions all the way, but only one will prevail in the end.

Another factor you cannot overlook is the Giants ability to win close games.  They have such great experience in these close, 1-2 run ball games.   The Rangers seem to struggle playing in close games and they only seem to do well when they're hitting and already up big.  That could be tough going against the best rotation they will face in the Giants.  The Giants have the advantage in the bullpen and with Brian Wilson yet to give up an earned run in the playoffs, this should make for a very compelling World Series.

Giants in 7

We should have seen this coming

Why didn't anybody see this coming?  The reasons are clear why the San Francsico Giants and Texas Rangers are facing off in the World Series.  Sure, the Rangers have never been here before and the Giants haven't been in the playoffs since 2003, but it's pretty obvious.

The Rangers have the best offense in all of baseball right now.  They're deep, they get base runners and they have huge bats in the heart of their order.  The addition of Vladimir Guerrero and his stellar play (.300 avg, 29 HR, and 115 RBI) put a lot of pressure off of Josh Hamilton, Nelson Cruz and Michael Young.  Elvis Andrus and Ian Kinsler have been productive at the top, letting the big boppers drive them in.  This Ranger order is arguably the best in baseball.

I won't forget the pitching either.  Cliff Lee gave them an ace this team desperately lacked.  I always felt they were a couple of solid pitchers away from being a very dangerous team.  C.J. Wilson and Colby Lewis are young guys who have also stepped up.

As for the Giants, it's clear their pitching is the reason they're still alive. They boast a phenomenal rotation and a very underrated bullpen.  Perhaps the best in all of baseball.  From September until the end of the season Brian Wilson converted 11/12 save opportunities.  Sergio Romo allowed 0 runs and 3 hits in 14 appearances.  Javier Lopez had a 1.59 ERA in 12 games.  Santiago Casilla and Ramon Ramirez combined for .36 ERA in 25 innings.

I also have to mention Cody Ross.  The Philly killer is another reason San Francisco is playing in the W.S.  The Giants also have the potential to hit one out of the park at any point in the game.  We saw Juan Uribe knock out the winning HR in Game 6 and he's their 8 hitter.  The offense may not be potent, but it can do it's fair share of damage.

As we know now, it's clear why these two ball clubs are playing in the World Series.  Texas's Offense and San Fran's pitching.  The only question that remains, is which aspect will prevail in the end.

NLCS Game 4 Live Blog

Join us on Wednesday as we'll be live blogging NLCS Game 4 at 6:30 CT between the Giants and Phillies. 

2010 MLB Playoff Predictions: NL

Time for our NL Predictions!

NLDS

Phillies vs. Reds
The Phillies are the heavy favorite to represent the NL in the World Series.  They have 3 very tough pitchers that will give them an advantage over almost every opponent.  The offense has been inconsistent but the past two seasons they've turned it on for the playoffs.  Keep an eye on Jimmy Rollins as he's not 100%.  As for the Reds, I can see them making this a good series.  They have capable pitching to matchup with Philly.  If Volquez, Cueto, and Arroyo get going Cincy can be very solid.  It remains to be seen whether the Reds' offense can put up enough runs after their up and down September/October.

Phillies in 4

Giants vs. Braves

This is a very intriguing matchup and the most compelling of the the divisional series IMO.  The key here will be how Atlanta plays in San Francisco.  If they sneak away with a split heading to ATL they will win this series.  The Braves finished with the best home record in all of baseball.  We all know about the Giants pitching, but it will come down to their off and on offense.  They are arguably the most inconsistent offense in the playoffs.   The pitching and defense will be there, but it will depend on how many runs the G men can put up consistently.  As for the Braves,  I am not sure if they have the pitching to match up.  But like I said, if they win in San Fran, anything can happen.

Giants in 5

NLCS

Phillies vs. Giants
I think most people can say that this is the NL matchup they want to see.  The two best pitching staffs in all of baseball matching up in the NLCS.  You've got the two dominant rotations battling and two frivolous offenses squaring up.  Look for low scoring battles that will come down to who makes the least mistakes.


Phillies in 6

Giants need to sign Jermaine Dye

Jermaine Dye is still out there. Teams are tending to shy away from him because of his age. But he's proved the past few seasons that he still capable of being a good hitter. The Giants are one big bat away from winning the NL West.

They made some decent pickups to help the offense by signing Mark Derosa and Aubrey Huff and resigning Freddy Sanchez and Bengie Molina.

We already know they have the best 1-2 pitching duo in the league and one of the best rotations. It's time for Brian Sabean to finally get this done for his team by signing Dye to at least one year deal. They've got the roster win now, they're just one bat away from winning their division and maybe even a World Series.

Please Sign Barry Bonds

Has anyone noticed anything missing this summer? I am sure most of us have. Whether people want to admit it or not, most of us do miss watching Barry Bonds play the game of baseball.

Most people may not want to admit it, but we miss watching the high-flying HRs and the emotion and energy that Bonds gave nearly every fan when he stepped up to the plate.

If everybody hated Bonds as much as they say, then why did they care so much about him? Why was so much attention drawn to him last summer when he chased the career HR record? Why did he sell-out stadiums? Why did everybody still talk about him? And why did everybody stop what they're doing just to watch him when he was at bat?

Fans, admit it. If you watched the highlights and games, barely anybody was buying a hot dog or going to the bathroom when Mr. Bonds was up to bat. When he hit a HR even the most horrified Bonds haters didn't seem to mind standing up and clapping, but only to rephrase back to booing once he crossed the plate.

What is it? What does Bonds have that others don't? How can so many people hate this man so much and still care so much to watch him play the game?

As you can see, I am a Barry Bonds fan. I've been a fan of his and the San Francisco Giants nearly all of my life. While I wouldn't want to see him back in a Giants uniform, I would love to see him in just about any other uniform.

I admit it, I want to see him play this summer. I want to see one of the greatest baseball players walk the field one last time. I want to see booming HRs again. I want to see one of the best hitters of all time and someone who knows the zone better than anyone that has played the game.

But the truth is, nearly every fan of the game wants to see Bonds play again. We may not want to admit it and even if he does return, we all know there would be nonstop booing. We all know we would all still drop our hot dogs and beer or turn the channel just to watch him one last time.

Giant Issues

Today we're going to talk some MLB. My San Francisco Giants keep proving they're one of the worst teams in the Majors.

Last nights game vs. the Yankees definitely proved that as well. They continue to struggle at the plate. They just can't put up any runs and when they do, they can't ever hold a lead. I think it's time to make some changes in this organization. In my eyes, everything is revolving around Barry Bonds, especially the HR chase. Which needs to stop.

This team is getting older by the second I mean you have Ray Durham, Omar Vizquel, Mark Sweeney, Bonds, and Dave Roberts who are all 35 and older. It's time to get some young talent in there. The Giants could be utilizing Fred Lewis or some other young guy who could catch fly balls in LF that Barry misses by 5 feet. Bonds is flat out embarrassing in LF and it's time for them to start bringing in some young talent. Maybe they should consider moving him to 1B or not playing him at all.

As for pitching, I think they brought up Tim Lincecum a year early. He started off the year well, but now he is struggling and is continuing to get shelled. He would have been better off pitching in AA or AAA this season instead of getting throttled in the Majors.

Back to Bonds, this needs to be his last year with the Giants. They cannot continue to waste their money on him. It is a must for them to bring in some young talent for the future this off season or maybe even later in the year.

Red Sox continue to dominate
Just wanted to talk a little bit about Boston. On paper, no one can beat these guys; not Detroit, not Cleveland, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, nor the New York Mets. They just continue to impress. Their bullpen is phenomenal, the starting rotation is awesome (especially Matsuzaka), and the whole lineup is producing as well. I really think no one will stop them come the end of the regular season. As of right now, they're my pick to be in the World Series.


Any other thoughts on the Red Sox or Giants?

Road to History

Barry Bonds hit his 747th homer and moved within eight of Hank Aaron's career record with a two-run shot during the Giants' 4-3 win over Toronto on Monday night, only the second home run since May 8 for the slugger and his first this month.

Bonds had not hit a HR in 77 AB's since hitting No. 746 back on May 27 vs. the Rockies. In Bonds' previous 36 games from April 29 to June 10, he hit only four homers after hitting 10 by May 5.

On a side note, New York Daily News Sportswriter wrote a column on Throwing Back Barry's ball? Encouraging for whoever catches HR ball No. 756 should throw the ball back in protest.

We all know Barry will not hit No. 756 away from San Francisco. Bochy will sit and limit his AB's until they play at home. Plus, 9 of his current 13 HR's have all come at AT&T Ballpark.

Follow the Road to 755 & 756 right here at The Sports Flow

The Sports Flow will be trying very hard to live-blog HR's 755 and 756. We will keep you updated with Bonds' HR chase and count as the season progresses.

If this isn't a choke, then I don't know what is...

So I was watching my Giants take on the Mets Tuesday night on ESPN. This is another good thing about the Bonds' HR chase (in my opinion obviously), more nationally televised games.

The game was pretty much dominated by the pitching and defense from the middle until close to the end of the game. Rookie sensation Tim Lincecum had a solid outing for the Giants in a no-decision with 7 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, and 8 K. Oliver Perez had a great performance as well for the Mets lasting 7 Innings as well with 5 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, and 8 K.

Did I say solid pitching till the end of the game? Well atleast until the 12th. And then there was Armando Benitez.

Let me recap the 12th inning...

Giants finally broke through in their part of the 12th, Omar Vizquel started it off with a walk. Then Fred Lewis bunted Vizquel over to third after Vizquel advanced to second after a wild pitch. Mark Sweeney was then HBP. Randy Winn then grounded out while Vizquel scored, beating out the tag to take a 5-4 lead.

Then this happened...

Bottom of the 12th, Benitez walked Jose Reyes to start it off, then after multiple pick off attempts and foul balls, Benitez balked. I thought it was a questionable call. It looked like he was just doing what every other pitcher does; the ump proclaimed "he started and stopped", but to me it looked like he was just moving his left leg back closer to his right leg after getting the pitch call from catcher Bengie Molina.

So Reyes advanced to second, then Endy Chavez sacrificed him over to third. Carlos Beltran then grounded out to 2nd basemen Kevin Fransen. So two done, tying run on third and Carlos Delgado to the plate. Benitez then hesitated and made an obvious flinch, balking again bringing Reyes home to tie the game. There was no questions about this balk though, this one was blatantly obvious.

Then of course, the next pitch Delgado sent a walk off HR over the RF fence. I mean when was the last time a player balked twice in a game? How about twice in a month? I mean wow, Benitez choked horrendously. This got me wondering... why did the Giants ever trade away Joe Nathan?

The Glorious Guest Post: San Francisco, On My Mind...

Hello, friends. My name is Ted. By this point, you probably know that I do most of my word-smithing over at this site, but occasionally I contribute elsewhere, such as Sports Flow. Today, I'm doing just that, with a look at the Bay Area's Athletic Renaissance.

It's a bad time to live in Dallas - think Romo's lack of ability to grab a snap, Dirk's proven ability to become a 3rd grade school girl in the playoffs, and the Rangers in general - or Houston (the Texans as a whole, T-Mac this postseason, and the current state of the Astros) - or even Washington (the Skins were laughable this past season, the Nats might break the single-season loss record, and the Wizards were swept in Round 1).

But, it's a good time to live in the Bay Area.

It's funny how things ebb and flow so quickly in terms of the geographic distribution of sports success. The A's and Giants have been good for a while - 2005 and 2006 were actually the Giants first losing seasons since 1996 - and the Sharks are always kinda sorta on the verge of something they never seem to get, but the current revolution in professional sports relevance by the Bay is quite startling. Consider:

The A's

The deal with the A's is simple: if they hang with the Angels until September, the division gets decided by those two teams meeting in that month. Nothing more, nothing less. The Rangers and Mariners, right now, aren't going to change that equation. Right now, the A's alternate between being a game back and being tied. Looks like another September of 10pm start times on the East Coast.

The Giants

The Giants, who were the NL representative to the World Series as recently as my senior year of college (crap - does that date me?), fell on hard times the past two seasons but look better now. They're only 3 games above .500 as of me writing this, but their pitching has been pretty good - Zito turned things around after a slow start, Matt Morris is reminding people he's still alive, Noah Lowry and Matt Cain are good young starters, and Tim Lincecum (while shelled in his first start) is at the MLB level, which can only be good over time - and their offense is extraordinarily old, but getting contributions from unlikely places (think back-up catchers). It helps that Bonds is sending them into orbit way faster than anyone expected he would.

The Warriors

The crown jewel of the current Bay Area sports scene, the Warriors were absent from the postseason for over a decade, then returned with a Baron Davis Bang, taking down the No. 1 seeded and prohibitive favorite Mavericks in six games. They're down 1-0 to the Jazz right now, but if you've seen any games played at Oracle Arena this postseason, you know it's gonna be pretty hard for them to lose there. As such, if they get 1 game in Utah, they might win this series. Warriors in the Western Conference Finals? Wow. Talk about a Bay Area sports renaissance.

The Niners

The Niners, arguably football's all-time proudest franchise, haven't been to the playoffs since 2002. Things are looking different for this season, though. Alex Smith is entering his third year - conventional wisdom dictates that's the year you break out, unless your surname is "Carr." Frank Gore led the NFC in rushing last year, and they picked up some defensive studs in the off-season: Nate Clements (free agent), Michael Lewis (free agent, not book author), and Patrick Willis (draft). Joe Staley in the late first round was decried by some as a bust, but I'd call it a steal. All he's gonna do is help protect Smith and Gore, and about five days before the Draft, people had him going No. 10. Mike Nolan, who's cool because he wants to wear a suit on the sideline, could become known as one of the NFL's better coaches in the next half-decade.

The Sharks

Since 1997-1998, the Sharks have missed the playoffs just once ('02-'03). Granted, they've never made the Cup Finals during that entire run - they made the Western Finals a few years back - but that's one of the more impressive runs in hockey across the past decade nonetheless. Joe Thornton is a stud (he's 27), Patrick Marleau is a lifer there and a stud (he's 27), Jonathan Cheechoo can score from anywhere on the ice (he's 26), and Vesa Toskala is only 29. In sum: get ready, TankHeads. There's another run or two in this bunch, as well.