SCOTT JACOBS

The only thing more frustrating then the start of these 2008 MLB playoffs is the bombardment of annoying Frank TV ads that we the sports fan have to suffer through every other commercial. O yeah, there’s also been the stunningly boring play taking place on the field.  This post-season appeared to set up as the most wide open field in some time.  Instead, a few days in, we’re almost already out of the first round and into the league championship series.  Why?  Because every series is 2-0.  Every single one!  Last year we had three sweeps (and one four game series), and that was as anti-climatic as we’d seen in some time.  This year, we could be looking at a foursome of sweeps.  Get out the brooms, no one’s safe.

Not the Brewers, who have proven to be a one man wrecking machine that now just looks broken, after their ace was pummeled in game two.

Not the Cubs, who are once again on the verge of another disheartening playoff exit, just moments into what looked like “the year.”

Not the White Sox, who have given the South Side little to cheer about.  Sure, they’ve taken the lead early, but they couldn’t hold on, and a pair of two run leads in successive games has gone all for not.  After the week they had, having to play two games after the season had ended, it’s excusable for them to be on the verge of being swept, but the Angels?

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, might as well be renamed the “Who cares what they’re named, the Red Sox own them.”  Seriously, the Red Sox have taken the Angels, who won 100 games, and looked like clear cut favorites to win another world championship, and they’ve just knocked them down every time the Angels look like they’re trying to get up. It’s incredible.  Make it eleven consecutive post-season wins for Boston over LA, a new major league record.

The Angels had eleven hits, and one was an extra base hit.  The Halos scratched and clawed back from a 5-2 deficit early on, but once again, like the Spurs owning the Suns, Boston put away what is no longer even the best team in Southern California.  That distinction right now would go to the Dodgers.

That series looked like it would be the best of these four (and it has been, for whatever that’s worth), and at least a pair of these series looked like good bets to go at least four.  But that looks unlikely now.

With the Brewers reeling, and their offense held at bay, Philadelphia looks like they’ll get the knockout blow Saturday.  Milwaukee’s lack of hitting has cost them dearly, and now that C.C. Sabathia is off the list, the Phils can feel it.

The Dodgers will look to finish off the shell-shocked Cubs Saturday when the series shifts to Los Angeles.  If the Cubs have anything going for them, it’s that the Angels couldn’t win in LA, so maybe the same will go for the Dodgers.  But not likely.  In fact, look for the Dodgers to complete the sweep tomorrow, officially putting Cubs fans out of their misery for the umpteenth time.

The Rays will look for the sweep at U.S. Cellular, and boy has that bullpen been impressive.  Those young kids over in Tampa Bay have proven to be real gamers, and you can’t help but think a Red Sox-Rays ALCS would be absolutely riveting theater. Not quite Yanks-Sox, but certainly a compelling matchup nonethless.

So that’s where we stand.  Tonight’s Red Sox-Angels game was a thriller, but Boston just oozes with confidence.  They may no longer have Manny, but the defending champs are still incredibly clutch.  And how about Jason Bay, homering in his first two post-season games.  Not a bad pickup, was Bay, who looks incredibly comfortable in what looked like a tough role to fill.

So that’s the story this post-season.  Both teams in the mega Manny swap look well on their way. All they have to do is win one game at home, and they’re golden.

The Brewers and White Sox get to go home, but neither one of their chances looks all that great.

I’m not sure that this has ever happened, but could we be looking at FOUR sweeps in one round?

It certainly looks like a realistic possibility.

SCOTT JACOBS

Baseball has 162 games, so what’s one game really?  How about a lot.

Especially if you’re the Detroit Tigers.  Your season was over.  Your disappointing, incredibly uninspired season was over.  You were ready to go into hibernation, and ponder what the heck happened to the offensive juggernaut that was supposed to run the AL like a Russian mafia.  But that never came to fruition, and you lost 87 games, stunningly finishing in the AL Central basement, behind the likes of the Kansas City Royals!

But you didn’t officially finish dead last.  Not yet at least.  Because a game assumedly cancelled by rain a few weeks back is now the separating factor between the two best teams in your division: the White Sox and Twins.  Minnesota is a half ahead of the Pale Hose, and you, Detroit, have to go to U.S. Cellular to play one more game, even though the season is already over.  This isn’t a playoff game.  It’s a makeup game.

And you, the Tigers, are forced to play it.

Sure, love of the game this, and let’s spoil their chances that, are supposed to be Detroit’s motivation, but I’d be pissed if I was the Tigers.  After a horrible season, where World Series dreams turned to age and injury nightmares Detroit probably just wants to start their offseason already, and forget that this year ever happened.  But because of a goofy situation, the Tigers are all that stands between the White Sox, and a one game playoff.

Yes, this could be the start of a two game in two days ordeal for the White Sox who know exactly what they have to do: win both.  Think of it as a single elimination tournament in the College World Series, only one team knows they have no chance to advance no matter what they do.

So yeah, Detroit can spoil Chicago’s season, and any possibilities of a Chicago-Chicago Fall Classic.  If they lose, the White Sox play Minnesota in a one game playoff Tuesday.

But what if it rained?  So much so that they couldn’t play the game?  Would that push back everything?  How would that work?

I always pondered how something like that works.  What if the Sox win today, but the weather was horrible tomorrow and they couldn’t play.  Would they play Wednesday before starting the ALDS in Tampa on Thursday?  That would hardly seem fair.

And then there’s this: imagine being a free agent on Detroit. Your season is over.  You’re seeking a nice payday in the offseason.  An injury or any magnitude would be devastating, especially in a game that has no implications whatsoever for you.  How do you play the game?  Do you not try as hard?  Do you play it like an All Star game, by giving half effort?

Or do you go all out and treat it like your World Series?

It’s an intriguing question.  Almost as intriguing as the crazy scenario before us.  If the game ever got rained today, could their potentially be a doubleheader played tommorrow against two different teams?

There is no shortage of crazy possibilities here.  Now we get to wait and see how it all plays out.

SCOTT JACOBS

“That ball is hit hard, it’s hit deep, that ball is… out of here?”

You will never hear an announcer say that, but the way some balls have been hit, and the way some calls have been missed, it’s about damn time that MLB decided that for the good of the game, baseball needs instant replay.

The details of the new system have yet to be ironed out, and all the kinks are going to get worked out before they give it the green light at a MLB ball park near you. But the light at the end of this controversial tunnel is finally starting to peek it’s head out.

“Turn right at optimistic road, make a left on why did this take so long street. Your destination is straight ahead.”

With baseball finally prepping its ball parks for GASP! more 21st century technology (traditionalists be damned!) the sport is finally showing it is more important to get the call right, even if it takes another minute or so.

For perfectionists, your day has not yet come. MLB has no intention of using replay to review close plays at the plate or even strikes or balls. Not that they probably ever considered it, but could you imagine a strike that ends a game reversed? Yeah, baseball wants no part of that. What they do want is to get home run calls right.

I had thought that putting two MLB officials next to the two foul poles in both right and left field would have done the trick, afterall that would take like 30 MLB employees, which would seem like nothing. But either that idea was never tossed around, or MLB is nervous about one guy along the line determining a big play. Either way, MLB has gotten it right. We think.

What I’m a little baffled by is that there won’t be replay for close plays along the first and third base lines. Baseball should have that too. But this is certainly a start, and while everyone would have liked to see this in place at the start of the year, getting it in before the pennant races catch fire is a big deal.

No word yet on when the replay will be officially put into play, but baseball first needs the player’s union and umpires association to agree before anything happens. Logic says they will (the world would be stunned if they didn’t) and by then we should be on the verge of a pure sport getting a little help from a digital friend.

Speaking of those pennant races…

I will probably elaborate on this more during a longer uncut post, but here’s my take on the wild races going on in baseball.

They’re great. I think. To be honest, I’m not sure. The NL West is only tight because both teams can barely stay above .500. They’re not playing good baseball (not overall at least) and that makes for a good race between mediocre teams.

Same with the NL East. No one can separate themselves. The Phillies have been terrible lately, dropping three straight in LA, blowing a big 6-1 lead last night and now they’re tied with the Mets. When you look up horrific bullpen lately the Mets show up, because of their inability to close tight games out with injured Billy Wagner. The Marlins, despite the fact that they haven’t had a winning streak of more then four in forever are still just a game and a half back. Granted, the East is better then the West, but I think both races will remain close, because frankly I don’t any of those teams have proven to be that special.

The Twins and White Sox are just exchanging first back and forth in what has become the race few expected. I saw the division being a great race, but between the Tigers and Indians. Not the Sox and the Pair of Kids.

Finally, while the AL East is still a race, I am beginning to believe the Rays will prevail. Here’s the difference between the Rays and other teams: they don’t rely on that one star. So even though Crawford is great and Longoria has been phenomenal, the Rays still continue to win. Their pitching is steady, their bullpen is solid, and they get a lot of walk off wins. Scared under pressure? I don’t see it right now with Tampa Bay.

And a special thanks to the Angels who are going to make me right on my pick that they’d win 100 games this year. Finally, I got something right!