The baseball playoffs are just around the corner and I am hoping that the baseball fans of Boise will call the Bob and Murph Show during the post season and talk about what is going on on the diamond. For the rest of the season, Baseball with Bob a weekly feature moves to Wednesdays on Caves and Prater's Idaho Sports Talk, so look for me there.
Most of the playoff teams are set but the matchups aren't. For the teams guaranteed a spot, there is always a question do you go all out to win home field advantage. While it is nice, it isn't nearly the big deal that it is in the NFL. I think as long as you are a division winner, I would rather set up my pitching than try for that extra win to be the top seed. However, moving from the wild card to a division winner is worth spending all that extra energy on. Baseball got it right putting the wild cards in an extra playoff. In many seasons the Yankees and Red Sox both were securely in the playoffs and just coasted to October. Today, they would have competed much harder for the benefit of being division champion.
When you size up the teams and try to predict who will win the World Series…remember one thing…the best team won't always win. It is the team that has things come together for a three way period. Little known hitters get hot (Cody Ross in '10). A pitcher will throw the game of his life (Barry Zito '12).
I thought heading in to this year it would be Detroit's time in the American League. Their lineup is great and they have a couple of the best starters in baseball. Boston has had a renaissance. Oakland just seems to get it done. Right now Tampa Bay and Cleveland look like the wild cards. The National League is set except for who is the Central winner and who are the wild cards. I really like Cincinnati's lineup and can't understand why they aren't doing better. The Dodgers big three starting pitchers will be tough to beat. Atlanta had so many teams in the 90's that should have won, I think this might be there year. No one has talked about the Braves all season.
But the team I am most looking forward to watching in post season is the Pirates. I am hoping that they get to host a game. I was at the last post season game in Pittsburgh. It was game 5 of the 1992 NLCS and the Pirates beat Atlanta, 7-1, in a Sunday night game threatened by rain. Pittsburgh scored four times in the first as five of the first six batters got hits with four of those hits being doubles. Starting pitcher Bob Walk went the distance. The Pirates won game six in Atlanta and lost game seven when Sid Bream beat the throw to the plate sending Atlanta to the World Series. It also sent me to game one of the World Series, but that is another story for another time.
With the Giants out, I'd like to see the Pirates take it this year. Who do you want to see win it? Give us a call on the Bob and Murph Show.
