• The Dodgers lost, 11-0, to the White Sox in 1959 and went on to win in six games.
• The Brewers knocked out the Cardinals, 10-0, in 1982 and lost the series in seven.
• The 1996 Yankees — who lost Game 1, 12-1, to the Braves — also lost Game 2, but came back to win the next four and the series in six games.

It wouldn't surprise me to know Manny and the Beantown Boys are sleeping with one eye open…

Game 2 coming up next!

The NLCS will be a very interesting series. The Diamondbacks certainly have the pitching edge, with arms like Webb, Davis and Livan. They're also a scrappy team, manufacturing runs by doing the little things. The Rockies however, have the big bats of Helton and Holliday, the rookie-flavored leadership of Tulowitzki, and some serious mojo. The Rockies were in the driver's seat playing against the Padres, and it will be interesting to see if they pull off a similarly aggressive game plan. Dave Pinto thinks the Rockies' bats will send Colorado to the World Series. Either way, this is a series that will have positive impact with baseball fans everywhere, as it furthers the notion that "baseball has become a general manager's game, where wits outweigh deep pockets." Sox1fan has a nice analysis of the NLCS teams and shares why he too thinks the Rockies will move on.

I lucked into getting the Rockies as my pick in Championship Series. This is especially pleasing since it allows me to wear the free Rockies t-shirt I recently picked up at my local Free Store.

My AL picks fared better. Initially, I had a hard time deciding between the Red Sox and the Angels, but I ultimately chose the Sox. I was surprised that the Angels weren't more aggressive, but they were broken down by the time the post-season started, injury ridden and fading–not at all the same team that so many were picking in early September to win it all. The Red Sox, especially the tandem boppers Big Papi and Manny, were awesome. At the beginning of this season, I chose Boston for my pool, but I actually thought they might be on the decline in 2007. I'm very glad to see I was wrong. Pound for pound, these guys probably have the best fundamental baseball team on the field right now.

The New York loss was joyous for me. Was there anyone who actually thought that Wang would pitch well on three days rest? Apparently so–but not Joe Torre. Cleveland was wonderful–at the plate, on the bags and on the mound. I like Ryan Garko's comments about the bugs on his playoff blog!

Here I am writing about baseball while the Rockies/D-Backs game is into the second inning! Into the Championships we go! Go Rockies! Go Red Sox!

What can be said about that crazy race in the NL West?! In the end, the D-backs took the Division, but the real excitement was the Padres-Rockies playoff game on Monday. I was rooting for the Friars, but I could tell early on that the Rockies were poised to win–they had that special spark. While the Padres consistently had trouble moving runners, the Rockies were following through, practicing the fundamentals, and manufacturing runs. In the end, I definitely thought the call at the plate in the 13th was wrong, but at the same time Hoffman had already lost at that point. Even if Holliday had been called out, I'm convinced the Rockies would have gotten another hit off Trev', who just wasn't that sharp.

In just two hours, the first post-season game will begin, with the highly anticipated matchup for the Phillies and Rockies. I'm stoked! Before we get underway…

Here are the teams in my pool for the post-season: Phillies, Cubs, Red Sox and Indians. The Phillies were a pick I've had all season. The Cubs I won by default. I had to make a hard choice between the Red Sox and Angels, who were both in my regular season pool. The Angels know how to make things happen, but overall, I think the Red Sox are a stronger baseball team. Let's also not forget that the Sox owned John Lackey this season, who had an ERA over 8 against Boston over two games. Do the Angels have a bona fide ace other than Lackey? In the end, I just couldn't see myself rooting against Papi and Manny, so Sox it is! The Indians are another team I had in my regular season pool, and let's just say… I hope they bury the Yankees!

As for my predictions… 

• Phillies over Rockies in 5
• Arizona over the Cubs in 4
• Red Sox over the Angels in 3
• Cleveland over the Yankees in 5

• Phillies over Arizona in 5 
• Red Sox over Cleveland in 4

• Red Sox over Phillies in 6

Let the fun begin!

Everyone knows that the team with the most "mojo" wins it all. The Tigers had mojo all season long, and they certainly had mojo in the ALCS. But you could almost see that mojo slip away from the Tigers in the WS (all those errors!) and slowly make it's way into the hearts of the Cardinals.

Throughout the series, I kept thinking back to that comment Tony LaRussa made in the last week of the season, something to the effect of "If we win the division, we'll win it all." The media jumped all over this: IF we win? And just how will you win it all with your team in such a shambles? Despite the long list of injured Cardinals, and the appearance that the team was being carried by some guy named Albert, LaRussa's red birds came through. It's just too bad for me that I'm not a Cardinals fan.

Aside from the fact that the team I picked lost, I feel a little jipped with the past two World Series. Can we please make it a full 7-game series in 2007? No more WS sweeps or 4-1's, OK? I want to squeeze every single game I can get out of a season!