With a great final showing in the regular season, time to see which teams will represent their leagues in the World Series.
Artwork by Kiera Classen
The Major League Baseball postseason will have a hard time topping what happened at the end of the regular season this year. Each postseason team played a meaningful final regular season game. Most games were extra inning, late night affairs that were won off of clutch hits by players much like Evan Longoria. The postseason will be filled with great pitching matchups with Justin Verlander (Detroit Tigers) going with CC Sabathia (New York Yankees), and Roy Halladay (Philadelphia Phillies) hurling against Chris Carpenter (St. Louis Cardinals). But, the important part is, who will make the World Series?
To get to the Fall Classic, a team must win in the League Championship Series. This year’s League Championship Series has the following matchups; in the ALCS is Detroit Tigers vs. Texas Rangers. Then in the NLCS is the St. Louis Cardinals vs. the Milwaukee Brewers.
Detroit Tigers vs. Texas Rangers: These are the feel good teams in the AL. The Tigers were a bad team last year, and found a way to be great this year. One reason they are so good is the pitching of Justin Verlander. He had 24 wins and is unhittable at times. Verlander may actually become the MVP of the AL, as a pitcher. Unfortunately for the Tigers, he only plays once every four nights. Someone who does play every night is the Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre. He knocked 32 balls out of the park, and drove in 105 runs. He and his friend Josh Hamilton will kill this Tiger rotation, right out of Arlington. Since it’s stupid to predict a sweep, the Rangers win in five games. (4-1).
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Milwaukee Brewers: This will entail the greatest NLCS we might ever see. Will it be Albert Pujols’ final series in a Cardinals uniform? Can the Brewers keep Prince Fielder away from the Cardinals if Albert leaves? Drama and rivalry will fill the air for seven hard fought games. Who wins? The Brewers have the pitching. Yovani Gallardo (207 strikeouts, a .245 batting average against) will strike out any Cardinal that comes to the plate, and the Brewers defense will shut down any kind of baserunners the Cardinals get. Then the Brewers’ John Axford (46 saves, 1.95 Earned Run Average) will come out of the bullpen and the close the game in any situation. But, why would anyone ever doubt “The Machine” Albert Pujols? He gets the big fly when no one else does. He is the beating heart of the St. Louis Cardinals. This is a tough choice, but the Brewers win a hard fought series, that no one wants to see end. (4-3).
