Well, I was hoping for at least a split in New York, but now the streaky team need to be streaky for the next three. Saturday and Sunday in LA (where they play much better) and one more back in New York. Here's the problem, like most managers in the playoffs Grady LIttle is going with veterans and in the first two games and in a couple of respects they haven't come through. BTW, Grady LIttle is a great manager and I'm glad the Dodger's have him.
Here are my recommendations for game three:
If the Dodgers can win game three, then in game four I would probably start Chad Billingsly not Brad Penny. Whatever the problem, Penny hasn't been right for a couple of months. The young players, in many respects, got the Dodgers to the playoffs; and these are going to be the guys who play every game next year, when Nomar and Lugo and Lofton are elsewhere. Even if they don't pull this series out, they get the experience that they need for the playoffis next year.
Senator Bill Frist, the outgoing senator from Tennessee and one of the most ineffectual majority leaders in Senate history, is probably going to run for president in 2008 on the Republican side. Well, hopefully, potential voters who are serious are the war on terrorism will read and remember this story. Read the full text here.
Here are the lead paragraphs of the story:
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Monday that the Afghan war against Taliban guerrillas can never be won militarily and urged support for efforts to bring "people who call themselves Taliban" and their allies into the government.The Tennessee Republican said he learned from briefings that Taliban fighters were too numerous and had too much popular support to be defeated on the battlefield.
"You need to bring them into a more transparent type of government," Frist said during a brief visit to a U.S. and Romanian military base in the southern Taliban stronghold of Qalat. "And if that's accomplished, we'll be successful."
Now, let's see, I think we have the Taliban and Al Qaeda on a list somewhere that calls them terrorist organizataions, a lot like Hamas (we refused to recognize and deal with the Hamas led Palestianian Authority because of their terrorists designation). Now, Frist, who is clearly trying to posture a moderate position as a political manuver, declares that we can't win the war on terrorr in Afganistan so we need to politically engage the Taliban and their supporters, allowing them enter the govenmental structures of Afganistan.
This is perhaps one of the most absurd concepts I've heard recently. I don't think even democrats have proposed such an idea (knowing that if they did they would be skewered, and rightly so, by the American public and the Republicans). Frist apparently does not remember that we fought a small war in Afganistan to get the Taliban out of the govenment, at the cost of American lives and no small amount of the public treasury. So how the United States', Afganistan, or anyone's interests served by allowing them back into the govenment (where, of course, like Hamas, they could take control again) is beyond understanding.
Hopefully people will remember what the Taliban were and what they did to Afganistan the first time they took over. Their ideology and their Facist interpretation of Islam is what we need less of in the world, not allowing them power within a government.
Thankfully for the Republican Party Bill Frist will soon be out of office. Hopefully, it will stay that way.
Well, I haven't posted anything for quite a while, I've been exceptionally busy and, unfortunately, exceptionally sick for about three weeks. But we are never too busy or sick to have an opinion, especially about baseball. Here are my predictions for the baseball playoffs:
American League (First Round)
Detriot Tigers vs. New York Yankees: I think this series is going to be a lot closer than most people think. The Tigers will win one in New York against a very suspect Yankee starting staff. But in Detroit Kenny Rogers won't beat the Yankees (again) and New York Wins in Five.
Danger point for the winner: Despite Joe Torre's assertions to the contrary, in Game 4 or 5 he'll need Mariano Rivera for two innings to pull it out. I also think Randy Johnson will break down. He's a very tall pitching that has to have good back movement to be effective and I doubt he have either. The Yankee games will be prime time at night, so it will be cold .
Oakland A's vs. Minnesota Twins: The network television nightmare matchup (you can see what kind of ratings ESPN and FOX think these games will get; BTW, in case you don't know the networks pretty much pick the times of the games). This is almost as much of a coin toss as the other series. In the end I think Minnesota has just enough in the tank to beat an A's team that will probably win a laugher in one game, but won't be able to overcome superior pitching and hitting. Minnesota over the A's in Five.
Danger Point for the Winner: Santana has to pitch two full games and can't be the Game One starter in the LCS and Radke finally breaks down completely and is lost for the rest of the playoffs.
American League (LCS)
New York Yankees vs. Minnesota Twins: If my first prediction of a five series is correct and Santana can't start game one, Minnesota is in serious trouble. In that case I see a five game series going to the Yankees who just have too much hitting and experience. With Liriano out Santana probably has to pitch three games for Minnesota to win. Beyond this Minnesota's only hope is getting into the Yankee bullpen quickly and often. Frankly, I think Joe Torre's great at handling this complex club overall, but really poor at handling his bullpen. If he has to use Rivera in two or three of the first four games or goes on one of his four or five pitcher in a game modes too often, the Twins could pull this out in seven. But, to make a final prediction: New York Yankees in six.
Danger Point for the Winner: The Yankees enter the World Series with a bullpen and pitching staff in shambles.
National League (First Round)
San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals: Of all the series I think this will be the quickest of all. St. Louis limps into the playoffs with no confidence, no pitching and a banged up line up. With The Padres pitching peaked right now and the way Mike Cameron is hitting, my prediction: San Diego in a sweep.
Danger Point for the Winner: San Diego needs to not use Trevor Hoffman every game. He pitched something like 7 of their last ten games, blew one big game against the Dodgers and nearly lost the Division clinching game yesterday. When tired, his ball rises and then typically rises again out of the ballpark. He's not 30 years old any more.
Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets: OK, everyone knows that my emotional well being pretty much revolves around the Dodgers. But here are the differences, the Mets clinched a while ago and have played poorly since then. The Dodgers come in with a seven game winning streak and six straight on the road. The Mets do not have a starting rotation that worries too many people and at least two of their big players (Floyd and Delgado) are banged up, Floyd's knee could quit at any time. The Dodgers did the smart thing and put out a back up lineup on Sunday (and still won the game and nearly won the division) and have their rotation set and gave their starters an extra day of rest. Lowe has been great since the All Star break and Kuo has been a nice surprise (BTW, remember he recently dominated the Mets who do not hit left handed power pitchers at all). Maddux goes game three in Los Angeles. Since coming to the Dodgers Maddux is 6-3, 3.30era, 7 quality starts, and about 3 to 1 SO to Walk ratio. My prediction: Dodgers in Four.
Danger Point for the Winner: The Dodgers, like the Padres with Hoffman, have to avoid using Saito every game. He's 36 and relies on being able to fool people with a 92-94 mph fastball. But when he is tired he drops to about 89-90 and he becomes hitable (his couple of blown saves have come when he's pitched multiple games in a row). Personally, I'd use Brockton to close a game if needed and use Saito no more than two games. The other big problem for the Dodgers is Nomar. It's cold in New York now and if he further aggrivates his injuries and can't play that's a problem.
National League LCS
Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres: In 1988 the Dodgers went into the LCS against the Mets as real underdogs. The Mets had beaten the Dodgers 11 of 12 in the regular season, but the Dodgers found a way to win. This year the Padres have killed the Dodgers. For example, if the Dodgers had just split with the Padres this year, they would have won the division by about six games, Philadelphia would be the Wild Card team and the Padres would be home now. I think the results will be the same as 1988. The Dodgers have the advantage of the bench, team speed, defense, and several position players. San Diego has an advantage in power, starting pitching and bullpen. But, the Padres really had to spend a lot of energy to get where they are. If Cameron slumps the Padres won't win. I think the trade-off of Piazza's hitting for his terrible lack of defense will come back and haunt the Padres. On the other hand Russell Martin can shut down the running of the Padres. My prediction: Dodgers in Six.
Danger Point for the Winner: Same as before, overuse of Saito. If Nomar does breakdown, Loney (who will be the first baseman next year anyway) is ready.
2006 WORLD SERIES
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. New York Yankees: The definition of a true Dodger fan is this: "A true Dodger fan hopes that the Dodgers win all of their games, that the Gaints lose all their games, and that the Yankees win just enough games to get into the World Series so that the Dodgers can beat them." It will be a great series, the television networks will make lots of money, and it will be a return to what the World Series should be: THe Dodgers and the Yankees.
As noted above, the Yankees will come into the World Series with a wiped out starting rotation and exhausted bullpen. The Dodgers have superior pitching and better team speed (Kenny Lofton would love to show Geogre Steinbrenner how well he can play). Rafael Furcal and J. D. Drew will come up big and I think that James Loney will be playing a lot in place of Nomar (who will DH, if able, at Yankee Stadium). I think Loney will be a big factor along with Andre Either.
My prediction: Dodgers in Six.