Recently I posted about how poorly I drafted in 2010.  What has become a habit is every year I think I had a good draft but when I look back on it few months later I realize I had a bad one.

This year I am going to blog my initial thoughts about my 2011 draft.  And then in a few months I can look back and review it.

Round 1

Unlike last year when I intensely disliked my #6 slot this year I was quite pleased with my #2 slot.  Shortstop this season is incredibly shallow so I wanted either Hanley Ramirez or Troy Tulowitzki.  At #2 I knew I could get either of these guys or Pujols if the unexpected happened and he wasn’t drafted.

I used Fantistics to help me draft and it rated Tulowitzki higher than Hanley.  But 99% of every other fantasy baseball site rated Hanley higher.  In the end I had to go with Hanley, he’s more durable, he has a longer track record, he still has a lot of potential.

Tulowitzki ended up being drafted at #10 which I thought was a good price.  I thought Adrian Gonzalez being drafted at #4 and Carl Crawford at #5 was a bit too high.  Carlos Gonzalez at #14 seems like a good deal too.

Finally I am glad I did not have the #3 slot because Miguel Cabrera’s alcohol problems scare me.  He should be okay but I think if I had the #3 slot it would have taken me hours to decide whom to draft.

Round 2

In the second round I was expecting to get Dustin Pedroia to complete my middle infield.  However I was a bit surprised to see Chase Utley fall to me, my #1 pick from last year.  There are concerns about knee tendinitis which is keeping him out of spring training.  I hope he doesn’t become my 2010 Ian Kinsler.  In fact I hope he doesn’t become my 2010 Chase Utley.

Jose Bautista was the story of the second round.  He was taken early by the same team that took Troy Tulowitzki.  I had targeted him for the third round.  Though it was a bit early I think Jose will end up doing very well especially considering he qualifies at 3B and OF.

I thought Tim Lincecum and Kevin Youkilis were taken a little early and should have been taken in the third round.  But overall a pretty solid round.

One final note on this round was the run on 1B and 3B players.  I did not participate in it and I am not sure if that was a mistake.

Round 3

In the third round I was targeting Nelson Cruz or Adam Dunn but Dunn was taken just before I took Utley and Cruz was taken right after I took Utley.

I was thinking of taking Pedroia but decided I did not need another 2B.  Plus as of this writing I am hoping to get Aaron Hill as my second 2B.

I then considered these three outfielders, all who have the chance to be in the top 20.

• Justin Upton
• Jason Heyward
• Andrew McCutchen

Different people have different opinions about whom to take.  I decided not to take Andrew McCutchen because I decided I did not need the speed since I already drafted speed in the first two rounds.  Also I thought he would be hitting leadoff but now it looks like he will be hitting third.

Jason Heyward is very attractive because of his great eye.  I gravitate towards players with strong plate discipline.  But in the end he just does not have a track record.

I ended up choosing Justin Upton because his 2009 was so great and he is still so young.  Also he will be hitting 3rd vs. Heyward hitting 2nd.

Rounds 4 – 5

In the fourth round I was planning on taking Justin Morneau and in the fifth round I was planning on taking a starter.  However Morneau was taken early in the fourth round.  Considering reports I read later about his still not being completely recovered from his concussion I am glad I did not.

I did consider Kendry Morales but was spooked by reports that he is still not putting full weight on his ankle.  I can just imagine the end of year reports saying Kendry Morales had a bad year because of his ankle.

I considered Billy Butler but thought it was far too early to take someone who hit 15 HR’s last season.  I considered a 3B but decided I could wait on them.  I considered an OF but the only one I wanted was Curtis Granderson and thought I could wait on him (he got drafted early in the sixth round who admitted he thought he was taking him early).

So against my better instincts I decided to take two starting pitchers. I considered six different starting pitchers who I considered could be top 10 starters.

• Josh Johnson
• Francisco Liriano
• Yovani Gallardo
• Ubaldo Jimenez
• Cole Hamels
• Jered Weaver

I then made a spreadsheet where I recorded on a scale of 1 – 6 where they ranked on ESPN, The Fantasy Man, Razzball, Rotoprofessor, Fantasy Baseball Insiders, Roto Hardball, CBS, Fantistics, Yahoo! and Fangraphs.  Ubaldo and Josh Johnson were #1 followed very closely by Jered Weaver.  The next tier was Cole Hamels and Liriano.  Gallardo was the consensus worst.

Ubaldo’s second half scared me and I love Josh Johnson so I picked Josh.  Then I picked Jered Weaver though Cole Hamels profiled quite similarly.  I decided that if Cole Hamels was available in the 6th round I would take him.

Later I learned of Josh Johnson’s injury problems at the end of 2010.  I don’t know why I never knew about that before but when I read that I regretted not taking Weaver and Hamels instead of Josh and Weaver.

Rounds 6 – 7

I was targeting Aramis Ramirez for awhile as my next third basemen.  I was considering Mark Reynolds instead but his low average made me think he’d end up batting low in the lineup.  When I saw Hamels taken I took Aramis because there really weren’t any good third basemen left.

I was hoping to get Granderson in the 7th round but he was taken in the 6th.  I was wondering if I should have taken him earlier and forgot what a Yankee lover Mark is.  I ended up taking Delmon Young because he’s young and still has upside.

Rounds 8 – 9

At this point I unfortunately dropped out of HRBL.  It was a bad decision to have joined.  On the family side we were in the middle of selling our home and packing.  On the personal side I just had a bad fall and hurt my knee considerably.  On the business side I was over my head trying to incorporate.  It was an extremely stressful time and I realized I could not devote any more time to HRBL.

I regret tremendously causing turmoil for the league and so much trouble for the commissioner.  I wasted a lot of peoples’ time and energy because of my bad decision to join HRBL.

I was planning on drafting Carlos Quentin and Carlos Pena next.

Update 09-04-2011

I wrote most of this post during the draft.  Since I did not have time to finish the draft it is obvious that I would not have time to finish this post.

Looking back now it was another disastrous draft for the Funky Kimchees.  Hanley Ramirez was the biggest bust of 2011.  Chase Utley came back sooner than I expected but was still a bust for a second rounder especially considering the depth at 2B this season.  Josh Johnson was fantastic for a few weeks and then was out the rest of the season.  Delmon Young was horrific.

Justin Upton and Jered Weaver were the shining stars of my draft and were almost good enough to overcome my other busts.

It would have been a large uphill battle to win HRBL in 2011 and I doubt I would have.  But considering that the team that I started is now in 3rd I think I would have finished top 4.

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Now that is about time to start the 2011 fantasy baseball draft I thought I would look back on my 2010 draft.  Every season I have drafted poorly and unfortunately last season was no exception.  I actually thought I had a very good draft but a mix of bad luck and questionable valuations led to another failed draft.  Fortunately I still won the league.

My 2010 Position Scarcity Chart – it wasn’t very good

Round 1

I disliked my #6 slot and tried to trade to a different position right until the draft started.  I thought having the #1 or #2 pick or a bottom pick would be optimal.  I really wanted Tim Lincecum but didn’t want to pay a high pick for him.  Or I was hoping to get Tulowitzki and Kinsler with my first two picks.

As it became my turn I agonized for hours about whether to take Utley or Lincecum.  I finally chose Utley and it turned out to be disastrous because:

1. Utley had a major injury in 2010.
2. When healthy Utley had a below average season.

Lincecum though would not have been that much better of a pick.  Though he was solid he was nothing compared to 2009.  And throughout the season I was able to find reliable free agent starters.

If I was to do it again I still would have taken Utley.  Everyone who gave me unsolicited advice told me to take Utley.  It was just bad luck he had such a poor season.

Round 2

I was targeting getting a shortstop, most likely Reyes, and was surprised when Kinsler fell to me.  One person sent me an IM saying it was a no-brainer.  I took Kinsler pretty quickly.  However Kinsler ended up having a disastrous 2010 for the same reasons that Utley did.

If I was to do it again I would have taken Kinsler again even with his injury history.

Round 3

I was hoping Reyes or Rollins would fall to me but they did not.  Jason Bay was by far the highest rated batter left.  I was concerned about his move to the NL and Citi Field but thought his five category potential was too much to ignore.

Immediately afterwards a Red Sox fan said that was a terrible pick and he turned out to be right.  I knew Bay would have less power but I did not expect 6 homeruns.  Also did not expect him to have a concussion that would wipe him out for the rest of the season but fortunately I had traded him at that point.

If I was to do it again I may have taken Ryan Zimmerman or Kevin Youkilis.  3B was shallow last year as it will be this year and I struggled for most of the season to fill my 3B slot.  My hope was that someone like Sandoval would be available in the 4th round.

Round 4

I was hoping there would be a good 3B available but when there wasn’t I took the next best player available in my opinion, Nelson Cruz.  This pick turned out to be decent.  Nelson Cruz was one of the best players per at bat.  However he only had 399 AB’s.

Round 5

I wanted to continue taking batters though at this point starters were looking like very good values.  I needed a 1B so I took Derrek Lee who was just awful.

Immediately after my pick I regretted it because I realized Brandon Phillips was still available.  A 2B with almost as much value as a 1B is much more valuable, even if I already had 2 2B already.  If I was to do it again I would have taken Brandon Phillips.

Someone suggested that I take Adam Wainwright.  I stupidly responded that I did  not believe in him.  If I had taken a starter I would have probably taken Javier Vazquez or Josh Beckett which would have been disastrous.

If Brandon Phillips wasn’t available and I was to do it again I would have taken Adam Wainwright.  Maybe this is a good round to take your first starter but you had better be sure he will be an ace.

Round 6

Continuing my strategy to only take batters I took Carlos Lee.  I was actually not that high on him, thinking he was kind of old.  However I did not expect him to be there in this round so I took him.

The person who had suggested Adam Wainwright to me in round 5 also suggested Carlos Lee.  He was not happy to see me take him in round 6 because he realized that if he had not said anything he might have grabbed him in round 6.

Regardless Carlos Lee was awful.  If I was to do it again I may have taken Josh Hamilton.  Obviously that is easy to say in hindsight but maybe for my 3rd OF I should be looking at upside.

Round 7

This was my last round to take a batter.  I took Hunter Pence and immediately after regretted it, wishing I had taken Bobby Abreu.  I consoled myself by the fact that Hunter Pence is much younger.

Turned out this was only my second good pick of my first seven.  However Abreu also had a pretty good season.

Round 8

Now I started taking starters.  It is interesting to note that soon after my pick a lot of closers began being taken.

I took Jake Peavy and overall he was bad.  He started turning around his season and then tore his shoulder.

I actually was eyeing Ubaldo Jiminez and Ricky Nolasco but they were taken just before my turn.

I had concerns about my #1 starter being someone injury prone and pitching in a small AL park.  Turns out I was right.

I am not sure what I could have done otherwise.  Maybe waiting this long to get a #1 starter was too long.  In hindsight I could say I should have taken Carlos Gonzalez but I had no idea.  Maybe I should have taken a closer.

Round 9

Stubbornly continuing with starters and ignoring closers I took John Lackey.  I didn’t love his move to the AL East but I trusted the Red Sox knew what they were doing in signing him.  Turns out I was wrong.  In fact I became so alarmed by his spring training numbers that I traded him before the season started for Brett Anderson.

If I was to do it again I think I would have taken a closer anticipating there would be a run, probably Brian Wilson.  But Brian Wilson was the last guy left in this tier and I think I would have preferred grabbing closers from the next tier.

Or I could have taken Brett Anderson so I wouldn’t have had to trade for him.

At this point the draft becomes really hard.

Round 10

Another starter, this time A.J. Burnett.  This was a case of my valuations overvaluing K’s and undervaluing WHIP.  I realized this mistake much later in the draft.

Not sure whom I would have taken instead.  Maybe Roy Oswalt.

Round 11

Roy Oswalt was probably my second best pick of the draft.  He became my ace and was phenomenal after he was traded to the Phillies.

Round 12

Ryan Dempster was my last starter and a decent pick.  His K’s were higher than expected but so were his BB’s.  A pretty decent #3 starter.

Rickie Weeks was taken in this round, probably one of the best picks of the draft.  However I would never have taken just because I already had two 2B.

Round 13

Geovany Soto had just been taken so I thought there would be a run on catchers.  I took Russell Martin who was horrible.

This was in the midst of the second closer run.  In hindsight I should have taken a closer like Carlos Mármol.

Round 14

Almost all the closers were taken at this point so I reluctantly took Bobby Jenks.  As I feared Jenks was fat and bad.  He actually wasn’t as bad as his numbers looked, he just had bad luck.  Still he drove me nuts because he kept losing his job.

In this round Adrian Beltre was taken.  In hindsight I should have taken him because I needed a 3B but I felt like I had to have a closer.

What’s funny is I could have had Beltre.  I originally asked for Billy Wagner, not Jenks.  The next team’s owner then announced he wanted Adrian Beltre.  When I found out Billy Wagner was taken I could have taken Beltre who I had been eyeing.  In the end I am glad I didn’t because that would have just caused weird feelings all season between that team’s owner and me.

Round 15

I had been eyeing Garrett Jones for awhile because of his speed and power and the fact he would be hitting third or fourth for the Pirates.  I felt like a genius when he hit 2 HR’s on opening day and another on the second day.

But then he went downhill.  I should have taken Leo Nunez but Eric Karabell scared me about him.  Leo had a pretty good season and was the last surefire closer.

Round 16

I took Dice-K hoping for a repeat of 2008.  Again I made a mistake overvaluing K’s and undervaluing WHIP.  He was a pick I regretted soon afterwards like A.J. Burnett.  Not sure whom I would have taken instead.

Round 17 – 20

JJ Hardy was just taken so I took Jhonny Peralta, the last decent SS.  He was pretty bad.  SS is a tough position and I did not have a good SS until I picked up Infante in August.

Next I took Drew Stubbs for his speed and potential power.  Too bad he was terrible for me so I dropped him.  Turned out to actually be a good pick but unfortunately someone else enjoyed him.

Then I took Vernon Wells which was my best pick of the draft by far.  I read reports that he was feeling healthy and that his wrist had strengthened.

Round 21 – 26

The last rounds are just crapshoots.

Mark DeRosa because I needed a 3B.  He was hurt all season.

Homer Bailey because I always liked him.  He was terrible and didn’t turn it around until the end of the season, long after I dropped him.  Should have taken Kevin Gregg but I thought he wouldn’t get the job.

Kevin Kouzmanoff because I thought he could hit 25 HR’s.  I was wrong.  Should have taken Brett Gardner but was worried about his playing time.

Luke Gregerson as a backup closer.  Hoping that Heath Bell would be traded which never happened.

Jermaine Dye because I was hoping someone would sign him.  Never happened.

Marc Rzepczynski was a trendy sleeper and a Blue Jay.  He got hurt in spring training and really never recovered.

Elijah Dukes was my final pick.  Soon after he was waived by the Nationals and never picked up by anyone else.

Conclusion

I had a pretty awful draft and I am not sure how I could have done better.  Some possibilities:

1. take more closers
2. have better projections
3. stay away from AL East starters
4. fill scarce positions earlier

In the end there’s a lot of luck in the draft.

Tags: fantasy,hrbl
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Once again the Funky Kimchees have maintained their dynasty and again won HRBL (Highrock Rotisserie Baseball League) in 2010.

This season proved to be the most challenging because of all the injuries my team suffered.  My first four picks spent significant amounts of time on the DL.  But in September everyone became healthy and I ended up running away with it.

I did not have a real MVP.  My favorite pitchers were Brandon Morrow and Brett Anderson.  My favorite batter was Nelson Cruz.  It used to be Buster Posey until I traded him to David Kwon.

Tags: blue jays,fantasy,hrbl
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John Olerud is my favorite baseball player.  I was always drawn to him because of both his ability and the way he played the game.  I remember when he became a Red Sox and actually rooted for a team that I normally detest just because he was playing for them.

Awhile ago I was delighted to learn that he was Christian.  And recently I read in this article about how his faith had helped him cope with his eldest daughter’s illness.  I think all fathers can relate in some way to what John Olerud is experiencing, though obviously not on the same level.

It’s nearly impossible to know her potential, or how her defects will affect her as she ages. Deeply religious, the Oleruds contend with the uncertainty the only way they can — faith.

”We believe God has control of all things,” Olerud said. ”I don’t think Jordan’s a mistake by any means. We really don’t know what it’s going to be for her. Because she doesn’t fit into those syndromes where they can say most kids are usually at this point, it’s kind of in the Lord’s hands.”

Boston Red Sox – Growing family – The Boston Globe

Tags: blue jays
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Yesterday was Dylan’s first Little League practice.  Unfortunately it was not as fun as Dylan and I hoped.

I think in general baseball is just not as fun as soccer, especially for little kids.  There’s just a lot of standing around.  If it wasn’t for the tradition of baseball in this country I might not have signed him up for it.

The first drill the boys did (there are no girls on this year’s team which surprised me a little bit) was learning how to throw.  Dylan is like me, he does not understand well instructions for how to do things physically.  For example the guys have been trying to teach me how to hit a golf ball but I am still horrible.  On the other hand I had a friend who would just watch a sport on TV and then go outside and do exactly what he saw.  The instructors were asking the boys to start in a throwing stance with the two arms out horizontally, the gloved arm out forward, the gloved hand pointing down, the throwing hand holding the ball up.  Dylan kept getting confused and at one point he was bending forward with both arms twisted, elbows on top, hands pointed up.  The whole thing amused me as I thought “That’s my boy.”

The second drill was learning to field grounders.  The coaches told the boys to act like alligators gobbling up grounders and stamped their throwing hands w/ an alligator stamp as added incentive.  Then they tossed the grounders to the boys.  At this point since there were only two coaches and nine boys the boys started getting bored as they waited for their grounders.  Three boys started making a little sand castle with the infield dirt.  Dylan started his own pile of dirt.  After practice I asked the coach if I could help w/ drills since it was obvious that another instructor could have helped in terms of keeping their interest.

The third drill was learning to run to first base.  This was the only drill Dylan actually enjoyed because running is fun.  The first time all the boys ran to first base and stopped.  The coach then told them they’re supposed to run past first base.  By the third time the boys wouldn’t stop running and ran into the outfield.  If the coaches hadn’t said anything I think they would have kept going.

For the parents, watching practice wasn’t too fun.  I amused myself by taking photos but I felt a little shy so I didn’t talk to anyone until one parent, a very nice mother, initiated conversation with me.  She actually had met Ji Seon earlier because they both had gone to the store to buy something for Little League and the other mother had taken the last one.

Two more practices, opening day, twenty games, two team parties, and closing ceremonies still to go.  Let’s hope it’s fun.

Tags: Dylan
Categories: Baseball, Dylan
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MLB

• Pat Gillick proves he’s a winner by leading the Philadelphia Phillies to the World Series title.  And just like with the Blue Jays he leaves and already the Phillies are making bad moves, like signing Raul Ibanez for too much money in an over-crowded outfield market.
• I predicted the Tampa Bay Rays would win the World Series and was quite wrong as their bullpen continued to implode.   I think they should have used Shields for Game 5 part 2.  He is their best pitcher and then they could have used Garza in Game 6.  Maddon definitely should have pinch hit for Howell.
• The Yankees once again made it difficult to be a Blue Jays fan as they signed the top three free agents.  I don’t think I have ever seen an offseason so dominated by one team.  For the Yankees they were good signings because they print money but for any other team they would be bad ones.  C.C., A.J. and Teix are just not that good.
• Last season if the Blue Jays had been in another division they would have made the playoffs.  Now with Burnett gone, Marcum and McGowan hurt and the Yankees stocked things look grim.  The Blue Jays should trade Halladay and Wells to the Yankees for a package of prospects.  I would do it for a package that included Joba and Hughes.  They definitely should trade Halladay because he deserves to win a championship.

Olympics

• I had mixed feelings about the Beijing Olympics before they started.  In the end I enjoyed these Olympics probably more than any other except the 1976 Montreal Olympics because I actually attended those with my family.  (It was at those Olympics we learned I needed glasses because I needed to use the binoculars to see the scoreboard).  And it is too bad that I and so many others enjoyed them since it accomplished one of China’s goals, to obscure China’s abominable human rights record.
• I watched seven out of eight of Michael Phelp’s gold medal races.  I am normally not like this.
• I was surprised by how much I enjoyed NBC’s coverage (except for the tape delay).  Maybe it was because for the first time I had cable during the Olympics so I could also watch MSNBC, CNBC and other stations.  Still NBC was lambasted for its coverage and CBC was applauded.
• I was annoyed with watching “live coverage” that was actually delayed by three hours because I am on the west coast.
• Beijing’s opening ceremonies were stunning but part of me couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable about the fact that China spent billions, far more than any other nation ever will, yet many parts of their country are still burdened with oppressive poverty.  It would be like going to someone’s house, being presented a lavish dinner and then noticing the kids are gaunt and eating week old cabbage soup.

NFL

• I am still upset the Patriots lost.  And I am not even a Patriots fan.
• I would become a 49er’s fan but their new uniforms are unattractive to say the least.  What happened to tradition?
• It’s impossible to become an Oakland Raiders fan with Al Davis as the owner.

NBA

• I am not a Celtics fan but I hate the Lakers.  Therefore I thoroughly enjoyed the finals.  In general though I found the 2008 playoffs the most interesting I have ever watched.  Maybe again it was because I had cable and was actually able to see some of the games, like the Hawks repeatedly beating a shocked Celtics team in Atlanta.
• The Raptors are struggling and Chris Bosh will leave in 2010.  It’s sad when our greatest hope is Bargnani.  I think I will become a Golden State Warriors fan even though the team is poorly coached, the front office is horrible, and they seem to wear a different uniform every night.  But at least they are entertaining, all offense, no defense.
• I am enjoying winning my fantasy basketball leagues.

NHL

• In the one sport where my team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, would actually have an overwhelming revenue advantage there is a salary cap.
• I heard the San Jose Sharks are good.  Maybe it’s time to switch.

Some are saying 2008 was one of the best years in sports.  I am not so sure about that but I thoroughly enjoyed it even if all my teams sucked.

Tags: blue jays,raptors
Categories: Baseball, Basketball, Football, Sports
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I was stunned when the Red Sox came back to win Game 5 and was thinking that maybe both my predictions would be wrong. Watching Game 7 I thought the Red Sox were coming to come back again. I was begging Maddon to bring in Kazmir or Jackson or Price. When Price got the final out I was elated.

The Phillies destroyed the Dodgers and were impressive. However I am still going to predict Tampa Bay in six, with the Phillies winning the games that Hamels starts. Tampa Bay’s pitching is deeper and I always pick the AL team.  Tampa Bay in 6.

By the way, remember when the Phillies lost to the Blue Jays in the 1993 World Series. Remember seeing Curt Schilling with the towel on his head? Remember Game 4 which the Jays won 15 – 14?  And of course Joe Carter winning it with his home run.  And Pat Gillick was the GM of that Blue Jays team.

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I got three out of four right in my Divisional Playoff predictions, let’s see how I do in the LCS.

Dodgers over Phillies in 5 games

In my opinion, the NL LCS is easier to predict.  LA seems much better than Philadelphia for several reason.

1. LA’s rotation is much better.
2. LA’s offense looks to be as potent as Philadelphia’s.  And Utley is not playing well, it seems he is playing hurt.
3. LA’s bullpen is better.

The key for the Phillies is for Hamels to win two games, Myers to win at least one and someone else to win at least one.

Here is how I see the series breaking down.

1. Dodgers win.  Lowe beats Hamels though this could go the other way.  This should be a close, low scoring game.
2. Dodgers win.  Billingsley beats Myers.  This could also go the other way, you never know which Myers you will get.
3. Dodgers win.  Kuroda beats Moyer.
4. Dodgers win.  Kershaw beats Blanton.  If it’s Maddux, then maybe Blanton beats Kershaw.
5. If necessary, Lowe vs. Hamels will be another close game.

I am going to predict Dodgers in 5.

Rays overs Red Sox in 6 games

In many ways you have to favor the Red Sox.  They have much more experience, they have the better bullpen, the better offense, and they just play like a team that thinks it is supposed to win.

I do see though these things that favor the Rays.

1. The Rays beat the Red Sox in the season series.
2. The Rays beat them in consecutive series in September.
3. The Red Sox are hurting.  Mike Lowell won’t play, Drew’s back hurts and we have no idea which Beckett we’ll get.
4. The Rays have home field advantage and are excellent at home.

Here is how I see the series breaking down.

1. Rays win.  Shields beats Dice-K in a low scoring game.
2. Red Sox win.  Beckett pitches better than expected and beats Kazmir.
3. Red Sox win.  Lester continues his postseason dominance.
4. Rays win.  Rays beat up on Wakefield, Sonnastine does enough to win.
5. Rays win.  Shields beats Dice-K again.
6. Rays win.  Becketts runs out of gas, Kazmir rises to the challenge.
7. Lester sits wondering why he didn’t pitch earlier.

This could easily go the other way.  It really depends on how healthy Beckett is.  If the Red Sox were healthy I think they’d beat the Rays.

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Phillies beat Brewers

Game 1 – The Brewers pitching was better than expected and Gallardo might not have given up any runs if the Brewers fielding had not failed him.  I thought the Phillies made a mistake bringing in Lidge when Hamels had not even thrown 100 pitches.  Maybe they wanted Lidge to gain some confidence with an easy save which it proved not to be.

Game 2 – CC Sabathia continues to struggle in the postseason.  Maybe he finally ran out of gas.  And Myers continues to be an enigma, amazingly talented but you never know which Myers you will get.  On this day it was the good myers.

Game 3 – Wow, go Dave Bush.  Didn’t expect anyone else besides CC to beat the Phillies.

Game 4 – Wow, go Joe Blanton.  Didn’t see that one coming.

Dodgers beat Cubs

Game 1 – Dempster struggles as I expected but to be fair, the umpire seemed to be squeezing the strike zone and Dempster had trouble adjusting to that.  Lowe proved he’s still a big time pitcher.  Manny is Manny, hits a home run.

Game 2 – Zambrano pitched better than I expected but Billingsley was amazing.  Manny is Manny, hits another home run.  And the Dodger lineup continues to score lots of run, I expected them to do well but not this well.  And I did not expect the Cubs to field and hit so poorly.

Game 3- Kuroda shuts out the best offense in the NL.  Was he that good or did the Cubs really choke?

Red Sox beat Angels

Game 1 – Lester was great but it seems like the Angels are choking.  They couldn’t hit, Vlad runs through a stop sign and gets thrown out at 3rd while running like his legs are broken.

Game 2 – Angels continue to choke.  Nice to see J.D. Drew hit the home run.  Papelbon is nuts.  K-Rod proves again he is overrated.  Some not too bright team is going to pay K-Rod too much money this offseason.

Game 3 – Finally the Angels win!  Nice to see Jered Weaver get the win.

Game 4 – I never liked the sacrifice bunt.  But it worked for the Angels in Game 3.  Too bad it along with the suicide squeeze failed so spectacularly in Game 4.  If the suicide squeeze had worked then the Angels probably would have won this game because they wouldn’t have needed to keep Scot Shields pitching.  By the way, doesn’t Lackey seem like such a jerk, glowering, yelling at his teammates, etc?  Reminds me of Dave Stieb.

Rays beat White Sox

Game 1 – I was shocked when I saw the White Sox jump to a three run lead on the unexpected home run.  But the Rays came back and beat them quite handily.  Evan Longoria is going to be an MVP one day.  And I enjoyed the yelling match between Balfour and Cabrera. Grant Balfour is amazing, I’m not sure why he’s not the closer.

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