Maybe I'm a little nervous about the Playoffs

I’ll admit. I’m nervous.

Hearing the words “Josh Beckett” and “Scratched” in the same sentence made my shorts slightly browner.

That and the fact that the Angels bullpen is kind of sort of awesome…
And Dice-K will probably turn game 2 into a battle of the Bullpens… which mean a Red Sox loss.

I am not brimming with confidence right now, but I’m still hopefull.
If Lester can steal a game in Anaheim… I’m sorry… Los Angeles of Anaheim… the Sox might have a shot.

But also keep in mind everyone, including yours truly, who is picking the Angels and Cubs to inevitably meet up in the World Series… that road can take strange turns.

The last time the best team in the NL played the best team in the AL was 1999 when the Braves were swept by the Yankees.

If the best regular season teams met up we would have seen the following World Series this decade.

2000 – San Francisco Giants vs. Chicago White Sox
Both were eliminated in the first round.

2001 – Houston Astros vs. Seattle Mariners
The Astros were swept in the Division Series while the Mariners lost the ALCS

2002 – Atlanta Braves vs. New York Yankees
Both lost the Division Series

2003 – Atlanta Braves vs. New York Yankees
The Braves lost the Division Series. The Yankees made it all the way to the World Series where they lost to the Marlins.

2004 – St. Louis Cardinals vs. New York Yankees
The Cardinals lost the World Series to the Red Sox. This would have been the match up if the Yankees didn’t cough up the 3-0 lead in the ALCS.

2005 – St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago White Sox
Hey! The best team in the league won the World Series! The White Sox were the first team this decade to do that. The Cardinals, despite Albert Pujols’ heroics, couldn’t win the pennant.

2006 – New York Mets vs. New York Yankees
Dreams of a Subway Series were derailed when the Yankees lost in the Division Series and the Mets blew the NLCS

2007 – Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox become just the second team this decade to translate the most wins in their league to a World Series title. The Diamondbacks lost the NLCS to the streaking Rockies.


So out of 16 pennant winners this decade, only 4 had the best record in their league and only the 2005 White Sox and the 2007 Red Sox won the whole thing.

In other words, there is always an upset lurking in the weeds.
And more often than not a Wild Card team advances.

Who’s the Wild Card team in the AL this year?

Oh yeaaaaaaaaah.

Now I’m feeling good