The 2011 Post-Season

So because sleep didn’t come easy last night, I’ve looked at the playoff teams and decided how I want things to go.  Much of this won’t surprise anyone.  It might seem soon for some of you but this is  how I process things.  I’m still upset about the Red Sox playing themselves out of a playoff spot but I can’t stop the love in my veins for baseball and I certainly don’t wish to dwell on misery.  So there you go. (This is where, once again, I thank Tito, Theo, the Trio and the ’04 and ’07 teams for the team history that helps me deal much better with the team present.)

These are not predictions…just the way I’d like to see things go.

AMERICAN LEAGUE:

The Tigers and Yankees start their series in New York.  While my preference is a sweep, I really don’t care how it gets done as long as it ends with the Yankees losing.  No-brainer really.  I like the Tigers, anyway, so it isn’t very difficult to root for them and it is much less so given the team they are playing. Bring us some Yankee carnage Detroit.

The Rays are heading to Texas today to play the Rangers tomorrow.  In a perfect world, the ballpark would become a giant black hole and swallow up both teams and their fans but since this isn’t a perfect world  I’m going to have to grudgingly root for Texas.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

The Cardinals make the trip to Philadelphia for the first game of the series.  This is another black hole game for me.  The Phillies have become the Yankees of the National League (More specifically, I’m bored with their winning) and the Cardinals have Tony LaRussa.  So who do I want to win?  I’ll have to go with St. Louis but I won’t be happy about it.

The Diamondbacks face the Brewers in Milwaukee on Saturday.  I kind of like both teams here, if I’m being honest, and either one of them winning would be fun for baseball…but the Brewers have George Kottaras (who, incidentally, hit for the cycle back near the beginning of September)…how do I NOT root for George Kottaras to go to the World Series?

So I have Detroit playing Texas and St. Louis playing Milwaukee in the League Championship Series.  Given I really don’t want to have to root for Texas or St. Louis, this choice is easy.  I want Detroit and Milwaukee in the World Series.  A Detroit/Milwaukee series will accomplish a couple of things:  It will most likely bring Fox low ratings.  That’s always a plus.  I want them to suffer.  Also, it will put two teams in the series that I have no deep rooting interest in but actually kind of like which will make the series more enjoyable for me.  I’d like to see George Kottaras be a big part of a championship team…but if the Tigers won, well that would be all right too since there are a few guys there I wouldn’t mind seeing win either.  (It’s all about me.)

Given we’ll hear a lot about how the Red Sox squandered their opportunities to go to the playoffs more often the longer the Yankees and Rays are playing, I am hoping for quick exits for both teams.  Once they’re gone, I can truly enjoy some baseball (or I just might have to watch it all with the mute button activated).