On To The Next One

Just in case anyone missed in my post titled Here We Go Again, I predicted the Rangers in 4 for the ALDS.

But that's over. Peace out Tampa, hello.....?

Could be the Yankees again, or could be the surprisingly good Tigers. Detroit leads New York 2-1 in their series with Game 4 going on right now, so keep your eye on that.

As far as who I would PREFER to play? Call me crazy, but I'll take New York.

The Tigers are playing great baseball right now, and are similar to 2010's Rangers squad in a lot of ways. They have an MVP candidate in the field putting up monster offensive numbers in Miguel Cabrera (like Josh Hamilton), a dominating ace in Justin Verlander who has blown seemingly every batter away all season (like Cliff Lee) and a lights out closer in Jose Valverde, something the Rangers have had here and there with Neftali Feliz.

Not only that, but they're playing inspired, emotion-fueled baseball.

Any Rangers fan knows what an inspired, emotional club can do in the postseason. We saw it last year.

I see the Tigers beating the Yanks tonight and facing off with the Rangers in the ALCS, a much appreciated change of scenery for the players and fans.

It's not that Yankee stadium isn't nice to play in, it's just that we've already been there. I personally would rather not deal with douchebags robbing home runs from Nelson Cruz in right field again, but that may just be me.

Either way, I see it being Detroit. Definitely a series I worry about.

My Prediction:
Rangers win in 6 vs. Detroit
Rangers win in 5 vs. New York

Detroit presents challenges with Verlander and Valverde. I'm not worried about their offense, as Texas possesses the best in the league. Verlander is usually good for a win though, and if they go into the 8th-9th with the lead, Valverde closes it down (He's 50-50 on save chances this year).

If it's New York, I'm worried about the exact opposite. Their pitching staff is the last thing on my mind. We hit CC Sabathia well last year in Game 1, and bombed the rest of the staff for the rest of the series. However, I AM worried about their lineup. There's always Jeter and A-Rod, givens when you talk about power. Then there's Teixeira, who has had a terrible outing in the ALDS, but can awaken at any time. Also, Brett Gardner who terrorizes opponents regularly on the basepaths.

Oh, don't forget about Curtis Granderson, who would probably get my vote for MVP if he wasn't on the Yankees.

So I guess in a way I'm hoping Detroit pulls it off. I'd much rather face good pitching than good hitting. That's what we faced against Tampa in the first round, and that turned out pretty well.

But truthfully, there's no good way to predict what will happen. It's October, the greatest month of the year.

All you can do is sit back, make sure all of your superstitions are in line (My Josh Hamilton shirt hasn't been washed in 3 weeks), and enjoy.

Go Rangers.