MLB Playoff Schedule 2010: The Five Hypothetical Series We Want To See
The Philadelphia Phillies are associated with the month October. For the past two seasons they have been the Kings of this month without much adieu. They now boast the top pitching rotation in the field and already owned one of the game's best line-ups. A line-up that still hasn't hit its stride yet this season. This post-season has a different feel, as they now look to achieve success through their arms rather than their bats.
The other teams in the field need to be careful as the Phillies appeared to have hit their peak in the last month or so. Even with their troubles throughout the season, they are here once again, this time with the best record in baseball and home-filed throughout their playoff stay. They drew newcomer Cincinnati in Rd. 1 and hope to break them in just right on their way to another World Series appearance.
These playoffs will be memorable for some; more stories will be scripted over the next month. While others will end in heart-break. Let's go ahead and meet some of these teams as we look at the match-ups we all wish to see.
Atlanta Braves vs. Philadelphia Phillies
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This would be a rather intriguing match-up for obvious reasons. The Braves and Phillies battled it out all season long for NL East supremacy. These two teams know each other and have equal disdain. This is the one NL match-up that everyone would love to see.
The Atlanta Braves, in Bobby Cox's last season, dominated the East for quite a while. Though in the end, the Phillies were able to do what they do best en route to a 4th consecutive division crown. Atlanta posed a great threat to the Phillies and would be a dangerous NLCS opponent for them.
The pitching match-ups would keep these games close and low scoring. Timely hitting from key players would ultimately be the difference for one of these teams. Atlanta would throw Tim Hudson, Tommy Hanson and probably Derek Lowe in the beginning. Philadelphia would respond though with a heavy dose of H20.
If the Phillies are able to hit as they have recently, there would be no stopping them again. Their offense is more than capable of swinging good wood and would present a challenge to Atlanta's staff. The Braves, powered by rookie sensation Jason Heyward, have timely hitting indeed. But their offensive firepower is not as abundant to keep up with the Phillies.
This is a potential series that the entire baseball world is anticipating. For Philadelphia: who better to go through than the team that kept you down for most of the season?
New York Yankees vs. Tampa Bay Rays
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Another division match-up that would draw eyes. These two fought it out in a back-and-forth battle which saw Tampa Bay come out on top. With this they were able to secure home-field throughout the duration of the AL Playoffs. This also set them up for an easier Rd. 1 draw in Texas as opposed to Minnesota.
Tampa Bay won the season series 10-8; but this no longer matters as the playoffs are a whole new season. New York has had Tampa’s number in this past and this series would have a ticket to the World Series hanging in the balance.
No team in the AL can hit with this Yankee line-up when they are at the top of their game so there’s no reason for the Rays to try that. They rather would need to rely on their obvious pitching edge and use that to get to their 2nd World Series in three seasons.
The Yankees have had question marks surrounding their rotation for most of the season and now is pay-off time for them. They may be able to will their way past Minnesota on offense, but this won’t work against Tampa Bay. These two teams know each other all too well to expect anything less than a tremendous series.
The Yankees have their advantages in certain areas, as do the Rays, but this series would come down to who can outlast the other. An East squad should once again represent the AL in the Fall Classic.
Texas Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Rays
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This round one match-up will draw attention for various reasons. Even though Tampa Bay has the advantage on paper, Texas’ MVP candidate Josh Hamilton, a former Rays top pick, makes for a more intriguing series. His story is one of the best in all of sports and its just an added bonus to this interesting contest.
Hamilton, who may win MVP, hopes to catapult his underdog team over the AL’s best. He leads a potent offense that can strike at any time, and even though the playoffs are new to them they are looking to become a Cinderella story. Cliff Lee will help extend their season for as long as he can and don’t be surprised to see the Rangers go down to Tampa and steal a game early.
Tampa Bay can not hit with Texas, so again they would have to use their rotation as a major advantage. The problem is that the two pitching staffs appear to be pretty closely matched. In a short series, Tampa Bay will need to scratch and claw as they've done in the past. They can get by Texas, but the task is easier said than done. This one has all the makings of this a very good first round series.
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Minnesota Twins vs. San Francisco Giants
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This is another interesting series that most likely won't occur—but never say never, right? The pitching edge goes to San Fran, who boast one of the best rotations baseball has seen in quite some time. On the other hand, the Twins, one of baseball’s most underrated teams, would supply a better line-up.
Minnesota’s cold playoff atmosphere would have the Giants in an entirely new setting and make them uncomfortable at the plate. When it’s cold, hitters tend to swing away more frequently, which would not bode well for their offense. Minnesota, used to this environment, would put the Giants away—that is, of course, if their pitching were to hold up.
This would make for a long series where home field advantage would play a huge factor. In this series, more so than in most, the home team would have a certain level of comfort in their own park as opposed to on the road.
The Giants pitching rotation, with rookie phenom Buster Posey, should help make this a competitive series. However, these factors alone won’t win it for San Francisco. The Twins write out a much better line-up card that should win out.
Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Yankees
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This is a match-up that many think will indeed occur once again come late-October. In a rematch of last year’s World Series, the Phillies and Yankees would meet again to determine who the best team in baseball truly is.
The Phillies, albeit their injuries and numerous hitting droughts, still managed to finish the season with the best record in the Majors. This is often the mark of a champion. This Phillies team just has “IT!” They find themselves in an all too familiar scenario for a 3rd straight post-season. Again, the Yankees are looking to tear apart their script.
Don’t forget these defending champions who often times get lost in the shuffle of the ultra-competitive AL. They are still the champions until someone says otherwise by defeating them. They are addicted to the feeling of winning the World Series, a feeling that this organization has known a historic 27 times. They are not looking to relinquish the title just yet.
Philadelphia brings a much better pitching rotation this time, and could use that to launch them to parade floats. They have so many different ways that they can beat a team and often pull games out of their tails in the most unlikely of situations. Roy Halladay has had great success against New York and if that translates into his first post-season, the Phillies may be Broad Street-bound.
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