The MLB Playoffs. One of those times of the year that comes around before we know it. This year it’s been much better than in years prior. Not just with the amount of shortened games but with how much uncertainty. The World Series will be something to behold. But how did we get to this point?
Toronto Blue Jays (Disney Remakes; The Franchise): Someone had to let the Minnesota Twins win a playoff game and a series. It just so happened to be you all. Game 1 I go too hard on John Schneider, Kevin Gausman was lit up by Royce Lewis for two homers. (Even without those bombs, Toronto was still losing that game) But Game 2 was a spectacle. Remember when you guys were on the opposite end of Buck Showalter putting in Ubaldo Jimenez instead of Zach Britton in the Wild Card Game in 2016? It’s your turn to overmanage everything. Jose Berrios was dominating the Twins lineup for 3 innings, he was locked in. But wait a minute Schneider chucked him out in favor of Yusei Kikuchi. He hadn’t pitched out of the bullpen since his first season in Japan for crying out loud! No surprise, Minnesota takes advantage of it. On the topper of this series is that not only do Vlad Jr and Bo Bichette go ice cold, but the Twins win their first playoff game since 2004. Blue Jays you’re falling into the same traps as your inner city brother in the Maple Leafs. Incredible North American talents who crumble at the worst possible times, and are hailed as gods by SPORTSNET in spite of said failures. This is why you don’t trade Hernandez and Gurriel. Because you never know what’ll come back to bite. I would call them the modern day version of Cats, but that was last year’s nonsense. This year they’re the remake of the Little Mermaid.
Tampa Bay Rays (Poor Greg Amsinger): All of the talk from MLB Network this past summer about how this was an invincible team. How they would steamroll everyone to the World Series. Guess what. There is no such thing as showboating for these underachieving sacks of bricks. The Rays stood no chance against Texas in either of the two games. Losing McClanahan and Baz hurt them as Glasnow and Civalle couldn’t solve the rubik’s cube of the Rangers. Also where did the hitting lineup go? I get that Montgomery and Eovaldi were lights out, but when you have a premiere leadoff hitter in Yandy Diaz, plus Arozarena, and an outstanding supporting cast around him you cannot score 1 run in a series. And the worst part isn’t the excuses coming from the media about no Wander Franco, or how Texas was the better team. Listen to this. Tampa Bay not only didn’t sell out, but Tropicana Field was basically half full! Don’t give me excuses about that stadium being a dumb, even if you build a new one, no ones coming because the traffic in St Pete is INSANE! Thank you Rangers, thank you for exposing this team who believed they were a better version of the Moneyball A’s!
Miami Marlins (Yummy Seafood): It’s not surprising to see this outcome take shape. Despite the feel good story of Luis Arraez and a young, talented pitching staff, the inevitable was coming. Getting mauled by the Phillies in a grudge match of the 2003 Wild Card race was very predictable. (“You ended the Vet, now we’ll end you 20 years later!” -Philly fans) Not having Eury Perez or Sandy Alcantara for this series was going to be an uphill climb, yes but I don’t think it would have mattered. The weakness for Miami this season was the lack of a power hitter outside of Soler. It bit them badly. Philadelphia’s lineup would do the rest. I would say the future is bright but you’ve got bigger problems. Kim Ng, the architect of this roster, had enough of the nonsense from Bruce Sherman has chosen to leave town. (Jeter knew what he was doing all along by leaving the team when he did) Not even the 2023 Devil Magic of Miami Sports can save this team from being trapped in hell again. Pat Riley please come consume this team whole! (It’s possible the only way that the Marlins will ever be a championship contender)
Milwaukee Brewers (Cursed Species): Another year, another playoff letdown for a franchise that has tried everything it possibly can to end the Curse of Milt Mason. This time around it was Craig Counsell getting beat at his own game. Situational pitching, defense, and timely hitting. It was looking good early on in Game 1. A 3-0 lead with Corbin Burnes on the mound. However once Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte went back to back, the Brewers lost their juju. From that moment on, the Diamondbacks held off huge rally after huge rally. 6 times Milwaukee had runners in scoring position in the 5th inning or later in this series. All 6 times they came away with nothing. As a result, Arizona gets revenge not only for Nyjer Morgan in 2011, but also revenge on Giannis for ripping the souls out of the Suns in 2021. And worse, Counsell is rumored to being linked to the Mets as manager, and Yelich and Burnes futures are uncertain. My advice for Counsell. DON’T! Don’t get consumed by a media market that’s hungry for blood and an owner is about to be the next Arte Moreno! If you’re going somewhere, DON’T GO THERE!
Minnesota Twins (Well, You’re Finally Free): You won a playoff game, and a series for the first time in 20 years. But at what cost? The narrative here is to blame the fans for wanting to face the Astros. Sure but even if that didn’t happen this series would still be a lost cause. Like most AL Central teams, the Twins were crushed by Houston thanks to the home run ball, and getting shut down by Justin Verlander. Even with Carlos Correa wanting payback on his old team, Minnesota just ran out of gas in the end. It showed in the two games at Target Field. The highly regarded rotation got lit up by Jose Abreu not once but twice. Even if this was a rough way to go out, at least you won’t have to hear about the longest playoff losing streak in baseball. You’ve earned that right. Just regroup and get ready for next year, don’t rest on your laurels.
Baltimore Orioles (2019 Baltimore Ravens): (Rome Total War music playing) You really had to do this to me didn’t you Orioles? An amazing season undone by one series. If this was the objective for me to relive past heartbreaks then yeah you accomplished that feat. You know what this felt like. Deja vu of past failures in this city. Resting your starters as the #1 seed, only to get smacked in the opening round. The Birds entered the playoffs with the hottest rotation in the league over the last six weeks of the season. They got destroyed. Turns out John Means getting injured again was a death sentence. Not to mention Brandon Hyde went Full Harbaugh. Grayson Rodriguez, and Dean Kremer couldn’t get out of the 2nd inning in Games 2 and 3. So why not chuck out Jacob Webb, and Bryan Baker instead of Tyler Wells and Jack Flaherty to give up cookies to Texas’ hitters. (“Mitch Bleeping Garver” the new villain of Charm City) As for the hitting core, they were contained except for garbage time of Game 2. The missed opportunities in Game 1 set the tone for the whole series. And after that game, there was no coming back. All I can say is that this better not be a loss where it may take years to recover from. In the AL East you have to make your opportunities count especially if New York and Boston are down for the count. Everyone will blame John Angelos for the Kevin Brown situation when it’s the whole team’s fault. What the hell is it with Baltimore teams and crumbling in the playoffs as the #1 seed? (YOU BLEW IT BOY! YOU REALLY BLEW IT!)
Los Angeles Dodgers (My Kingdom For a Healthy Rotation): Can it really be another case of Dave Roberts overmanaging when his entire pitching staff is decimated? Just like last year, the Dodgers were most likely going to have to rely on their core hitters to get them over the top. What happened? Arizona caught them, and it was ugly for all of LA to see. Even with Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman having MVP-type seasons, it wasn’t enough to win a game. Once the D-Backs crushed Kershaw in Game 1, the Dodgers stood no chance the rest of the series. Especially when Lance Lynn got burned for 4 home runs in an inning. This is the cost of winning a championship. The Lakers, Kings, and Rams went through this the hard way and now it’s your turn to go through it. But even then, you’ll probably be back here again. Hopefully next season Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin, and Walker Buelher won’t have dead arms or Tommy John like they have right now. OOF!
Atlanta Braves (IT’S NOT FAIR!): Behold the latest deep state conspiracy about how the playoff seeding is rigged. (I’m an O’s fan who got swept in the ALDS, and I’m not complaining about it) In the eyes of every Braves fan, heck even some members of CNN for crying out loud, baseball needs to restructure the playoffs so they can have a Mickey Mouse path to a championship. Here’s my conclusion. That has nothing to do with why you lost this series. (They had one fewer day of rest in 2021 than they did this year) You had one reliable starting pitcher in this series. That was Max Fried. And even then he got lit up by Philly. (The only reason the Braves won is because Rob Thompson overmanaged the game badly) Spencer Strider was tipping his pitches in both of his starts. To no one’s surprise Nick Castallanos destroyed him on replay. Bryce Elder the less said the better. You know what’s funny, everyone in the ATL overlooked the Phillies as a team full of scrubs yet forgot that they won 90 games, beat you in the NLDS last year, and hit the most home runs in the 2nd Half of the year. (Teams in Atlanta talking trash, a tradition that never gets old) Not even Austin Riley, Acuna, and Matt Olsen can save you from this devastating exit. Only a brick wall could stop you, IT’S NAME IS PHILADELPHIA! COUNT ON IT! (Bryce Harper + Lenny Dykstra + X = Kings of Atlanta, X = Brian Dawkins)
Houston Astros (Is That Max Scherzer Over There?): Kids this is why you don’t count your eggs until they hatch. Because you never know when you will be proven wrong. The Astros were already booking yet another World Series Parade. Hell the unbiased Ben Verlander said that this series was a done deal after the epic comeback in Game 5. (How’s your brother doing?) Just like the Rays, the Astros looked past the Rangers and it bit them in the ass! Hey do you guys remember when you won all 3 games in Washington during the 2019 World Series only to crap the bed at home. Well guess what? You get to relive that pain again! Bow down to the might of El Bombi and Bruce Bochy managing circles around Dusty Baker. You know what’s funny? Guess who the Game 7 starter in both this series and the 2019 World Series was? Max Scherzer. IT WAS WRITTEN IN BLACK AND WHITE! Astros fans got cocky after Jose Altuve’s epic home run in Game 5 just like Dusty did after the Minnesota series. You know what the result was? The potential end of Baker’s career, and being trumped by Big Brother to the North. (What I meant by Big Brother was not the Rangers but the city of Dallas itself) YOU GET NOTHING YOU LOSE GOOD DAY SIR!
Philadelphia Phillies (A Reverse Curse?): Here it is boys. Another strong championship contender from Philadelphia. They’ve destroyed the Marlins, and Braves. They’ve destroyed the Diamondbacks in the 1st two games of the NLCS. Arizona hasn’t won an LCS game since 2001. Wheeler and Nola are dealing again. Schwarbombs as far as the I can see all series. A 2-0 and 3-2 series leads. There’s no way Arizona can come back now. BOOM! Well that’ll put an end to whatever false hope Philly had. Once Ketel Marte’s walk off single happened in Game 3, the momentum shifted for good. Especially in the Game 4. A 3 run lead in the 7th, nope, not gonna last especially with Craig Kimbrel going back to his 2019 days with the Cubs. (YOUR SAVIOR! NOT!) Then came the ultimate troll. The Phillies dominated Game 5, Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber continued their playoff dominance, but then they decided to imitate the Sixers. They lose Games 6 and 7 at home, and their fans go home empty handed. They have the pieces to win it all, but something is missing. And it will be on Dave Dombrowski to find it. Reverse Devil Magic at its finest. PAUSE.
This may have been the most chaotic postseason that baseball has seen since 2006. Every division winner has been knocked out, and the two that still stand at the moment have come out of literally nowhere to make the big dance. The first contestant in this Cinderella World Series comes from the Lone Star State.
Texas Rangers: (Garden Music playing) Let me tell you a little story in case you are new to Bragging Rights Sports. I took a trip out to the Bay Area this past May. I know going to the West Coast is a bit crazy but I wanted to witness a playoff game in DubNation. (When Steph plays LeBron in the playoffs regardless of the round, you gotta go out to see it) While I was out there, I also made a visit to the Oakland Alameda County Tank Bowl. You may be asking yourselves, why are you telling a story that doesn’t fit this topic? Well guess who the A’s were playing while I was there. The Texas Rangers. (Texas shut out Oakland 4-0 that night by the way) A team that had lost 100+ games in 2021, and had been stuck in mediocrity ever since getting smacked by Toronto in 2015 and 2016. Their prospect pool had been very weak for years, and the only way they could make noise is if they went big game hunting. At the time of the game, the Rangers were leading the AL West, but I didn’t think it would last long. I knew they had the talent to be able to make the playoffs based on what I saw, but that was about it especially since they just so happened to be in the same division as the Astros and Mariners. (Hell of a Night by Dustin Lynch playing) Never in my wildest dreams did I think that team would make the World Series. It comes to show you the difference of what a great manager plus a new GM can do for a team. Firing Jon Daniels was the jolt the organization needed. Ever since they brought in Bruce Bochy and his long time buddy from San Diego Chris Young, the culture around this ballclub has changed dramatically. Bochy has now led 3 different teams to the World Series and is seeking his 4th ring. (He won 3 titles with the Giants in the 2010s, and took the Padres to the Fall Classic in 98) Chris Young is one of the leading candidates for executive of the year. The squad that those two men have built is not only perhaps the best team money can buy, but also men who have bought into their system. The cornerstones of this squad are their middle infielders. Marcus Semien and Corey Seager. Semien over the last few years has become one of the best all around 2nd basemen in the game. Even if he’s struggled this postseason, he is still the table setter for one of the best hitting lineups of this generation. Seager has always been a monster in the playoffs. Just like in his tenure with the Dodgers, he is both cool and controlled in the biggest spots. He’s also taught the young guns on this team how to win. The rest of their lineup is full of power and patience. Look at Adolis Garcia. He was a free swinger the last couple years and was near the top of the league in strikeouts. This year El Bombi has been a nightmare for opposing pitchers to face. Putting together a postseason run that rivals Nelson Cruz in 2011. Then you have two rookie sensations in Josh Jung and Evan Carter. Jung was leading the ROTY voting before a midseason injury kept him out for a month. Now you see why he’s becoming the next Adrian Beltre. Carter wasn’t called up until September for crying out loud. Now he’s been a major cog in this machine. The rest of the offense features a switch hitting power threat in Jonah Heim, RBI machine Nathaniel Lowe, an emerging star in Leody Taveras, and Baltimore’s whipping boy in Mitch Garver. The pitching staff in typical Rangers fashion has been formed by throwing money at everything that moves. Nathan Eovaldi has been their ace all season. Dominating lineups left and right with both power pitches and change of speed. (Boy it was a treat to watch him against Oakland while I was there) What makes this staff even more impressive is that they’re doing this without big ticket signings in Jake Odorizzi and Jacob DeGrom. Well that’s because Jordan Montgomery has become one of the better southpaw pitchers in this postseason. Andrew Heaney has also taken that next step even if he struggled against Houston. Even if DeGrom is out, there is another legend in this rotation. Max Scherzer. Even if he wasn’t what he was in Washington, he’s still one of the best pitchers in the game. (Thank goodness his injury in September wasn’t too serious) Their biggest weakness this season was the bullpen but it still has Aroldis Chapman, Will Smith, and Jose Leclerc closing games. They’ve had their struggles this postseason, but they’ve done just enough to help this team breakthrough. This is the 3rd time Texas has made it to the World Series. They lost to Bochy’s Giants in 2010, and were shocked by another legendary manager in Tony LaRussa and his Cardinals in 7 games the next year. The chance to end their checkered past and win the first championship in team history is there for the taking. Crushing Tampa Bay, and Baltimore, followed by a 7 game epic against Houston isn’t enough for the DFW area. THEY WANT IT ALL! But in order to do so, they must face a team that’s done literally the same thing but in even crazier fashion.
Arizona Diamondbacks: (English Soccer chant playing) Rock bottom comes in a lot of different ways in the sports world. Whether its executive decisions, terrible coaching, or just teams being so bad it’s not even fun for their fans to watch. The Diamondbacks had to learn this lesson the hard way in 2021. One of the worst seasons in modern baseball history. At one point they had a stretch where they were 5-40. The two longest road losing streaks in baseball history. 52-110. The worst record in franchise history. Arizona was in hell. Their fans disappeared even if they’ve had attendance problems, their future at Chase Field was in doubt, they had little talent on their roster, Tory Lovello’s future was in doubt, and 2022 wasn’t that much better. They showed flashes that season, but they still had a long way to go before they could become contenders. (2001 D-Backs lineup intro playing) Now if you were to tell me that this snakebitten franchise both figuratively and literally would go from only making the playoffs once over the last decade to making it all the way to the World Series not even 2 years removed from a stretch of 5-40 play, I would lose my mind in rapid speeds. Well guess what, this kind of script would be sent right to Disney in the blink of an eye. The Arizona Diamondbacks, a team that no one had making the playoffs at the beginning of the year, myself included, a team that had been the red carpet for the Dodgers to walk all over for the last 20 years, have made it to the World Series. It comes to show you if you put your mind to something, you can achieve it no matter what. As mentioned earlier in the season, this franchise has been reborn thanks to the rise of a generational talent. That man is Corbin Carroll. A rookie who has both changed people’s view on this franchise, but has elevated his game to a level that D-Backs fans haven’t seen since Luis Gonzalez in 2001. (They had Paul Goldschmidt but even he was never this good while in the Desert) And like Gonzo during that season he’s not alone. In fact he’s one of three rookies in their starting lineup. Geraldo Perdomo and Alek Thomas weren’t on the roster at the start of the year. They’ve both had key roles in this run, especially Thomas. Those three youngsters will be the faces of the franchise for years to come. Carroll’s wingman just happens to be Lourdes Gurriel. A man who was acquired in the offseason from the Blue Jays in exchange for Dalton Varsho. Gurriel has not only exceeded expectations but made Ross Atkins eat massive amounts of crow. Also acquired in that trade was Gabriel Moreno, who has been one of the best defensive catchers in the National League. I recommend not running on him if I were you. (Replacing Carson Kelly wasn’t easy if you ask me) The other big star on this team has been a mainstay since their 2017 run to the playoffs. Ketel Marte. He’s always been a great player. He was the only one worth watching on this team for a few of those years. Now with a legit supporting cast around him, he can prove to the nation why he’s one of the most feared all around hitters in the game. The same can be said about Christian Walker who like Marte has been a very consistent hitter despite not much name recognition. Rounding out the lineup is veterans Tommy Pham and Evan Longoria. (More on him later) The pitching staff may not be Schilling and Randy Johnson-like elite but it’s still a solid unit. Zac Gallen has been one of the best pitchers in the game for a few years. Now you see why. He’s one of those guys that when he gets on, forget about it. Merrill Kelly the second ace of the team. He’s not as good as Gallen, but he’s really come into his own this postseason. Brandon Pfaadt and Ryne Nelson round out the rest of the rotation. The bullpen has been solid this postseason other than Game 2 against the Phillies. Ryan Thompson and Kevin Ginkel have led the way. They aren’t big name relievers but they do fill their setup roles very nicely. Then they can turn to one of the better closers in baseball in Paul Sewald. Just like with Gurriel, they took advantage of another team’s mistake. In this case it’s Seattle. Ever since coming to the Desert he has been elite. And they’ll need it in this series. It pains me to say this but I see a lot of the 2021 Bengals in this team. A franchise that was broken for many years, gets reborn thanks to a wave of generational rookies and young talent, and then takes league by storm in the playoffs. Even though those two may have benefitted from injuries and deus ex machina, you still have to give them credit for going far. (Did I really just say that) It’s been over 20 years since the Diamondbacks last won a World Series. In 2001 they unseated the Joe Torre Yankees in one of the greatest World Series of all time. That team however is the complete opposite of this team. They had a veteran squad that was built to win now, and win now they did. This one is full of young, hungry players who are colorful and exciting. I really hope teams across the league take notes on how to build a roster based on the success of Arizona. PAUSE.
When a team makes the World Series by coming out of nowhere, it’s a sight to behold. But what happens when both teams do the exact same thing. THIS IS WHAT YOU GET! Two franchises that have been the red headed step childs of baseball for a majority of the last 20 years get their chance at World Series glory. The narratives in this series are going to be juicy. The Rangers are trying to win their first title in their 63 year history going back to their days as the Senators. Bruce Bochy is trying to win his 4th championship and join a select group of managers with championships for two different teams. Texas is trotting out a lineup that rivals the 1995 Cleveland Indians in talent. The Diamondbacks have one of the youngest teams to ever make the World Series. Chris Young is trying to win a World Series in his first year as Rangers GM. Evan Longoria is trying to ride off into the sunset with a ring 15 years after losing to the Phillies in his rookie year as a Ray. Greg Schulte, the voice of the Diamondbacks since Day 1 in 1998 is also trying to retire as a World Champion. (One of the most underrated announcers in baseball for a number of years) And Arizona is trying to become the 2nd worst team record wise to ever win the World Series. (That honor goes to the 2006 Cardinals) The Cinderella Story from Texas vs the Cinderella Story from Arizona. Either way whoever wins the World Series should convince Disney to produce a movie about them. LET THE GAMES BEGIN!
Prediction: Both of these teams have overcome every single narrative placed against them since the moment the season began. And both of them will be hungry to prove their doubters wrong. On paper Texas should win this series far and away. But I don’t feel that way. Teams that look like they should win easily usually struggle. And that’s what’s happened this year to the Dodgers and Phillies. For the sake of Baxter the Bobcat who is one of my favorite mascots in baseball as well as the amount of chaos that’ll come with it, I’m picking the Diamondbacks to win in 7. No this is not because I’m a Salty Marylander who’s still mad at Texas, you get out of here with that garbage!
Bragging Rights Sports 