One benefit of staying home sick from work, other than the obvious benefit, i.e., not working, is the chance to listen to the Detroit Tigers-Minnesota Twins one game playoff for the American League Central Title. I have no direct allegiance to either team, other than the fact that Vaughn is a Twins fan--which means I am torn between wanting them to do well and not wanting them to do better than the Giants and the A's--so I am able to enjoy the game from a neutral fan's perspective.
There is something nostalgic about listening to this game. It reminds me of the drama of David Halberstam's great book, Summer Of '49, which recounted the excitement of a pennant race between the Yankees and the Red Sox. I feel like I should be sitting on a screened front porch somewhere, a pitcher of lemonade perspiring on a table to my left, reading the newspaper. Of course, I don't have a screened porch, nor do I have a lemonade pitcher, let alone a lemonade pitcher that can read the newspaper.
This is appropriate, of course, because nostalgia is a desire for something that we never had in the first place. I certainly didn't live through the 1949 pennant race firsthand.
Still, baseball playoffs! Huzzah!
In this spirit of huzzah, I present my predictions for the 2009 baseball playoffs. Oh, sure, there are innumerable articles from experts and journalists giving their two cents; what makes my predictions unique is that I make absolutely no attempt to rationalize them. Pure intuition, you see, tapping in to the emotional spirit of sports.
So I have predicted the Twins to beat the Tigers today, which may or may not happen. We're in the late innings, and Detroit leads 3-2. But this is no matter, because the winner faces the Yankees, starting tomorrow.
Without further ado:
American League Divisional Round--Yankees beat Twins/Tigers; Angels beat Red Sox.
National League Divisional Round--Cardinals beat Dodgers; Phillies beat Rockies.
American League Championship Series--Angels beat Yankees.
National League Championship Series--Cardinals beat Phillies.
World Series--Angels beat Cardinals.
Thoughts? Agreement? Disputes? Let me know!
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Ultimately, we agree. As a Minnesotan who hates LA (a city that stole the Minneapolis Lakers and could steal the Minnesota Vikings), I am picking an all LA World Series with the Angels (a team that stole this Twins fan's beloved Torii Hunter) beating the Dodgers in 5 games. Why? Also intuition. And a little vitriolic pessimism. But primarily intuition.
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