I swear, Medium readers, my baseball playoff predictions are usually much better than this. I was one for two in the Wild Card round and two for four in the Division round for a split 50% at three right and three wrong. Somehow, sadly, I continued that through the two League Championships. I picked Toronto to beat Cleveland and Cleveland won, and I picked Chicago to beat Los Angeles and Chicago won. One out of two, for a post season total of four correct and four incorrect. 50%. Again. Still. That kinda sucks.

Now we come to the World Series. Only one prediction left. Will I finish above .500, or below. Let’s find out.

Cleveland vs Chicago. I said in my first prediction post that the Cubbies were going to win it this year. My brain is telling me that is still the case. My heart, however, has gone all in for the Indians (racist name and all). Something about the way those plucky underdogs beat two teams that should have been far superior just won me over. So which do I pick? My head or my heart?

The answer is kind of both. I really don’t see the Cubs losing this series. I officially predict that their 108 years of suck futility will finally come to an end. Having said that, I am going to root for the Indians. It would be nice to see their 68 year championship drought come to an end. Also, admittedly, it would be really nice to see the most pathetic team in baseball history continue their century plus years worth of complete futility. Yeah, I’m picking the Cubs but I’m really hoping they have to wait until next year.

This is in no way reflective of my baseball love for Jon Lester, John Lackey, or any of the other former Red Sox now playing for the Cubs, and that includes his Royal Highness Theo Epstein the General Manager who brought the Red Sox’ 86 year championship drought to an end. It also doesn’t have anything to do with Andrew Miller* or Coco Crisp, or even His Royal Highness Terry Francona the Manager who brought the Red Sox’ 86 year championship drought to an end. I just prefer rooting for Cleveland, even though I know deep down that Chicago is going to win.

So I am actually hoping that my playoff predictions finish below 50% for the first time that I can remember. It’s okay, though. I’ll survive.

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*okay, it kinda is about Andrew Miller. That guy is freakin’ amazing. Jon Lester is amazing too, but Miller is his own brand of amazing and it’s been really fun to watch. Why couldn’t we get players like these, am I right?

The Red Sox lost. Do you have any idea how painful that is? It really sucks the life out of these fun little prediction posts, I’m telling you. In a word, it sucks. Add that to the simple fact that my predictions haven’t been very good, and it’s making me feel bad about the state of baseball in the 21st century. Suck, I tell you. Suck.

How did the Division round go, after going 1–1 in the wild card play ins?

I picked the Red Sox over the Indians and the effin’ Indians won in a sweep, the pricks. I picked the Blue Jays over the Rangers and the Blue Jays won, the pricks. I picked the Nationals over the Dodgers and I was wrong, wrong, wrong. I picked the Cubs over the Giants and I was right. Two right out of four, combined with one out of two in the play ins and that makes me a whopping three out of six. I have a 3–3 record. 50% correct. Yippee.

Now for my predictions for the League Championship Series’. Given that the Boston Red Sox are not involved, the real prediction is who gives a flying leap.

Toronto vs Cleveland. I pick Toronto. They were the team that scared me the most before my beloved Red Sox choked all over themselves and were swept like a bunch of little children. I still think they are the team to beat. I am picking them with my brain, not with my heart. My heart would pick them too though because I want them to murderlize the effin’ Indians. Pay back for what they did to my Red Sox. Damn you, Cleveland Indians. Racist team nick name and all. Pricks. The Blue Jays will win this one.

Los Angeles vs Chicago. You already know my pick for this one. I said last time that the Cubs are going to the World Series, and I still believe that. They are my pick. But…… They are still the Cubbies…….. is there an epic collapse in their future? If so then this would be the perfect time for it to rear it’s ugly head. The Cubs haven’t won the World Series in something like 40,000 years. So what if they were far and away the best team in baseball this year, losing is what they do. Losing in gut wrenching, dare I say Red Soxian, fashion would just be oh so fitting. Still, I’m picking the Cubs.

And there you have it. I predict a Toronto vs Chicago World Series. It’s Boston free, so who cares. Yippee.

The Wild Card games are over. How did my picks do?

Not great, not bad. There were only two and I was 1–1. I got Toronto right and San Francisco wrong. It’s an even number year so I should have known the Giants were going to advance. Oh well, live and learn.

Now on to the Division Round. First, the American League.

Boston vs Cleveland. I always pick the Red Sox. I live in Boston. Duh. This year I feel it is the correct pick even without my bias. The Indian’s starting rotation is in injury shambles. The Red Sox greatest strength is their offense. They should devour Cleveland’s pitching. Go Red Sox.

Toronto vs Texas. These two cats hate each other. It could be a fun series to watch. I look at this more in terms of who I want to face should my Red Sox advance to the next round. The answer is… I don’t know. Toronto scares me. Texas scares me too. My head tells me that the Blue Jays will advance because they are rolling at this point. I think I’ll go with that. The Blue Jays will win.

Now for the National League, aka the league I barely noticed at all this year.

Los Angeles vs Washington. Far be it from me to dis Clayton Kershaw, but there’s no way I’m betting against Max Scherzer. Oh how I wish we had signed him when he was a free agent. Life in Fenway would have been so different had we snagged that dude. I’m picking Washington.

San Francisco vs Chicago. Here we go, kids. The longest championship drought on Earth (is it?), the Chicago Cubs. Is this the year? It sure sounds like it. They are a hell of a team. Obviously I am picking them, they are the safe bet, but having lived through the Red Sox tragedies leading up to 2004 I have experience watching great teams blow it in colossally horrid ways. We just have to sit back and wait to see how the Cubbies will blow it this year. We all know they will.

So there you have it, I am predicting a Boston vs Toronto AL Championship series, and a Washington vs Chicago NL Championship series. Will any of those picks be correct? Not likely!

GO RED SOX!

Most years I try and post my predictions for each round of the Major League Baseball and National Hockey League playoffs. In baseball, the wild card round starts tonight (and ends tomorrow) so I best get to it!

American League – Baltimore vs Toronto: Can you believe that three teams from the AL East made the post season this year? Less than an hour from now two of them will duke it out for the opportunity to play Texas in the Division round. I seriously want Baltimore to take this game because I want all teams that seem like a threat to the Red Sox winning the American League to lose. Sadly it’s not going to happen. Toronto is going to win tonight.

National League — San Francisco vs New York: A couple of confessions here. First, I barely followed the National League at all this year. Second, my playoff picks are not exactly logical. Often I’ll just pick the team that I traditionally hate the least. Third, I hate all baseball teams that have any connection to New York. The Mets are from New York. I effin’ loathe them. The Giants used to be from New York. I effin’ loathe them too. That means I want both of these chumps to lose tomorrow. Sadly, I have to pick one. I am going to pick the Mets and I hate myself a little for doing so. You suck, Mets.

There you have it. My ever so well thought out picks for the wild card round. Toronto wins tonight, and New York wins tomorrow. I’ll go over the results and make my picks for the division round on Thursday.

Play ball!