Red Birds @ Los Angeles Doyers NLDS

[lasportzphan]

My initial prediction, Cardinals take this series 3-1. But let me sleep on this a bit more.

 

[OutlawImmortal]

My prediction is 3-1 Dodgers, but you never know with baseball. The addition of Matt Kemp and Dee Gordon along with the subtraction of Carlos Beltran, Allen Craig and David Freese lead me to this conclusion.

I also believe that the Dodgers have the advantage in a shortened series, plus they have homefield.

 

[CatsTopPac]

I think we are noticeably stronger than last year, and I think that StL is looking a little weaker than last year. Throw in the fact that we have home field. 3-1 LA

 

[LASports96]

I don't endorse being called the "Doyers"...

anyways Dodgers in 4

 

[LASports96]

Game 1: 3:37 PST... that is such bullshit

Game 2: 6:37 PST

Both games on FoxSports1

 

[lasportzphan]

I don't endorse being called the "Doyers"...

anyways Dodgers in 4

Fernandomania? A major portion of our fan base are Hispanic? I unsubscribed from the PC thing a long time ago. The phrase was coined by the Hispanic community for crying out loud.

 

[LASports96]

I understand where it comes from and what it means... just they're the Los Angeles Dodgers

anyways, it's not a big deal.

 

[lasportzphan]

I understand where it comes from and what it means... just they're the Los Angeles Dodgers

anyways, it's not a big deal.

You know, Los Angeles is Spanish, bro?

 

[CatsTopPac]

You know, Los Angeles is Spanish, bro?

Pics or it didn't happen

 

[LASports96]

You know, Los Angeles is Spanish, bro?

Los Angeles is in America. I really don't want to start this war, though.

 

[CatsTopPac]

Los Angeles is in America. I really don't want to start this war, though.

The US-Mexican War? Too late.

Sorry, as a Latin American historian, I'm just instigating.

 

[LALakersboy24.7]

Fuck the red birds, Dodgers are much stronger this time around. Dodgers in 4.

 

[lasportzphan]

From the Buster Olney article:

That's why I just finished polling 15 astute baseball executives, from clubs that didn't make the postseason, to see which teams they thought were about to play in the World Series, and which juggernaut they picked to win it. Well, here's how they saw it:

National League Champ: Nationals (12 votes), Pirates (2), Dodgers (1)

American League Champ: Orioles (7), Angels (4), A's (3), Tigers (1)

World Series winner: Nationals (11), Orioles (2), A's (1), Dodgers (1)

Now I didn't major in data analysis or anything. But in my line of work, that's what you'd call overwhelming sentiment.

And you know what? I share it. Over the last 90 games (during which they've gone a white-hot 59-31), the Nationals have the best record in the National League and tied the Angels and Orioles for the best record in baseball.

Why not the Dodgers?

I thought for a while that nobody was going to pick the Dodgers. It took the next-to-last voter to get them on the board. Which is shocking, in a way, when you consider they've led the NL in runs scored since the All-Star break, they employ Clayton Kershaw and they've got almost a quarter-billion-dollar payroll. But ...

"That team is such a mess," said one NL executive. "They could beat you on pure talent. But they're a total mess. As soon as I say that, though, you think, 'In a five-game series, you'll probably face Kershaw twice and [Zack] Greinke once.' So good luck."

So, maybe ths is hood poster board material?

 

[lasportzphan]

Not Olney, Stark wrote the above article

 

[CatsTopPac]

From the Buster Olney article:

That's why I just finished polling 15 astute baseball executives, from clubs that didn't make the postseason, to see which teams they thought were about to play in the World Series, and which juggernaut they picked to win it. Well, here's how they saw it:

National League Champ: Nationals (12 votes), Pirates (2), Dodgers (1)

American League Champ: Orioles (7), Angels (4), A's (3), Tigers (1)

World Series winner: Nationals (11), Orioles (2), A's (1), Dodgers (1)

Now I didn't major in data analysis or anything. But in my line of work, that's what you'd call overwhelming sentiment.

And you know what? I share it. Over the last 90 games (during which they've gone a white-hot 59-31), the Nationals have the best record in the National League and tied the Angels and Orioles for the best record in baseball.

Why not the Dodgers?

I thought for a while that nobody was going to pick the Dodgers. It took the next-to-last voter to get them on the board. Which is shocking, in a way, when you consider they've led the NL in runs scored since the All-Star break, they employ Clayton Kershaw and they've got almost a quarter-billion-dollar payroll. But ...

"That team is such a mess," said one NL executive. "They could beat you on pure talent. But they're a total mess. As soon as I say that, though, you think, 'In a five-game series, you'll probably face Kershaw twice and [Zack] Greinke once.' So good luck."

So, maybe ths is hood poster board material?

I guess I trust 15 execs who couldn't make the playoffs as much as 70 analysts. The 70 analysts have the Nats favored to win the WS, with the Dodgers as the second team favored.

ESPN Forecast: Predicting the postseason - ESPN

And, as white-hot as the Nats finished, they only won two more games than the Dodgers. Oh, and guess what, none of your execs picked the Cards, right?

 

[lasportzphan]

I guess I trust 15 execs who couldn't make the playoffs as much as 70 analysts. The 70 analysts have the Nats favored to win the WS, with the Dodgers as the second team favored.

ESPN Forecast: Predicting the postseason - ESPN

And, as white-hot as the Nats finished, they only won two more games than the Dodgers. Oh, and guess what, none of your execs picked the Cards, right?

So if your team does not qualify for the playoffs your baseball credentials and credibility can be questioned? Wow. interesting logic applied.

All said, it's baseball, anything can happen. I've noted the flaws I see in this team and wil gladly eat crow if they prove me otherwise.

 

[CatsTopPac]

So if your team does not qualify for the playoffs your baseball credentials and credibility can be questioned? Wow. interesting logic applied.

All said, it's baseball, anything can happen. I've noted the flaws I see in this team and wil gladly eat crow if they prove me otherwise.

Everyone's credibility can be questioned. I question the same 70 analysts as I do the execs. I explained that in my first sentence. I've outlined the flaws I have seen as well. The should certainly provide some very stiff competition. I'm not looking past them, let alone the Cards. I'm just not looking past the Dodgers, either.

 

[LASports96]

I'd love to hear that idiots reasoning why the Dodgers "are such a mess"

 

[lasportzphan]

I'd love to hear that idiots reasoning why the Dodgers "are such a mess"

Good question... Because if it's Puig showing up late for BP continuously or the stories of his transfer via the Mexican drug cartel and the additional security the Dodgers had to hire or Kemp chastising Puig in the dugout or Mattingly chastising Puig in the dugout or Ethier complaining about his roll or Jansen arguing with a teammate in front of the media pregame or Han Ram getting testy with the media or the manager comparing his team to the As of the 70s (notorious as the most dysfunctional team in ever) or your back up catcher biting the ear of one of your top prospects or Brian Wilson screaming at his old boss pregame or your veteran first baseman questioning your manager via the media, you are right, no smoke here. This team is solid.

 

[OutlawImmortal]

Good question... Because if it's Puig showing up late for BP continuously or the stories of his transfer via the Mexican drug cartel and the additional security the Dodgers had to hire or Kemp chastising Puig in the dugout or Mattingly chastising Puig in the dugout or Ethier complaining about his roll or Jansen arguing with a teammate in front of the media pregame or Han Ram getting testy with the media or the manager comparing his team to the As of the 70s (notorious as the most dysfunctional team in ever) or your back up catcher biting the ear of one of your top prospects or Brian Wilson screaming at his old boss pregame or your veteran first baseman questioning your manager via the media, you are right, no smoke here. This team is solid.

At least Bryce Harper isn't on the team.