Kuzul

With the MLB playoffs just hours away, many fans are inevitably experiencing their own version of postseason baseball butterflies.

But it isn’t just the fans that are trying to quell their nervousness; it’s also a handful of players who are playing for more than just a shot at the Fall Classic.

No pressure, really.

Lurking in the dugouts of the eight remaining teams are a collection of various players who are not only trying to help their respective teams advance in the playoffs but are also trying to prove their free-agency worth.

And what better stage than the postseason, right?

But we’re not just talking about your average, random player without a contract per say; we’re talking about some guys who already have some quality value as MLB players, whether it be as a pitcher or hitter.

Let’s take a look at who I want to highlight, and what exactly these guys are really playing for.

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In a perfect world, according to my most favorable teams they divisions would annually end something like this:

American League East: Baltimore Tampa Toronto Boston and New York

American League Central Minnesota Kansas City Detroit Chicago White Sox, Cleveland

American League West: Texas Oakland Los Angeles, Seattle

National League East: Florida, Washington, Philadelphia, New York, and Atlanta

National League Central: Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Chicago, Houston, St. Louis

National League West: San Diego, Colorado, Arizona, San Francisco, LA Dodgers

As you can easily tell, I am a fan of small market clubs.

I as happy as I am to see Cincinnati make the playoffs after a 15 year drought (1995) and Texas after an 11 year span (1999) it was just as equally disappointing to see San Diego miss, especially at the expense of the boring, overrated Atlanta Braves who have wasted a playoff spot in every one of their last 15 appearances save for the 1995 miracle vs. almost as equally pathetic Cleveland in what I like to call the World Series from Hell.

Besides, its not like they are going to do anything anyway, so why not give San Diego a chance, we all know they could have used the extra cash from the playoff revenue.

Growing up Cincinnatti was good (1990) along with the Oakland A’s (I’d like to see a replay of that World Series with the Reds playing their role and my Minnesota Twins playing that of the A’s even if their 2010 payroll-top ten is significantly higher. Can you imagine Commissioner Selig’s face having to go to those small, cold markets? Can you imagine the complaining corporate America would be doing if their precious Yankee$ do not make it, in addition to the Phillie$ getting bounced early? This is what I am hoping for.

ALDS ESPN Yankee$ at lowly Minnesota Twins

My heart wants to say Minnesota in who cares-3, 4, 5, but the fact remains the Yankee$ are the Yankee$ and something about October just brings out the best in some people: Luis Polonia, Scott Brosius, Shane Spencer, Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada, Paul O’Neill, Tino Martinez, not to mention Mo Rivera, Jeter, Pettite etc.

Reasons the Yankee$ will win: They have the history, they have the experience, they are the defending champions and as much as I hate them, they are who we thought they were. October is their time to shine. Last year they won the World Series their first year in their new building, somethng I am hoping the Twins can copy-if they took good notes.

Swept the Twins last year (7-0) and 3-0 in playoffs. Karma is on their side. Until they get beat, even if Twins somehow take first game or two that’s gone good enough until these spoiled elitists are gone.

Reasons they’ll lose: Wonder how long it will be before we find out A-ROID juiced in 2009? Someone’s gonna talk a decade or two from now, is my guess. He was too good to be true last year. Look how they treated (as I predicted) 2009 hero’s Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui who were both given their walking papers despite Matsui (MVP) and Damon .381 BA. Granderson is all or nothing. Pettite’s coming back from long injury, Burnett’s already out. Jeter’s having his worst year. They gotta slow down some time right? Buster Olney (Yankee homer) calls this the “most wide open American League I’ve ever seen” (yesterday’s SportsCenter). Keep telling yourself that, Yankee lover.

Reasons the Twins will win: Went 2-4 against New York this year. While that’s not much its light years ahead of last year. Also, the last time they played, the Twins won (in NY) so they have some momentum and that in the back of their minds. Also, Jason Kubel emerged as a legit Yankee$ killer having hit a Grand Slam off Rivera in the game. Also, the last time the Twins played them at home, they too won so this first game is huge.

The bad luck, jinxes, (14-46) in their past 60 head to head have to end sometime right? Why not take a page from the NBA’s Suns who had similar woes against the cow-town Spurs before finally beating them. A good friend of mine, Yankee fan, admits “this isn’t our year” and “the Yankees aren’t going to do anything, they’re hurt”. I’d like to believe him but until the Twins prove me wrong, they get what they deserve.

Yankee-cowards Morneau, Perkins, and Nathan who I bashed last year relentlessly won’t play this year giving me hope. The same hope that newcomers Hudson, Thome, Capps, and Fuentes don’t carry that putrid Yankee$ stink with them like the latter three did. Good riddance. Thank god they moved on from crybaby Morneau. Get over it already and come back next year.

Reasons they’ll lose (see reasons Yankees will win) also, I dont like the Twins hosting. Granted the last time they hosted a series they won (2002) but nothing since. These aint the A’s. Also, when you are a road team you are hoping for a 1:1 split. Yankee$ should at least do that, we all know Twins won’t win 1st two or ESPN will hype-rventilate. I really wish the Twins were going to the Bronx 1st. Less pressure since you aren’t defending home field trying to take at least one.

In the end I expect a SOBathia gem 2-0 shutout of the Twins at home in game 1, followed by the usual 3-1 heart-breaker that we saw last year setting the stage for a Yankee$ $weep in New York as always. Petitte is automatic in game 2. Yankee fans want us to think they are the underdogs (0-3 all time as a Wild Card) but there is a reason SOBathia is their ace and Phil Hughes went 18-8. I ain’t buying it until I see it. Too many years of expections so why have any?

Yankee$ in three.

Texas Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Rays

Reasons Texas will win: At first I gave them no chance due to their lack of playoff experience. Still Lee’s good for at least a win right? Bobby Valentine already picked them in 4 and Chris Singleton thinks they can come out of the AL although he’s the only one that crazy so far although I could live with it if and when my Twins lose. They’ve got the hitting we know that.

Reasons they’ll lose: Read a stat that Texas is 0-12 against the rest of the AL competition. Also, only one of the American League teams (Atlanta in the NL) to have a losing road record. You get the feeling like the Reds of the NL, they are simply happy to finally be here after years being out, never mind the fact they’ve never won a playoff series in their history. The only active team to say that. Lots  of reasons to not like them, still its good to see them back, can’t say that enough. Rusty Greer, Roger Pavlik, Mickey Tettleton, Johnny Oates, Dean Palmer, guys I grew up watching the last time they made the playoffs would all be proud.

Reasons Tampa will win: Forget their bandwagon home crowd full of converted Red Sox fans who just plain hate New York, or the transplants, or the fake fans who only started following the team in 2008. The team makes Tropi-crapa field their home and use it to their advantage. Honestly the atmosphere is great there. I’ve been there as a pseudo Rays “fan” (until Baltimore gets back). They have the experience. Many see this as a final run with Rafael Soriano, Carl Crawford, and Carlos Pena although I think only Crawford will depart. The Rays if they lose are still going to be a threat in 2011.

Reasons they’ll lose: Overconfidence. Underestimating their competition. James Shields and his crap 5.18 ERA, Jeff Neimann fading down the stretch (largely due to injury)Matt Garza can’t possibly duplicate 2008 can he? They won’t be able to sneak up on anyone this time. 27th in hitting (BA) has to come into play at some point, right? Pressure to keep Crawford around a bit longer.

Rays in 4 (although nothing would surprise me and if the Twins actually win (hell freezes over) I want to play Texas, so Go Rangers, conditional o the Twins winning, otherwise, go Rays! Easily the x-factor series of the 1st round (best one). Could see several games going into extra innings.

NLDS Atlanta Braves vs. San Francisco Giants

You know the saying “If you don’t have anything nice to say….” That’s how I feel about the Braves who I still don’t forgive them for wasting all those oppotunities in the ’90s and denying other teams Pittsburgh chances to do something which may have created parity.

Forget the fact Atlanta is either one big ghetto (depending on where you are) or a cosmopolitan city full of snobbish transplants and “old money” and there are a lot of reasons to hate Atlanta as I do. Overrated Bobby Cox, the damn annoying “chop” that still rings in my ears having to suffer many an October with that droning. Won’t matter though, they won’t be staying long.

Reasons Atlanta will win: Annoying rallying around Bobby Cox and his impending retirement, same for Chipper Jones.  They can’t choke every time they are in. New faces immune to 1990s failures.

Reasons Atlanta will lose: Typical loser franchise come October. Seriously, 14 division titles should have got the Yankee$ of the NL at least 3-4 rings. They went 1/5 in the Fall Classic with my Twins starting them out in the right foot. In 2006 28,000 fans showed up for game 1 of the NLDS. It was explained that “In Atlanta you expect to make it past the first round”.

Tickets were going for $6 on StubHub for this team of fickle followers. I know-I checked. If there is an excuse in the book for failure, this team, this city, and their blind-loyal announce teams will find it. 0/4 in NLDS since 2001. I can’t wait until they go away. Remember the Padres should be the Giants rally cry!

Reasons the Giants will win: (see reasons Atlanta will lose, above!) Seriously, just by playing this annual disappointment, they got the luck of the draw. Can throw Tiny Tim (Lincecum) twice if they actually have to). Have momentum now.

Reasons they’ll lose: Tim can’t do it all. New generation of Braves fans, yet to be disillusioned could bring a new 1991-like excitement. Braves have to snap jinx sometime right? Honestly, this is the least intriguing series by far of the first round and I really don’t care for either team so I’m done.

Giants in 5 (Braves always make ’em interesting)

Cincinnati Reds vs. Philidelphia Phillies

In 2008 when the Phillies made the playoffs it was cool. When they won the World Series that year, while I wanted the Rays, I felt good for the city. Now its just getting old. Like Boston fans of 2004 and 2007 they act like its their birthright. Phily fans are lame in general but it was fun when they were just happy to be in the playoffs (2007) or 1993 which I have fond memories of.

Reasons the Phillies will win: ESPN wants them to. Seriously, get ready to hear the Halladay-Oswalt-Hamels love fest ESPN Bias. Playoff experience. Embarrassing whiffle ball park that benefits the home team. Just remember Phillies fans, I know when you sucked. Do you?

Reasons they’ll lose: Maybe the Reds have a 2008 small-market mentality like the Rays did. Maybe the Reds will sneak up on them and steal an early game or two swinging the series. Too many stars and too much expectations? Seriously, that’s all I got until the Reds show me something.

Reasons the Reds will win: At the risk of repeating, maybe they can sneak up on someone seeing how they should have no pressure having no experience. Chapman could be this year’s David Price x-factor, rookie phenom. Still seems like a team just happy to be there, despite the fact I picked them as a pre-season Wild Card.

Reasons they’ll lose: Just repeating the same things, so I’ll refain, Prove me wrong, Reds, I want to play you in the Series!

Phillies in THREE (see 2008 Brewers) Just happy to be there.

Stay tuned for next round picks when it gets closer.

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For the first time in seven years, postseason baseball has found its way to AT&T Park. In the National League Divisional Series, the newly crowned NL West champion San Francisco Giants (92-70) will meet the Atlanta Braves (91-71), who also squeaked by on the final day of the season.  The winner of the five-game series will move on to face either Philadelphia (97-65) or Cincinnati (91-71).

No doubt Giants general manager Brian Sabean is spearheading an extended powwow with manager Bruce Bochy and his staff, as the rules call for the 40-man active roster to be trimmed down to 25 by Thursday’s opener in China Basin.

Although substitutions can be made in each round of the playoffs, it will be interesting to find out the composition of the final list for the NLDS, as it will undoubtedly give clues on how they intend to attack the Braves and advance to their first National League Championship Series since 2002.

All year long, the Giants’ outstanding pitching has defied belief, especially during the final month of the season. San Francisco hurlers held opposing batters to a .182 average in September and conceded three runs or less in 24 out of 26 games, a feat that has occurred only once since 1920.

However, the team’s bats haven’t fared as well, with their own dubious streak defining their offense. In the last 29 games to close the year, Giants hitters scored more than four runs only eight times.

With that said, smallball will the be order of the day in San Francisco, and the signs were evident in last Sunday’s division-clinching win over San Diego. In the bottom of the seventh inning, with the Giants in desperate need of adding an insurance run to a slim 2-0 lead, Eugenio Velez laid down a sacrifice bunt to move 245-pound Pablo Sandoval from first base.

However, the portly former All-Star’s lack of speed was blatantly clear when he was gunned down at second with three strides to spare in what became a waste of an out.

The Giants’ formidable rotation and bullpen have compensated for the toothless offense for most of 2010. Since this pattern will likely continue into the playoffs, the necessity of manufacturing runs will be at a premium in close games, where each win gets the team one step closer to the World Series.

According to the way Sabean and Bochy have handled the season to date, I have broken down the current 40-man roster and given my projections for the final 25 who will take the field for the NLDS. Starters are in bold, cuts will have lines through their names, and shaky picks up for debate will be in italics, with key stats for each player included.

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The San Francisco Giants eliminated the San Diego Padres with their 3-0 victory today, which makes them the NL West champions for the first time since 2003.

The Giants finished the 2010 regular season with a 92-70 (.568) record, earning the third seed in the NL. The Atlanta Braves, in turn, claimed the wild card spot. 

Therefore, the official 2010 playoff seeding and schedule are finalized. 

So, without further ado, here it is.

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Expectations can be tricky things.

Often times, teams with high expectations fail to measure up, while squads without expectations do better than anticipated.  For the 2010 Athletics, the latter is true.

Without any considerable power threat on the roster (Jack Cust started the season at Triple-A), it was hard to imagine the non-explosive A’s coming close to .500 record.  With two games the left, Oakland is two wins away from finishing 81-81.  

No matter what happens the next two nights in Seattle, the Athletics’ brass must be pleased with the way the summer played out.

Oakland scored the fourth-fewest runs in the American League, was second-worst in total bases, and hit the second-fewest home runs.  

But the team was able to hover around the .500 mark for most of the season because of its pitching staff.  As one of the youngest staffs in all of baseball, the A’s have the lowest team ERA in the AL (3.57).  They did it largely without two of their top starters heading into the season, Ben Sheets and Justin Duchscherer.

No one had questioned whether or not the team had built a foundation for a strong staff, but not many outside the organization believed its young arms would be this good this quickly.

Trevor Cahill pitched his way into the role of the team’s ace with his outstanding season in 2010.  The sinkerballer showed flashes during last year’s rookie campaign but was unable to consistently locate his pitches.  In 2009 Cahill gave up 27 home runs while compiling a 4.63 ERA. 

This season the 22-year-old right-hander only let 19 balls leave the yard, strung together a 2.97 ERA, and won 18 games. 

Brett Anderson managed only 18 starts, but still pitched well and lowered his 2010 ERA (2.91) by more than a run from his 2009 mark (4.06).  When healthy, he could have the best stuff of any left-handed starter in baseball.  But he’ll have to prove that he can stay healthy over the course of an entire season. 

Like Cahill, Anderson is 22 years old.

The advantage the starting staff is the different look each pitcher provides.  Cahill can dominate with his sinker, Anderson’s a true power arm with four plus pitches, Gio Gonzalez was praised by Torri Hunter as having the best left-handed curve in baseball, and Dallas Braden’s bulldog mentality allows him to be successful with less than dominating stuff.

Those four starters are good enough to win a pennant if healthy.  If Vin Mazzaro can make the jump next season like his counterparts did in 2010, the A’s should have far and away the best pitching staff in baseball.

Owner Lew Wolff and GM Billy Beane have both pledged to make the offense better in 2011.  Whether it comes from inside the organization, through free-agency or trades, the team could very well find itself back as a contender for an AL West crown this time next year.

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Andres Torres has been one of the best stories around Major League Baseball this season. He has been a journeyman for his entire career, and was virtually unknown. 

Now, his name is most likely spoken in almost every home belonging to a Giants fan. He has been one of the best clutch players on the Giants, 

Winning this award is a big deal for Giants players, and no one deserves it more than Andres Torres. He has a .270 average, to go along with 16 homers, 62 RBIs, and 25 stolen bases. But to win this award, one has to be more than a paper tiger. 

Andres Torres is a warrior, and his hard work has definitely paid off for him. After almost every game, he can be seen working out in the weight room for around 30 minutes. 

He was a track star in high school, and he caught the eyes of scouts with the way he plays defense. As we all know, his defense has made him a possible gold-glover as well. There was a point during the middle of the season when Torres appeared on the highlight reel for a sliding, diving, or wall-climbing catch every other day. 

Torres has never put up the numbers that he has this season. He has produced more in one year, than he has in his whole career. Torres is quite the character, and he definitely deserved this award. 

As the Giants inch closer to a playoff berth, we can only help the Torres has recovered from his emergency appendectomy. It sure looks like he has. He has two home runs (including one in his first game back), a triple, and a stolen base that forced him to slide on his stomach. 

Torres has been a main part of the Giants offense all year, and a great person on- and off-the-field. His hustle, hard work, and determination has influenced his teammates to vote him into winning the Willie Mac Award.

Just like a fine wine, Andres Torres has gotten better with age. 

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In a Bleacher Report Community effort, the top Featured Columnists for MLB’s top teams have come together to give the fans a thorough understanding of what to expect when your ace succumbs to playoff pressure, putting a close game in the hands of your bullpen.

Each Bleacher Report Featured Columnist has been a fan of their team, as have you, for as long as possible.

In speaking with these writers, they understand the history as well as the current state and future prospects for their bullpen.

This has been a learning experience in putting these analyses together and may this be a guidebook to you fans who need to know what your opposition is going to be throwing at you late into a game.

Two last things:

1) In finding the videos for this slideshow I found it comical that every closer either enters the game to Metallica’s, “Enter Sandman,” or at least has a youtube tribute to him set to that song.

2) Make sure to check out Mariano Rivera’s video on how he dominates attached to the first Yankees slide.  It’s a must-see.

Begin Slideshow

Tonight, a showdown in San Francisco could pop the top off of what up until now may have been this year’s most underrated story in sports: the San Francisco Giants clinching an MLB postseason appearance for the first time since the Barry Bonds era.

The lack of Bonds’ bat seems to be getting filled for the time being by left fielder Pat Burrell, who knocked in all the runs the bay area Tall Boys needed to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks Wednesday night along with seven nasty innings from pitcher Tim Lincecum.

Burrell, despite his season .250 batting average, is earning his nickname of
“Pat the Bat” at the most clutch possible time for the Giants in the regular season. 

The Chicago Cubs helped the Giants take care of business by beating the Padres Wednesday night as well with just a single run scored.   

The Giants, currently on a four-game win streak, need only one victory to clinch a playoff spot over the Padres as of Friday night’s game.  If SD wins, the Giants will need to finish their series with two victories to clinch.

Though the Giants are hot and the Padres seem to have fizzled—finding just about every way possible to lose in the last days of the 2010 season—the Giants are expecting a juiced San Diego team to face them Friday night.

“We want San Diego to come in,” said Brian Wilson, the Tall Boys’ closer, to news reporters regarding the game.  “We want to play good baseball and that’s what we’re going to get. That’s the way the story’s been written this year.”

And what a story it might turn out to be; though the playoff picture has been painted in less exciting colors than many MLB writers and bloggers might have liked, you can bet a raucous crowd will be in attendance throughout the series in San Francisco this weekend hoping the tint turns in favor of orange and black.

Expect the media to jump all over the post-Bonds bandwagon should the Giants and their fans get that wish. 

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Words that you never want to hear if you are a pitcher: “We are going to send you to Alabama to see Dr. James Andrews.”

Those are the words that Oakland A’s pitcher Andrew Bailey heard this morning. The odds have already been set to 3-1 that we will next see Bailey in August of 2011.

The A’s did the smart thing this morning and shut down Bailey for the final two weeks of the season because of elbow soreness.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Bailey believes this is just a case of tennis elbow. If that is the case, I would be shocked.

Due to various injuries and despite having a lower ERA this year than he did last (1.47 to 1.84), all of his peripherals were down from his Rookie of the Year season. His K/9 dropped from 9.8 to 7.7, and his ground-ball percentage dropped from 42 percent to 39 percent.

I think the drop in peripherals has more to do with his rib cage injury and his tennis elbow that he has been dealing with all year. We’ll see how his visit with Dr. James Andrews turns out.

If Bailey beats the odds and finds out there is nothing wrong with him, then I expect him to be once again one of the better closers in baseball in 2011.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com