Category — Alex Rodriguez

We love this picture. It says “what the funk did I tell you!”
Rangers 15, Tigers 5.
Back-to-back.
Wasn’t the Rangers bankrupt just a little while back? Maybe there’s hope Dodger fans, but we seriously doubt it. Besides, imagine how Angel fans feel watching Texas advance to its 2nd straight World Series. We’d probably wager the Rangers win it this time too.
Star-Telegram

Think Nyger Morgan and Albert Pujols, who had a heated exchange a month or so ago, have a friendly chat at 1st base during the NLCS? Didn’t think so.
Brewers-Cards. 29 years after the Cards tripped the Brew Crew, which was then in the junior league, for the ’82 World Series crown do they meet again.
MLB.com

Best wishes, the Boston Red Sox.
Kidding of course. We were wrong about this 1. With Vegas betting the Bombers this late, how could you pick against them? Well the Rangers for 1 reason, but the Tigers for main reason.
Meanwhile, the sharks in New York eat up Marky Mark and Alex Rodriguez again. And they should.
N.Y. Daily News

First the Angels missed out on Carl Crawford, who took the Red Sox for a ride and $142 million. He also was the outfielder who failed to come up with a game-ending catch that booted the Red Sox from the playoffs.
Then the Angels missed on Adrian Beltre, who the Rangers scooped up. Though the Beltre signing was huge for Texas, trading for Mike Napoli was a big deal too. Imagine if these 2 had played with the weak-hitting Angels this season.
Star-Telegram

The wild card race provided a memorable finish to the regular season that has baseball fans begging for more. Now the postseason begins, where there should be more drama.
Pitching, pitching and more pitching again will dictate the outcome. With that in mind, here are our picks for the postseason.

American League
Tigers vs. Yankees
Two words: Justin Verlander.
Can the Tigers win a game without him is the question. If so, upsetting the Yankees will be easy.
But this is where the Yankees are at their very best. The same thing was said about Cliff Lee 2 years ago, and the Yanks were able to beat him when it counted.
Now comes the true test, the best hitting team in baseball against the best pitcher. While good hitting usually beats good pitching, the Yanks are the best at working counts.
Pick: Yankees in 4.

Rays vs. Rangers
The hottest team in the A.L. and with pitching to boot, Tampa Bay seems to have it all. But is it too much to ask of them to stay emotionally high? The best momentum is good pitching and the Rays have that. Those arms should carry the day.
Pick: Rays in 4.

National League
Cardinals vs. Phillies
Stay with the pitching theme and the Phillies have the arms to run a way with this series. They will throw 3 big-name hurlers at the Cardinals, who are just happy to be in the postseason. The Phillies also have more offense.
Pick: Phillies in 3.

Diamondbacks vs. Brewers
Two surprise teams find themselves in a surprising place. Milwaukee has the hitters to make a mess of any rotation, but Arizona has a special thing going right now that makes them a fun team to watch. The Brewers, though, have been here before and they should hold up.
Pick: Brewers in 5.

ALCS
Rays vs. Yankees
Another battle of the East with the Yankees doing just enough to win behind the hitting of the middle of their lineup and Mariano Rivera. They just have to get the game to the man. Tampa’s great season comes to a close in the Bronx.
Pick: Yankees in 6.

NLCS
Brewers vs. Phillies
Milwaukee might be able to put a scare into Philadelphia, but that is about it. When you can go 4 stars deep on the mound then things are pretty good. Cole Hammels, the star of the Phillies title run three years ago is the 4th starter now. That’s depth.
Pick: Phillies in 5.

World Series
Yankees vs. Phillies
Two years ago, the New York offense beat up the Phillies, who went cold in the biggest of games and could not defend their title. This time things look different. Philadelphia has it all going, power from the left side suited for Yankee Stadium, the home field and the rotation. The Phils are ready to avenge last year’s playoff debacle and the loss to the Yanks the year before. They should get it done.
Pick: Phillies in 6.

Would you have bet David Price (a 2-fisted drinker?) getting lit up in 1 of the Rays’ biggest games in franchise history? Didn’t think so.
If you bet the Brewers and D-Backs, who face off in the opening round of the National League playoffs on Saturday, you would have gotten 100-1 odds of them getting into the World Series. Probably a few people with tickets saying such are pissing in their pants now. Even as late as August, the D-Backs were 50-1 to win it all.
BetVega.com

On the heels of their impressive come-from-behind victory on the road at Texas A&M, the Oklahoma State Cowboys moved up to the No. 5 spot in the Associated Press college football rankings. They trail top-ranked LSU, OU, Alabama and Boise State.
Some experts believe the Cowboys are the team to beat in the Big 12, but they have several crucial encounters coming up in October and a showdown with OU, which could have national championship implications, in December.
The Cowboys have an Oct. 15 clash with Texas in Austin, followed by a visit to Missouri on Oct. 22. They return home for a Oct. 29 meeting with quarterback Robert Griffin and Baylor.
Of course if OSU remains unbeaten, as well as OU, all eyes will be on the expected shootout in Stillwater.
Tickets are available for all of these key games and more by visiting LavaTickets.com. The website is an excellent source for tickets for college football games, Major League Baseball, NFL, NHL, NBA, boxing, golf, soccer and other high-profile sporting events.

He gets our vote in the NL and we don’t believe it’s close. Thanks for playing Ryan Braun.

A former batboy with the Yankees has written a tell-all book about his time in the clubhouse. Luis Castillo (no, not that 1) saves some of his best material for A-Rod and Joe Torre.
N.Y. Post

The good old days before Cameron Diaz.
OK, so A-Rod plays poker with some high-profile friends. Duh. What’s the crime here?
ESPN New York