October is Finally Here!

Photo courtesy of http://goo.gl/iXYZSG
Photo courtesy of http://goo.gl/iXYZSG

By: Kevin Finn

Sentry Staff Reporter

After three one game playoffs and four exciting division series four teams are left standing. The St. Louis Cardinals and the Los Angeles Dodgers are left in the National League and  the Detroit Tigers and the Boston Red Sox remain in the American League. Each team has survived a challenging 162 game season and has won a best of five series against another playoff team to make it to the League Championship Series.

The St. Louis Cardinals have had a lot of success lately. They won the 2011 World Series and made it to the National League Championship series last year.  Despite the loss of first baseman Albert Pujols and manager Tony La Russa in the 2011 offseason the team has continued to win under new leadership with players like outfielder Matt Holliday, pitcher Adam Wainwright and new manager Mike Matheny. The Cardinals beat the Pirates in the division series.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have had a crazy couple of years but have overcome the adversity to win the National League Western division.  After a messy ownership dispute in 2010 a Los Angeles group headed by Magic Johnson has taken over the team and put it in the right direction. (reword)  Now under manager Don Mattingly the Dodgers have developed one of the best pitching staffs in the game behind Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw.  The Dodgers have also spent large sums of money lately on players like outfielder Carl Crawford, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and shortstop Hanley Ramirez.  The Dodgers beat the Braves in the division series.

Can the Los Angeles Dodgers win their first World Series title since 1988?  Photograph: Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Can the Los Angeles Dodgers win their first World Series title since 1988?
Photograph: Christian Petersen/Getty Images

The Detroit Tigers are also a team built on strong pitching, but they also have the game’s two best hitters in the middle of their lineup.  Third baseman Miguel Cabrera and first baseman Prince Fielder are two of the best power hitters in the game and both had fantastic seasons. In 2012, Cabrera became the first man since 1967 to lead the league in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in, also known as the triple crown.  Detroit is led by Jim Leyland, one of the greatest managers in history and a former World Series Champion. The Tigers beat the A’s in the division series

The Boston Red Sox are coming off a 90 loss season, but have rebounded to win the American League East Division and are now in the American League Championship Series.  Led by designated hitter David Ortiz and second baseman Dustin Pedroia, the Sox have attracted a lot of attention this year for the long beards that some of their players have grown.  It is John Farrell’s first year managing for the Sox after a short career in Toronto. The Sox beat the Rays in the division series.

Junior Graeme Fineman, Chicago White Sox fan and pitcher on the Yorktown baseball team feels that the Dodgers are too good for anyone else in the playoffs.

“I think the Dodgers will win it all,” Fineman said, “Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw are too good. The Dodgers also have really good hitters that are tough to beat.”

The Dodgers are the slight favorite over the Cardinals but lost the first two games of the series.

Junior Nathan Brothman, Baltimore Orioles fan and player on the Yorktown baseball team thinks that the Red Sox will win the ALCS, but will not be able to beat the National League champions.

“The Red Sox have shown explosive offense and great pitching. I think they’ll make it to the World Series but [they] will have a tough time there.” Brothman said.

The Red Sox are favored over Detroit but lost game one and only managed one hit.

This year’s playoffs have been  remarkable and they should continue to be thrilling. All of the remaining teams have an equal opportunity to win it all.

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