October 18, 2023: The LCSs

posted in: Cubs, White Sox | 0

Still watching baseball? I am. I think the LCSs have been pretty good thus far. The Astros and Rangers in the battle of Texas, and the Phillies and Dbacks, which sort of feels like a David and Goliath story. Let’s check in with both of these series.

In the ALCS, the Astros got on the board Wednesday night with a win in Texas; the Rangers had won both games in Houston. I have my money on the Rangers; I placed a series bet before it started. That’s taking nothing away from the Astros. The run they’ve been on… damn. 7 straight ALCS appearances?!?! That’s impressive, any way you cut it. You want to bring up the cheating? That’s fine. What about the last few years? They are a great team; there’s no way around it. Dusty was finally able to get his World Series last year, which I was happy about. Now, I’m done with them though. Honestly, I think they have reached the end of the road too, and that’s more about their opponent than anything else. The Rangers were the team that lead that division most of the year, let’s not forget. Although their pitching staff has been plagued by injuries, they’ve managed through them, both to make the postseason, and to win the first 7 games of the playoffs. I think “managed” is the key word. Bruce Bochy… he gets them ready to go, doesn’t he? Sure, you need the talent on the field, and yes, the Rangers have that, but Bruce has been around these parts before too. He has 3 World Series rings on his fingers from his days in San Francisco; he’s an awesome, awesome manager… maybe somebody both Chicago teams should have looked at? Although the Astros have taken a game back, although they have the postseason experience, championship pedigree, I still do think Texas comes out victorious. More to come…

In the NLCS, the Phillies are looking unstoppable right now. All of their big boppers are hitting dingers, which is fun to see, and at the same time, a little upsetting. Schwarber… hitting dingers on the big stage… no longer in a Cubs uniform. Castellanos… having an outstanding postseason… somebody we had on our team, but decided NOT to sign him long term. Harper… having an MVP type postseason… somebody we could have signed, somebody who wanted to play here if naming his dog Wrigley was any indication. Turner… the SS we decided NOT to sign… nothing against Dansby, but… It’s more than just the hitting though. Their pitching has been lights out. Wheeler, Nola, and yes, even Ranger Suarez have been really, really good. I think they’ll be too much for the Dbacks, who definitely were a surprise this year. They’re young scrappy and hungry, but they may have to wait a year or two.

I’m predicting a Rangers Phillies World Series, and if that does happen, I’ll be torn. I would have to lean Phillies, but man… this Rangers team has been damn good too. If this series were to happen, I’d definitely look forward to watching it. Until the Cubs are back again… Go Baseball!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *