Chapter 69.2: Rox & Sox

We're all set, now. The Boston Red Sox vs. the Colorado Rockies in the 2007 World Series. Depending on how well the Rockies are able to maintain the momentum they had in sweeping through the first two rounds of the playoffs, this could be a memorable series.

After seeing how the Red Sox came back against a very good Indians team, I find it hard to believe the upstart Rockies will be able to overcome them. But anything can happen in a short series. My prediction: Red Sox win, 4 games to 2.

Chapter 69: Rocking Good Time

The Rockies win the pennant! The Rockies win the pennant. The Rockies win the ...

No, it just doesn't have the same ring to it that other teams might have created, though, to be honest, neither does "Congratulations to the National League Champion Diamondbacks," though we've heard that and more in the past.

But, as a National League fan, I do wish former Met Clint Hurdle and his team well in the World Series, whether they play the Indians or the Red Sox -- both of which will give them a run for their money. I'm surprised that Arizona wasn't able to break the Rockies winning streak, and I'd be more surprised if they can sweep their eventual World Series opponent. But stranger things have happened.

For now, the Rockies have to withstand nine days of dormancy. Let's see what kind of club they have when they finally take part in their first ever World Series.

Chapter 68.7: This Championship Season

A quick note before bed: Though the Rockies have taken the first game of their series with the Diamondbacks, I'll make my predictions about the NLCS and the ALCS.

Red Sox vs. Indians: Red Sox in 7 games -- tough series and it could be one for the ages. This may be the start of a long-term rivalry, especially if the Yankees start to disintegrate.

Diamondbacks vs. Rockies: Rockies in 6 -- this is also a tough series to predict, and I didn't expect the Rockies to defeat Brandon Webb. But I don't think they can continue to win with the regularity they've displayed, no matter how impressive it is.

Chapter 68.6: Philly Phlop!

Yes, the Mets could have done just as bad as this -- perhaps even worse. In fact, the way they ended the year, they did perform even worse. But I didn't expect the Rockies to sweep the Phillies. And with the Diamondbacks doing the same to the Cubs (any team can have a bad century!), we are facing baseball's first All-Mountain Time Zone championship series.

The Red Sox have just a couple outs to go before their sweep. And, God willing, we'll have a clean sweep after tonight.

Funny, I thought I wouldn't really enjoy this post-season.

Chapter 68: Playoff Predictions

Not much time this morning, so I'll be quick:

Red Sox vs. Angels: From what I've read, the Angels have lost their center fielder, Gary Matthews, for the playoffs as well as Bartolo Colon -- who really wasn't much of a factor this year, so I don't think that's too significant. More important are the question marks about Vladimir Guererro. If he's out or not up to snuff, the Angels are done already. The Red Sox have too much talent to lose in the short series. My prediction: Red Sox in 4.

Indians vs. Yankees: I hate to say it, but I think the Yankees will advance to the ALCS. They've dominated the Indians this year (6-0) and in the short series, they have a distinct advantage. But the Indians have a strong 1-2 punch, so the Yankee hater in me has hope. I think this will be a hard-fought series, but if the Indians can't win with Cy Young candidate C.C. Sabathia, they've got little hope. My prediction: Yankees in 5.

Rockies vs. Phillies: This could be the most exciting series of the early round. The Rockies went 14-1 over the last few weeks of the season and won an exciting playoff game against the Padres to qualify for their second-ever post-season berth. While the Phils' pitching is decidedly mediocre, they've been doing well lately. I think some folks will be surprised to see more scoring in Philadelphia's stadium than in Coors Field, which may actually give the Rockies a slight advantage. I'd love to be wishy-washy and call this a pick 'em series, but I'll go out on a limb. My prediction: Rockies in 5.

Diamondbacks vs. Cubs: I'd love to see the Cubs advance, and they very well might. But this team had the worst record of all post-season qualifiers. While the Diamondbacks scored relatively few runs (less than they allowed -- not a good sign, especially when you have a stud like reigning Cy Young Award winner Brandon Webb), their pitching staff includes battle-tested Livan Hernandez. Again, this is a tough series to gauge. My prediction: Cubs in 5.

Chapter 67.4: Rockies Mountain High, Humidor Style

Congratulations to the Colorado Rockies. Note to the Mets: the Rockies made the post-season because of pitching, particularly their bullpen. The amazing thing is that for years no one thought a team in Denver could win because of the thin air and necessarily spacious ballpark. But once they started tossing the balls in the humidor and built a team that believed it could win, it was able to meet its goals. They've still got a lot to prove, but they're already more interesting to watch than a bunch of guys cleaning out their lockers.