After a week of Major League Baseball playoffs, fans have already begun to recognize this as a memorable October. The list of surprises is as long as the list of unlikely heroes, and now we take a look at the list of five things we learned from the first round.
(1) No team is unbeatable
Be honest. You had Phillies vs. Yankees in the World Series. Yeah, you did. And if you didn’t, your roommate did, or your brother did, or your dad did. And anyone who didn’t was nervous about picking an upset somewhere along the road. But the first round showed us more than anything that any team is beatable – even on their home turf. Both Detroit and St. Louis handled their respective league’s top teams in Game 5 on the road, despite the world picking against them. Remember, it’s October. Anything can happen.
(2) No pitcher is unbeatable
Roy Holliday, Cliff Lee, Ian Kennedy, David Price, and C.C. Sabathia all lost. And not surprisingly, none of their teams advanced. Those squads instead got unexpected wins from rookies like Matt Moore, Ivan Nova, and Josh Colmenter. In a five game series, it’s nearly impossible to win with no ace in the hole. And beating the other guy’s ace is a surefire way to get a leg up in the series. Looking forward, even some surviving pitchers can be beaten: St. Louis’ Chris Carpenter was knocked out after three innings in his first playoff start, and Texas’s C.J. Wilson was shelled for nine runs on his home turf in Game 1. Perhaps the only pitcher who still seems to hold the unbeatable aura… Big V in Detroit.
(3) The Rainout – Best thing that ever happened to Detroit
The Game 1 rainout in New York appeared to hurt the Tigers after they ended up losing the game by a lopsided score the next night. But looking back, Detroit fans should be thankful for the odd turn of events. Verlander is now available for Game 1 of the ALCS in Texas, and could potentially be available for a 1-4-7 performance. The Cy Young favorite could see action in three games of the ALCS. Only one thing could throw a wrinkle the plan… more rain. And guess what: check Saturday’s forecast in Arlington. Yep.
(4) Home field means very little… to most people
In three of the four series, the home team had a losing record in any given game. Texas and Tampa Bay have met in the ALDS two consecutive years now, and the home team is a collective 1-8 in those games. New York and Philadelphia both lost Game 5’s at home, and in both of those series, the home teams had a losing record. The one exception comes in the Milwaukee/Arizona series, where the home team went 5-0 and in general pretty much just crushed their opponent. Must be a retractable roof thing.
(5) The Central is back
A “Central Division” has existed in baseball for 16 seasons, since the three-division alignment was instituted in 1994. In that time, the AL Central and NL Central have combined for just two World Series titles (2005 White Sox and 2006 Cardinals). After constantly being labeled weak in both leagues, the heartland of America went undefeated in the first round. All four remaining teams sit in the Central Time Zone, which is probably good news for FOX.
