We’ve made it to baseball’s final dance. Congrats.
I love the World Series, I truly do. I guess I am supposed to; I’ve covered a bunch and am a baseball writer for a living — when I’m not doling out fake drinks in this dusty dive.
But there is something special in the fall about two teams left standing from summer’s game.
I’m intrigued by this matchup, the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Dodgers, which begins Tuesday night in Chavez Ravine.
Clayton Kershaw versus Dallas Keuchel, two lefties with four combined Cy Young Awards kicks this one off at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday.
The Dodgers haven’t won it all since Kirk Gibson limped around the bases in 1988 and the Astros have never won an October Class game in their existence – getting there once, in 2005 as a National League squad, and getting swept by the Chicago White Sox.
There’s plenty of intrigue here: Will the team with the highest payroll (Dodgers) win it all or the will it be the one that was 18th in payroll to start the season? Will the kings of the analytics (Astros), an organization that canned most of its scouts in 2017, prove that nerds rule?
And then there’s the heartstring storyline: The City of Houston on the cusp of triumph shortly after Hurricane Harvey caused so much turmoil.
I’m a sucker for the good story. So, I’m taking the Astros. And I’ll say they win in seven games – no one wants a sweep, right? I’ll also take George Springer (picking Jose Altuve is too easy) as the World Series MVP. Just a hunch.
I’m amending my original World Series pick from April – Indians over Nationals – that I stuck with when we made our predictions in the Tap Room at the beginning of the postseason.
Only three of you are still alive in those: Bancells’ Stache had the Astros winning over the Cubs – so you’d get partial credit. TxBirdFan had the Astros in five, but didn’t pick a NL team, so, again, partial credit and half a drink chip if you end up nailing this.
And then there is mqm, who sneaked in a one-line prediction: “Astros over Dodgers in 6.” That would be minimalist genius at its supreme.
And, speaking of geniuses, I sure hope the Dodgers don’t beat the Astros in six games. Because that’s what our podcast host extraordinaire, Adam Pohl, predicted on April 5, Opening Day, in our staff picks. Pohl will never let us live it down if he hits it on the nose.
To be fair, three of our five staffers envisioned a Dodgers’ World Series title way back in April. Dean Jones Jr., had them beating the Red Sox in seven games and Paul Folkemer had the Indians losing to the Dodgers in six games.
Me? Not so much.
So, how about you? Want a mulligan? You got it (all but mqm; he/she has to live with that awesome call from the beginning of the month). We aim to please at the Tap Room.
Give me your revamped World Series predictions today. Winner, how many games and throw in a World Series MVP just for fun.
Tap-In Question: Who’s your World Series champ, in how many games and who’s the Series MVP?
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Houston in 6. Verlander MVP.
I considered Verlander. No one seems better right now -- tho Kershaw might have something to say about that.
Dodgers in 5. Kirk Gibson MVP.
Go 'Stros!!
(What can I say .. it rhymes with O's)
You are confusing us.
Astro's in six, Correa ... MVP
I do think that the World Series oftentimes is a showcase for an up-and-coming star. Correa fits that bill.
Yankees in 5. Judge and Severino are co-MVPs. Oh, wait...
Um, sorry MLB, but the Yankees will have to wait another year to give it a go. As for who will win this year, my heart is with the Astros but my gut says the Dodgers in 6 and Kershaw proves himself to be as great a post-season pitcher as he is a regular season pitcher, tossing two masterful games and allowing only 3 earned runs over 15+ innings. I expect this series to be all about the pitching. The Dodgers have a better bullpen, and unless Astros starters go deep into games they'll be exposed in late innings.
Drink chip. Good observation. Dodgers win a battle of the bullpens. And these postseason games often become that.
Astros in 6. Both of these offenses are just too good to pick a pitcher, even considering the marquee names taking the hill. Altuve is the clear-cut front-runner but I love me a dark horse; gimme George Springer.
Piggybacking on Big Daddy's comment, it astounds me how many of the national media, and even fans in chat-rooms, have been mourning the loss of a Dodgers-Yankees series and how "good for baseball" it would have been. Seriously? That's like going out for dinner on a Friday night, and the only two places open are McDonalds and Burger King. One of the biggest detriments to baseball the past few decades has been the fact that small market teams can't compete with the big-money, so having the equivalent of Warren Buffett and Bill Gates in the Series is good for the game? Most confounding is the way the Houston story has been ignored. The region was completely annihilated by a Hurricane barely a month ago, many of it's people are still without a home, but hardly a drop of ink has been spilled. Contrast this with the way the New Orleans Saints Super Bowl appearance was trumpeted as glorious moment of municipal resurrection, a whopping FIVE YEARS after Katrina. This story should be the lead on every sports network in the country, and we're talking how sad it is that we won't see Aaron Judge's wonderful smile until March.
I'm with ya Stache. But, trust me, by the time Game 3 is over with "Hurricane Harvey" will have become a drinking game. If I know one thing it's media beating something to death when it's an easy connection.
Dodgers in 6 with Kershaw MVP.
Solid.
Dodgers in six with Kershaw and Jansen as co-MVP. It's all about the matchups and the Astros can be beaten by good pitching.
Co-MVPs? I like the out-of-the-box thinking.
Just as long as it is just about anyone other than NYY and Boston. I was hoping for the Indians to finally win their first since 1948 but that did not happen. I do not know who will win, but I hope it goes 7 games and all are very close. With all that I guess I will pick the Dodgers who I believe has the better bullpen, 7 games and go with their closer Jansen as the MVP.
I'm with ya as far as all the games being close. I want a good one
Who will win? Since the Walgreens and the Great Satan have been eliminated, the answer is Humanity.
MVP: Bellinger.
Dodgers in 7.
On an unrelated note, MASN Walgreens talking head Ray Knight arrested on assault charges. Stay classy.
Humanity. Gotta admit I chuckled.
I have to agree with creatively 19
Houston in 6, Verlander.
Just look at Justin, this is his Bob Gibson time!
Wow. Not sure it will ever be anyone's Bob Gibson time. One guy I wished I could have seen pitch live.
Dodgers in 7 games. Their experience pays off. MVP Is Clayton Kershaw. Rooting for Houston though. They deserve it. 55 years and no WS championship.
Fair assessment/sentiment.
Dodgers in 6, with Correa getting the MVP. I’m going for a full drink chip.
Hell yeah. I might give ya 2 if you hit both ends of that right. That's a real call.