Just announced on FOX during the 8th inning of Game 4.

And it's the most exciting thing I've seen this postseason.

Stay tuned for more, as I've been waiting for this for a year (check the archives to see my obsession).

Okay, so I wasn't too bad with my last predictions.  I got the Rockies right, but was wrong on the number of games it would take.  I got the Red Sox wrong, but was right on the number of games.  So, with an hour to go before game time, I suppose I should make my prediction for the World Series.

It's a tough one.  I hate the Red Sox (for obvious reasons), but they are the better team in every way.  Plus, they have home field advantage.  While the Colorado Rockies have a lot of momentum going their way, they also had an eight-day layoff, and the Red Sox have the momentum coming back from a 3-1 deficit to the Indians.

But with all this, Boston has one fatal flaw going against them.  Rudy Guiliani is rooting for them.

I know, that doesn't sound so bad.  Of course, this proves that Rudy is a huge hypocrite and opportunist.  I mean, how can a true Yankees fan root for the Red Sox in any circumstance?  Can you imagine a Sox fan doing the same thing?  It's impossible.  The only reason Rudy is cheering for a Sox victory is not because he's "an American League guy" like he says.  It's because Colorodo is a solid Republican state he doesn't have to worry about, and the New Hampshire primary is coming up soon, and most of those in New Hampshire happen to be Red Sox fans.  But incredibly brash political moves does not make a fatal flaw for the Red Sox on their own.  No, it takes much more than that.

It's the curse of Rudy Giuliani that will do it.  I brought this to the attention of the three or four people who occasionally read my blog a year ago when the Yankees got bounced in the first round, and nothing this year broke it.  In case you're clicky-impaired, here's the actual text I wrote in 2006:

"Ever since Boston won the World Series in '04 talk has sprung up of a new curse, this one on the Yankees. It doesn't have the vintage of "The Curse of the Bambino." It's only had a few years to age, rather than 86 years, and nobody can pinpoint the grapes from which it was distilled.
Some say it's the curse of A-Rod, others point to Jeter being made Captain, others point to the loss of certain players, especially Paul O'Neill. But, ladies and gents, I have the answer right here. I alone hold the key to the new Yankees curse. Oh, how I wish I had more readers to unveil this to. Perhaps one day when hundreds of you log in daily, you'll find your way back here and see the genius that is Sid. With that, I unveil to you the cause of the newest curse in baseball:

(Rudy Giuliani, above, shoots invisible curse lasers at the Yankees with his eyes) That's right, folks, you read it here first:  Former New York City Mayor is the cause of all the Yankees woes since 2001.

"Say it ain't so, Sid!" you may say. Or, "Sid, you're nothing but a spineless liberal **** who wants the terrorists to win!" Well, please allow me to put down by "Go Terrorists!" sign and the "Bin Laden #1" foam finger and retort. See folks, this has nothing to do with politics. This has to do with happenstance.

I base this claim not on Giuliani himself (though he is completely to blame), but on on network TV. You see, ever since 9/11/01, EVERY ******* GAME at Yankee Stadium in the playoffs you've seen Rudy Giuliani in the stands wearing his Yankees cap. Now, maybe he was there every game before that wearing the same stupid hat, or maybe he's just doing it so people will remember his "heroic deeds" (like sitting through 6 years of Yankees chokes) for the '08 Presidential election. In this lifetime, that's not for me to call. But I DO know that, before 9/11, none of the networks gave a **** where Rudy was. After 9/11, his ugly mug filled my TV screen at least 4-5 times at every Yankees playoff home game. In that span? The Yanks are 3-3 in the ALDS (two of those losses courtesy of the Angels, thank you very much). They're 2-1 in the ALCS, and (gasp) they're 0-2 in the World Series.

As Mayor of New York City, I'm sure Rudy was at all those playoffs from '96 to '00 when the Yanks were unstoppable. But his face (and that damned hat) weren't on my TV screen. ****, only maybe three or four people west of Manhattan would have known who he was, so it's much better to show the crazy drunk guy with no shirt. So therefore, it's not Rudy HIMSELF who's bad luck. It's when they show him on TV that the Yankees are doomed.

So Yanks, it doesn't matter how high your payroll is or how studly your lineup, so long as Fox and ESPN keep showing Rudy in those great seats during the playoffs, you're gonna lose.

You Mets fans should hope he doesn't show up at Shea with a Blue and Orange "NY" hat in the next series..."

And this held true this year.  Because FOX is little more than the information network of the Republican Party, if Rudy shows up at a game, they'll show him on TV.  And, as Rudy is running for president, you bet he'll take every opportunity to get his face out there he can.

You can bet that, with the New Hampshire Primary coming up in a couple months, Rudy will be in Fenway for a game.  And you can bet the camera will show him.

Red Sox fans, you better pray they don't.  If they do, you might as well hand the Rockies the World Series trophy.

Prediction:  Rockies in 6.

Time once again to show how absolutely horrible I am at prognosticating the winners of playoff series.

For the record, in the last round I was 1-3, successfully picking only the Diamondbacks.  Of course, in no series was I even close in guessing the number of games that would be played...

So with that, here are my picks for the League Championship Series:

NLCS: Is anybody even going to watch this?  It's kind of sad that this won't grab any attention outside the Arizona-Colorado markets (other than those who just love baseball), as this will probably be a terrific series.  Both teams are young, full of talent, and running on adrenaline.  Arizona has an edge on pitching, but honestly, how can you pick against the Rockies?  This is a tough one, but going with the incredible September and huge upset over the Phillies, I'm gonna pick the Rockies in 6.

ALCS: Here's one I'm gonna use my heart over my head.  Boston is a juggernaut, and everything has come together for this team this year (which is good, because they ain't getting any younger.)  Except for Kenny Lofton, whose T-206 tobacco card recently outsold Honus Wagner's at auction, is the only old thing about Cleveland.  But youth doesn't work in the Indians' favor this time, as Boston knows what their doing (I still have a black eye from the ALDS).  But the 2007 Indians remind me a lot of the 2002 Angels, so I'm an Indians fan.  Besides, I HATE the Red Sox!  They've smacked the Angels around in the playoffs one too many times.  I'm going with Indians in 7.

There you have my predictions.  Be sure to stop by here and leave a comment during game one of the World Series, when the Diamondbacks play the Red Sox.

"My father used to say that not playing to win is like sleeping withyour sister. Sure she's a great piece of tail with a blouse full of goodies, but it's just... illegal."

-Topper Harley (Charlie Sheen), "Hot Shots"

Looking back on a post I made nearly two weeks ago, I want to kick my own butt.  I was praying and hoping that I was wrong, that I was a paranoid freak fan that worried too much and trusted too little in the brains and abilities of those whose job it is to get the Angels to win.

Unfortunately, I was a prophet.

I was right to be worried in the last week of the regular season.  I was right to doubt Mike Scioscia for his managerial choice of resting players rather than playing for home field advantage.  Mike Scioscia, as it turns out, was no smarter than I.

Wrap your noodle around this one:  After clinching the American League West title on Sunday, September 23 in Anaheim, the Angels went on the road against, well, horrible teams.  They proceeded to get swept in a three-game series in Texas, and lost 2 of 3 in Oakland to end the season.  The club got rest, some rookies got playing time, and the Angels finished two games behind Boston and Cleveland.

Consider this:  If the Angels had won a mere two more games, they'd have had home field advantage in the first round.  Not against Boston.  No, they'd have hosted the Yankees.

And we all saw how well the Yankees played in Cleveland.  Well, not that it matters, I suppose, because the Indians remembered to bring their bats to the ALCS, unlike us.

But nonetheless, by throwing in the towel, by playing to rest and NOT to win, this club was doomed to play two games in Boston to start instead of two in Anaheim.  The Angels had the best home record in baseball.

Would things have been different?  I don't know.  No way to know.

But, seeing how New York played, I would have liked our chances.

Now, it's on to 2008.  I'm pulling for the Indians in the ALCS and, hopefully, the World Series.  But my heart's not in it, as my team gets to pay for not having any hitting to speak of in the playoffs.

Perhaps somebody needs to remind Bill Stoneman that you can win a weak division without any power, but you're only wasting Vlad's at-bats if you go into the playoffs without someone hitting behind him.

Wait 'til next year.

Pray for a miracle.  That's all we can do.  The Red Sox are owning us so far.

Yeah, I just got done with a live blog, but I'm writing a new one because I want the point I made in that entry to be made even clearer.

More than a month ago, I liveblogged  a game against the Mariners where I said this:

"But yeah, K-Rod is a disaster in the making.  Ralph Branca.  Donnie Moore.  Bill Buckner.

Soon enough, mark my words, K-Rod will find his name among those."

So it wasn't as big a game as any of those three blew.  I was still right.

Welcome to the ALDSAngels Live Blog!  Be sure to add me to your MSN Messenger friends list and chat with me while watching the game on TBS today!

ANGELSBLOGGING@HOTMAIL.COM

6:04 PM:  Bottom of the 1st, 0-0:  Boy, it sure seems like there's an exciting game being played right now.  Sure wish I could watch it.  Unfortunately, Joba Chamberlain picked today to show the world that he is human, and blew a 1-0 lead for the Yankees in Game 2 of their half of the ALDS, and the Yankees and Indians are tied up 1-1 in the top of the 11th.

So, I have to follow it pitch-by-pitch on MLB.com.

Congrats, Joba.  You just made the list.

6:10 PM:  Bottom of the 1st, 2 out, 0-0:  OK, update:  I'm an idiot.  Thank goodness my father has a brain on his shoulders and switched over to TNT, or I'd still be watching the lame pitch-by-pitch.

So Escobar is throwing lots of pitches.  Great.  Nothing inspires confidence like base runners.

****.  Lowell walks, loading the bases.  Only two walks this inning.  I suppose I should feel a bit comfortable that J.D. Drew is batting, but I don't.

And there's why.  J.D. Drew drives in two.  Yeah, two walks in the inning, and now we're down 2-0 in the first inning.

Pray that Matsuzaka panics like Escobar is doing.

6:30 PM:  Top of the 2nd, 1 out, 2-0 Boston:  Man on first and third, one out...  At least we're getting base runners tonight!  Mathis up.  I have to hand it to the Angels, they seem to have shown up more offensively tonight than they did Wednesday.

WOOHOO!  Fielder's choice, Kendry Morales scores!  Angels on the board!

Figgins up.  Gotta love Chone Figgins and his blog.  The only thing I don't understand is how "C-H-O-N-E" sounds like "S-E-A-N."

Wait...  YANKEES JUST LOST!  OK, I'm happy for the Indians, but I'm not a huge Yankees hater, so I'm not jumping up and down with glee.  But now, the Yankees are SCREWED.  And poor, poor A-Rod...  0-for-4 with 3 K's.  He's gonna hear it tomorrow.

Orlando Cabrera doubles!  Angels take the lead!  First time I've been happy watching a ballgame since Wednesday!

Yay!

6:46 PM: Top of the 3rd, no outs, 3-2 Angels:  Garrett Anderson's eye must be better today, because he's 2-for-2, just blooped a double into right field.  And now he gets caught at third...  Dammit.  Maybe that eye isn't so great.

Izturis steals second while Kotchman bats.  OK, so that takes away the double play and puts a man back in scoring position.  Casey Kotchman hits it up the middle, out, but Izturis moves to third.  IF it weren't for that steal, that would have been a double play.  Once again proving how the Angels win.

Ah, Morales flies out.  Inning over.

7:06 PM: Top of the 4th, no outs, 3-2 Angels:  Escobar has finally found his footing, getting out of last inning with only a walk to David Ortiz.  It's a shame Lackey couldn't look this good on Wednesday, but then again, it wouldn't have mattered if he channeled Sandy Koufax, he still would have lost.

Kendrick singles to lead off the inning!  Three straight innings the leadoff batter has got on base!

Matsuzaka has thrown over 75 pitches so far.  This is what happens when the Angels play their game.  Ack, Mathis pops out to Varitek.  One out.

Figgins hit it sharp, but Youkilis makes a diving stop to get Figgins.  2 out, Kendrick on 2nd.  So now it's gonna take a hit by Orlando Cabrera to go up by another run.  No such luck, OC grounds out to 2nd.  Middle of the 4th, Angels lead 3-2.

7:16 PM: Bottom of the 4th, 1 out, 3-2 Angels:  I'm not sure who is doing the commentary for tonight's game, but they're not too bad.  Of course, Timmy and Jimmy from South Park would make a better announcing team than Hudler and Physioc.  But one of the announcers just said "If the Angels can hold the lead through the 6th inning, they have Speier, Shields, and K-Rod, and nobody hits them very well."  I had to laugh, as apparently these postseason announcers haven't watched much Angels baseball the second half of the season.  Especiall Shields and Rodriguez.

Two outs.  Coco Crisp singles on a bunt, then steals second.  With two outs, I hope he doesn't care about the runner too much.  Especially with Lugo at the plate.  Sure, you gotta be careful with any hitter, but Manny or Papi he ain't.

Lugo strikes out looking for Escobar's 5th K of the night.  On to the 5th inning!  Let's go Angels!

7:41 PM:  Bottom of the 5th, no outs, 3-2 Angels:  Dice-K didn't last 5.  They pulled him with 2 outs in the top of the inning.  I wouldn't say he pitched badly, just that he didn't look like a $100 million man.

Pedroia gets a lead-off double, bring up Kevin Youkilis.

There's something I just don't like about Youkilis.  Every time I see him, he's whining about some play or call or something.  Thankfully, he's out on a check swing.  Pedroia moves to third, one out.  Intentional walk to Ortiz.  Can't say I blame them; set up the double play.  Not like "Big Papi" is much of a stolen base threat either.

This says a lot about the opinion they have of Manny Ramirez.  It used to be death to walk Ortiz, as Manny would make you pay for it.  ****, it wouldn't surprise me if I jinxed it and he makes them pay for it here.  But with Manny's injuries this year, I suppose they don't see him as much of a threat.  Manny pops up to the right of home plate, and Mathis almost has a play, but a fan gets it.  If that had happened in Anaheim, a million crybabies from "Red Sox Nation" would be shouting "STEVE BARTMAN!" right now.  0-2 to Ramirez.

****, the announcers just jinxed it, I know it.  They said "Escobar has only allowed 11 home runs this year, and Ramirez has only hit one against him."  I hate when they do that.  Nope, they walked him.  Bases loaded.

Lowell drives it into Center Field, sacrifice fly.  Pedroia scores.  Dammit.  Let's go, Escobar!  Scot Shields is up in the bullpen.  Come on, one more out!  Drew is batting.  I jinxed it last time, so I'll keep my mouth shut this time and not mention what a disappointing crybaby J.D. Drew has been his whole career.  Full count.  Now he's fouling them off like he's Kirk Gibson or something.  9 pitch at bat, Drew grounds out to Kotchman at first.

But the Red Sox tie it up.

8:11 PM:  Bottom of the 6th, no outs, 3-3:  Shields in for Escobar, strikes out Jason Varitek for the first out.  This is where I get nervous.  A year ago the bullpen was the strongest part of the Angels team.  Flash forward to the second half of the 2007 season, and it's become ulcer-inducing and tough to watch.

Speaking of which, Shields walks Coco Crisp.  Great, now Crisp is on.  Just what we need, a speedy guy on the bases.  And considering that Shields couldn't get the ball down in that at bat, I'll admit I'm worried.

Darren Oliver warming up in the bullpen.  In 2004, the Angels lost the ALDS in a sweep to the Red Sox because they didn't have a single lefty in the bullpen.  Thank God for Oliver, otherwise they'd have to somehow bring Jarrod Washburn back to pitch to Ortiz in an extra innings situation.  Oh wait, that happened in 2004.  Washburn threw one pitch.  Ortiz put it in the stands.

OK, that was weird...  Lugo pops out to Center Field, Crisp loses the ball, goes back, and he's out at second...  Oh, apparently Crisp passed 2nd base and didn't touch 2nd on his way back to first.  Oh, Terry Francona has to LOVE that.  Mental errors always make a manager happy!  On to the 7th, 3-3 tie.

8:24 PM: top of the 7th, 1 out, 3-3:  Vladimir Guerrero just got hit in the left shoulder, and he is none too happy about it.  Can't say I blame him, this guy has had a target painted on him the last month or so.  It didn't look like it was done purposefully, but it is odd that the only guy racking up HBP numbers for the Angels recently has been their big hitter.  I wouldn't be surprised in Ortiz gets one under the chin next time he's up.

Pitching change.  Guerrero is OK, I probably should have mentioned that.  Hideki Okajima in.  Watching this guy is strange.  I've never seen a pitcher who actually turns his head away as he throws the ball.  He doesn't even look at the target as he releases the pitch.

Garrett Anderson at bat.  That eye still looks bad.  There was an article in the Orange County Register today where Mike Scioscia expressed surprise about Anderson saying his eye was affecting his vision in Game 1.  Apparently, Anderson had told Scioscia that everything was OK.  It goes to show, managers should not trust players when it comes to injuries.  Of course, tonight he's 2-for-2, so any speculation about the first game is moot.  3-2 count to GA.  Flies out to center.  He's now 2-for-3.  2 outs.

Izturis strikes out.  On to the bottom of the 7th, score tied, Ortiz due up.

8:47 PM: Bottom of the 7th, 2 out, 3-3:  So Shields comes in, gets a couple of outs, then delivers back-to-back walks to Ortiz and Ramirez.  Admittedly, Papi had a great at bat, fouling off a few.  But for Manny, Scot Shields couldn't get the ball below the shoulders.  He comes out, has some great at-bats, then some lousy ones.

And people wonder why I'm nervous.

Thankfully, he gets Lowell to pop out to Figgins.  End of the 7th.  Still tied.

9:12 PM: Bottom of the 8th, no outs, 3-3:  Dammit.  We **** near had Papelbon.  Runners on 2nd and 3rd with 2 out, and Figgins at the plate.  Chone struck out looking.  It's not at all likely that we'll have that opportunity again.

Nice part was that they made Papelbon throw a LOT a pitches.  Twenty-five that inning, in fact.  Considering that he'll most probably be back in the 9th (he is the Red Sox closer, of course), the more you tire him, the better your chances.

Speier is in to pitch, and Chone Figgins is in right field for Vladimir Guerrero.  Vladdy was due up 2nd in the 9th, but is now out of the lineup.  Odd.  Now they're saying that Vladdy is out of the game due to a bruise suffered from the HBP he took in the 7th.  Great, just great.  As if we don't have enough offensive problems.

Speier has gotten Drew and Varitek to ground out.  2 outs.  Crisp flies out to Figgins in right.  On to the 9th, 3-3 tie.

9:41 PM: Bottom of the 9th, 2 out, 3-3:  This is just **** nerve wracking.  K-Rod is in now, Julio Lugo is on 2nd, Papi coming up.  They're walking Ortiz, and I can't blame them a bit.  So two out,   two on, Manny Ramirez vs. Francisco Rodriguez.  Come on, Frankie, I don't care how shaky you've been all year.  We remember the 2002 World Series and how dominating you were.  Channel that.  Get them out.

Nevermind.  Manny hits it out.  Red Sox wins.

Anybody remember what I said a while back? 

Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo.

It's funny to think that any game this early in October is a "must win," but that's just the case for the Yankees and Angels today.

It's not so much that the teams lost, it's how they lost.  The Angels were completely shut down by Josh Beckett and the Red Sox on Wednesday.  The Yankees were blown out by the Indians yesterday.  In either of these situations, if they lose Game 2, it'll probably be too big a psychological hurdle to overcome.  The Yankees just need to beat Fausto Carmona tonight (not an easy task).  The Angels need to make a statement that their "small ball" will still be a viable strategy.

As per Wednesday, I'll be liveblogging tonight's Angels vs. Red Sox game.  First pitch is at 5:30 PM PST (8:30 PM EST), and I'll be on MSN Messenger at ANGELSBLOGGING@HOTMAIL.COM.  So be sure to add me and stop by to say hello!

Until game time, cross your fingers, knock on wood, and for God's sake, put on your lucky article of clothing!

Note:  The original title of this post was "YankeesS*u-c*k."  But the oh-so-good MLB profanity filter nailed it, along with any usage of the word "m-o-r-o-n."  I'm glad that MLBlogs finds the current title much more acceptable.

No, that title isn't a gross estimation of my opinion of the New York squad representing the American League.  It's an indictment of their play against the Indians in Game 1 of the ALDS in Cleveland today.

I have to say, it sure is nice to see that the Angels aren't the only ones who decided not to show up for the first game of their series.  The Angels got shut out in their game 1; the Yankees got blown out in theirs.

I suppose it's fitting, given the Yankees opinion of the Wild Card.

With the Yankees losing 12-3, what will be the big story tomorrow?  Will it be Sabathia out-dueling Wang?  Will it be the Yankees held to only 4 hits?  Will it be the Yankees' bullpen unable to get outs?  How about Derek "Yankee Captain" Jeter going 0-for-4?

No, I can pretty much guarantee that the most talked about aspect of this game tomorrow will be A-Rod going hitless tonight.

Notice I said "hitless" for Alex Rodriguez and "0-for-4" for Jeter.  See, A-Rod walked twice, including an intentional free base in the 5th.  So an accurate accounting of his game would be "0-for-2 with 2 BB."  Once again, Jeter, Posada and Matsui will probably get free passes (all three were 0-for-4), and the sporting world (or, rather, the vultures that pass as writers today) will feast on A-Rod's poor performance.  As proof, one of the announcers (not Tony Gwynn) said "It's kinda tough to pin tonight all on A-Rod," showing once again that brains aren't a requirement to call a ball game.

I hope I'm wrong.  I hope his incredible season this year has bought him some respect.

But I won't hold my breath.

The real story tonight should be Kenny Lofton, who went 3-for-4 with 4 RBI's and a stolen base.  Considering that he's been around so long that Ken Burns had old photos of him in the early chapters of his "Baseball" documentary, he's had a **** of a game and is showing these young Indians how to play.

Big day tomorrow.  The Angels play, the Yankees play, and both must win.

 

Welcome to the ALDS Angels Live Blog!  Be sure to add me to your MSN Messenger friends list and chat with me while watching the game on TBS today!

ANGELSBLOGGING@HOTMAIL.COM

October 3rd, 2007 - 3:15 PM: 15 minutes to game time! The Rockies just beat the Phillies in Game 1 of the NLDS.

It's hard to believe the season has gone by so quickly, and here we are in the first day of playoffs!  Combine the excitement of this season with the feeling that, as I get older, every year is only half as long as the one before it, I suppose the 2007 baseball season was just destined to fly by as if it were piloted by Chuck Yeager.

This isn't the match-up I'd have wanted though.  In fact, I'm downright terrified of the Red Sox.  The Angels are probably the only team in baseball who'd rather face the Yankees than anybody else in the playoffs, but I have to remember that all these fears and hopes are based on years past; they mean nothing today.  Yeah, Boston has eliminated the Angels from the playoffs twice.  In 1986, in infamous Dave Henderson home run against Donnie Moore.  In 2004, the Red Sox swept the Angels on their way to a World Series Championship.

But that is all meaningless.  The regular season is meaningless.  The only thing that matters are the next five games.

And we've got just as good a shot as anybody.

3:39 PM: Top of the First, no out, 0-0:  Play ball!  I've just been informed that Figgins (leading off tonight, as usual) ended the year on an 0-22 slump.  But still he batted .330.  I suppose I would have known that if I had actually watched the last few games of the season, rather than suffer through Hudler burnout and a desire not to watch my team phone it in and rest.

WOOHOO!  Figgins leads off with a hit off Dustin Pedroia's glove!  Good start!

3:46 PM:  Middle of the First, 0-0:  Figgins gets on with a single, steals two bases (well, both were hit-and-runs), and Garret Anderson strikes out to end the inning.  Speaking of GA, his eye looks HORRIBLE.  Apparently he has conjunctivitis, and it has nearly swollen his right eye shut.  I have no idea how he can see a pitch clearly with that, but the doctors cleared him to play, so again, what do I know?

3:58 PM:  Bottom of the first, 1-0 Boston:  Dammit.  Lackey Meltdown Inning #1.  A solo home run by Kevin Youkilis.  No biggie, a solo shot won't hurt you.  But then he puts two runners on, and requires a visit from the coaching staff.

Nice.  Pop-up by Lowell.  2 out.  J.D. Drew up.  Ack!  Dad's home, I gotta help him out of the car.

Woohoo!  I come back in, the Angels got out of it!  1-0 Boston.

4:19 PM:  Top of the 3rd, no outs, 1-0 Boston:  Well, it looks like Lackey got his meltdown inning out of the way early (knock on wood), and it wasn't too bad.  He blew through them in the 2nd.  Single to Varitek, double play, single to Lugo, caught stealing.

Now TBS is becoming like ESPN.  They just missed an at-bat because they had to get their commercials in.  1 out, Willits at bat.  If you'd have told me in March that Reggie Willits would have had the year he's had, I'd have called you crazy.  But Willits above anybody else in this lineup has proven how flexible and loaded the Angels are.

You know, I have no idea who is calling this game, but I like 'em.  They're low key, they're not overtly rooting for Boston like McCarver and Buck would be doing, and they're definitely not Hudler and Physioc.  Somebody tell Arte Moreno to hire these guys.

Willits pops out to Manny Ramirez.  Figgins up again.  It was nice to see him lead off with a hit.  That first at-bat can lay the ground work for an entire series.  Don't believe me?  If A-Rod gets a hit in his first at-bat tomorrow, look to see how big the smile on his face is.

Strikeout.  Beckett is on his game so far, I'll give him that.  Middle of the 3rd, 1-0 Boston.  Let's go Big John Lackey!

4:31 PM: Bottom of the 3rd, 1 out, 3-0 Red Sox:  Double to Youkilis, and a shot by David Ortiz that still hasn't landed.  Seven hits Lackey has given up so far.  Dammit.

Now a walk to Manny Ramirez.  You can see it on his face, the frustration.  I've been saying it all year, Arte Moreno needs to hire a good sports psychologist.  This pitching staff can handle the physical side of the game; they're toast on the mental side.  And while Lackey has been mentally tougher this year, allowing many fewer meltdown innings this year, look at Ervin Santana, Scot Shields, and Francisco Rodriguez.

Lowell singles to center, Manny scores.

Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo.

4:56 PM: Top of the 5th, no outs, 4-0 Red Sox:  It appears that even innings are GOOD for Lackey, odd innings BAD.  Lackey blew through the Sox in the bottom of the fourth.

Of course, Beckett has blown through the Angels in every inning.

Izturis pops up, but had a **** of an at-bat, going into a full count.  More Angels need to be doing that.

HEY!  Jose Mota got a job for the playoffs!  He just did some commentary from the field level.  If I have to see a familiar face from the Angels broadcasting team, at least it was Mota.  If Hudler had shown up, I may have puked.

Kotchman strikes out.  5 K's, 14 consecutive batters retired by Beckett.  Yeah, he owns us tonight.

Let's change that.  GO ANGELS!  Ah, Kendrick grounds out.  15 straight.

****, it's an odd inning.  Cross your fingers, pray for John Lackey.

5:28 PM: Top of the 7th, 1 out, 4-0 Boston:  19 straight outs for Beckett.  The guy OWNS us tonight.  The heart of the order is batting this inning, with Vlad up right now.  He's 0-for-2 tonight.  ****, everybody except Figgins is 0-for.

Hey!  Vladimir Guerrero gets a hit!  OK guys, time to start a rally here!

Just please don't break out a monkey in the dugout...

Now Garret Anderson pops up.  I'd like to blame his eye, but if that's the case, then everybody seems to have an eye infection tonight.  Two outs.

And Izturis grounds out.  Josh Beckett is unbeatable.

5:38 PM: Bottom of the 7th, 1 out, 4-0 Boston:  Ervin Santana is in the game, Lackey is out.  Seems weird to see Ervin in there in relief.  And it's not at all comforting.  Last year, it would have been great.  But unfortunately, Santana is the strongest indicator of the mental fragility of the Angels pitching staff this year.  Though he looks pretty decent right now...  Two strikeouts, a pop fly foul caught by Izturis, and the inning is over.  Good job, Ervin.

6:10 PM: Final Score:  4-0 Boston:  OK, Lackey wasn't horrible.  Sure, he had his problems, but he hung in there and pitched a decent game.  Not great, but acceptable.

I sure with the bats had shown up.

Garret Anderson looked silly at the plate tonight.  I don't care what he says, having his right eye (the lead eye for a left-handed batter) swelled shut like that had to affect him, and it showed.  But he wasn't alone.  The entire lineup might as well have dragged along seeing-eye dogs to Fenway as effective as they were.

OK, so we're down 1-0.  It's not the end of the world.  But the offense has to show up Friday, and they have to pound Matsuzaka early and often.

If not, it'll be a sad day in Anaheim on Sunday.

God I hate the Red Sox.

In just a few minutes, the first pitch of the 2007 playoffs will be thrown.  In roughly 3 hours 38 minutes, the Boston Red Sox will host the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in Game 1 of the ALDS on TBS!

And, I will be liveblogging it.

Join me here and on MSN Messenger as you watch the game!  Just load up the front page of this blog, refreshing it occaisionally as I update the post.  Sign into your MSN Messenger and add my as a friend so you can chat with me, ask questions, rag on me for being an Angels fan, whatever you want!  My MSN screenname is:

ANGELSBLOGGING@HOTMAIL.COM

Here's a few examples of my previous liveblogging efforts:

8/28/07 vs. Mariners

8/21/07 vs. Yankees

I'll see you here at 3:30 PM PST (6:30 PM EST)!

The playoffs are about to begin, and in an effort to make the players seem more accessible to the fans, MLBlogs has given accounts to a few of them, including our own Chone Figgins!

It would have been nice had they given him this blog in April, as following along with Figgins while through his breakthrough season would have been a fascinating read.  But I'll take what I can!

So, be sure to stop by to give him a read and a comment or two!  Be sure to notice who made the first comment in his first post!

Is it really October already?  Has the 2007 regular season come and gone, or was what we witnessed just a dream, an opium hallucination of baseball euphoria?  While it may have been a pleasant trip into the ether or a nightmare spawned from the Prince of Darkness himself, depending on which team you root for, the baseball fan in you has to admit that this may have been the greatest regular season ever played.

And tomorrow, we head into the playoffs, where none of what happened between April and September matters.  Where anybody can be a hero or a goat, where the work of 162 games pays off or dries up, where you go home happy or you just go home.

2007 Postseason Schedule

With that, it's time to make some picks, which I'm notoriously bad at.

Chicago and Arizona: Coming from the National League "Comedy Central," the Cubs didn't have to be great to get here.  Sure, their offense has been spectacular these last few months, but it's going to have to be better to get through Brandon Webb and the Diamondbacks.  Only thing working against Arizona is the youth; if they fold under the pressure of the playoffs, Chicago will roll over them.  Prediction:  Arizona in 4

New York and Cleveland: I don't see why this one is such a toss-up.  The Yankees have been the hottest team in baseball since June, and while the Indians are a really good team, they just can't out-muscle the Yanks.  Provided the pitching doesn't implode or the starting rotation in particular succumb to the early stages of Alzheimer's, the Yankees should make quick work of the Indians.  Prediction:  New York in 3  What I'd like to see:  The Yankees sweep Cleveland, with A-Rod going 15-for-15 with 15 home runs.  Then the Yankees facing the Angels in the ALCS, where they get swept, but A-Rod goes 20-for-20 with 20 home runs.  Then he opts out, and gives the finger to those who booed him in the Bronx last year.

Philadelphia and Colorado:  Get a coin.  Flip it.  Heads, the Rockies win in 5.  Tails, the Phillies win in 5.  That's the best you can do to predict this one.  Both teams are running on adrenaline as well as talent, and both have earned their place in October because of outstanding Septembers.  Trying to predict a series that is fueled 90% by emotion is futile.  Might as well try to predict the winner of every NCAA football rivalry this year.  Yeah, I'd have taken USC over UCLA last year, too.  Result of Coin Flip:  Phillies in 5

Anaheim and Boston:  Yes, I said Anaheim.  Get over it.  No, I don't have a problem with "Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim."  If Arte Moreno wants to call them the "Tokyo Angels of London by way of direct flight from Beijing with a stopover in Moscow" that's his choice, so long as it helps sell merchandise and brings more money into the club and puts a better team on the field.  Yeah, I'm stalling.  I really don't want to make this pick.  Boston is the better team, no doubt.  But since when does that matter?  Boston is also tired, having had to push their way through September, while the Angels have coasted through the last few weeks of the season, resting up.  But everybody else sais "Boston in 4," and I want to be one of the cool kids, too!  Prediction:  Angels in 4.  There, I said it.  Get over yourself, Red Sox Nation.  Your team is not the greatest thing to ever happen to America.  In fact, lose that Red Sox Nation ****.  You stole it from the Raiders, and their fans will snap your necks and eat your children.

OK, folks, here it is, my pathetic attempt at prognostication of the MLB postseason.  Be sure to stop by here next week to laugh at me.

If any of these half-wit talking heads on ESPN or FSN or wherever you get your sports news ever again imply that games in September are in some way more important than those in other months, feel free to go all Elvis and shoot your television.

Had the Mets or Padres one a single game more than they did, the playoff situation would be very different.  One more game, the Padres wouldn't be heading home dejected right now.  One more game, and the Phillies and Mets would have played today instead of fate sealing the Mets' choke yesterday.

But with that said, with such an exciting season behind us and two teams tied at for the NL Wildcard after playing 162 games, how fitting is it that the one-game playoff between the Padres and Rockies was the most tense, exciting game of the season?

This last week has seemed almost like the playoffs themselves.  The National League had seven teams fighting for playoff spots, none of them decided before Friday.

If the regular season ends like this, what will our playoffs be like?

I planned on writing an entry last night, but that post would have been an "End of the Season" post, and since the Padres and Rockies are all tied up after 162 games and have to play a 163rd tonight, I have to wait.  After all, doesn't the season have to be over in order to do a review of it?

Instead, this post is the internet equivalent of putting a single candle into a Hostess Twinkie, lighting it, and singing "Happy Birthday" to yourself alone in a darkened room, as one year ago today I started this blog.  The complete text follows:

Every New Beginning Comes From Some Other Beginning's End

Posted 10/01/06 at 10:25 PM

As the day comes to a close, so closes another season of Major League Baseball. Tuesday will start another round of playoffs, culminating in a World Series that will guarantee the 6th different World Series Champion this millennium, as none of the teams in this year's playoffs has won a title since 2000.

In other words, my team and the reason for writing this blog, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, will not be playing anymore baseball this season.

The lights at Angel Stadium have dimmed, and while baseball continues in other parks around the country, we will see no more MLB in Orange County this year. We finished in 2nd place in the American League West, giving us our third straight winning season (a franchise record.) While some fans may be disappointed, considering that I never expected to see a World Championship come to Anaheim, I'm happy we hung in there as long as we did. For most of the time I've been an Angels fan, the team has been a second rate club, one with no expectations of victory from its small legion of fans. With the 2002 season still fresh in my memory, I still have a feeling of victory and vindication of my devotion to my team I never expected to have.

Yankees fans consider it a disappointing season when they don't at least make it to the Fall Classic. I consider it a gift when we make it to the playoffs.

With that, the 2006 Angels season was a success, and I can't be disappointed in them for coming in second to the Oakland A's.

So, we Angels fans will have to watch the playoffs for the first time in three years without our team. We'll be OK. We'll find other teams to cheer for, and more to root against. We have owner Arte Moreno's promise that money will be spent on free agents in the off season to strengthen our team. Soriano, Tejada, Manny Ramirez, Barry Zito, many big names are floating out there as wanting to be a part of the Halos next season. And we'll have to wait a few months to find out which of these (if any) will be wearing our red cap while playing in the Big A next season.

-Mission Statement-

With that, there are a few things I want to make clear about this blog.

I've spent the last month or so checking out other baseball blogs, particularly those at mlblogs.com

This will be a fan's blog of the 2007 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim season, from today (the end of the Angels 2006 season) until October (or early November if we make a World Series run!), the end of next season. And by "fan's blog," I mean one that encompasses MY feelings and experiences through the season.

There are plenty of blogs out there that deal with the author's favorite team, and some that follow news and rumors about those teams with the quality of a local sports page. But I don't want to just repost news and events that you can find in a million links through Google or Yahoo. I want this to be about me, as selfish and narcissistic as that sounds. As you read this (and I'm sure not many will, at least until the 2007 season officially starts), I want you to learn about me as a person and fan with my Angels as a backdrop.

I don't want the reader to feel the sterile aura of the press box as they read this. I want you to feel as though you're sitting next to me in the cheap seats, or in front of my TV, or in the passenger seat of my car listening to the game on the radio with me. Or missing the game entirely as something else happens in my life.

It's an experiment, and I hope it turns out well. And I hope you enjoy reading it, as that will make it enjoyable for me to write.

So comment as much as you wish, leave feedback, agree with me or disagree as you will. And get ready, as we have playoffs starting in less than 36 hours and Spring Training is less than 5 months away! in anticipation of starting this. There are some great baseball blogs out there (none really for the Angels, though), but every one I've seen has missed the point I'm trying to make with this one.