Glorious, Glorious Baseball

Mercifully, the Reds season is over. The baseball offseason is my own personal desert, as football doesn't do it for me. Now that 2008 is over for the Cincinnati club, we can really start looking to 2009. I mean, we've been looking to 2009 ever since we realized 2008 was gonna suck, but still, 2009 is suddenly feeling much closer.

I always go into the new baseball season with optimism. 2009 will be no exception. With a rotation that includes Harang, Arroyo, Volquez, & Cueto, with a bullpen that includes Cordero, Bray & Burton, with a lineup that includes full seasons of Bruce, Votto, & hopefully a big RH bat (I have wet dreams about Holliday, but Ordonez or Ibanez would be good fits a good fit as well), I will feel justified in my optimism.

[Correction: Ibanez bats left. A big bat, yes, but not a big RH bat.]

Of course, there's reason to be skeptical going into 2009, as well. Dusty beat the crap out of Volquez and Cueto this year. He rode them too hard, especially considering that this team was nowhere near the playoff chase. The lineup has bright spots, but there are big holes, as well. Will Encarnacion ever have that breakout season he seems ready to have? Who's going to be a corner outfield bat? There are more, but I'm sure I'll write about it in January and February, so I'll stop. For now.

(As if anyone cared, this was my worst fantasy baseball season ever. I blame it on the fact that I wasn't able to spend much time on it this year. There's a reason it's called "fantasy", and this year, reality meant less fake baseball time than usual. Steve Carr, we might have a spot open in the league if you want in. There were a couple guys who didn't check in as frequently as we like.)

Thankfully, October baseball is almost here, and it rarely disappoints. The field looks absolutely wide open to me, which is exciting for someone who has no strong rooting interest. No Yankees for me to root against, just a bunch of teams that I'll enjoy rooting for. Even though I royally suck at predicting the playoffs (yeah), I'll take a guess. Then I'll try again by flipping a coin, and we'll see which method is more accurate:

My Predictions, Based Upon My Baseball Knowledge and My Gut
(ALDS)
Tampa over Minnesota/Chicago
Boston over Los Angeles
(ALCS)
Tampa over Boston
(NLDS)
Milwaukee over Philadelphia
Chicago over Los Angeles
(NLCS)
Chicago over Milwaukee
(World Series)
Chicago over Tampa. I think this is the year of the Cubbies, although I could make a case for just about anybody.

My Predictions, Based Upon the 1995 Penny On My Desk
(ALDS)
Tampa over Minnesota/Chicago
Los Angeles over Boston
(ALCS)
Los Angeles over Tampa
(NLDS)
Philadelphia over Milwaukee
Chicago over Los Angeles
(NLCS)
Philadelphia over Chicago
(World Series)
Los Angeles over Philadelphia. The coin likes the Angels.

If you're putting money on any of these games, I'd suggest going with the penny. Just one of the multiple reasons I don't gamble. There's only one October! It's fannnnnnnnntastic!