Playoff Edition!
Mark (Bangor, PA): Morning Joe, how do you think the NY / Cle series will play out? Tribe has a lot of starting pitching and setup men with a question mark at closer. Yankees starters not quite as good, some question marks getting to Joba and Rivera and a lot of power. Best pitching wins?
Joe Morgan: Everything depends on whether Sabathia and Carmona can continue to pitch as well as they have pitched. They have to control the New York offense, which is difficult to do. But both of them are well equipped to hold a New York offense down. From the Cleveland side, they'll have to find a way to score runs off of Wang. He's the key. How you start is always the key to a five-game series. Everything depends on Sabathia and Carmona. Otherwise, the Yankees could easily win the series.
KT: Joe's Keys to the ALDS:
1. Cleveland's top two pitchers have to stop the Yankee offense
2. The Cleveland offense has to score runs off of New York's pitchers
3. The starting pitching
4. Cleveland's top two pitchers have to pitch well.
Dave (Eau Claire, WI): Hey Mr. Morgan, What do you think of the Cubbies chance at the series this year with the Mets and Padres making their exits before October begins?
Joe Morgan: Anyone that's in the playoffs now, can win the World Series. We saw that last year with the Cardinals. They looked like the worst team going into the playoffs but emerged as the world champions. Anyone has a chance. I would rate them as Boston and New York as having the best chances. Cleveland, Philadelphia, the Angels, the Cubs, Rockies. Again, any one of those teams can win.
KT: Joe's Fearless World Series Champion Predictions:
1. Anyone
2. Red Sox, or Yankees
3. Cleveland, Philadelphia, Angels, Cubs, Rockies
4. (Apparently not the Diamondbacks)
Jonny: (Los Angeles, CA): Joe, How do you think A-Rod will do in the upcoming series? Will he be Good-Rod or Choke-Rod?
KT: Neither "Good-Rod" nor "Choke-Rod" is a good nickname, for the record. Neither rhymes with "ARod," and neither is a pun, and neither is accurate.
Joe Morgan: He is definitely under more pressure than any of the other hitters, because of his past performances. But he is swinging the bat so well that he should continue to swing the bat well. Now they may not pitch to him in certain situation, which will skew his numbers. But anything can happen. This is a different A-Rod this year than we've seen in the past.
Nope. Same guy. Same "best hitter in the AL" guy. No difference. Always been this good. Nothing to see here.
Paddy (St. Louis, MO): Hi Joe, How do you feel about the abscence of fielding drills, especially outfield in the major leagues on a daily basis? Do you think baseball fundamentals aren't stressed enough in the majors?
Joe Morgan: Not only outfielders, but infielders taking drills. All of these things have effected things in the game. [...] The team that executes the best in the playoffs will probably win. We definitely saw that last year with Detroit's inability to field bunts and make plays.
KT: Joe's Keys to Winning in the Playoffs:
1. Execute
Johnny (Denver, CO): What's up Joe, Do you think Matt Holliday will win MVP or will it go to Jimmy Rollins?
Joe Morgan: Jimmy Rollins. I think he was the catalyst all year. He kept them afloat at the beginning when Howard was injured. They lost Utley for a while and they continued to win. I think Rollins was the catalyst. But there is always more than one candidate that is capable of winning the MVP. Fielder, Holliday, even Ryan Howard. David Wright had an excellent season as well.
Matt Holliday, Home: .376/.435/.722/1.157.
Matt Holliday, Away: .301/.374/.485/.859
I love the guy, and I love the Rockies' story, and I love the fact that he is fully bald at age 27. But at home (in a stadium that's in the top five most hitter-friendly category for H, 2B, 3B, HR, and R) he's Babe Ruth, and on the road he's the 39 year-old version of Frank Thomas.
Wright leads Rollins in EqA, .336 to .296, and in WARP 13.2 to 11.7. Rollins probably gets it, and you can make an argument for it, but he's not even the best SS in his own division, and he had a .344 OBP. Wright would be my choice, I think, then Rollins, then Holliday. I feel like Rollins' 20-20-20-20 thing is going to sway people.
Peter , Lawrenceville GA: Mr, Morgan in your opinion what two teams will clash in the AL for the title? and why?
Joe Morgan: That's a very difficult question. No matter what we think we still have to play the game. There could be an error or mistake that changes entire situation. Every team going in has a lot of ''ifs.'' Cleveland can win if Carmona and Sabathia pitch well. Boston can win if Manny swings the bat like he can. Anaheim can win if Guerrero is healthy. New York can win if Wang pitches well. I think the Indians and Yankees are a toss up. If Vlady's not healthy then I give the edge there to Boston. We'll just have to see who comes through.
KT: Joe's Fearless AL Champion Predictions:
1. Well, hang on -- that's a difficult question
2. And you understand -- whoever I predict for the Championship, that is not binding. They have to go ahead and play the contests, the actual baseball "games." You understand that, right?
3. I would also like to point out that within those games, the favorite doesn't always win. That's a common misconception about sports, that the team that is "favored" always wins. On the contrary -- there could be an error or mistake that changes entire situation!
4. Now. All that being said, here is my prediction for AL Champ:
5. Cleveland, Boston, Anaheim, or New York.
Matthew (Chicago): And the World Series Teams are? And the winner is?
Joe Morgan: I don't have any predictions, because there are too many variables. There aren't many great teams out there. Every team has a weakness. We'll see which team's strengths show up.
Joe's Fearless 2007 MLB Champion Predictions
1. ????
Joe Morgan: I don't think there is anyone that can look at these playoffs and say definitively who will win the championship. Someone has to win 11 games and that's not easy to do.
Joe's Internal Dictionary Definition of "Analyst":
Analyst. (n.)
1. A person who dabbles in a subject and gets to talk about it on television, but under no circumstances makes predictions about future outcomes. The analyst correctly refused to predict the outcome of the sporting contest, because that is not his job.
2. An awesome guy; just a kick-ass, handsome devil. That analyst has an excellent moustache.
3. A person who already knows a lot about something, so he doesn't have to read new things; someone who pretty much "did it" many years ago, and so don't you start telling him "new" things. You think you know more than the analyst? I'll destroy you, dick!
Joe Morgan: I think the playoffs are going to be like the season - very unpredictable. Fun, but enjoyable to watch.
Joe's Internal Dictionary Definition for "Fun":
Fun. (adverb or something).
1. The opposite of "enjoyable to watch." The baseball game was fun, but enjoyable to watch.
