April 4, 2004

Predictions, Part 5. ESPN's staff picks are here. The relevant parts:
                World Series           AL East    Wild Card

Jayson Stark Red Sox over Cubs Red Sox Yankees
Peter Gammons Cubs over Red Sox Yankees Red Sox
Rob Neyer A's over Phillies Yankees Red Sox
Buster Olney Cubs over Angels Yankees Red Sox
Tim Kurkjian Red Sox over Phillies Red Sox Yankees
Jerry Crasnick Red Sox over Phillies Red Sox Yankees
Jim Caple A's over Astros Blue Jays Angels
John Kruk Angels over Phillies Yankees Red Sox
Tony Gwynn Red Sox over Cubs Red Sox Yankees
Rob Dibble Angels over Cubs Yankees Red Sox
Scott Ridge Cubs over Red Sox Red Sox Yankees
Matt Szefc Yankees over Cubs Yankees Red Sox
Eric Karabell Yankees over Astros Yankees Red Sox
Bob Klapisch Yankees over Astros Yankees Red Sox
Phil Rogers Yankees over Cubs Red Sox Yankees
Alan Schwarz Red Sox over Astros Red Sox Yankees
John Sickels Red Sox over Cubs Red Sox Yankees
Total:
AL East: Red Sox 8, Yankees 8, Blue Jays 1
AL Wild Card: Red Sox 8, Yankees 8, Angels 1
World Series: Red Sox 6, Yankees 4, Cubs 3, A's 2, Angels 2

[By the way, what's up with Caple's picks?]

Jayson Stark asks: Can we even comprehend what life might be like if the Red Sox ever won the World Series?" David Ortiz: "I just don't want to be in the city when it happens. I'd be too afraid. If we win the World Series on the road, I'm flying straight from the World Series to the Dominican." [What? And miss the parade?] "I'd just say, 'Send me the tape.'" ... Stark: "Clear your calendar for Halloween week, because ... the Boston Red Sox are going to win the World Series. Really. ... [T]his year, there is no fatal flaw. Go ahead. Try to find one. Good luck."

T.R. Sullivan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram: "[T]he Red Sox are still loaded. They really need to win the World Series this year. They will."

Peter Gammons, ESPN.com:
AL/NLDS: Yankees over Minnesota, Boston over Anaheim, Houston over Philadelphia, Cubs over Arizona.
AL/NLCS: Cubs over Houston in 7, Boston over Yankees in 7.
World Series: Cubs over Boston in 7.
However, in his predictions for ESPN Magazine, Gammons picks Kansas City over Minnesota, Oakland as the wild card and says the Yankees will miss the playoffs. What's up with that?

Garry Brown, Springfield Republican; Guy Curtright, Atlanta Journal-Constitution; and Gerry Fraley, Dallas Morning News all predict:

1. Boston Red Sox
2. New York Yankees
3. Toronto Blue Jays
4. Baltimore Orioles
5. Tampa Bay Devil Rays

And Brown says: ALCS: Boston over New York in 6; NLCS: Cubs over Philadelphia in 7. World Series: Boston over Cubs in 6.

Boston over Cubs in 6. Just like in 1918. I like it.

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