2013 World Series Preview: Boston Red Sox vs. St. Louis Cardinals in Classic Matchup

As Halloween draws ever closer, the time has arrived to discuss the annual “Fall Classic”, better known as the World Series of baseball.  This year’s series will bring together two of the most historically prestigious Major League Baseball teams, who have both won multiple championships in the last decade.  Bringing experience and top quality to the big matchup, this could be a World Series for the ages!

The St. Louis Cardinals and the Boston Red Sox finished the season tied for the best record with a 97-65 mark.  For the Cardinals, such a result was basically expected.  They have been one of the most exciting teams in baseball over the last few seasons.  In the 2011 World Series, the Cardinals won an incredible Game 6 in which they were facing final pitches on several occasions, but always managed to deliver.  They would win the Series in Game 7.  Last season, in the final NLDS Game 5, the Cardinals were down 6-0 before a stunning rally to win the game in the 9^th inning.  They progressed to the NLCS where they were beaten by the San Francisco Giants, but the Cardinals have proven that they can be toughest team to close out.  Heroes like David Freese, Carlos Beltran, Matt Holliday, Allen Craig, and Matt Carpenter repeatedly make the plays to save the day!

But the Boston Red Sox also have a marvelous history of comebacks.  Who could ever forget their 2004 ALCS against the New York Yankees when they overcame a 3-0 deficit to beat their heated rivals in 7 games?  They would go on to sweep St. Louis in the World Series, winning their first title since 1918, back when Babe Ruth was still a pitcher.

The Red Sox would then win another championship in 2007.  And although we are several years removed from those heroics, several current players took part in that 2007 season; Clay Buchholz, John Lester, David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, and Jacoby Ellsbury.  The Red Sox may have had their disappointments in the last several years, missing the playoffs, dealing with aging veterans, and even having scandals regarding their pitchers drinking beer in the dugout during days off, but this season has seen a team rekindle the passion and desire so often associated with the Red Sox.  Big Papi is swinging strongly again and the beards are back on full display!

While both teams have had marvelous years, they have both been challenged since day 1 within their divisions.  The Cincinnati Reds and the surprising Pittsburgh Pirates made life challenging for the Cardinals, and the Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays, and even the lowly Yankees pushed the Red Sox to the brink.  Nevertheless, both these clubs persevered through their challenges and rose to the top, fully earning their success with gritty wins and pulling through in clutch moments.

So how can a humble writer go about predicting the winner of this series?  The only thing I feel I can accurately call is that this could be the most entertaining and evenly matched World Series in years.  These teams are basically carbon copies of one another.  Both teams have great hitters that can put away home runs, and both teams have some excellent arms capable of dominating lineups.  Both teams have ravenous fan bases, fully capable of carrying their teams to unprecedented heights.  Both teams are fully loaded with championship-winning heroes.  This is quite clearly the most fully deserving teams in baseball to find themselves competing for a championship.  The World Series could be won on the rare error or stolen base.  Who will blink first?  I expect this series to go the full 7 games, but that the Boston Red Sox will win it all because they have home-field advantage.  That’s the only difference I can see in these teams!

This will be an exciting World Series as the Cardinals will be going for revenge!  No matter which team wins, we will have the first collectibles commemorating the winning team.  Our collectibles will show some of the highlights of the series, the series MVP, celebrations, and more.  These great collectibles will be officially licensed by the MLB.  Visit us at www.AAASportsMemorabilia.com to check them out!  For those fans whose team did not make it to the World Series, we have collectibles for your team also!

The MLB Playoffs Begin: Who Will Win the 2013 World Series

Now that the silliness of all the tiebreaker/1-game playoff nonsense is over, the Divisional Series of the MLB Playoffs are poised to begin.  8 of baseball’s finest clubs will be going head to head throughout the month of October to determine who will be the next World Series champions.  Will it be the upstart Los Angeles Dodgers, who seemingly bought their ticket to the playoffs with big-name acquisitions?  Or could the small-market Pittsburgh Pirates continue on a legendary run that has defied all logic this entire season?  Or perhaps the Detroit Tigers could finally win it all, after looking woeful in last season’s 4-game sweep against the San Francisco Giants in the Series?

Predicting the winner of this tournament is really a tough feat.  All the clubs involved have had sensational years (each with their own heartwarming tale), and each and every one of them could logically take the title.  The games in October are won by heroics; the bottom of the 9^th home run that carries a team from the brink of elimination, the incredible complete-game pitching display by a team’s 3^rd starter, the bit-part player who pinch hits to spark a big inning, or the costly error that befuddles an entire team into disarray.  Anything can happen during October baseball, and that’s why it is so darn fun!  It also makes predicting the champion a challenging endeavor.

But anyways, I’ll give my prediction for this year’s MLB champions based on a hunch alone, and my full confidence lies in the Tampa Bay Rays.  Through their late season heroics, the Rays have now conquered two 1-game series with dominating pitching, brilliant base running, and a hard-hitting lineup full of key players.

Since pitching wins championships, let’s start with the Rays’ pitching staff.  David Price is an ace. Alex Cobb is a rising star.  Matt Moore and Chris Archer are fully capable of starting playoff games.  Therefore, their starters will do fine.  In the bullpen, they are strong as well and capped off with closer Fernando Rodney, whose tilted hat brings an element of style to the end of Rays’ games.

The hitters on the team are excellent as well, and the team gets RBI support all the way down the lineup.  Evan Longoria is the star player and can hit a fair bit of home runs.  American League Rookie of the Year candidate Wil Myers hits near .300 and can help put guys aboard.  Defensively, the team is wonderful.  They made the second fewest errors in the Major Leagues and will certainly support their more-than-capable pitching staff.

Basically stated, this team has all the tools needed to win baseball games. But so do basically all the other teams in the playoffs, so what sets the Rays apart?  I like the fact that they have been here before, and their past failures will have made them extra-hungry.  Also, this is the first season that they really do have a great squad in every position, meaning that they will be able to compete against the best.  Also, the post-season began roughly a month ago for the Rays, as the AL Wildcard race went down to the wire, and the team persevered and is now on a roll.  Heading into October, the hottest team is usually the one that wins it all!

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Have Steroids Ruined Major League Baseball?

As we stand on the precipice of another exciting baseball season, watching players and teams battle it out for playoff spots, there are other stories that endlessly swirl around the game. Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers, the 2011 National League MVP, has been suspended for the rest of the year for using steroids. He is the latest new face of disappointment in Major League Baseball, a game that has devolved into rumors of performance-enhancing drugs that have tarnished the legacies of nearly every major player in the current generation of the game.

Whenever a player shines and has a historic season, several years later it comes crashing back to Earth amidst accusations and revelations over their steroid use. It’s getting quite boring, and it’s ruining America’s pastime.

 

For Ryan Braun, the suspension is really not that big of a deal. His team, the Milwaukee Brewers, is well out of any hope for the playoffs, and Braun himself had been enduring a slump year, hitting below .300 for the first time since 2008. Perhaps a break from the game is exactly what he needs.

Meanwhile, the circus that is the life of Alex Rodriguez (AKA A-Roid) goes on. Electing to appeal a 200-game suspension for his most recent steroid transgressions, Rodriguez is able to return to the New York Yankees, a team that has a very real shot at making the playoffs. This flies directly in the face of justice and accountability. We now have a known steroid-user playing for a contending team. This is wrong.

 

Baseball seems to have no answer to this problem. It seems everyone is using. Should we ban everyone from playing the game? Over the last several years, the following players have been linked with steroids: Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, Andy Pettite, Miguel Tejada, David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Roger Clemens, and Jason Giambi. Where would baseball be without those players? How many World Series have been erroneously won by cheaters? What will happen if Alex Rodriguez leads the Yankees to a World Series title this year? Will we put an asterisk next to that title? Does an asterisk really mean anything?

 

To me, steroids are a big reason why baseball’s popularity is dwindling. When your hero is turned into a villain, how can you celebrate their achievements? Ryan Braun will never be the same player he was before, even if he plays well for another 10 years. A-Roid is nothing but a stain on the game, a far cry from the player we expected to break the all-time home run record, which is currently held by Barry Bonds, another tarnished name. Long forgotten are the days of people playing the game the “right” way. Now baseball is a collection of sleazy guys injecting drugs into their behinds.

 

I understand why it happens. A player like Alex Rodriguez begins his career with great aplomb. He is heralded as the next great player with an opportunity to set records, to compete with the likes of Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron. His future is bright. But as he begins to age and his numbers decline, that golden image of breaking records begins to dim. An injury sets back those goals even further. The only way to compete is by using steroids, and everyone wants to be great, and everyone has a breaking point. And so he uses steroids, plays well again, and eventually we all find out.

 

Instead of aging gracefully and leaving the game with pride, we get A-Roid: A monster. To me, steroids have ruined baseball. I think the only way to get rid of this plague is through lifetime suspensions, perhaps by the second offence. Players need to know that there is a line and that you cannot cross it. Slapping Ryan Braun on the wrist by removing him from an already-doomed season does nothing to change a game’s mindset. Or perhaps there should be fines equaling an entire year’s pay. Nothing like a $10 million fine to keep someone from using steroids. Either way, if baseball wants to ever come clean, they need to up the punishments, because clearly what they’re doing now has done little to remove steroids from baseball.

 

There are many great MLB players who follow the rules and make baseball great. I believe that these players will be the ones that will continue to make baseball what it is and will be able to help the MLB weather this ugly storm of PED usages. We have sports collectibles for these players that you still love. Our autographed memorabilia is guaranteed for life or your money back. Visit us at www.AAASportsMemorabilia.com to find your next collectible!

Are the Los Angeles Dodgers Unstoppable?

With a record approaching historic records over the last 50 games, the Los Angeles Dodgers are beginning to look like the exciting and talented team that everyone expected once their new owners took over. After several high priced acquisitions started to click, and a sensational rookie by the name of Yasiel Puig joined their ranks, the Dodgers are the strongest team is baseball and the front-runners for the 2013 World Series. Is there any hope left for the other contenders?

Of course there is. Pushing the odds against the Los Angeles Dodgers is the fact that they haven’t been to the MLB Playoffs since 2009. But that’s about it. Right now the talent on this team is pretty incredible, and whether or not they win it all this year, the Dodgers will become a familiar team in playoff baseball come every October.

 

Their starting pitching is formidable. Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, and Hyun-Jin Ryu are all pitching very well and each have over 10 wins on the season. Relief pitching has been solid, and incoming closer Brian Wilson could figure into the mix in the latter stages of the season.

 

But the most exciting part of the Dodgers has been the hitting. Yasiel Puig has been sensational and may figure to become the premier hitting talent of the new generation. His .352 average is among the best in the majors, and his power makes him one of the most dangerous players on the field. His call-up provoked this incredible run for the Dodgers, and he is the heart and soul of the team and its fans. That’s a lot of pressure for any 22-year-old rookie, but so far Puig has carried the team along with confidence and brilliant play. His defensive work is also first rate in the outfield. He can carry this team far.

 

Other hitters have also picked up steam for the Dodgers, including Hanley Ramirez. Although injured for the first half of the season, Ramirez has returned and put up similar numbers to Puig. With two dominant power-hitting players, the Dodgers lineup is menacing.

 

The rest of the team is solid as well. Adrian Gonzalez is a near .300 hitter while up and down the lineup are capable players that hit in the upper .200’s. This makes the team quite solid and well prepared even if Puig stutters in the playoffs due to nerves or the cold weather. The talent is well spread throughout the lineup to handle any potential opponents.

 

So is there any reason to feel that the Dodgers won’t be rumbling and bouncing their way along to the World Series? Surely, October baseball brings about drama and will have its stern tests ahead for the Dodgers. They aren’t the only team with a great record. The Atlanta Braves are solid, as are the Cincinnati Reds, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the St. Louis Cardinals; and those teams are all in for the NL Pennant! But no one is hotter than the Dodgers right now, and I get the feeling that they aren’t slowing down any time soon. It will be a joy to see what baseball’s most exciting team will bring to the MLB Playoffs this year!

 

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Cleveland Indians Becoming the Surprise Team in the AL Central

Cleveland Indians baseball display case

For a team that usually struggles to an average record year after year, the Cleveland Indians have been the surprise of the season through the first 35 games 2013. After a predictably rough star to the year, the Indians have improved greatly. On a current hot streak, the Tribe has won 13 of their last 16 games, and has pushed to within just a half game of the AL Central lead. How has this team that was supposed to be in a rebuilding year with a new manager completed what seems to be such a remarkably quick turnaround?

 

It all started with the acquisition of manager Terry Francona, mastermind of 2 World Series Championships for the Boston Red Sox. Overcoming the Curse of the Bambino, Francona built a dynasty in Boston around players like Curt Schilling, Josh Beckett, David Ortiz, and Manny Ramirez. But having since moved on from that club, Francona has now taken the reigns in Cleveland and looks like he may have a shot at working similar magic for the Indians.

 

Francona orchestrated a general house cleaning, ridding the Indians of familiar faces like Travis Hafner and Shin-Soo Choo. However, these players have been replaced by quite a few well-known stars. Among the new members of the Tribe are Michael Bourn, Jason Giambi, Nick Swisher, Mark Reynolds, and Scott Kazmir. These players have had a mixed bag of success, as any low-market team like the Indians will discover with their signings. But the Indians are winning right now, and with holdover players like Carlos Santana, Michael Brantley, Justin Masterson, and Zach McAllister performing well, they could be on to more success, especially if the bats of the newcomers can warm up.

 

Indians fans will be cautious about getting excited over this new-look team. Past seasons have begun well to peak interest, only for the team to suffer from mid-summer swoons and fade away into the obscurity of the AL Central.

 

Another problem for the Tribe this year will be division rival, the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers reached the World Series last season but were abused and swept by the San Francisco Giants. However, that experience seemingly forced the team’s hand into bringing in a powerful hitter and former Gold Glove winner in Torii Hunter. Although Hunter has just a single home run on the season, his .333 batting average is strong. Additionally, the team that houses superstars like Prince Fielder, Miguel Cabrera, and Justin Verlander is also having a solid start to the year and currently lead the AL Central with a 21-15 record. For the Indians to overcome such a strong team and clinch the division would be quite the tall ask, even as they are within touching distance so far this year.

 

But if there’s one thing that suggests this could be a playoff year for the Indians, it is the fact they seem to have luck on their side. Last week, the Indians were gifted a horrendous non home-run call that would have seen the Oakland Athletics tie a game in the 9^th inning with a Adam Rosales home run. Wrongly ruled a double, the Indians got a free win. If good fortune keeps going the Indians’ way, they might be in the mix come October.

 

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The Boston Red Sox are Back and Ready to Win the AL East

The last few seasons have been somewhat of a rude awakening for the Boston Red Sox. Having grown used to recent successes of the 2004 and 2007 World Series victories, fans had gotten accustomed to the high wave of domination and success that the team has experienced. But since then the team has had to face several crushing realities.

 

The New York Yankees briefly returned to form while the Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay Rays also experienced surges of talent. Having missed out on the MLB playoffs in the last three years, the Red Sox saw their record-breaking streak of home sellout crowds come to an end earlier this month.

But in the face of such a painful decline, the Boston Red Sox have since learned how to play baseball again and are off to a great 2013 start, leading the MLB with a 18-7 record. Could the Red Sox finally be back in contention, using their third manager in three years?

 

If the team keeps this current run of form going, the answer is a clear yes. Leading the charge is current ace pitcher Clay Buchholz. In fine form with a ERA of 1.19, the pitcher has a strong fastball and can use his changeup and curveball to great effect. Although his young career has its ups and downs, 2013 could be the year that Clay Buchholz leads his team to glory and helps himself to an AL Cy Young award.

 

At the plate, few hitters are as imposing as “Big Papi”, also known as David Ortiz. The quintessential slugger has only played in 8 games, rejoining the team just over a week ago after enduring a heel injury in the spring. The Red Sox have truly hit form with Ortiz in the lineup and have won 7 of the 8 games he has played in. His .516 batting average clearly displays the value of the experienced star.

But the AL East has long been known as the most competitive and challenging division in baseball, and the early signs show that this campaign could be a long battle for supremacy between the Yankees, Orioles, and Red Sox.

 

The New York Yankees came into this season full of huge question marks surrounding the availability of future Hall of Famers Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter. Both are expected to return in the latter half of the year, though their role at that point will be heavily analyzed.

 

But the team is off to a solid 15-9 start behind a group of guys with 35 home runs this year, which is 2^nd best in the MLB. Robinson Cano has picked up the slack, knocking in 7 home runs, while newcomers Travis Hafner and Vernon Wells have done their part to support the team, both already at 6 home runs this year. Although their pitching is currently average and has to be seen as an Achilles heel for the Yankees, with Andy Pettite and C.C. Sabbathia owning the mound, this team is a match for anyone.

 

The Baltimore Orioles were the darlings of baseball last year, earning a surprise wild card appearance, and have continued their winning ways with a 15-10 record in this young season. Chris Davis is doing his best, second in the MLB with 9 home runs and powering with a .349 average. Several other Orioles have been hitting away home runs too and the team has a strong 30 home runs this season, showing that they can hit with power as well.

 

Clearly, the race for the 2013 AL East crown has a long way to go, but early results suggest this to be an exciting and tight race that will endure throughout the summer. I would like to see the Boston Red Sox return to prominence, but the New York Yankees could have the last laugh when their star players return. For the Orioles, hope and the successful season of 2012 shows that they could perhaps be there to spoil the party in late September. It should definitely be a fantastic race!

 

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Opening Day of Baseball Brings Back America’s Pastime

Spring training is wrapping up and the strong signs of warm weather mean the wonderful sport of baseball is set to return in America. Summer truly is on the horizon, and by this time next week we will all be right back in the thick of the action. With the games just around the bend, the question on everyone’s mind is surely, who will win the 2013 World Series? Smart teams have assembled key free agents and puzzle pieces to help sustain a run, while other teams are struggling with injuries or the realization that those key pickups may not be so key after all! How is baseball going to shape up this season?

 

One of the teams that intrigues me is the Los Angeles Dodgers. With new and ambitious owners, the team has been stockpiling an expensive array of big name players. Now they boast one of the best groups of starting pitchers in the nation. Clayton Kershaw is an ace just one year removed from the NL Cy Young award. Zack Greinke, a highly prized free agent, has also joined the side, which will help them compete against anyone with their top two pitchers. 3^rd pitcher Josh Beckett was a strange option brought in from the Boston Red Sox, and has been through a rough patch of his career. But if he can approach any of his former greatness, Beckett could be another ace for the Dodgers. Only 32 years old, Beckett is still young enough to return to form and has big game experience. The Dodgers have a range of players to fill out the rotation including Chad Billingsley, Chris Capuano, and Aaron Harang.

 

For the reason that their pitching should be so good, I am predicting the Los Angeles Dodgers to reach the 2013 World Series. Yes, their disappointment last year was embarrassing, but Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the new ownership is doing everything possible to make the Dodgers a contender. I also envision them making another big trade late in the season to fix any weaknesses.

 

In the American League? I’m picking the New York Yankees, for the simple reason that no one else is. This overlooked team won the AL East last year, and although alarm bells have been ringing all offseason about injuries to Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson, Alex Rodriguez, and Mark Teixeira, the Yankees have added several veterans who could provide the necessary punch including Travis Hafner, Kevin Youkilis, and Ichiro Suzuki who arrived midseason last year. With C.C. Sabbathia on the mound they have a proven ace pitcher. Kiroki Kuroda and Andy Pettite can still compete, and the Yankees have a solid closer in Mariano Rivera.

 

The Yankees will probably struggle early in the season, but as players return from injuries and the rest of the team starts to click, they could get red hot in time for October. Plus, if the engine needs a kick-start, who would doubt that the Yankees might make a blockbuster trade in June to get things moving? They will find a way to get into the postseason as a wild card team, and make the run all the way to the World Series. That’s right, I’m picking the New York Yankees to win it all against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 7 games. Let the fun begin!

 

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