As readers of this blog know, I don't bet on sports except once in a blue moon I might make a friendly bet with someone from a rival alma mater.
Don't think I'll be doing even that this season with Wisconsin football off to a horrific start and basketball not likely to be a real contender.
But this year's baseball playoffs are certainly intriguing. What I want to see is a pairing in the World Series of the Braves or Giants with any of the AL teams except the Yankees.
Even before Mick Jagger sang about it, I know that you can't always get what you want.
So here is what I think may happen but don't necessarily want to happen.
The Red Sox in the wild card game against Yankees will be missing J. D. Martinez who suffered the second most absurd injury on the eve of the playoffs. He tripped over second base and sprained his ankle running into the outfield in the last game of regular season.
So that's advantage Yankees in Wild Card game at Fenway just six hours away as I finish this blog. They will miss D. J. LeMahieu out with a sports hernia but they may have enough offense with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.
Anything can happen in a short series let alone one game, but the Yankees do have a better defense and bullpen than their longtime rivals.
If I have forceast correctly, the Yankees will then take on the Tampa Bay Rays in a best of five series.
The Rays amaze everyone in baseball, succeeding with a low payroll invested in winning players throughout the roster. They are adventurous, experimental, and fun to watch (if you can tolerate all the strikeouts and the endless shifts).
They don't have a traditional starting rotation or one real closer. The Yankees or Red Sox don't have overwhelming starters either but the Yankees do have a rejuvenated Aroldis Chapman at the back end which could be a deciding factor. I hope not.
In the other division series, two septuagenarians lead the White Sox and Astros into the fray. As nearly an octogenarian myself. I can't miss in this series. These guys are living proof that older folks have much to offer.
I'd like to see Dusty Baker go deep into the playoffs despite the stain of chicanery indelibly upon the Astros. The scandal, of course, happened before Baker arrived on the scene.
The White Sox coasted in the second half with no AL Central team mounting any real challenge. We'll see if Tony LaRussa's lads led by the most consistent of all the Cubans in MLB, dh/1b Jose Abreu, can turn it on when it matters most.
In the NL wild card, it would be great if Adam Wainwright, 40, can outpitch the very talented and enormously high-paid Max Scherzer, no youngster himself at 36 or 37. I am not sure St. Louis has the bullpen to stifle LA once the game goes into late innings.
The loss of Max Muncy to an elbow injury in a collision at first base will hurt the Dodgers. But they have another oldster and former Cardinal, Albert Pujols, to replace him. Or perhaps the slumping former MVP Cody Bellinger who could relish a chance to redeem himself in October.
The Dodgers are favored in the wild card game and to go all the way to their second straight World Series championship. But if they beat the Cardinals, they'll have to go through the Giants who won 107 games this year.
No one expected the Giants to soar, including me. But they have a wonderful mixutre of vets from the world champs last decade, including Buster Posey, Johnny Cueto, and Brandon Belt. Plus some good youngsters like Lamont Wade Jr. and pitcher Logan Webb, only 26 but he already possesses the visage of a gritty savvy veteran.
Belt got hit by a pitch and his broken finger may keep him out of the entire post-season. But the Giants have always found a way in 2021 and I hope they do so again.
Winner of the first NLDS will face either the Braves or the Brewers, both teams with
Milwaukee in their history. Unfortunately, a key Brewers reliever, Devin Williams, suffered the most absurd and stupid injury shortly before the playoffs.
After the NL Central-winning celebration, Williams had too much to drink. He went home and in undisclosed circumstances, he punched a wall in his house and broke his hand.
He is out until at least the World Series if the Brewers get that far. Since manager Craig Counsell micro-manages his bullpen seemingly more than any other manager, the loss of Williams to set up for closer Josh Hader might be too much to overcome.
The Braves finished strong and I think have an edge over Milwaukee. They have two MVP candidates in the heart of their lineup, Freddie Freeman and Austin Riley. (They might split the vote which could allow a poseur to win it like Bryce Harper - he always electioneers for the award but usually plays golf in October.)
I am sure the Braves would like to meet the Dodgers in the NLCS and avenge last year's wrenching loss. Their one Achilles heel is closer Will Smith who is shaky far too often.
Well, there you have my analysis for what it is worth. And the old adage still applies.
"Opinions are like assholes - everyone has them."
Always remember: Take it easy but take it!