The Fightin Phils Win It All by Kyle Butler

Game 5 of the World Series ended last night nearly 50 hours after it started on Monday. For Philadelphia sports fans, a little extra time was worth it, in order to end 25 years of major sports disappointment.

Yes, the Phillies are the champions of baseball after knocking off Tampa Bay’s young guns to capture the 2008 World Series. It was quite a rise for a team that a month ago was far from a lock for making postseason play period. But the Fightin Phils put together another strong September, and that, along with another convenient collapse by the New York Mets, put the Phillies in the playoffs, and did they ever dominate once they got there!

The Brewers? Drowned in pints after four games.
The Dodgers? Even Manny couldn’t derail the Phillies momentum.
The Rays? Youth can get you far, but experience matters. That may sound like a political commercial, but it’s the truth. The Rays, much like last year’s Rockies, looked awesome in the first two rounds, but when it mattered most, the weight and magnitude of the situation squashed Tampa Bay. The Rays are young enough to bounce back though, and the rivalry in the AL East between Tampa and Boston should be tremendous to watch in the coming seasons.

But back to the present. Philly fans can enjoy this title, the first by any major sports team in the city since 1983. And the Phillies should enjoy this one, for they certainly earned it. The team looks solid for the future as well, with stars like Rollins, Utley, Howard, Hamels, and Lidge all in the prime of their careers. Philadelphia sports fans had to wait a long time between titles. But if this nucleus stays together, the City of Brotherly Love won’t have nearly as long a wait next time.

NCAA FB Picks for Week 9 by Kyle Butler

Ah, the elusive perfect week strayed just so slightly out of my grasp. After nailing the first 9 picks, Mizzou let me down and received a old fashioned butt-kicking from Texas. A few observations before this week’s selections.
1- Despite Philly’s win in Game 1, I still like Tampa in 7. This World Series is tough to pick though…both teams look evenly matched.
2- Is anyone else feeling the same joy I am over the recent collapse of the Dallas Cowboys?
3- Folks who missed the Temple-Ohio game on Tuesday (which would include…oh, everyone in America) missed this great intro.

I’m at a loss for words to describe that, so onto the Week 9 picks…

WEEK 9: BUTLERS PICKS- DIDN’T YOU USED TO BE AN NFL COACH? EDITION

1- Auburn @ W. Virginia.  Remember the good ole days…the days when Auburn and West Virginia were considered top 10 teams and national title threats? That was actually earlier this season, but it seems like ages ago. Neither team is even in the top 25 at this point, and both are displaying offenses that a good peewee football team could stop. ESPN thought they had a killer matchup when the season started, but it’s now more likely it will just be a killer to watch.
PICK: W. Virginia 13  Auburn 10

2- Wake @ Miami.  We move from a matchup of offensively challenged teams to a matchup of…more offensively challenged teams. Sure, Miami put up a bunch of points last week, but Duke’s not exactly a defensive powerhouse. Wake looked useless against Maryland, and it is clear their MVP is a kicker. Without Sam Swank, the Deacs struggle. I really feel like Miami’s gonna win, but Jim Grobe’s too good of a coach to let Wake look pathetic 2 weeks in a row, right?
PICK: Wake 17  Miami 16

3- Texas Tech @ Kansas.  Enough with the sorry offenses. This Big 12 showdown should feature points, and a lot of them! Texas Tech has been lighting up the scoreboards in Lubbock for years now, and is off to its best start in over 30 years. Coach Mike Leach also likes to run up the score, as was indicated last week against Texas A&M. He won’t be able to run up the score against Kansas, but Leach and the boys from Lubbock will get enough points to stay unbeaten.
PICK: Texas Tech 42  Kansas 34

4- BC @ UNC.  Carolina tries to rebound from a disgraceful loss to UVA. I say disgraceful because UNC gave the game away. Having held UVA out of the end zone all day by playing good, aggressive defense, the Tarheels inexplicably played prevent on the last drive. It worked…as the defense “prevented” UNC from winning the game. I will never understand coaches who employ that defense. BC is looking a lot better, but QB Chris Crane is still fighting the interception bug. UNC leads the country in interceptions. That’s a bad combo for the Eagles.
PICK: UNC 23  BC 18

5- Oklahoma St @ Texas.  I’ve picked Texas to lose the past two weeks, and instead, the Longhorns have flattened their opponents. The beatdown Texas imposed on Mizzou was Secretariat-like in the Belmont. Not too surprising then, that it’s “Colt” McCoy responsible for the unstoppable Longhorns attack. Oklahoma State’s a terrific team, but that hasn’t made much difference lately for Mack Brown’s club.
PICK: Texas 38  Oklahoma St 34

6- Duke @ Vandy.  For about 2 1/2 quarters, it appeared Duke was on its way to another win, and possibly bowl-contention. Then the Blue Devils gave up a bajillion points in the last 20-25 minutes or so, and that was that. Speaking of bowl contention, we’re still waiting to see Vanderbilt reach the necessary 6 wins to be considered. As we’ve eluded to before, Vandy hasn’t been to a bowl game since the days of Genghis Khan. But that, my friends, is finally about to change…
PICK: Vandy 34  Duke 33

7- NC State @ Maryland.  Last time these two hooked up, State needed a win to make a bowl game. What State made was a mess, losing 37-0…an embarrassing loss in Raleigh. This year, State needs a win period. I wouldn’t be surprised if they got one, because Maryland seems to play down to their competition. In the end though, State’s got too many problems. Expect Maryland to be like Ron Cherry here and give State the business!

PICK: Maryland 28  NC State 21

8- Georgia @ LSU.  It wouldn’t be a real week of picks without an SEC showdown, and that’s what we’ve got down in the Bayou. The Bulldogs and the Tigers aren’t quite as good as they appeared to be a month ago. Georgia just hasn’t dominated teams like they’re capable of, and LSU’s defense went on vacation against Florida two Saturdays ago. LSU is really strong at home, but under Mark Richt, Georgia’s been pretty doggone good on the road. In a really tough pick, I’m takin UGA.
PICK: Georgia 23  LSU 20

9- Va Tech @ FSU.  The Seminoles are back in the rankings after taking advantage of NC State’s shoddy 3rd down defense to beat the Pack. On the climb back to the Top 25, FSU passed the Hokies, who were plummeting from the rankings themselves. Last year, Bobby Bowden lost to Va Tech for the first time ever. Well, dadgumit, that’s not happening for a 2nd year in a row.
PICK: FSU 26  Va Tech 13

10- Penn St @ Ohio St.  It’s pretty sad to say this, but this is the last big game in the Big Ten this year. Outside of these two teams, the rest of the league stinks. OSU finds themselves in the rare position of being an underdog at home in the Horseshoe. They’ll face Penn St, who has rolled over everyone. Two problems for the Nittany Lions. 1- 167 yr old Joe Paterno has serious problems beating the Buckeyes and 2- Ohio State tends to dominate the rest of the Big Ten in the same fashion that they themselves get dominated by any decent nonconference opponent.
PICK: Ohio St 27  Penn St 20

I’m Kyle Butler, and I approved these picks. Paid for by the Principled Prognosticating Pickers Association of America.

LAST WEEK: 9-1 90%
OVERALL: 57-23 71%

NCAA FB Picks for Week 8 by Kyle Butler

Well, for a while there, it looked like I might go 0-fer the weekend. I wasn’t too surprised to miss the Clemson-Wake pick. But when OU fell to Texas and UVA blasted ECU, I started worrying a bit. I rebounded to go .500 for the week, but it’s surely not anything to brag about. Hopefully this week goes better, but there are a lot of tough games.

WEEK 8: BUTLERS PICKS- OUR FAMILY PLUMBER IS NAMED JOE…NO KIDDING! EDITION

1- FSU @ NC State.  Well…well. Former Pack coach Chuck Amato returns to Raleigh as an assistant on Bobby Bowden’s staff. Ol’ Chuckie got off to a great start at State, until he realized that he wouldn’t have Phillip Rivers for the rest of his eternal life. Things went sour fast, and Chuck was sent packing. The question is, will he wear any psychedelic shades tinted in Seminole colors? How about some snazzy Seminole-colored shoes? Oh, how I miss the days of ridiculing Amato, and watching videos like this.
PICK: FSU 27  NC State 22

2- Vandy @ Georgia.  Vandy got off to an awesome start this year, winning the first 5 games. Then, they evidently remembered they were Vandy, and lost to SEC cellar-dweller Mississippi St. The Commodores haven’t been to a bowl game since the musical group by the same name was pumping out hit after hit. Unfortunately for Vandy, trying to run through Georgia is like trying to run through a “Brick House.” Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
PICK: Georgia 23  Vandy 17

3- Wake @ Maryland.  The Deacs dominated Clemson last Thursday, yet needed a late 4th quarter TD to tame the Tigers. Why? Probably because Wake’s red zone offense was sorrier than a Pauly Shore flick. Wake gets a Maryland team that got embarrassed by UVA last time out. At 2-0, the Deacs are on the verge of history…they’ve never been 3-0 in ACC play. This is their best shot, but the Terps should have somethin to prove.
PICK: Maryland 20  Wake 16

4- Miami @ Duke.  When the ACC expanded a few years back, I’m guessing they figured this annual matchup would never be decided by less than 30 pts. Oh, how things change. Based on what we’ve seen so far, this is a pretty even battle. Miami has a clear edge in talent, but Duke’s actually resembling a football team for a change. I think this one comes down to the final minute, but the Canes hold on late.
PICK: Miami 17  Duke 12

5- GA Tech @ Clemson.  One would think, based on Tech only beating Gardner Webb by 3 pts last week, that the Jackets’ struggles would be the main topic entering this one. Well, nobody cares about that, because Clemson’s in a season of turmoil. Tommy Bowden’s out, somebody named Dabo is in, and CJ Spiller and Cullen Harper are both hurting for the Tigers. Clemson’s season is going downhill at breakneck speed. Sorry Bowden. Maybe ole Tommy Boy should’ve used the other guys brake pads.
PICK: GA Tech 21  Clemson 10

6- Ohio St @ Mich St.  The Buckeyes stand at 6-1, and winners of 4 straight. Yet none of the wins have been particularly inspiring, and the pollsters are keeping OSU outside of the Top 10. A win over Sparty would probably lift the Buckeyes back into the national spotlight, but it won’t be easy. OSU is struggling on offense, even with phenom Terrelle Pryor under center. The good news is that MSU has a lousy defense. Tressel and the boys get it done.
PICK: Ohio St 27  Mich St 14

7- UNC @ UVA.  Another week, another impressive win, another debilitating injury for the Tarheels. This time it’s star Brandon Tate, who’s done for the year with ligament damage. UNC has survived, and actually thrived to an extent, thanks to Cam Sexton’s surprisingly steady play at QB. This looked like a sure win weeks ago. UVA looked useless, but the Cavs have won two straight in impressive fashion. Plus, UNC hasn’t won in Charlottesville since 1981. That’s a bad sign.
PICK: UVA 28  UNC 27

8- Kansas @ Oklahoma.  The first of two enormous showdowns in the Big 12. OU looks to respond after last week’s frustrating loss in the Red River Shootout (yes, I’m not politically correct, I’m still calling it a Shootout). Kansas isn’t as good as last year, but the Jayhawks are still formidable. In the end though, I like QB Sam Bradford to help the Sooners rebound.
PICK: Oklahoma 35  Kansas 24

9- VA Tech @ BC.  Last year these two hooked up for 2 memorable battles. The first really put Matt Ryan in the national spotlight, when he rallied Boston College to 2 late scores and stunned the Hokies in Blacksburg. Yet it was VA Tech getting some payback, shutting down the Ryan Express and beating BC in the ACC Title Game. Neither team is quite as good as last year, but that means they’re still pretty evenly matched. Tough call. I’ll go with the home team.
PICK: BC 20  VA Tech 16

10- Missouri @ Texas.  For about 3 hrs, this looked like it might be a matchup of #1 and #2. But after Texas upset Oklahoma, Mizzou got upset themselves, by Oklahoma State! This battle features killer offenses led by great QB’s in Chase Daniel and Colt McCoy. I’m picking Mizzou in this one for two reasons. 1- I still think Mizzou is the most dangerous team in the nation, and 2- Teams ranked #1 are dropping like flies. That’s bad news for the Longhorns.
PICK: Missouri 31  Texas 24

Last Week: 5-5  50%
Overall: 48-22  69%

NCAA FB Picks for Week 7 by Kyle Butler

Six weeks in the books. Unlike the stock market, I bounced back last week after two sub-par efforts. A 9-1 record is always nice, though I can’t help but be a bit amused that the game I missed (MD-UVA) was the one I felt most confident about going into the week. Weird. Anyway, on to Week #7.

WEEK 7: BUTLERS PICKS- WILL STATE AND DUKE BEAT THEIR BYE WEEKS? EDITION

1- Clemson @ Wake.  Up until two weeks ago, this was considered the top game of the ACC season. Then both teams came out and laid an egg (CLEM to MD and WF to Navy) and suddenly it’s not the battle ESPN was lookin forward to. Still a big game though. A WF win puts them in control of the Atlantic. A Clemson win puts nobody in control. I want to pick the Deacs, but they’re ranked, and ranked teams are dropping every week on Thursday nights.
PICK: Clemson 28  Wake 21

2- Texas @ Oklahoma.  Yee-haw! It’s the Red River Shootout and the Cotton Bowl will be crazier than a rabid coyote. With good reason…the Big 12 rivals are stacked. OU has been unstoppable on offense, while Texas isn’t afraid to put up the points either. Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy will get their share of yards and TD’s, but in the end, I think Bradford and the Sooners will get a few more.
PICK: Oklahoma 30  Texas 24

3- ECU @ Virginia.  These may be the most confusing teams in all of football. ECU beats Va Tech and WVU, then loses to NC State and Houston. Virginia loses to Duke by 4 touchdowns, then proceeds to shut out Maryland. Good grief, compared to these two, the country’s tax code is a piece of cake. I still think ECU is better than UVA though, and I’m basing the pick on Skip Holtz putting his team’s bye week to good use.
PICK: ECU 38  Virginia 23

4- Tennessee @ Georgia.  To say the season has been disappointing for Tennessee is a huge understatement. Ol’ Rocky Top has a rocky offense, barely averaging double digits over the past 3 weeks. That’s bad news for the Vols, who get a Georgia team that’s had 2 weeks to stew over its loss to Alabama. Yes, I know UT has 2 straight wins over UGA. I also know they have no shot to make it 3.
PICK: Georgia 27  Tennessee 6 

5- Notre Dame @ UNC.  I don’t know what’s goin on anymore, friends. Tampa Bay is good in baseball. Michigan is bad in football. The stock market’s tanked, and UNC is ranked. How bout them Tarheels? In the poll for the first time since 2001 after thrashing UConn. Now the Heels meet the Irish, who haven’t been playing badly themselves. Jimmy Clausen is finally resembling a QB for the Golden Domers. Notre Dame has already exceeded their win total from last year. If UNC wins, they’ll exceed their own win total from 07 as well. Should be a great battle in Chapel Hill.
PICK: UNC 23  Notre Dame 20

6- Nebraska @ Texas Tech.  Bo Pelini is a defensive guy, and he’ll probably get the Cornhusker defense squared away at some point, but not this point. Nebraska gave up 52 to Missouri in Lincoln last Saturday. Now the Huskers face the best passing offense in the nation. In his last 3 games, Tech QB Graham Harrell has thrown for a whopping 15 TD’s and 0 INT’s! When Nebraska last visited Lubbock, they gave up 70 pts. I wouldn’t be surprised if they did it again. Hide the women and children…this could get ugly.
PICK: Texas Tech 62  Nebraska 31

7- Central Florida @ Miami.  Poor Randy Shannon’s boys just can’t seem to put a full game together. Looked great in the first half against UNC, then fell apart late. Looked awful in the first half against FSU, then made a huge comeback before falling short. So it’s probably nice for the U to face a team like Central Florida. Kevin Smith is gone to the NFL, and it shows.
PICK: Miami 28  Central Florida 17

8- Penn St @ Wisconsin.  Last time PSU visited Wisconsin, coach Joe Paterno broke his leg after being hit on the sidelines. Well, ole JoePa is hurting again, having injured his hip while trying to demonstrate an onside kick in practice. Why the 113 yr old Paterno is attempting onside kicks in the first place is a good question, but we’ll figure that out some other time. The Badgers are 0-2 in the Big Ten, and are far too talented to start 0-3. Plus, PSU is due for a loss. I like Wisconsin in an upset.
PICK: Wisconsin 17  Penn St 16

9- Oklahoma St @ Missouri.  Now this should be fun. Both of these teams are averaging over 50…yes, 50 points per game! Everyone knows about Mizzou QB Chase Daniel and what is an unstoppable Tiger offense. Want proof? In 48 offensive possessions, Mizzou hasn’t gone three-and-out once. Oklahoma St gets the job done on the ground, rolling up over 300 yds per game. Coach Mike Gundy has the team playing well, after all, he’s a man! He’s 40!! The scoreboard operator better get some rest…he’ll be busy Saturday.
PICK: Missouri 48  Oklahoma St 35

10- LSU @ Florida.  Man, every week there’s a huge game in the SEC! This week, it’s in the Swamp, where Florida tries to get back in the hunt after shockingly losing to Ole Miss 2 weeks ago. LSU has already added fuel to the fire in this one when one of their players said the team would take Tim Tebow out of the game. That comment surely won’t sit well with the Gators. There are a ton of great games this weekend, and this should be one of the best.
PICK: Florida 20  LSU 17

Last Week: 9-1 90%
Season: 43-17 72%

NCAA FB Picks for Week 6 by Kyle Butler

4-6 last week. Yikes! Ok, let’s pretend last week didn’t happen. While we’re at it, can we pretend the last 2 Cubs games didn’t happen either? If I start talking about last night’s game, I’ll just start swearing uncontrollably while making facial expressions far scarier than anything you’ll see on Halloween. So let’s just focus on this week’s picks, shall we? Ok.

WEEK 6: BUTLERS PICKS- UNC AND DUKE ARE BOTH 3-1?! EDITION

1- Duke @ GA Tech.  Stunningly, I picked Duke to win an ACC game last week. More stunningly, they actually won, and in a big way over UVA. The bad news for the Dookies is that they haven’t played on the road to this point. I’m not sure of the last time Duke won a road game. I think it might have been during the Nixon administration. Anyway, I expect the Blue Devils to put up a battle, but fall short in Atlanta.
PICK: GA Tech 31  Duke 23

2- BC @ NC State.  State coach Tom O’Brien faces his old school once again. It didn’t go so well last year for Tommy O, and this year probably won’t go much better. Russell Wilson is supposedly back for the Pack, but for how long? He’s been about as durable as Dan Morgan. State is 2-3, but the 3 losses are by an average of 27 pts. This one won’t be that lopsided, but won’t be in State’s favor either.
PICK: BC 34  NC State 20

3- Florida St @ Miami.  Remember when this was the Game of the Year in the early 90’s? Remember how the ACC expanded primarily to make this the premier game of the conference? Yes, I remember these things, but the games between these two rivals over the past 5 years have been totally forgettable. I expect a defensive battle. Tough pick, but I’ll take FSU.
PICK: Florida St 17  Miami 13

4- Maryland @ Virginia.  Gotta hand it to the Terps. After inexplicably losing to Middle Tenn State, MD has rallied nicely, and had a huge win over Clemson in Death Valley last week. UVA, on the other hand, has been nothing short of pathetic. Al Groh may go from being coach of the year to the unemployment line.
PICK: Maryland 31  Virginia 10

5- UConn @ UNC.  These teams are a combined 8-1. There’s only one explaination. Jim Calhoun and Roy Williams are secretly coaching these football teams. In all seriousness though, both teams are missing their QB’s, which makes this difficult to predict. Cam Sexton stunned me by looking like a legit QB for the first time ever. If he plays like that again, UNC should beat a UConn team that hasn’t played anyone good this year.
PICK: UNC 23  UConn 18

6- Illinois @ Michigan.  Well, I said last week that I had no good reason for picking Illinois over Penn St. I was right. There was no good reason, and PSU lit them up. Michigan is coming off a surprising rally over Wisconsin. But the Wolverines still have issues. They turned it over 5x in the first half against the Badgers. I can’t believe I’m picking a Ron Zook coached team 2 weeks in a row, but…
PICK: Illinois 37  Michigan 27

7- Auburn @ Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt is ranked. I’ll say that again. Vanderbilt is ranked!!!!! That hasn’t happened since I was 3 months old, in 1984. And this is no joke. Vandy is a solid team, with a great coach in Bobby Johnson. I never thought I’d say that, nor did I think I’d say that ESPN’s College Gameday will be on-site. Auburn is having problems on offense, but they should win. But you know what…I’m calling upset.
PICK: Vanderbilt 16  Auburn 13

8- Missouri @ Nebraska.  I had a lot of faith in Nebraska last week. They didn’t reward me, losing to VA Tech. VA Tech wasn’t anything compared to Missouri. Chase Daniel and the Tigers are averaging 54 pts per game. Unless Nebraska feeds Mizzou some tainted corn, the fans in Lincoln are in for a long night.
PICK: Missouri 49  Nebraska 27

9- Ohio St @ Wisconsin.  If this was a week ago, I’d totally pick Wisconsin. Then the Badgers found a way to lose to Michigan. That normally wouldn’t be bad, but this is not the same Michigan. Ohio St has Chris Wells back, and Terrelle Pryor looks good under center. The only thing that will be “On Wisconsin” Saturday is a big “L”.
PICK: Ohio State 28  Wisconsin 24

10- Oregon @ USC.  It’s been over a week now, and I still can’t figure out how USC lost to Oregon State. It defies all explaination. Now they get the other team from Oregon. USC can’t go 0-2 against the state of Oregon, can they?
PICK: USC 35  Oregon 24

Last Week: 4-6 40%
For the Year: 34-16 68%

MLB End of Reg Season Power Poll by Kyle Butler

October is here, and so are the playoffs. Before they officially start this afternoon, let’s take a look at the MLB Power Poll through the end of the regular season.

AL EAST:

Tampa Bay: (1)  Divine intervention? Tampa drops “Devil” from team name, ends up in playoffs for first time.
Boston: (4)  Red Sox are beat up, but the defending champs won’t be an easy out in October.
NY Yankees: (9)  The tearing down of Yankee Stadium by this franchise is an absolute disgrace. I’m thrilled they missed the playoffs.
Toronto: (13)  Cito Gaston quietly did a really nice job with Toronto in the 2nd half.
Baltimore: (25)  For some reason, Orioles decided they were a plunger, and went in the toilet in September.

AL CENTRAL:

Chicago WS: (8)  The Pale Hose join the Cubs in the postseason. Question is…will anyone care about the Sox?
Minnesota: (12)  Twins will have nightmares of the Kansas City series all offseason.
Cleveland: (17)  Looking back, if Cleveland hadn’t traded Sabathia, would they have won this division?
Kansas City: (20)  Not finishing in last place for once may have KC fans dancing in the fountains of Kauffman Stadium.
Detroit: (27)  You can come up with whatever excuse you want. The Tigers were a joke in 2008. Period.

AL WEST:

LA Angels: (3)  The deepest rotation of anyone still playing, and a closer who had more saves (62) than the Mariners and Nationals had wins.
Texas: (18)  He slowed down in the 2nd half, but it was a tremendous year (304-32-130) for Josh Hamilton.
Oakland: (19)  Good News: Jack Cust hit 33 HR’s for the A’s. Bad News: Cust struck out 197x, an AL record. Bizarre News: The 197 K’s were only the third most in baseball this year!!!
Seattle: (29)  Like Detroit, M’s had no business being as bad as they were. 101 losses? Pathetic and inexcusable.

NL EAST:

Philadelphia: (5)  Jamie Moyer won 16 gms this year. Not bad for a guy who’s 76 yrs old and throws about half that fast.
NY Mets: (14)  You know Britney’s song “Oops, I Did It Again”? A perfect fit for the Mets, chokers in both of the past 2 seasons.
Florida: (16)  Marlins were one Jorge Cantu HR away from having all four infielders hit over 30 jacks.
Atlanta: (21)  Did anyone think Mike Hampton would be pitching at the end of the year, but Glavine, Smoltz, and Hudson wouldn’t?
Washington: (30)  The only thing worse than the leadership in Washington is the Nationals. Total disaster.

NL CENTRAL:

Chi Cubs: (2)  Is a century of disappointment and torment coming to an end? Cubs are the favorites in the NL.
Milwaukee: (6)  I still think firing Ned Yost was a lousy move, but nothing has stopped CC Sabathia.
Houston: (10)  Don’t expect any Astros players to name their kids “Ike” anytime soon. The hurricane blew away any playoff hopes.
St Louis: (11)  The Cardinals, 4th in the Central, would have won the NL West by 2 games.
Cincinnati: (22)  Dusty Baker has 5 former Cubs from his time in Chicago. They weren’t any good back then. They still aren’t any good now.
Pittsburgh: (26)  Pirates just finished their 16th straight losing season. One more, and they’ll hold the record in all of professional sports.

NL WEST:

Los Angeles: (7)  Manny Ramirez’s Dodger numbers, averaged over a full year, would have read .396-51-159.
Arizona: (15)  Mark Reynolds hit 28 HR’s. That’s great, but D’Backs could have done without the 204 K’s, a new MLB record.
Colorado: (23)  Another disappointment. The NL Champs never got it going in a division there for the taking. 
San Francisco: (24)  Giants hit a measly 94 homers as a team, a number 8 less than the number of walks Barry Zito issued.
San Diego: (28)  Someone needed to put out an APB for the Padres offense. It totally disappeared.

KB’S PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS: (i was actually right last year for a change)

Division Series:
Tampa over White Sox in 3
Boston over Anaheim in 5
Cubs over Los Angeles in 5
Philadelphia over Milwaukee in 4

Championship Series:
Tampa over Boston in 6
Cubs over Philadelphia in 7

WORLD SERIES:
Chicago Cubs over Tampa Bay Rays in 5 games.