I’ve got to be honest: If you told me that at the beginning of October, the World Series would feature the Detroit Tigers and San Francisco Giants, I probably would have been less than thrilled. But here we are and I’m thinking we have a shot at something special.
Neither of these teams is perfect, but has some really good stories to follow.
-The Giants have been outstanding in elimination games. With their backs against the wall and a trip home for the winter nearly booked, the Giants are 6-0. It’s that kind of resilience that wins you championships and should be overlooked.
-How about that Marco Scutaro? He had 14 hits in the NLCS to win the MVP. Pretty good when you consider he was basically cast off by the Red Sox last off-season – bet they wouldn’t make that move now. And Scutaro did this after absorbing that brutal take-out slide by Matt Holliday during Game 1.
-The Tigers absolutely dismantled the Yankees. New York could barely get on base against the Tigers starters, and that’s a lineup that has MVP candidates and big contracts from 1-9.
-It wasn’t just Justin Verlander that crushed the Yankees’ dreams either. Both Anibal Sanchez and Max Scherzer were outstanding in Detroit’s sweep. Now let’s see if Detroit’s No.2 and 3 guys can replicate that success against a lineup that can actually hit.
-How will the long layoff that the Tigers had affect them? The last time they made the World Series – back in 2006 against the Cardinals – they had a similar layoff and then were summarily dismissed 4-1. Can they avoid that face this time?
-How about Melky Cabrera? The Giants slugger won’t be playing in the World Series – even after serving out his 50-game suspension – but had a big role in getting San Francisco home-field advantage. He won the all-star game MVP before testing positive for a banned substance. It might not be the fairest of trades, but considering where they are, I’m sure the Giants are just fine with it.
-As for a prediction, the only thing I know for certain is that this one should go seven games. And since the Giants haven’t lost an elimination game yet, it’s probably safer to pick them. But I do fear seeing Verlander pitching three games possibly.