MLB: Championship Series Preview

One round down, and two to go! The MLB playoffs are proving once again that baseball is fun, although haters may still cling to the suggestion that we do away with the regular season altogether. From my previous posts, I went 3-1 on predicting winners of a series, and then perfectly picked the Tigers winning their series with the Yankees in 5 games. Here are my thoughts for the upcoming championship series.

Matchup: Detroit Tigers (95-67) vs. Texas Rangers (96-66)

Breakdown: The Tigers are fresh off of a fairy tale series win over the Yankees, and they are definitely flying high. Justin Verlander proved to be very good in the series, and the combination of Max Scherzer/Doug Fister provided the extra boost to pull the Tigers over the top. Most of the offense came from a surprising source: midseason pickup Delmon Young, as he had a great power stroke going to right field, hitting two such home runs at Yankee Stadium. The Tigers' power hitters - Young, AL MVP candidate Miguel Cabrera, and Victor Martinez - will need to keep that opposite field power going at the Ballpark in Arlington if they hope to keep with their winning ways. However, they will have to take down the undoubted remaining favorites in the Texas Rangers. The Rangers played the role of the midnight clock perfectly in the division series - turning the World Series hopes of the Cinderella story Tampa Bay Rays into pumpkin pie in three games after getting hit in the mouth by rookie pitcher Matt Moore in Game One. Now, the rested Rangers only need to continue their recent formula for success and they can reach their second consecutive World Series. The Rangers throw out a slew of young strikeout pitchers, and their lineup is filled with power hitters who work opposing pitchers for very tough at-bats consistently. The Rangers would have to hit some pretty serious speed bumps to be ousted from their apparent collision course with the World Series.

Key Players: Again for the Tigers, the key to this series lies in the hands of the secondary starters. Verlander has shown his Cy Young chops off in these playoffs already and will be called upon at every possible chance, but Doug Fister and Max Scherzer will need to have carbon-copies of their division series performances to provide the Tigers with more pitching stability. For the Rangers, I think the studly hitting by Adrian Beltre needs to continue. While the Hall of Fame buzz may be a bit premature, his 3-homer day really shows how amazing he can be when he's locked in. Beltre, along with Josh Hamilton, Michael Young, and Nelson Cruz, needs to bring the wood again when being pitted against some dirty strikeout Tigers pitchers.

My Pick: Rangers in 6

Matchup: St. Louis Cardinals (90-72) vs. Milwaukee Brewers (96-66)

Breakdown: The glass slipper is still firmly on the sole of the St. Louis Cardinals, as their Cinderella wild card run is alive and kicking into the NLCS. However, the prayers of St. Louisans will be upon Albert Pujols and...not much else. And Pujols has been getting some "empty calories" hits, as he hasn't really been performing when it really matters. However, between him, Yadier Molina, and a hopefully-resurgent effort from Matt Holliday, there is definitely the potential to break out for some big games. The Brewers, on the other hand, played well, and more importantly, hit well in their division series win against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ryan Braun was amazing for Milwaukee, and Prince Fielder didn't play that bad himself. Yovani Gallardo pitched well in both Game One and Five, and the Brewers will need him to repeat that in this series. This NL Central matchup in the NLCS is very interesting, especially considering the bad blood shown between the two teams throughout the regular season. The main matchup to watch: hothead Nyjer "T-Plush" Morgan against Chris Carpenter. T-Plush has already spoken out against Carpenter via Twitter, and it will be interesting to see if Carpenter continues to get his goat in this series.

Key Players: The Cardinals need to hit. Plain and simple. The keys in this series will be the Cardinals 3-4-5 hitters: Albert Pujols, Lance Berkman, and Matt Holliday. If they can step up and get some clutch hits, then they can definitely hang with the Brewers. The Brewers' missing component has been starting pitching. Neither Zack Greinke nor Shawn Marcum faired too well in their only starts of the division series, but they will need to show up in a big way to give some defensive support to back the Brewers potent lineup. Also, a dark horse in this series could be both the Brewers' and Cardinals' sub-par defense - they were both among the bottom 10 in the majors for team errors in the regular season.

My Pick: Brewers in 7

Baseball Playoffs - NLDS Preview

After taking a look at the American League side of things, here's my thoughts on the National League Division Series:

Matchup: St. Louis Cardinals (90-72) vs. Philadelphia Phillies (102-60)

Breakdown: The Cardinals are one of the hottest teams in baseball right now after their amazing September run to win the NL wild card. The presence of Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday, and a resurgent Lance Berkman in the middle of the lineup is always a threat, and Chris Carpeneter is as reliable of a starter as any team has. However, they will have to take down Goliath in the Phillies. Philadelphia has a very balanced offense, featuring Jimmy Rollins, Shane Victorino, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard - I mean the weapons are there. And with any semblance of an offense, the murderer's row of pitchers Roy Halladay/Cliff Lee/Cole Hamels/Roy Oswalt will take over and completely dominate.

Key Players: For the Cardinals, they need another starter to step up and match the strong starting pitching of Philly. Therefore, between Kyle Lohse, Jaime Garcia, or Edwin Jackson, someone needs to step in and pitch the game of their life for the Cardinals to really have a chance in this series. On the Phillies side of this, the only question mark really comes in when the stud starters leave the game, so the key players are going to be Brad Lidge, Antonio Bastardo, and Ryan Madson. It will be up to them to finish out these games, unless of course the starters go all 9 innings.

My Pick: Phillies in 3

Matchup: Arizona Diamondbacks (94-68) vs. Milwaukee Brewers (96-66)

Breakdown: After emerging victorious from the NL West, the Diamondbacks are pit against a pretty solid team in the Brewers. Arizona is pretty top-heavy: their ace, Ian Kennedy, is a Cy Young contender, and their stud hitter Justin Upton has been in the MVP race all season. However, the rest of the roster has been nothing if not prone to hot streaks, and a streaky team can definitely fall on its face in the playoffs. Milwaukee has a very balanced team, on the other hand: they can hit for power, they have team speed, and their starting pitching can carry them. Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, and Rickie Weeks provide the fun with home runs, and Yovani Gallardo and Shawn Marcum team with my unashamed man-crush Zack Greinke as a huge reason why the Brewers finished as a top 5 team in strikeouts.

Key Players: The key to Arizona's success will lie in the hands of the secondary guys. The D-Backs have a group of surprising players this year who have the potential to join Upton in carrying this team: Chris Young, Ryan Roberts, Miguel Montero, Paul Goldschmidt, and Aaron Hill. If any combination of these players can show up in this series, they have a great shot at matching the Brewers' firepower. The critical cog in the Brewers machine is centerfielder and lead-off man Nyjer Morgan. If "T-Plush" can get on base, steal some bases, and just be a nuisance to the Diamondbacks' pitchers, that could totally open up the floodgates for Braun, Fielder, and the rest of the Brewers' power bats to take over this series.

My Pick: Brewers in 4

Baseball Playoffs - ALDS Preview

Much like hockey or basketball, the general populace doesn't care about the MLB until it comes to September/October. However, after the excitement of Wednesday night (quite possibly the best night of baseball in my entire life), I think it's safe to say that baseball is back! In case you were living under a rock (or just living regularly anywhere other than Boston, Tampa, St. Louis, or Atlanta), last night featured 4 must-win games to secure the final playoff spot in both the American League and the National League for the start of today's playoffs.

To make a long story short, and to turn great suspense and theater into a dull summary, my beloved Braves completed their month-long choke job at the hands of the hated Phillies in 13 innings, while the Cardinals thwomped my hometown Astros to secure the NL wild card. Overall, not a great night for teams I root for. On the AL side of things, the Red Sox choked away the biggest September 1st lead in MLB history by losing in heartbreaking fashion to the previously-irrelevant Orioles, only to have the Tampa Bay Rays come from 7 runs down in the bottom of the 8th inning to win in 12 innings and punch their ticket to the playoffs.

With those great games as well as the regular season as a whole in the past, we head to October. Here's my thoughts going into the American League Division Series.

Matchup: Tampa Bay Rays (91-71) vs. Texas Rangers (96-66)

Breakdown: The Rays are hot off their sizzling September, and they seem to be playing at their absolute best. If they can play their best baseball for the duration of this series, they can absolutely win it. Between James Shields, David Price, and Jeremy Hellickson, the Rays can really reduce some offenses to rubble. They'll definitely need to do that going up against the buzzsaw known as the Rangers offense: they have 3 players with 30 home runs (Adrian Beltre, Mike Napoli, and Ian Kinsler), and that doesn't include former MVP Josh Hamilton, masher Nelson Cruz, and 34-year old hitting machine Michael Young. Needless to say this series will be strength against strength.

Key Players: For Tampa, their struggles are going to come at the plate. The linchpin for the Rays machine, in my opinion, is BJ Upton. If he can come out hot, steal bases, hit home runs, and be a focal point of the offense, then that will put that team in the best position to succeed. For Texas, the key spot of their team has to be the bullpen. The offense almost always clicks, and the starters are a herd of young, power arms that can stretch into the 7th and 8th innings pretty consistently. Once they reach the final, clutch innings, it's going to be interesting to see if Koji Uehara, Mike Adams, and Neftali Feliz can slam the door shut or if they let this surprising Rays team back into a few games.

My Pick: Rangers in 5

Matchup: Detroit Tigers (95-67) vs. New York Yankees (97-65)

Breakdown: The Tigers are the survivors of a pretty bad AL Central division. No other team out of the Central finished above .500, so their record is a little deceiving since they got to beat up on those rivals so much. However, ace pitcher and Cy Young-in-waiting Justin Verlander is the real deal, and his gaudy pitching stats would undoubtedly still be very impressive even if he was in the cutthroat AL East. Their offense is good enough, featuring MVP candidate Miguel Cabrera. However, the Yankees definitely have the better offense in this series: Robinson Cano, Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and the gang have been here before - and they know every trick in the book. However, pickings are slim among the pitching staff for quality playoff arms, so the onus is on CC Sabathia to provide ace-type stuff.

Key Players: For the Tigers, the crux to winning the series lies with...Doug Fister. The 6'8'' starter has pitched lights-out since being brought over from Seattle at the trade deadline, and if he can wheel-and-deal like he has, he could provide the necessary third win to go along with Verlander's inevitable two starts in the series. As for the Yankees, there is an all points bulletin out in The Bronx for another ace. The Yankees astronomical payroll has managed to bring....Ivan Nova as the #2 and AJ Burnett/Freddy Garcia/Bartolo Colon as some conglomerate of the rest of the series. If any of these four pitchers can step up to the big-time and provide a bridge to the ageless "one-pitch wonder" Mariano Rivera in the 9th inning, the Yankees can sidestep a potential pothole in Detroit on their road trip to the World Series.

My Pick: Tigers in 5

The Other Half of The Sing-Off Bracket

Another week, another group of 8 a cappella groups going up against each other in a contest replete with bow-ties, sparkly sequined dresses, and more hair product than Conan O'Brien uses in a year's time. Or maybe...a week's time? Regardless, here's the look at this week's performances:

Dartmouth Aires - This season's Beelzebubs! An all-male group of quirky, high-energy Ivy Leaguers, they also feature the best lead on this side of the bracket. I absolutely loved their rendition of "Higher Ground" by Stevie Wonder, and they are my favorites of their foursome, easily. They also have a secret weapon: a Janelle Monae look-alike. But seriously...exact doppelganger.

Pentatonix - A quintet that has three all-star-caliber members: their lead has an amazingly solid tone to his voice, their bass is one of the most capable in the show (no barber shop walk-downs for him), and then their beatbox is incredible. He's a former YouTube star (they showed a video of him beatboxing while playing cello), and definitely can handle some cool tempo changes. The other two members are average or maybe above-average, but nothing special.

Messiah's Men - Refugees from Liberia (now based in Minneapolis), their sound is just plain gospel/african. From the first note I wanted to like them so much. With a song like "People Get Ready," there was definitely a chance for this to be a church sermon, but instead it seemed like too much of the same thing. I'm sad to say that I didn't like it that much. I'm not that bummed that they're out.

Sonos - They're definitely a group of musician's musicians, with a really great new-wave type of beatboxer. The chemistry among their sound wasn't incredible, especially because they have a male bass, and then three female voices in the same range - and nothing in between. The judges all pointed this out, and I'm really satisfied with the opinions the judges (Shawn Stockman, Ben Folds, and Sara Bareilles) are giving. I think they're the best panel in all vocal reality shows.

The Collective - Nashville band that seems like a complete aggregate of unique styles. They sang the now-overplayed "Rolling In The Deep," and I didn't like the lead's range - she sounds really good low, but really doesn't have a nice upper register. It seems like a group full of lead singers though, so I wonder why they chose her for the first showing.

Soul'd Out - This season's high school group, which already has me tentative. They chose "Aquarius" from Hair - which I saw on Broadway. Let me just say - this one was a much more PG-rated version. The lead guy at the end during the breakdown has a pretty good voice, but the group is just too young and not comfortable on the stage. I doubt that two of the guys were actually in high school - I still don't grow as much facial hair as they were flossin'. No surprise on the elimination here, however, in two years these guys could be superpowers in a cappella.

North Shore - This year's Jerry Lawson doo-wop quintet, which were some of my favorites from last season. They sang "Run-Around Sue," and I think it was a great song choice. I was surprised by their lead's range; he actually showed off a great voice. The chemistry of the group is obvious, and it really fits the genre. Their uniforms made it seem like they were a bowling league team that sang together on the side. Also, Nick Lachey's Italian impression was...ridiculous. There are no words.

Deltones - A "Voices of Lee"-style, they've got a family feel to their group. Their lead is piercing, and it felt like it was a brief glimpse into her life through her eyes. That's a really special connection to establish with a crowd, and it definitely made the performance pop for me. She had some runs that surprised me, but they still worked. I think she's the second-best lead of the night, just a tad behind the lead from Dartmouth.

The Sing-Off, Round 3

Here's my thoughts on each group's performances in the premiere of NBC's "The Sing-Off":

Yellowjackets - The boys from Rochester University came out with fire! I really enjoyed the groove they had, but their lead vocalists were a bit too shaky. That could be because they went first, but the music major black dude came in and killed the bridge. I kind of want them to be a mix between last season's winners Committed and the fun-loving On The Rocks.

Fannin Family - A group of 8 siblings, their harmonies fit together so well. However, they have the youngest girl (14 years old) singing lead, and I thought she left a little bit to be desired. It's a shame they're voted off so quickly, but give that young'un some time to mature and they could win a later season of this thing.

Afro-Blue - I really like the chemistry running through the entire band. They fit so well, and it's a really deep, complex sound - you can tell that they're music majors. Props to the white girl in the R&B/jazz ensemble at the previously-all-black Howard University. Girls got cajones.

Delilah - Another shot at redemption for some previously-rejected Sing-Off girls. The lead has the best female voice I've heard on the show in recent memory, and as a group they utilized the quiet dynamic that only a small theater provides.

Urban Method - A hip-hop group from Denver, they're definitely the most dark and edgy group that's been on the show to date. I'm not sure how much I liked it.

Cat's Pajamas - They're from Branson, Missouri - which means that they're consummate professional showmen. A group of 5, they're a little smaller, but everyone can really sing, and they have the concept of teamwork. There isn't really a nice bass tone to the group, but they've got the high register down pat. Also, Sara. Bareilles. Is. Awkward. Such a shame that they were sent home early.

Kinfolk 9 - What a name! Los Angeles natives, it seems that they think they've got the secret weapon in their rockin' lead singer (a la Street Corner Symphony from Season 2), but I thought his voice and performance leaves something to be desired. I think that this is a group who could learn a thing or two from Delilah's usage of musical dynamics. I definitely thought they were the weakest of their foursome, and I can't see them outperforming everyone else for very long.

Vocal Point - Mormon alert! The boys from Provo are completely G-rated and family-friendly, but they definitely aren't boring. I love the lead, he had a great energy to him and so did the whole group that just leaves a good taste in your mouth. I loved the self-aware uniform from the guys: white shirts and skinny black ties.

Best of all: this is only half of the performing groups! Next week is apparently all new people, and I'm pumped to see the other side of the bracket! What a good show, this definitely has been worth the wait.

Getting Geeked Up For Glee

Since I heralded FOX's "Glee" as my sleeper pick for best fall show in my last blogpost, I figured that I should take a closer look at some aspects of the show that I think are being overlooked. Here are a few thoughts:

- Chord Overstreet, the actor who played Sam "Troutie Mouth" Evans, is leaving the cast. Not a huge blow to the show, especially after hearing that Kurt's boyfriend, actor Darren Criss, is being promoted to full-time regular. However, given how the finale showed Sam and Mercedes together, it will be interesting to see how this will be weaved into the plot. Overstreet had been given an option to be in a six-episode arc on the show with a chance to come back for the rest of the season. I can't blame him for rejecting that feeble offer - he filled a niche last season as being the "cool" guy after Puck went gaga for his "fat-bottomed girl." Sam brought a baller aspect to the guy-half of the group that Finn just can't pull off (see: Justin Bieber episode).

- Speaking of Finn, I discovered recently how old actor Cory Monteith (who plays Finn) actually is: 29. I understand that this happens fairly often in the acting community, but I thought that this is a little ridiculous. He's almost twice as old as the character he's playing, and he looks like it too! I found this fact to be just a bit unnerving, and I'm curious how it will change the way I look at Finn as he goes into his "senior year" in high school. Right.

- I didn't watch the reality show "The Glee Project," but the Oxygen channel's attempt at bottling the "American Idol" mojo serves as a feeder into Glee. The top two finishers (Damian McGinty and Samuel Larsen) will have a 7-episode stint on the show, while the 3rd and 4th finishers will be on for two episodes each. This will be interesting, considering that these winners could possibly do well enough to earn a permanent spot on the show. Just something to keep in mind.

- Terri Schuester, Will (Matthew Morrison)'s crazy ex-wife, is no longer going to be making random appearances on the show. This, coupled with the second half of Season 2 showing Will and guidance counselor Emma Pillsbury getting close leads me to believe that Season 3 will be a green light for the Will-Emma relationship. This seems like a good thing, since Terri never came off as significant to Will's day-to-day life, and hopefully the main antagonist of the show will remain dynamite villain Sue Sylvester (Jane Lynch) for a long, long time.

I only recently came back to my Glee crush, and I realize that I approached it with the bar set low. I'm looking forward to the premier this week, as lame as that sounds, and hopefully this season doesn't disappoint a little higher expectations.

Fall TV Season Preview

The dog days of summer having wreaked havoc on the grass here in Houston. Seriously, H-Town has been dryer than Jay London's sense of humor. In addition to being light on rain, this summer has been pretty tame in terms of must-see television. However, there are quite a few televised events that are coming up that qualify (for me) as Must-See TV. Here's a look:

Baseball Playoffs, NFL Season, NCAA Football Season

Thankfully, God has rained sports manna down from heaven for fans across the nation: baseball games that matter, America's favorite sport, and a place for the people of Nebraska to go on Saturdays (namely, Memorial Stadium in Lincoln - the largest city in Nebraska when completely filled). The MLB playoffs are wild and crazy during the division series round, and from there the "Team of Destiny" stories help carry the suspense from game to game. The NFL, through only a week of regular season action, already has regained its stranglehold on Sunday activities. And for the cities and regions with a strong college football presence, fandom is crazier than that of the pro game, the week is spent trash talking with friends and neighbors, and lots of crow promises to be eaten throughout the season.

Jersey Shore
(MTV, in progress)

The 4th season of Jersey Shore is underway, as we observe The Guido Gang's adventures in Florence (or Firenze, for all native Italians scoring at home). So far, I think this season has been the best since the original season, and the language and culture barrier have provided the plot with enough twists and turns to make the show interesting again, which had been lost in seasons 2 and 3.

How I Met Your Mother
(CBS, premieres Sept. 19)

Entering the alleged penultimate season in the series' schedule, the show still seems to be miles away from its ending. It is my (shared, I'm sure) opinion that the final clip of the final episode of the series should be Ted meeting the future mother of his children, but there is nothing that leads me to believe that that can be anytime soon. This is my favorite sitcom on TV right now, and I love the cast top-to-bottom, especially Neil Patrick Harris and Jason Segel.

Glee
(Fox, premieres Sept. 20)

Say what you will about "the gayest show on television," but after recently getting caught up on the dram-com (just made that word up), I reinforced an opinion that I was wavering on: the out-of-this-world soundtrack more than makes up for the ridiculous-at-times plot structure. Look no further than the Justin Bieber episode (actual title - "Comeback") or the "Funeral" episode to see some amazing songs performed by amazing singers. I'm surprised to hear myself recommend this, but Glee is my sleeper pick for best show of a star-studded fall schedule.

Modern Family
(ABC, premieres Sept. 21)

I'm new to the Modern Family bandwagon. I just discovered it about two months ago, and absolutely ripped through the old episodes, all the while laughing like a school girl at the mayhem induced by the complicated family structure. My favorite characters have to be Phil and Mitchell, but really it's the same as choosing your favorite child: you go with the one whose coat-tails you can ride to fame. Or so I'm told.

The Sing-Off

(NBC, premieres Sept. 19)

The Sing-Off, a reality show-adaptation of the ever-popular Glee, has quickly risen in two seasons to be my favorite vocal-centric reality show (there are surprisingly quite a few shows that fit this rather specific category). They've made a great (in my opinion) personnel change in letting go of the Pussycat Dolls' Nicole Scherzinger and bringing in former a cappella groupist and pop darling Sara Bareilles to take over the female presence in the panel. The mix of eccentric personalities (so many faux-hawks!), attire (so many vests!), and choreography (so many jazz hands!) with the strong presence of popular, catchy tunes makes for fun, guilty pleasure TV. Plus, it's practically designed to make you fall in love with the contestants. The Sing-Off is my most-anxiously-awaited show, and I guarantee that if you try it, you won't be disappointed.

Upcoming shows on the horizon:
Mad Men (early 2012), NBA (currently locked out, TBA)