2014 Baseball Postseason Predictions from The Big Lead Staff

The Royals and Giants advanced from the Wild Card play-in games, meaning it’s time for the baseball playoffs to get completely underway today with the two American League Division Series. Here are our staff predictions. Enjoy!

ALDS: Orioles vs. Tigers (Best-of-5)

Cardillo: Orioles in four.
Glasspiegel: Tigers in five.
Koster: Tigers in four
McIntyre: Orioles in five.
Lisk: Orioles in five.
Douglas: Tigers in five.
Shamburger: Tigers in five.

ALDS: Angels vs. Royals (Best-of-5)

Cardillo: Royals in five.
Glasspiegel: Angels in four.
Koster: Angels in three.
McIntyre: Angels in four.
Lisk: Royals in five.
Douglas: Royals in four.
Shamburger: Angels in four.

NLDS: Dodgers vs. Cardinals (Best-of-5)

Cardillo: Dodgers in four.
Glasspiegel: Dodgers in five.
Koster: Dodgers in four.
McIntyre: Dodgers in three.
Lisk: Cardinals in four.
Douglas: Cardinals in five.
Shamburger: Dodgers in five.

NLDS: Nationals vs. Giants (Best-0f-5)

Cardillo: Nationals in five.
Glasspiegel: Giants in four.
Koster: Giants in five.
McIntyre: Nationals in five.
Lisk: Nationals in four.
Douglas: Giants in five.
Shamburger: Giants in five.

ALCS (Best-of-7):

Cardillo: Orioles over Royals in six. (MVP: Adam Jones)
Glasspiegel: Tigers over Angels in six. (MVP: Miguel Cabrera)
Koster: Tigers over Angels in seven. (MVP: J.D. Martinez)
McIntyre: Orioles over Angels in six. (MVP: Billy Ripken)
Lisk: Royals over Orioles in six (MVP: Alex Gordon).
Douglas: Tigers over Royals in six (MVP: Miguel Cabrera)
Shamburger: Tigers over Angels in six. (MVP: Miguel Cabrera)

NLCS (Best-of-7):

Cardillo: Dodgers over Nationals in seven. (MVP: Matt Kemp)
Glasspiegel: Giants over Dodgers in six. (MVP: Hunter Pence)
Koster: Dodgers over Giants in six. (MVP: Clayton Kershaw)
McIntyre: Nationals over Dodgers in six. (MVP: Stephen Strasburg)
Lisk: Cardinals over Nations in six (MVP: Matt Carpenter)
Douglas: Giants over Cardinals in seven (MVP: Madison Bumgarner)
Shamburger: Dodgers over Giants in six. (MVP: Clayton Kershaw)

World Series (Best-of-7):

Cardillo: Dodgers over Orioles in six. (MVP: Clayton Kershaw)
Glasspiegel: Tigers over Giants in seven. (MVP: Miguel Cabrera)
Koster: Tigers over Dodgers in five. (MVP: Ian Kinsler)
McIntyre: Orioles over Nationals in seven. (MVP: Chris Davis)
Lisk: Royals over Cardinals in seven. (MVP: Don Denkinger)
Douglas: Tigers over Giants in five. (MVP: Miguel Cabrera)
Shamburger: Dodgers over Tigers in five. (MVP: Clayton Kershaw)

How many innings of baseball will you watch this month. (Yes, a call-back to the Hard Pass Podcast No. 4)

Cardillo: 175+ Depending how far the Tigers advance.
Glasspiegel: Does watching the games on mute on the second screen count? If so, a lot.
Koster: I will watch every inning of baseball because my actual age is 78 and no one has ever sent me a Nielsen link.
McIntyre: Five, maybe four.
Lisk: Every game that the Royals are in, so a lot? (I’m also going to shoot off fireworks after each victory and over-celebrate). Day games and late innings of other night games after kid activities on weeknights otherwise.
Douglas: 114 1/3 and I already know which ones.
Shamburger: At least 5-6 of every game.

What is your favorite thing that happened in 1985, aside from the Royals winning the World Series?

Cardillo: 1.21 Gigawatts, duh.

Glasspiegel: Bowling for Soup’s throwback homage.
Koster: My favorite thing that happened in 1985 happened 20 years later when Bowling for Soup wrote a song about it.
McIntyre: Since I can’t use a Back to the Future reference, this song, followed by this movie scene:

Lisk: Since I am too old to know what Bowling for Soup is, and was actually around, I’ll say the road trip to Disney World, and no I am not posting the pictures of me in short shorts and striped socks to my knees, but mainly because that would require me to search for it.

Also, this person made their debut on the Tonight Show, which I remember watching at my grandparent’s house.

Douglas: I was two so the Royals winning the World Series is the only thing I remember.
Shamburger: I was also two so I’ll just go with 1.21 Gigawatts.

How many bunts will Ned Yost call for over the next month?

Cardillo: 22
Glasspiegel: 12
Koster: Ned Yost will call for one bunt and many people will make clever jokes on Twitter.
McIntyre: Four.
Lisk: Let’s see– I’ve got 18 more games x 5, so roughly 90. A couple of them will be Aoki doing it on his own, though, so let’s make sure not to over-credit Yost.
Douglas: He will call for many, but how many will actually be delivered? No one can answer that question.
Shamburger: Enough to make people on Twitter pissed off.

After the final out of the World Series, baseball will be? a) alive b) dead c) on life support or d) none of the above.

Cardillo: “E”
Glasspiegel: “D”
Koster: Baseball will be alive and poised to recapture America’s heart once aga–gotta run, have to look at my fantasy football league’s waiver wire.
McIntyre: Nursing a hangover.
Lisk: Hurting like the night after a huge nacho helmet.
Douglas: Baseball, like America, will endure.
Shamburger: We’ll all watch again next October.