The Hunt for Red October: A Tragedy

I don't want to say a lot, but I thought maybe there'd be some catharsis in processing a little of what happened in the NLDS last week.  My fellow Reds fans and I are picking up the pieces, and since I made the mistake of really believing in their chances (especially after bringing a 2-0 lead back from San Francisco) it's a pretty sour taste in my mouth.  Anyway, as you'll see, I have at least one more horse in the race.  Maybe I'll follow up on that later and see how I end up, but just a snapshot of my predictions so far show me why I never put money on anything.

MY PREDICTIONS (Revisited):

World Series:  Rangers 4, Reds 2

So my World Series prediction was... wrong.  I did at least pick playoff teams, and even going into Game 5 of the NLDS I made myself believe in the Reds.  Guess I learned my lesson.  Back to negativity, and anything good that ever happens to the Reds in my lifetime will just be a pleasant surprise.  The Rangers finished their collapse a week earlier, and their uncertainty with free-agent Josh Hamilton suggests their door is less open than Cincinnati's.  Maybe I'll have better guesses next year, and maybe I'll even pick the Reds again once my disappointment subsides.  Todd Frazier emerged as Scott Rolen's heir-apparent at third base, sadly emphasizing Rolen's underachievements in the playoffs.  Frazier filled in at first during Votto's injury, though, and the team managed to look good without their star.  He was also responsible for my best memory at GABP this season: with the Reds hosting the Braves in Chipper Jones' last series in Cincinnati, Frazier walked up to the plate to a Sinatra tune and lined a walk-off homer.  The place was electric.

MVPs: Curtis Granderson and Andrew McCutchen

I'm not going to fact-check myself, but I don't think there are any MVPs with averages as low as .232, which was Granderson's line this year.  In the MVP discussion last year, he added 3 more homers (43 vs. 40) at the expense of 30 points off his average (.262 last year).  Not a great bargain.  McCutcheon was actually in the hunt for the batting title and led the NL in hits.  I felt pretty good about this guess but it looks like McCutchen and Posey were trending in opposite directions at season's end.

Cy Youngs: Justin Verlander and Tim Lincecum

With Lincecum pitching out of the bullpen against my Reds and coming of a season leading the NL in losses and runs allowed, I didn't make the safe prediction I thought I did.  Verlander, though, may redeem me.  He looks virtually unhittable in the playoffs, and he's riding momentum that started in the final weeks of the season.