* It's the final day of the regular season, as the Phillies start their search for a new manager in 2018. They need to cast a wide net and take their time, although I think the eventual winner will be Lehigh Valley skipper Dusty Warthan..
Mychel Franco hit his 23rd homer of the season last night in a loss to the Mets. He gives you a reason to keep him around another year, knowing he is only 24-years-old and has loads of potential. Seems like he's been around forever. We bitch about the organization not promoting young players soon enough. In Franco's case, maybe he reached Philadelphia too soon?
So, for the most part the kids did well. Crawford, Hoskins, Williams and Alfaro. Kingery is on the way. Don't forget Cozens. As GM Klentak said at the Pete Mackanin "replacement" press conference on Friday, iit's time to move on and look ahead. Hopefully that means the rebuilding process is over, and more emphasis will be made to improve the club via trades and free agency.
The San Francisco Giants have 98 losses. The Detroit Tigers sit at 96 losses, followed by our Phillies at 96 defeats. It looked over the summer like the Phils were assured to get the No. 1 pick in next June's major league baseball draft. Now it's either 2 or 3. Finding a young, stud power pitcher is a must.
It would be nice to see Pete Mackanin get a win today in his final game as manager of the Phillies. He's got a job as Klentak's special assistant, but he can also look elsewhere in baseball for another manager's job. My guess is that he stays with the organization, at least for another year, then bolts for greener pastures when more positions become available.
Look for my player-by-player Phillies wrap-up tomorrow.
* Of course, turnovers are always keys to winning any football game. But the key for the Eagles today in LA when they take on the Chargers is also getting a pass rush on QB Phillip Rivers.
Rivers is good but he is prone to throwing interceptions when he gets flustered. With Fletcher Cox out, Vinny Curry needs to step up. Letting Rivers sit back in the pocket and pick apart the already depleted secondary would be disastrous. Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz needs to blitz and keep the heat on the Chargers all afternoon. Eli Manning brilliantly handling the Birds' rush last week by getting rid of the ball quickly time and time again.
Get the lead and force Rivers to push the ball downfield, hold the ball longer, and allow the pass rush to get sacks and force Rivers into mistakes.
* The playoff match-ups are set.Here are my predictions:
NL Wild Card game- Arizona over Colorado.
The Diamondbacks play at home. They are a dangerous team that should go deep into the playoffs. The Rockies can hit, but the D-Backs are the hot team going into the playoffs.
AL Wild Card game- Yankees over Minnesota.
The Yanks are the hot team as well, giving the Red Sox a run for their money in the AL East. Hopefully the big stage won't be too big for the New Yorkers' young stars. Give the Twins credit- they lost over 100 games in 2016 yet here they are in the playoffs. Good, young team but not ready to advance.
Note: I think the Twins' success this year, along with Andy MacPhail's ties to the Minnesota organization, have spurred the Pihllies to move forward with their own rebuilding process, as they become more active and aggressive in this off-season.
NL Division Series- Cubs over Washington
Everyone thinks the nationals will finally advance. I agree- the Cubs may not be as hungry. I don't think they get back to the series. They survived in NL Central. Washington dominated NL East without a challenge all summer. Advantage Nats?
Not so fast. Washington has to show me first . They are known to choke in the playoffs, their potent offense going cold as the fall weather. These playoffs are so tight, anything can happen, so it wouldn't be a shock if the Nats finally advanced. But I don't think they will.
NL Division Series- Dodgers over Arizona
I know- the Diamondbacks are the hot team and the Dodgers struggled at the end. LA has the home field advantage. I picked LA to reach the World Series way back in spring training, so I gotta stick with them. But it wouldn't surprise me if Arizona pulled the upset.
AL Division Series- Boston over Houston
Neither club set the world on fire at the end. But I picked the Red Sox to make the Series. The Astros struggled in the summer, after building up a huge lead in AL West. They still will finish with over 100 wins. A young team, not ready for the big stage. Boston wins.
AL Division Series- Indians over Yankees
A great series, featuring the red-hot Indians and an up-and-coming Yanks team. I don't think Cleveland will get to the World series again, but they should at least reach the AL Championship Series.
NL Championship Series- Dodgers over Cubs
AL Championship Series- Red Sox over Indians
World Series- Dodgers over Red Sox in seven games.
Subject to change, depending on outcomes. Stay tuned.
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