The Columbus Crew Have a Problem and I May Have the Answer.

This was story was originally published in August 2013 just after then new Crew owner Anthony Precourt assumed control of the team. Some folks inquired about re running it in light of the Crew possibly leaving town. Here you go. - Colin

Once again attendance is lagging for the Columbus Crew. As of August 1st, 2013, Frankiln County's hardest working squad rank 14th out of 19 teams in Major League Soccer with an average crowd of 14,775 per match. The team was recently sold to new owner Anthony Precourt and I thought I would offer a simple, and in my opinion, a rather obvious solution to improving attendance for the 2014 season.

Let's use myself and nine year old son Owen as a test case for this study. In the past year we have attended multiply sporting events including OSU football, basketball, baseball, CBJ, Cincinnati Reds, the Memorial Golf Tournament, and countless Clippers games. Yet we haven't bought tickets to a single Crew game. What gives?

It's not like we don't enjoy the Crew experience because we do. We like the stadium, the sport and the team. Recently when we were attending the state fair to catch some pig racing (another sporting event) we parked next to Crew Stadium and Owen said, "Dad, we should go to some more Crew games". I agreed, "Yeah Owen, we should". But when it comes time to pull the trigger I always talk myself out of it and it is easy to pinpoint why..

The Crew doesn't offer any discount for youth tickets.

The cheapest ticket I can buy to a Crew game is $23 on the South endline. Add $10 for parking and Owen and I are already out $56 before one soft drink or dippin' dot has been purchased. If he brings just one friend we are up to 79 smacks. And what if Mom wants to come too? Well, that's just crazy talk. Might as well plan a weeklong trip to Disneyworld at those velocities.  

And here is the thing, I am not a cheap skate. Once committed to an event I am all in. Why even bother to go if you are going to complain about the $8 beers? We all know the score before we walk in the gate. Supply and demand baby. "The Man" knows what that beer is worth and he knows damn well I am going to pay it. And get Owen what he wants too. What's fair is fair. In fact, I actively avoid crowded promotions like 'Dime a Dog'/ 'Buck a Brat' and the like. If I do mistakenly wind up at a stadium on some such night, I would rather pay a full $4.00 for a dog than wait 45 minutes in a line with a bunch of hill-jacks just to save a buck or 3.90. My point being, I am not looking for a bargain, I just need some relative economic value compared to my other family options. I have a little discretionary income to play with, but not enough that I don't have to make some sensible choices. Listen to me, rambling on like Suze Freaking Orman. Anyway...

 Let's address the elephant in the room shall we? The Columbus Clippers. I can get Owen into a Clipper baseball game for just THREE DOLLARS while only paying six bucks for myself. For three bucks I have been known to pile a bunch of his friends in the car just to go down and catch a couple of innings and get some grub. 

Let's get inside the numbers with some complicated "new math".  Try to stay with me.

Crew Game: 2 Adults + 2 Kids + Parking =  $102

Clippers Game: 2 Adults + 2 Kids + Parking = $23

Is a Crew game really $79 better than a Clipper game on the kid fun scale? I won't even bother to answer.

So if attendance is always disappointing, why doesn't the Crew start to offer discounts for youth tickets? 

Occasionally, I'll pose this question when I run into somebody of consequence working in the Crew organization. After some hemming and hawing the answer they seem to suggest is that they want to be perceived as "Major League". Cheap tickets would hurt their brand. Hmm. Ok. Two big problems with this answer.

1) M.L.S. really stands for Minor League Soccer. ESPN has figured this out and started to aggressively push European football covering all sorts of games along with plenty of juicy placements on Sportscenter. Kids like Owen know all about Barcelona, Manchester U. and Messi and so forth. The game has truly gone global so it's too late for MLS to fake it like they have made it. Both the Crew and the Clippers are feeder teams to something greater. Players on both teams aspire leave Columbus in a cloud of dust or just get one last paycheck playing the sport they love. They are both minor league teams. 

2) OK, let's assume the MLS is "Major League". Why do the Cincinnati Reds and Indians offer tickets for $6 and $10 respectively? Last I checked, Major League Baseball is considered pretty "Major League" yet somehow they manage to get kids into the game at a decent price without hurting their brand.  What makes the Crew so smart? What do they know that the Reds, Indians and Clippers don't?

I wish the Crew and new owner Anthony Precourt all the success in the world. I cannot promise Owen and I will be attending any games this season, but we will be keeping an eye on the team from home and Huntington Park. Let's hope they can build the organization back to a Championship level and pack the house night after night with or without my advice. 

Colin Gawel plays in Watershed and owns Colin's Coffee where he runs Pencilstorm in between serving customers. Learn more about him and the other Pencilstorm contributors by clicking here. 

 

2017 NBA Preview - by Ben Galli

Ben Galli files all his stories just before last call on his phone.  Follow him @ bengalli33

So could anyone have predicted this mildly f'ing insane NBA offseason? Since LeBron made the decision in 2012 (a date I remember more than most important things) the NBA offseason action has escalated each year in size, scope, and drama. And it's FANtastic! 

Here's a brief as I can make it rundown off all that transpired between June 12th when the Finals ended and today, Opening Night Eve.

June 19 - Sixers trade for the 1st pick in the draft, the symbolic conclusion to The Process. 
June 22 - Lonzo Ball is spoken into existence as a Laker, the 2nd pick of the NBA Draft. 
June 22 - Timberwolves trade the Bulls for Jimmy Butler, who reunites with his old coach.
June 28 - Knicks fire Phil "The Pill" Jackson, the biggest victory of Melo's Knicks career.
June 28 - Rockets trade half their depth for Chris "Point God" Paul of the L.A. Clippers.
July 6 - Thunder get Paul George in exchange for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis.
July 14 - Celtics sign Gordon Hayward, a skilled small forward from Indiana who's last college game was a heartbreaking loss in the NCAA Title game. Sound familiar?
July 25 - Cavs sign one time wunderkind Derrick Rose, the 2011 NBA MVP (and youngest winner of that award ever).
August 22 - Cavs trade Kyrie Irving to the Celtics for Isiaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, plus a 2018 1st round pick which could end up being number 1 by virtue of the Nets being the Nets.
September 19 - Kevin Durant admits to using a "fake" twitter account to defend Kevin Durant on social media.  Wait, what?
September 23 - Thunder trade Enes Kanter and Doug McDermott (plus a 2nd rounder) to the New York Knicks for Carmelo Anthony.
September 29 - Russell Westbrook signs the largest contract in NBA history on Kevin Durant's birthday.  

The biggest stories of the summer centered around the unexpected redistribution of 5 superstars.  Jimmy Butler to Minnesota, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony to Oklahoma City, Chris Paul to Houston, and Kyrie Irving to Boston (sorry Gordon Hayward).  All of these teams are now contenders, with the Wolves being more of the dark horse variety.

But discussion of the 2017 season, at least at the onset, is going to be just like the discussion last year was.  Can anyone stop Golden State and the Cavs from meeting in the Finals for the 4th consecutive year?  The answer, like the past 3 years, is probably not.  Both teams improved but unfortunately for Cavs fans, the Warriors probably had a better offseason.  Cleveland lost too much when they traded Kyrie Irving for a hobbled Isaiah Thomas who is still recovering from a hip injury and may not play until the All-Star break. 

This is the deepest team the Cavs have had in any of the LeBron seasons but the Warriors didn't lose anyone of note and added arguably better bench options in Nick Young, Omri Casspi, and Jordan Bell, their draft pick.  The Cavs signed Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, Jose Calderon and Jeff Green, sticking 100% to their strict philosophy of never signing young players with upside in favor of past their prime veterans pining for their glory days.

Cedi Osman, a young Turk the Cavs drafted in 2015 is on the roster and qualifies as an asset with upside but he's not actually the game changer the Cavs need to really challenge Golden State.  He'll become a fan favorite but the biggest asset the Cavs own is that 1st round pick they got from Boston (who had Brooklyn's pick) for next year.  If they can move that pick this year for someone like a Boogie Cousins and not lose their new big 3, they could be in business.

But at the same time, conventional wisdom and respect for the long term vision would tell the Cavs to keep that pick.  It looks doubtful that they'll have LeBron James next year so they can look forward to possibly the 1st pick of the 2018 draft or losing that pick in an effort to keep LeBron by going all in on 2017 with no guarantee that would even work.

Even if the Cavs did get someone of Cousins' caliber for that pick, that still may not be enough to truly strike fear into Golden State.  Jae Crowder can't change the entire culture by himself and with the decision to start Dwyane Wade over J.R. Smith, the majority of the Cavs starters are liabilities on defense.  Kevin Love, starting at center, is going to struggle simply from the physical toll of taking on the other team's big man night in, night out.  The Cavs going small ball will help but I think he'll cede minutes to Tristan Thompson which isn't a bad thing in the long run. 

The Cavs have rightfully learned what the Spurs had years ago.  The regular season can leave you battered and bruised and it's better to have your best players fresh and so clean for the playoff run.  Home court advantage doesn't matter anymore in LeBron's Eastern Conference. But it's also not 2012 when a team comprised of James, Wade, Rose, and Love would be considered on par or better than the current Warriors.

Unfortunately, Derrick Rose is probably never going to regain his once indomitable form.  His basic stats looked okay last year but he didn't shoot well, pass well, or defend well.  Wade probably can't be effective for more than 30 minutes a game at age 35.  When you're hoping Jeff Green can regain some of his old form and be formidable off the bench, then you, dear sir or madam or fool, have my utmost sympathetic pity.

But onto some other thoughts about this upcoming season after a summer of such drama and a plethora of story lines that it could rival Game of Thrones (or Dynasty for the old folks in the back).

The Timberwolves will finally do what people thought they would do last year.  I was surprised that a defensive minded coach like Tom Thibodeau of the Wolves would want to get rid of Ricky Rubio who's an incredible facilitator and strong defender with inconsistent offense but picking up Jimmy Butler should easily overcome that.  Butler might be the most underrated and least known superstar in the NBA but he's a leader and team player that should unite a Minnesota team with a lot of potential.  Butler will gain his due this year playing for a coach he loves.

The Chris Paul-James Harden dynamic in Houston will be interesting.  Mainly because Houston gave up so much depth to get the best true point guard in the game, a position interestingly enough that Harden excelled at last year as the MVP runner up.  But both these guys are unselfish and used to playing with players that want the ball so that should work out fine.  The question is will the rest of the Rockets make up for the players lost in the trade for Paul (a total of 5 solid contributors)(okay 4 and Kyle Wiltjer).  It can only remain to be seen.

Will Melo ruin the Thunder?  Melo's like the guy you always love hearing stories about but when he comes over to hang out, everyone's on pins and needles hoping nothing goes wrong.  It was exciting when the Thunder came out of nowhere to land Paul George as it gave everyone's favorite anti-hero Russell Westbrook a formidable partner in crime.  Adding Carmelo Anthony just under a month ago gave the Thunder the NBA's strongest Big 3 and got people to talking.  

But when the ball goes into Melo, it seldom comes out.  Can Anthony play team ball when he's got teammates better than he is and will he give effort on defense?  He'll need to for OKC to be ultra successful but I don't see the motivation for him unless he just wants to make his detractors eat it.  This is a 1 year stop for Melo and much to Westbrook's chagrin, the same can be said for George.

You know what?  Eff it.  I'm going to write this into existence.  The Los Angeles Lakers are going to make the playoffs this year in the West or at the least be in the running.  You're going to see a Poor Man's Version of Jason Kidd, Kevin Durant, and Draymond Green and it's gonna be Showtime 2.0 or as I just thought of calling it ZoTime.  Ball can lead and Brandon Ingram can make the jump and Julius Randle is finally back from nagging injuries in a system where versatility will be endorsed.  

Kyrie, Kyrie, Kyrie.  You got what you wanted.  Better be careful about boat parties though, this isn't Lake Erie anymore.  Have you ever seen "The Perfect Storm"?  The world just might end a few miles off the coast of Boston in the Atlantic Ocean.  And snarking at Cleveland after leaving just seemed extra villainy.  Like, are these guys being handed scripts from the WWE?

Boston will be very interesting this year and are a lot better after gaining Hayward and Irving. I'm excited to see how quickly rookie Jayson Tatum can contribute especially on the offensive end.  They've lost some role players but Brad Stevens is definitely up to the task of finding what works.  Kudos to Danny Ainge (perhaps the most hated player in the NBA until Bill Laimbeer showed up) for the moves but it won't be enough to stop LeBron in vengeance mode.  Can't wait until Kyrie and LeBron square up on some one on one shit.

Oh by the way, the Celtics open the season Tuesday night at 8pm in Cleveland.  (they're playing the Cavs)

Some Predictions:

Eastern Conference

The Contenders (these teams have a chance to win the East, anyone below them has none)

1. Cleveland
2. Boston
3. Washington
4. Milwaukee

Playoffs?! (these teams should be in the playoff mix all year)

5. Miami
6. Toronto
7. Charlotte
8. Philadelphia
9. Detroit

Tank or Die (I kinda like the Ewing Theory with the Knicks but I'd be surprised if any of these teams made the playoffs)

10. Atlanta
11. New York
12. Brooklyn
13. Indiana
14. Orlando
15. Chicago

Western Conference

The Contenders (these are all teams with a shot at the West but mainly if Golden State gets hurt)

1. Golden State
2. San Antonio
3. Houston
4. Oklahoma City
5. Minnesota

Playoffs?! (The West actually got a lot better than the East this year, it's gonna be a bloodbath out there)

6. Portland
7. New Orleans
8. Los Angeles Lakers
9. Denver
10. Utah
11. Memphis
12. Los Angeles Clippers
13. Dallas

Tank or Die (no surprises here)

14. Phoenix
15. Sacramento

MVP - LeBron James
Rookie of the Year - Lonzo Ball
Coach of the Year - Tom Thibodeau
6th Man of the Year - J.R. Smith
Most Improved Player - Brandon Ingram

Prediction:

Warriors over Cavs in 6 - It took a lot to make this even 6 games.  The Cavs are different than last year but it will take a lot and I mean a lot of things to come together for them to fare better against Golden State.  However, the loss in the Finals will not be as difficult to take as the loss of LeBron James soon after.  

Worst MLB Post Season: Tribe or Dusty? Brian Phillips Answers.

Colin G. - Once again both the Cleveland Indians and Dusty Baker can't get it done in the post season. Is there blame to be placed or is that just how the MLB playoffs go?

BP - I think in this case I'll lean with "that's baseball." That 5th inning in D.C. last night especially was truly weird. That said if I had to select one or the other for the hot seat it would be Dusty Baker. I'm guessing patience is starting to wear a bit thin with ownership. They've made multiple pushes to get over the hump and always come up short.  

Tito is a great manager. He did what he could do to put the club in a position to win. Sadly those bats went cold at the wrong time. Losing Edwin Encanarcion for most of the series was a big deal as well. Kluber's performances were head scratchers. I wonder if he's not 100%.

Colin G. - What do you make of the crucial pick off in the Nationals / Cubs in game 5 where the replay showed a clearly safe runner called out for losing contact with the bag for 1/1,000 of a second?

BP - Baseball has painted itself into a corner here. If you put in a rule to prevent that from happening then the video ump is having to decide how far and for how long the player lost contact with the bag. There are many good things about replay, but this isn't one of them and I don't know how to fix it.

Colin G. - Are the Astros the only true under dog? Who should the casual fan pull for?

BP - I get the question, but in my mind the Astros are the team to beat. Nothing but tough outs top to bottom. A rotation built to win in the post season. Good fielders. Good bullpen. I've been watching them beat my Mariners like a gong as Hunter S. Thompson used to say for three years now. I know all too well how great this team is. Adding Verlander pushed them over the top. I'm rooting for good games myself. I don't have a dog in this fight.

Colin G. - Looking ahead, what do you expect in the Championship series?

BP - I always look to the teams who have had the opportunity to set up their pitching. The Cubs went to the limit, the Dodgers have been sitting around. Their pitching is better to begin with. Every night for the balance of the NLCS L.A. will go with a starter better than anyone Chicago can bring. Lester had a good NLDS, but he had a mediocre season. Give me L.A. in five.

The Yankees are in better shape because Girardi did a hell of a job with his pitching in games three through five. Getting all those innings out of Severino in game four allowed them to not have to go nuts running starters out there just to survive. That said I like the Astros in five as well.

Brian Phillips hosts the Morning Show on CD1025 in Columbus, OH

Baver Answers Colin's Questions - Huskers Week

Catch Baver on the CD1025 Morning Show w/ Brian Phillips Friday Mornings at 7:40 am. and follow @baverbuckeyebag

Colin: Before talking Buckeyes, do you think Baker "Money" Mayfield would have planted that flag in Ohio Stadium if he knew Iowa State was going to do him the same way just once month later? How embarrassing was that and why did the Sooners defense that dominated the Bucks with ease give up so many points?

Baver: Yep….humiliating. 7 straight yrs with a loss to a double-digit dog. This time to a 31-point dog. That’s pretty hard to do. That wasn’t the same Baker Mayfield that carved up the Bucks. All those times he found open receivers after being chased by OSU D-linemen? Mayfield overlooked open receivers time and time against Iowa St. As for Sooner defense…similar story. It didn’t look anything like the defense that shut Ohio State down. The short passing game that the Bucks couldn’t get going? Iowa St feasted on OU with their short game. OU did have some key injuries on D, with Emmanuel Beal and Steven Parker missing good portions of the game….but come on, this was Iowa State for heaven’s sake.

Colin: Along those lines, with the improved Buckeye passing game, do you think we would beat the Sooners if the rematch were this week?

Baver: The Bucks probably would win a rematch. The OSU WRs sure look improved. We’ll probably be able to answer that question better after Penn State’s trip to the ‘Shoe in 2 wks.

Colin: Nobody is giving Nebraska any chance in this night game at Lincoln. Sounds like a classic trap game. Is there a scenario where the Huskers pull the upset?

Baver: Nebraska is a team that could probably beat Ohio St if a number of things went right for them. None of OSU’s last four opponents could say that. They got CB Chris Jones (meniscus tear) back for a bit against Wisconsin last Saturday, and he should play more against OSU. When healthy, he is the best defender the Huskers have. But if the Buckeyes let Tanner Lee beat them, God help them. Lee has thrown a league-high 10 picks, and is going to get harassed by Nick Bosa and company all night long. If they get Ohio State in a funk, this could be close, but I don’t think that happens. I like Ohio State 41-13, so I think you lay the 24 pts.

Colin: JT Barrett putting up some huge numbers. Is your confidence in him on the rise?

Baver: To an extent, but again, judgment day is October 28th against the Nits. Kevin Wilson is JT’s 3rd O-coordinator that he has played for. It looks like things are now starting to click a bit, and JT’s got some of his confidence back. Barrett doesn’t throw many picks, and is such an effective runner. And you’d see a big downgrade in those two areas if Haskins were running the show right now. But JT has not played well in big games as of late, and Penn State still looms.

Colin: Is Michigan's offense beyond repair and why hasn't Jim Harbaugh been able to recruit a stud QB?

Baver: That’s a pretty bad offense, isn’t it? Of course, bad play calling, and a minus-5 turnover ratio against Sparty didn’t help matters last Saturday. What is it with Jimmy continuing to throw the ball when he doesn’t need to in big games? It absolutely killed them against Ohio St last year and against Sparty last week. But I wouldn’t necessarily write UM off just yet. As for QB’s, they’ve signed a top-10 QB in the last two classes (Brandon Peters in ’16, Phil Steele’s #8 QB nationally, and Dylan McCaffrey this yr, Steele’s #4 QB). They may turn to Peters at some point, but they are trying to redshirt McCaffrey. Peters is probably behind where UM thought he would be at this point.

Colin: Washington State cracks the top ten. Can they run the table in the Pac 10?

Baver: Maybe, but I doubt it. The Cougs of course have the big one against the Huskies to end the regular season, and that one is on the road. They also have to play at Stanford, and would likely have to probably beat USC again if they make the P12 title game. Still, this is a good Wazzu team, and even if they don’t win the league, they are not going to go quietly.

Colin: Give us an update on your picks to date and any other lines/games you will be keeping an eye on?

Baver: 13-6 against the spread….so good overall, but thought Urban would lay it on against UNLV, and take it a bit easier on two of his ex-assistants in Ash and Durkin…and OSU did the opposite. I like Utah catching 13 on the road at USC. USC has the look-ahead with a much-improved Notre Dame team on deck, while Utah is underrated year-in and year-out. I definitely like Auburn laying 7 on the road against LSU. This is simply not a good LSU team. And I gotta go with Tom Herman’s Longhorns getting 8 1/2 in the Red River Shootout.

Baver Answers Colin's Questions - Terp Week

Colin: OSU has had 3 games against glorified high school teams since Oklahoma gave them a dose of reality. What have we learned over the last 3 weeks?

Baver: You are starting to see the depth this Buckeye team has. The backups, as a whole, didn’t look good against UNLV, but they looked scary good this past Saturday. It didn’t matter that it was against a bad Rutgers team; you could still see the talent all over the field. What else? JT looks more confident, but that confidence may fade in a bigger game. The D-line is probably even better than we thought they would be, if that is even possible. Kendall Sheffield may have Superman’s body, but he isn’t OSU caliber at cornerback, at least at this point. The WRs I think are starting to get there. Urban & Kevin Wilson are really working on the passing game, as they threw the ball all night at Rutgers. They certainly know that the passing game has to get better against real competition. Oh….and Parris Campbell still has all kinds of issues catching the ball. It’s a good thing he runs like a gazelle.

Colin: What chance does this Buckeye team have of challenging top dogs like Alabama and Clemson?

Baver: Not good….unless JT takes some MAJOR strides. Right now, I am worried about Penn State. If they can get the offense in gear against the Nits and post a big win, then I think we revisit this question.

Colin: The six man rotation at wide receiver…am I crazy or is starting to actually make some sense?

Baver: It’s definitely looking better, and Ohio State’s depth as mentioned, will continue to wear teams out. That rotation is starting to grow on me. And so many of these receivers create different problems for defenses. You have the pure speed of Campbell, Binjamin Victor’s long frame, and Terry McLaurin’s devastating blocking ability. Still….these guys still have to prove they can get it done against top-tier D’s. They were overmatched against Oklahoma, but the light at the end of the tunnel is getting a bit brighter.

Colin: The Terps road win over Texas was a fluke, right? How does the OSU-Maryland game play out? 

Baver: Maryland is a yo-yo. You mentioned the upset at Texas. Two weeks ago they hosted Central Florida and lost 38-10. Down to their 3rd QB because of injuries, you write Maryland off, right? The Terps then go on the road as a double-digit dog and beat Minnesota. Maryland may have the best running attack that Ohio State will have faced to date, led by Ty Johnson, a guy that probably has a future in the NFL. You will see the Bucks have a lot of success through the air for the 4th straight week, as the Terps pass defense is pretty bad. Maryland could hang around this week, but in the end I’ve got Ohio State winning 45-17.

Colin: Give us an update on your picks, and what will CD1025’s Brian Phillips’ Wazzu team do for an encore,as they travel to Eugene to face the Ducks?

Baver: 11-5 against the spread so far. I think Maryland plus the 31 is the play against the Bucks if you have to make one, but I’d stay away from that game as the spread looks about right to me. How does Washington St get up for another huge game for the 2nd week in a row? Autzen is always a tough venue to play in but I think the Cougs stays undefeated, and I’d lay the 3 pts against the Ducks.  The Oregon defense may be slightly improved after hefty coordinator Brady Hoke was shown the door after one season, but that Duck defense is still not very good. And I like Miami laying the 3 pts in Tallahassee against a reeling Florida State team. Nole freshman QB James Blackman, the so-called Slim Reaper, is not ready for big-time football at this stage.

Brian Phillips Answers Your MLB Playoff Questions and Predictions

What playoff series are you most interested in watching?

That's a tough one. I think they all hold their own intrigue. Great match ups! If you forced me to pick I'd say Astros/Red Sox. Houston floundered a bit during the dog days when George Springer was on the DL. In September though the bats really heated up. I can't wait to see them face Chris Sale, who really struggled in September. The Verlander trade has worked out very well for them. Great game one match up.

How do you think it will play out?

We'll see how correct I am:

Tribe over Yankees

Astros over Red Sox

Cubs over Nats

Diamondbacks over Dodgers

Championship Round:

Astros over Tribe

Diamondbacks over Cubs

Astros World Champions

All that said I hope I'm wrong. I would love to see Cleveland finish the job. The Astros acquiring Justin Verlander tips the scale slightly toward them. I hope I'm wrong. Obviously the Tribe are very familiar with him. 

Which team is your biggest lock to advance to the next round?

I can't pick against the Tribe, especially after Luis Severino suffered a rare blow up Tuesday in the Wild Card game. I'm sure the Yankees are very concerned that their young ace may not have yet developed the fortitude for the post season stage. I love Cleveland tapping Trevor Bauer in game one. If he suffers one of his meltdowns or cuts his finger playing with Tinker Toys, Cleveland has Corey Kluber to clamp down in game two. The Yanks are countering with former A's hurler Sonny Grey in game one. He's good, but not great. CC Sabathia is set for game two. He had a nice bounce back season, but he's no longer the guy we remember. Do the Yankees turn to Severino or Tanaka in game three? Tanaka gave up 35 bombs this year. 35! I really like the Indians to move on. The bats are just too hot and the pitching matches up nicely

Any upsets brewing?

Current form is important I think. I like Arizona to knock off the Dodgers.  The Diamondbacks played well down the stretch. The trade for J.D. Martinez was the best of the season. He's been raking and is a nightmare for lefties especially. Since returning from the DL meanwhile Clayton Kershaw has been less than himself. After an incredible first half, Alex Wood fell apart in the second. Does anyone ever know what Rich Hill has? If that curve ain't curving he has nothing. Yu Darvish has been very hittable at times. What do Kershaw, Wood and Hill have in common? All lefties. The Dodgers have to keep a lid on Martinez and Paul Goldschmidt. I don't see it happening. The Dodgers won the division handily, but one has to wonder about any team who lost 15 of 16 games as L.A. did late in the year

Any under the radar players you think could have a major affect on any of the series?

An unlikely hero always seems to emerge in the post season. It's a tough question to answer as I write because managers haven't yet locked their division series rosters. The Cubs Tommy LaStella and Albert Almora Junior are both role players who had nice years. They won't play a lot, but I like them as pinch hitters. Almora hits lefties well so I certainly see him starting against Gio Gonzalez in the division series. Arizona veteran catcher Chris Ianetta hit .210 with 7 home runs with Seattle last year. Following "The Law of the Ex-Mariner" the 34 year old turned in a most unexpected offensive season in 2017. 17 home runs. Hit .254. He was swinging it well enough that Arizona was batting him second at times toward the end of the year. He's yet another D-Back who abuses lefties. A tough out of late from an unexpected player. Also of note: His fellow Arizona catcher Jeff Mathis is among the worst hitters in baseball (lifetime .198)... except in the post season. For what it's worth he's hit .417 when it counts most in 23 career playoff at bats.

Brian Phillips hosts The Morning Show on CD1025 in Columbus and plays in multiple fantasy baseball leagues.