MLB Bans Hazing, as Should All of Society

For once, baseball is not stuck in the past

I recently read that the MLB has put into motion a rule that will ban all hazing for rookies in the majors. I cannot tell you how happy this makes me. Hazing is a mean, dirty, dehumanizing, disgusting, any other bad thing you can think of, a thing that is extremely archaic. Just the idea of hazing alone is quite upsetting. I mean, to demean someone because you are a few years older than someone is so stupid and childish. What has hazing ever proved, except that it is terrible?

There has never been a story about a hazing that was in good fun, or that guys were laughing and cheering each other on when they got hazed. Sure, the goofy hair cut thing, and small stuff like that may be funny for 5 minutes, but after that, why do they make that person continue on with the weird hairdo or clothes? I ask again, what does that accomplish?

The most regular stories we hear about hazing always seem to end terribly. People are put through horrible, horrible things, that can sometimes even lead to death. When I hear these stories, I get both upset and angry. I feel terrible for the person being hazed, for all the embarrassment they have to go through and, in the small case where someone loses their life, I feel horrible for their family. The hazing makes me upset because it is so barbaric. It is such an unnecessary practice that does not prove strength in one and weakness in another. Spoiler alert, if you are older and bigger than someone, you should not have to haze them to prove your strength. You should already be established as someone that is older and bigger. You do not need to shave someone's head or tape them to a wall or, even something as small as, filling their car with popcorn. It is just dumb.

Recently the hazing has gotten really, really awful, especially in sports. Why do athletes feel the need to degrade a fellow athlete that just happens to be younger than them? I ask for a third time, what does this prove?

The main hazing lately seems to be dressing men as women. First off, why is this a hazing tradition? Men dress as women every year for Halloween. It is almost expected. But, especially in current America, this is incredibly disrespectful to men that may identify as female, or females that identify as male. There are a lot of people out there right now that are grappling with their own sexuality and their own personal sex, and pro athletes think it is funny to make rookies dress like females? What a bunch of garbage.

No matter how far we may have come along as a society, we still act as if we live in the 50's or 60's. Just look at the recent election. I'm not going to go into great depth on it, but dumbass people, who will get totally screwed over, voted for an even bigger dumbass, with no government experience, and this monster probably thinks that hazing is hilarious. That alone should be enough for people to be disgusted by the prospect of hazing.

But, for some reason, when the country looks like it is taking a step forward, we take 2 giant steps back. We had a great 8 years of an Obama presidency, and now, we will be the biggest joke of a country in a little over a month when Voldemort takes office. But, at least the MLB is trying to take a step forward and push away from past and bring its game into the present. 

Baseball seems to be trying to get away from its checkered past with this new rule. Major league baseball does not have a solid history when it comes to being ahead of the times. They were one of the last sports to be integrated. It took the MLB forever to hire an African American manager. It also took forever for front offices to hire people that were not white. But, they are at the front of trying to ban hazing, and that is a good first step for them. I really hope this catches on in all major professional sports leagues, and trickles al the way down to high school and even lower levels than that.

Hazing needs to be banned all across everything, in my opinion. There is no place for hazing in the modern US, and yes frat boys, I'm speaking to you morons too. That is one of the main problems with hazing. When I think of it, or hear stories about hazing, I immediately think of fraternities, and that is a damn shame. Frats and sororities, and any other group of people that force you to pay, then haze you, to be in their "club" is stupid and pointless. But, that is just my opinion. 

Good for you though MLB. I love that they are taking a stand against what is the highest form of bullying. Hazing does not belong in sports, or any other form of life for that matter, and I'm glad that people are aiming to put a stop to this nonsense. Let's hope this catches on everywhere.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He thinks the second best thing MLB has done this week is get rid of the idiotic "All Star Game" means something garbage. Looking good MLB. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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The MLB Awards Give the Cubs No Respect

Maybe that World Series trophy will make up for the lack of any other awards.

With the MLB handing out their yearly awards, I have to say that I am shocked by the minuscule amount the Cubs players have won. Now, that is not to say that the people who won certain awards were not deserving, but the fact that Kris Bryant, who did win the NL MVP, is the only big winner is an absolute shock to me. So, I decided that I wanted to look deeper into this, and put my feelings on the page today.

Let's first look at the manager of the year awards. Terry Francona, in the AL, was a home run pick. He led a very undermanned Indians team to one win away from being the champs. They had a great pitching staff, but casual baseball fans, such as myself, can you name more than one positional player? I know Coco Crisp, because he has a kick ass name, and Rajai Davis, but that is it, and with Davis, I only knew him after he blasted that home run in game 7. Francona did an incredible job. That was a much deserved win for him.

But, the fact that Joe Maddon did not win NL manager of the year is ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, Dave Roberts did an incredible job in LA, especially when Kershaw went down for a long stretch of time, but Maddon was the manager of the best team in baseball all year long. The Cubs won 103 regular season games, by far the most in the majors. The Cubs were virtually unstoppable all season long. They never really had any dips throughout a very long regular season. They were consistently dominant. I know people will say that he made some weird choices in the playoffs and world series, but the manager of the year is a regular season award, and no one was better than Maddon. He did an exceptional job. I was floored when I saw that he did not win the award. I'm sure he doesn't care, he helped break a 108 year curse and won a ring, but he was the best manager, by a wide margin, all season long in all of the major leagues.

Then, when the Cy Young was awarded, I did not agree with either choices. First off, the only reason Rick Porcello won was because he plays for the Red Sox. Yeah, he had a decent record, but so did Justin Verlander, and Verlander does not have the offense that Porcello has. Porcello could give up 4, 5 or 6 runs sometimes, but his offense would score 5, 6 or 7 runs in those games for him. The Red Sox offense is light years better than Detroit's. Verlander would be lucky if he got 2 or 3 runs in support. The only real threat the Tigers have on offense is Miguel Cabrera, who is a future hall of famer, but that is it. Verlander, especially after the all star break, was lights out. Sure, he didn't have the wins, but he was a much, much better pitcher all season long than Porcello. The media bias for east coast teams was on full display here. Go read Kate Upton's tweet about this, not only because it is hilarious, but because it is true (NSFW).

Then, in the NL, I would have given the Cy Young to either Kyle Hendricks or Jon Lester before I even considered Max Scherzer. Yeah, Scherzer gets a lot of strike outs, and threw a no hitter this year I think, but come on, both Lester and Hendricks had much better seasons, in my opinion. Lester was completely locked in this year and pitched great. I picked him to win the Cy Young in my postseason preview. I thought he had the best season of any left hander in all of baseball. Then, we have Kyle Hendricks. This guy was virtually unhittable all season long. He is the NL's version of Corey Kluber. He is an unknown, but he is great. He is so quiet in his dominance. He is like the new age Greg Maddux, except Hendricks can bring some heat. The more I think about it, I think Hendricks should be the Cy Young. But, since they did not have the stats that Scherzer had, i.e., strike outs, wins, etc., the people who vote on this award deemed Scherzer the winner.

I feel like the voters decided that since the Cubs won the world series, they didn't need any award winners. I couldn't disagree more. Award these guys for their accomplishments. The only award I feel like the voters got right was the MVP, in both leagues.

Mike Trout is the best player in all of baseball. It is not his fault that the Angels stink. He goes out and competes everyday, and puts up big numbers and is the unequivocal leader of that team. I hope the Angels get better, or trade him away, so he gets to play some meaningful baseball before his prime is over. Then in the NL, I think the right guy won, in Kris Bryant. I could argue cases for guys like Andrew McCutcheon, who I think is one of the best players in all of baseball, or even Bryant's teammate, Dexter Fowler, but Bryant is as deserving as either of these guys. He had a great year, followed by a great rookie year. Honestly, you could pick almost anyone from the Cubs as MVP, and I wouldn't have batted an eye. But, the fact that Bryant is the only Cub bringing home a major award, I know that Jason Heyward won a Gold Glove, and I'm sure some other guys won Gold Gloves, but the big awards are manager of the year, coach of the year and MVP, and only one Cubs player brought home one of those awards is baffling to me.

Oh well, I guess this is why I'm not a voter, yet,  but I would have had the Cubs sweeping all of these major awards, and it is widely known that I am not a Cubs fan. But, I cannot deny the greatness that was the Cubs this season, and they deserved more than just the MVP. I know they won the World Series, but they also should have the MVP, which they do, and the Cy Young and Manager of the Year award as well. That is just my opinion.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He once tweeted about being screwed over. The damn pizza place gave him sausage, not Italian sausage. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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It has Now Been One Day Since the Chicago Cubs Last Won the World Series

The last one standing, finally.

What an epic, epic game last night. Even I, an admitted outsider baseball fan, was swept up in the final 4 innings of that game last night. I waited out that short rain delay, even though I was very sleepy, just so I could finish that game. This has been the year of teams breaking long droughts, I won't say curse because curses aren't real. Also, good for me, because one of my predictions actually came to fruition. I know it wasn't all that far fetched to pick the best team in the MLB to win the title, but after the Warriors, Panthers and Oklahoma Sooners made me look like an idiot, at least I picked the Cubs correctly.

I'm not going to try and demean or make this title seem less worthy than it is because I'm a Cardinals fan. The Cubs earned this championship, even though Aroldis Chapman and Joe Maddon did everything in their powers to blow it for this team. Chapman should have been pulled much earlier when he wasn't hitting the strike zone, and Maddon shouldn't have put him in for 8 outs remaining in a game that the Cubs lead by 7 runs in game 6. But, Ben Zobrist came through in the clutch when this team needed him most. Zobrist proved to be the best of any addition the Cubs have made in the past 2 years. He won a World Series last year, with the Royals, so who better than a guy that was just there to come through for them. Some may say, what about what Jon Lester did in relief? He was great, but he did not provide the hit that clinched the win for a team that hadn't won a title in 108 years. Zobrist was the main acquisition, on a team filled with players that played elsewhere in the past 2 years, that truly lived up to the moment. As I said, Lester was fine, but he looked shaky in his starts early in the World Series. Jason Heyward was non existent throughout the playoffs. Dexter Fowler was great, but not really until last night. John Lackey got beat up in his lone start. This was all on farm talent, think Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Kyle Schwarber and Javy Baez, and Ben Zobrist. He was the undoubted MVP of this World Series. Yeah he was 0 for 4 going into that at bat in the 10th, but he came through, as he is expected to do.

Lets step away from the Cubs for a second and bask in the glory that was this game 7. The Cubs came out on fire, with Fowler hitting a leadoff homerun. I thought that would be enough, but they piled on 4 more runs to up their lead in the 5th inning to 5-1. But, the Indians would not die. They kept chipping away, cutting the lead to 5-3 near the end of the 6th inning. The Cubs added another run, so I figured, with a 3 run lead and all the great relief work Lester did and David Ross hitting a solo homerun in his final game, the Cubs would cruise in the final 2 innings and close it out.

But, the Indians, with their never give up attitude, kept plugging away. Maddon decided, against his better judgement, to put Chapman in, and he looked shaky from the start. He couldn't get the ball over the plate, and the Indians hitters were making him throw a lot of pitches, just waiting for the mistake. They got an RBI double, then Rajaie Davis came up, worked to a full count, and smoked a fastball over the left field wall to tie the game in the 8th.

All the momentum shifted, I thought the Indians would seize the game from there, the Cubs fans they showed on TV looked defeated. The Indians then came out, gave up a leadoff hit, let Heyward get all the way to third on a throwing error during a stolen base, but the Indians got out of the jam.

Then, they did nothing in the bottom of the ninth.

Then, as we were getting ready for extra innings, they had a rain delay.

A RAIN DELAY IN GAME 7 OF THE WORLD SERIES!

It was crazy! Luckily it was short, and the Cubs took back that momentum, with Schwarber getting a leadoff single in the tenth, The Indians tried to work around the front half of the Cubs loaded lineup. They got Bryant to fly out, but the guy that was pinch running for Schwarber excellently read the ball and tagged up to second. They walked Rizzo to face Zobrist. Zobrist looked outmatched, but took a 2-2 outside fastball to left field, and at that moment, I knew the Cubs would close it out. They added another run, then gave up one run in the bottom of the 10th, just to make it interesting, but they finally closed it out on a weak grounder and ended the longest championship drought in professional sports history.

Good for you Cubs, and Cubs fans. You finally know what it feels like to be a champion in baseball, even though the White Sox won the World Series 10 years ago, but the White Sox are not the Cubs. The Cubs are way more important to that city than the White Sox, that is a fact.

This was an epic game 7, and a part of me is happy for the Cubs fans. It is a really cool thing to see your team win a title. Especially when it has been this long since the last one. And, sorry Indians fans, but your team choked. They had everything in front of them for 3 games, controlled their own destiny, and they couldn't close it out. Classic Cleveland baseball.

This has definitely been the year of breaking droughts and trends. The Cavs won the NBA title, the Cubs are now World Series champs, so I guess that means a team like the Arizona Cardinals (now the holders of the longest championship drought in American sports), since the Browns have no shot at even having a winning record, as the Super Bowl favorites, even though they are far from making the playoffs. This should also mean that some college teams that haven't won a title in decades, like former dominant teams; Navy, Michigan, Florida, Washington, Indiana or even Georgia, may win a title in either football or basketball this year. And with pro hockey, I think the Saint Louis Blues have never won a Stanley Cup, so they should probably be the favorites to win it this season, but I know nothing about the NHL. Nothing. But hey, droughts are ending, apparently that is the trend, so if the Cavs and Cubs can win, so can all the other teams I mentioned, they just need a shot.

Anyway, congrats Cubs. You guys were the best team in baseball, and you proved it by winning the first of what will be many titles, if this team stays mostly intact. The Cubs have the best roster, and for the most part, they are young, so baseball fans, get used to seeing this team in contention for a long time. Congrats, and keep celebrating.

But, to end on a sour note, because that is what I do, ESPN will not be watched that much in my house for, at least, the next 6 months, because this Cubs title will be all they talk about for months on end. Even when the NFL shifts to playoff mode, the college football playoff comes along and the NBA gets deeper and deeper into its season, ESPN will still bring up the fact that the Cubs won the World Series. It will be insufferable.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He also forgot to mention the greatest sports person of the 21st century, Theo Epstein. The man is some kind of god. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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The Drought Will End Tonight for Chicago or Cleveland

One last time

Tonight there will be a game 7 in the World Series. This is a great thing for baseball. To be honest, I have not watched much, if any, postseason baseball. As I stated in other posts, since the Cardinals aren't in the playoffs, college football is in full swing and the NBA has started, I have totally checked out of this particular World Series. I am not a fan of either the Cubs or the Indians. Honestly, I could not care less who wins. But, game 7's are always exciting. I will probably watch little to none of the game, but I will be following it on my phone, checking the score every 30 minutes or so. One beleaguered franchise, that fans have been waiting a long, long time to bring home a title, will win it all tonight.

That intro is my long winded way to get to what I really want to talk about for this particular post. Both of these MLB franchises, for the past 60 plus years, have always found a way to lose games that they should win. The Cubs, back in the Mark Prior/Kerry Wood days could not close out any NLCS. Blame Steve Bartman all you want, but they blew that game 6. They had many chances to win, but they choose to blame Bartman, while dozens of other people were trying to catch that ball that Alou had no chance to catch anyway. The Cubs also had decent teams in the 80's and 90's, with players like Ryne Sandberg, Andre Dawson, Sammy Sosa, and so on and so forth, that never made it to the promise land.

The Indians are another team that have never been able to close it out. In the 90's, with Albert Belle leading this team, they couldn't get past the Marlins. Try as he might, Omar Vizquel could not bring a title to Cleveland. The Indians are another team that has had all time great players that can not finish it off when it matters most.

That all changes tonight. But, I ask, which team will continue to be the team that cannot close the deal? Will it be the Indians? They had a 3-1 lead just a few days ago. They were shutting down this excellent Cubs lineup. They were stealing bases and small balling the hell out of the Cubs. Everything was going their way. Sure, the game 5 loss seemed preordained, but last night's throttling was surprising. I know the Cubs have a better lineup and had last years Cy Young winner on the mound, but to get beat 9-3, in a possible clinching game, that should scare Indians fans. The Indians got dismantled last night. They were beat from the start. But, was this their way of reverting to what is the norm, or is it an aberration? I guess we will find out tonight.

Then, there are the Cubs. They came out of the block slow. Corey Kluber absolutely shut them down in game 1. The Cubs could not do anything. Kluber outdueled Jon Lester as well. Lester is probably the Cy Young winner in the NL this year, but Kluber won it in the AL last year. Then, game 2, the Cubs bats woke up and they won handily. I thought this was when they would take over and win the next 3 and end there 108 year drought. Well, the opposite happened. The Cubs, returning to Wrigley Field, got completely shut down for the next 2 games. They had Kyle Hendricks on the mound during one of the those games, he pitched an absolute gem, but the Indians got one run and that turned out to be all that they needed. The Indians controlled the first 2 games at Wrigley. I turned from thinking that the Cubs would roll to thinking that the Indians would roll. 

Then, game 5, with the Indians having a chance to clinch, happened. Like I said, it was a predictable outcome. The Cubs came to play. So did the Indians, but the Cubs roster is better, and in a tight game, they pulled out the win like they should. So, maybe the Cubs were turning it around, but I thought that it would come to a close last night, even with Arrieta on the mound. As I have already said, that was not the case. The Cubs bats woke up and they crushed the Indians last night. So, the Cubs turned on what they normally do, choke, and now the pressure is on both teams.

This all leads to my final thoughts. Which team will exercise the demons tonight, and which team will continue to be the underachievers in big games? The pitching matchup will be great. The Cubs bats seem to have woken up, but will they do the same against a 3 day rest Corey Kluber? I wish I could answer that Cubs fans. Will the Indians wake up and continue to steal bases, play small ball and shut down the Cubs like in games 3 and 4? Again, I wish I could answer that Indians fans. This has been a great ending to the baseball season, again, I have barely watched any baseball all year. But, this should be exactly what the baseball apologists and purists should have wanted. We have 2 teams that have not been this far in a long time, and one of them will come away as champions tonight and themselves and their fan base will breath a huge sigh of relief and party the night away.

I know that the game is in Cleveland, but I have picked the Cubs in every prediction post and podcast on this site, so I have to pick them tonight. I think the Indians will revert to their choking ways, blow their 3-1 lead, and the Cubs will be celebrating on their field around midnight tonight. The game will be a lot closer than last night's game. Maddon putting in Chapman, who is a domestic abuser, for an 8 out save last night might have killed his arm, but I do not think that will matter. This is the last game of the MLB season, so all will be left on the field tonight and the Cubs will exercise their 108 year drought. That is my outsider view of what will happen tonight.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is so very wrong on picking the Cubs. Cleveland is a city of champions, Indians all the way. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

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Get All of Your Winners in Ty's Second Annual MLB Playoff Preview

Check out Ty's MLB season preview and judge for yourself how well he did.

In what I'm sure will become a yearly tradition with SeedSing, I will do my own MLB playoff prediction to go up against RD's playoff picks. Last year I was way off, I think I had the Blue Jays winning it all, and David Price being the MVP. So hopefully this year, I do better. Now, right off the bat, I do not know as much about baseball as RD does. I know a whole lot, but RD puts more time and effort than anyone I know that watches baseball. I'd much rather be playing baseball than watching it. The games are too long and boring. The playoffs up the ante, but I don't find myself that excited until the World Series. This is also the first time the Cardinals have not been in the postseason since 2010, so I may be even more checked out. But, I want to make my picks anyway.

Lets get started.

First off, we have the 2 wild card games. In the NL, we have the San Francisco Giants going up against the New York Mets. I did not think that these would be the 2 wild card teams from the NL. It's an even year, so I figured the Giants would coast to a division and World Series title, but they have struggled mightily since the All Star break. The Mets were in the World Series last year, and they had everyone back. They looked prime to be, at the very least, a near lock for the NLCS. But, injuries and players not playing up to the task put them in the position they sit in now. I think this game will be a great pitchers duel. That is the main thing that both of these teams have going for them. I'm sure San Francisco will throw Madison Bumgarner and the Mets will put Noah Syndergaard on the mound. This will be a very good match up, and whichever pitcher makes one mistake, I say Syndergaard, the other team will capitalize. I have the Giants winning the NL wild card game in a very close and low scoring affair.

In the AL wild card game we have the Toronto Blue Jays and the Baltimore Orioles. I was very big on the Blue Jays this year. I thought they had the best lineup in baseball, and they'd cruise to a division title. But, they proved that pitching is important, and that you can't just outscore everyone. The Orioles kind of surprised me. I thought that they would be, at best, a .500 team, but they put together a pretty good year. They have a pretty good lineup, and decent pitching. They have one of the best closers in the game as well. This match up is a total toss up for me. I could see either team winning. I do know that it will be higher scoring than the NL wild card game, and I'm going to go with the Orioles. I think that guys like Manny Machado and Chris Davis will carry this team to a victory, with the score being something very high like 8-6 or 9-7.

With the Giants and Orioles advancing, now we get to the real playoffs. I will do the AL first and finish off with the NL. After Baltimore beats Toronto, that means they will face the number one team in the AL in the Texas Rangers. Now, if you go back and listen to the midseason mini X Millennial Man podcast that RD and I did, I said I loved all the moves the Rangers made at the trade deadline, and thought that Prince Fielder going down was a blessing in disguise. I legitimately think that they are the team to beat in the AL. They already have guys like Adrian Beltre and Nelson Cruz. Then, they added Carlos Beltran and Johnathan Lucroy to that lineup. They also have Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish in their starting rotation. I love the Rangers, and Baltimore won't be able to hang with them. I see the Rangers sweeping them out in 3 non competitive games.

In the other matchup we have Cleveland and Boston. Oh, how I love the fact that Terry Francona gets to face the Red Sox. I also think the Red Sox, and their fans, are a little too cocky going into this series. I have loved what David Ortiz has done in his final season, and they have a very good lineup, but Cleveland is no slouch. They play excellent small ball baseball, and they have a very good rotation. Boston is good at scoring a lot of runs, but keep them in close games, and they aren't so great. I think that will doom them in this series against Cleveland. Cleveland is very comfortable with close games and Boston is not. I also love the fact that Terry Francona will have a chance to beat Boston, the team that cast him off. I have Cleveland winning in 5.

That means we will have a Cleveland-Texas ALCS. Strength against strength. Great pitching versus great hitting. This series will be good, but Texas is so loaded. They have a lethal lineup, and their pitching staff is just as good, if not better, than Cleveland's. As I said, I really like the Rangers right now, and I think they will beat the Indians in 6 games to advance to the World Series.

In the NL, the Giants "prize" for beating the Mets will be a showdown with the Cubs. The Cubs are far and away the best team in baseball. They are loaded absolutely everywhere. I know that some people have gotten on me for being hard on the Cubs, but you can go back and read anything I have written about baseball this year and see that I have picked the Cubs to be the champs. The same can be said for listening to any baseball related podcast. I may despise the Cubs, but they are so very talented. The Giants may make this series closer than it should be, but the Cubs should win it in 4 games. They have great, dependable and reliable hitters 1 through 8, and their pitching staff is amazing. This is the year where the Giants winning the World Series in even numbered years will end.

The other NL matchup pits the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Washington Nationals. The Dodgers have a good, but very old lineup. They also have a good pitching staff, led by Clayton Kershaw, but he does not show up in the playoffs. The Nationals, on the other hand, they have a loaded lineup, third only to the Cubs and the Rangers, and a great pitching staff. The Nationals may blow a game or 2, but not even Dusty Baker will blow this first round matchup. I have the Nationals winning in 4, and I think this is where Bryce Harper will bust out of his slump, in a big way.

That leaves us with the Cubs and Nationals in the NLCS. This is a great matchup, but I just don't see how the Cubs don't win, and win convincingly. Their lineup is better. Their coach is better. Their pitching staff 1-5 is better. They have a better home field advantage. Everything is in the Cubs favor. I don't even think this series will go 6 games, even though it should be a 7 game series easily. Dusty Baker chokes in the playoffs, and the Cubs are just too good this year. I have the Cubs winning in 5, because Max Scherzer will get one win for the Nationals.

So, that means the 2016 World Series, in my opinion, will be Texas and Chicago. This is the best matchup that we could have. They were both the top seed in their league. They both had the best record in their league. They both have good coaches that know what they are doing. They both have home run hitters and on base guys. They both have very good pitching staffs. It's a great matchup. This series should, and probably will, go 7 games. The one advantage the Cubs have over the Rangers is the depth with their pitching staff, and that will be the difference. I, and this is very hard to write, see the Cubs breaking the curse and winning the World Series in 7 games. They are just too good, and they should be the odds on favorites. They were the best team in the regular season, and I don't see that stopping now. Cubs fans cannot use the "we're cursed, so I don't want to get my hopes up", or the "just wait and see, I don't to get my hopes up" excuses anymore. This team was bought to win right now. Not next year, or the year after, but right now. The Chicago Cubs are out of excuses. They have the best team, far and away, in baseball, and I think they finally break through and win this year. And, as much as I'd like to see someone like Jason Heyward or  Dexter Fowler or Ben Zobrist win the World Series MVP, it will inevitably be either Kris Bryant or Anthony Rizzo because the MLB likes lily white rich boys to be the face of their game.

But anyway, as much as it stinks to say, the Cubs will win, and I will not watch "Sportscenter", if they begin to talk about the Cubs, for the next year. It will be so insane and fanboyish, I will have to turn it off.

It is going to be terrible.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He needs to take a rest because the last two paragraphs were the hardest things he has ever written. Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

The SeedSing 2016 MLB Playoff Preview

The briskness of October is upon us, time for some Major League Baseball playoffs.

Full disclosure here. We were way wrong about the Boston Red Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Pittsburgh Pirates. The Red Sox were solid all year and pulled away in September from Baltimore and Toronto to win the AL East. We did not think Boston had the offense to compete, and boy were we wrong. Led by retiring David Ortiz, the Red Sox were an offensive juggernaut and a scary force entering the playoffs. The Diamondbacks and Pirates were both big underachievers this year, especially Arizona. Both teams could never get going and both were sellers at the trade deadline. Arizona and Pittsburgh are too talented to be sub .500 teams and should be competitive next year. 

Now onto the actual playoffs. In the AL "Play in Game" the Toronto Blue Jays will host the Baltimore Orioles. Both of these teams have the talent to win this game and make it all the way to the World Series. Each team is a good balance of pitching and offense. Toronto seemed to underachieve a bit this year, but Orioles Manager Buck Showalter does what he always does, he got the most out of his players. In a go anyway game, Toronto will use their better talent, and home field advantage, to win the one game playoff.

The NL game will have every other year champion the San Francisco Giants visiting last year's NL pennant winner the New York Mets. The Giants have great pitching, and in one game that is all you need. The Mets are hot, and did add some much needed offense at the trade deadline, but San Francisco has the advantage with their pitchers. Plus, it is an even numbered year and that works for the Giants.

With the one game playoff out of the way, the Division series will kick off with the Red Sox visiting the Cleveland Indians. As stated before, the Red Sox have an incredible offense led by MVP candidate David Ortiz. The Indians have been one of the most consistent teams in the MLB, and they have the best manager in all of baseball with Terry Francona. Boston will steal a game, but Cleveland will advance to the League Championship series in four.

The other American League series will feature the Blue Jays facing off against the loaded Texas Rangers. Texas made some big acquisitions at the trade deadline this year, and they are in World Series or bust mode. The Blue Jays will have their one game playoff win, but Texas may very well sweep them in the division series.

The National League division series will kick off with LA Dodgers going across country to meet up with the Washington Nationals. The Nationals were great during the season, even with reigning MVP Bryce Harper having a sub par (for him) season. The issue once again is manager Dusty Baker. He is incredible during the regular season, but tends to get out managed in the playoffs. The Dodgers have their stars healthy. Clayton Kershaw will exorcise some playoff demons, and the retired Vin Scully will be able to enjoy a few more games when LA beats Washington in a great five game series.

The Cubs will continue their magically season when the Giants come to town. Chicago has been as good as everyone thought they would be. The Cubs have it all, and added more at the trade deadline. It may be an even year, but the Cubs are way to good to not beat the Giants in four games.

The American League Championship Series will pit the Ranger's talent against the genius of Terry Francona. The Indians are another long suffering franchise, but Cleveland is on the up when it comes to sports championships. When things get tight, LeBron James will come into the Indians locker room and remind the players that Cleveland is a city of champions. It may be irrational, but it seems destiny to put the Cleveland Indians down as American League Pennant winners. It will take seven glorious games, but the tribe will return to the series for the first time in over twenty years.

Scully's Dodgers will roll into the northside of Chicago to take on the Cubs in the National League Championship. Kershaw, off of a great Division series, will steal a game at Wrigley. Unfortunately that will be the last Dodger win of the 2016 season. The Cubs are just way to good. It will only take five games for the 2016 Cubs to rightfully claim the  NL Pennant.

The 2016 World Series will pit the long suffering Cleveland Indians against the longer suffering Chicago Cubs. One fan base will be able to erase generations worth of heartbreak. It will be the Redemption World Series. The two best managers in all of baseball will challenge each other in a one for the ages seven game clash. Joe Maddon and Terry Francona will have their respective teams tasting the title. Late in game seven, lets say top of the 13th inning, LeBron James will appear in the center field bleachers, and Cleveland will remember that they are the city of champions. Home run, and three straight strikeouts in the bottom of the inning. The Cleveland Indians will be the 2016 Major League Baseball World Series Champions.

Better luck next year Cubbies.

RD 

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He just cannot put the Cubs down as champions, not now, not ever. Tell RD why he is so misguided by writing for SeedSing.

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Jose Fernandez - A Great Baseball Talent, and a Better Human Being, Gone Too Soon

My "Eric Andre Show" and "Bar Rescue" reviews are going to have to wait until tomorrow and Thursday because I need to talk about the tragic loss of Jose Fernandez.

I could not believe it when I saw the news on Sunday. I took that day, and yesterday for that matter, to process the whole thing. I was at a loss. I could not believe what I was reading and watching on television. I just did not think it was true. How could someone so young and filled with life and potential all the sudden be gone? It just didn't make sense. Then, I was watching the beginning of the Marlins-Mets game, and that's when it all came together for me. This is when I realized that Jose Fernandez was actually gone.

First off, the tribute that the Marlins gave him was one of the most moving things that I have ever seen. It was more moving than any movie, TV show or other thing that is written to move people. This was such a wonderful, yet very painful tribute to a fallen teammate. Then, watching Dee Gordon hit that leadoff homerun and run around the bases in tears, I mean, man, I feel like tearing up myself right now.

Jose Fernandez, if you don't know his story, was a 24 year old ace pitcher for the Miami Marlins, who defected from Cuba, and it took him 4 times to make it to America. On the fourth try, he had to save his drowning mother, which he did, and they finally made it to America. He was a hero, literally, from the moment he finally made it to America. Then, he showed off his pitching prowess. This kid was a phenom. He had an incredible array of pitches, and he had an arm that allowed him to be a starting pitcher that could go 7+ innings and throw 100 pitches a game. He had an incredible home record and ERA in his young career. He was a lock down pitcher from the moment he made the major leagues. He and Giancarlo Stanton were the cornerstones for the Marlins. The team was just starting to become a bit competitive, and it was due to Stanton and Fernandez.

But, he was so much more than a baseball player. I mean, this is coming from someone that does not watch a lot of baseball, but when I had a chance to watch Fernandez pitch, I did. He was a joy to watch, not only because he was dominant, but because of the joy with which he played baseball. He played baseball like the game that it is. He was never too serious, but he was elite. He always seemed to have a smile on his face when he was on the mound. One of my favorite highlights that has been reappearing lately is when he robbed Troy Tulowitzki on a line shot back to him. Fernandez threw the pitch, Tulo ripped it right back at him, he stuck his glove up and the ball was in his glove. He acted like this was normal. He and Tulo were both amazed at this catch. They both laughed, not believing what had just happened. That showed right there that, not only did he have the respect of his teammates, but he also had the respect of his counterparts. That does not happen too often in professional sports, unless you are a star. Go watch that highlight, that is the epitome of Jose Fernandez. Great athlete, but also played with such joy and passion.

After his tragic death, more stories came out that he was just like this off the field. He was everyone's friend. He was always smiling. He brought joy to those around him at all times. He was in a great mood most of the time. He just seemed to be a great kid, both on and off the field.

Next, the tragic news on Sunday. As I said, I did not believe it at first. I thought this was a hoax. He was too young, and had too much time left in his pro career to be gone so sudden. I started to search the internet fervently to see if this was all false. I, unfortunately, found out that all the reports were true. I still did not believe it, until last night. This is a great tragedy. Don't be fooled and just think that it was another young player that lived fast and died young. By all accounts, Fernandez was a good kid that just happened to be involved in a horrific accident that took his life, and the lives of 2 others. This is such a freak thing, and no one deserves this. I am still kind of in shock. I cannot believe that I will never see him pitch again. He was such a tremendous pitcher who had such a long career ahead of him. He was going to be a surefire, multiple Cy Young award winner, and he and Stanton were going to lead the Marlins back to being contenders. This is a true sports tragedy.

Jose Fernandez brought so much joy to his teammates, fans, friends and his family. He will be greatly missed. His life is gone, and he was so young, and so full of life. I cannot believe that he is gone, I just can't wrap my mind around it. I'm at a loss. I hope wherever you are now Jose Fernandez you are at peace. You will be greatly missed. RIP

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Follow him on instagram and twitter.

Tim Tebow Signs with the Mets. No, Really

Still not getting to first base

So, I'm here today to eat some crow, but not really. I did not think any MLB team would give Tim Tebow a chance. I wrote last week that he was too old, hadn't played baseball in too long a time, was too big and burly, couldn't throw the ball well, couldn't field, basically, I did not think he had what it takes to be signed to any contract, be it major or minor league baseball.

Well, the New York Mets proved me wrong. Today they signed him to a minor league deal. Now, before the Tebow backers come at me and tell me that I'm a hater and that I was wrong, he has a minor league deal, but he still has a long ways to go before he actually has a chance to make any roster at any level of pro baseball. He will have to go through the Mets instructional program immediately, then, it's winter baseball in some place like Venezuela, then, and only then, will the Mets make a decision to even invite him to spring training. If he has a decent spring training, and that is a big if, then he will become an official pro baseball player, but he will have to start in the minors, probably double A.

Now, I watched the "highlights" from his baseball workout that he held a week or so ago, and I came away very unimpressed. He looked like a rumbling lumberjack when he ran the 60 yard dash. Yeah, he ran it fast, but that should have been expected. He was fast in high school, college and during his short NFL career. And, he has been working out non stop since this baseball "dream" began a few months ago. The 60 yard dash is something he should have excelled at. Yes, he does have power, but any 6 plus footer and 260 pound guy that knows how to swing a bat, when they connect, it will go far. That, like the 60 yard dash, was expected, especially when it's during batting practice. During batting practice, you have a pitcher that you, the batter, have chosen to throw you 75-80 mile per hour fastballs right down the middle. Batting practice is easily the best way to pump yourself up. You get meat pitches to crush. I loved batting practice when I played because it was easy and made me think I could hit anything that came my way.

But, those were the only two things that I took away that Tebow could do well enough. When the batting practice was over, he faced live pitching. This was when the workout started to tank, at least in my eyes. First off, he could not hit off speed pitches. Every curve, change up or slider that came his way, he whiffed or fouled off. And when he fouled the ball off, it wasn't because he was a bit late or a bit early, he was incredibly late or early when he fouled these pitches off. The foul balls were weak and floated into the stands. When he did get a "hit" off live pitching, it looked like bloop singles or slow grounders up the middle. The power that was displayed during batting practice was all but gone when he faced live pitching. Quite frankly, his batting during the workout was very, very below average. When all you can do is hit slow fast balls over the middle of the plate, your baseball career will be short to non existent. He is going to have to learn how to hit off speed pitches, and he has so much less time than players currently in the Mets minor league system.

When he did his fielding work during his workout, that somehow looked worse than his attempts at live pitching. He looked so awkward tracking fly balls. He would take steps back or forward that were so unnecessary, it almost cost him some catches on fly balls. When he was fielding what would be hits in real games, he looked as out of sync as some of the 5 and 6 year olds I coach. He seemed to bend over to far, or not enough. He did not field one single ground ball with ease. It all looked lumbered and tough for Tebow.

Then his throwing, man that was harder to watch than watching him throw a football. He would cock the ball back to far, and he actually threw a baseball like it was a football. That is not good. With a football, you have to bring your throwing arm back a bit further, with a baseball, you have to be a lot quicker getting it out of your hand, meaning you need to shorten up your throwing hand a bit. Tebow did not do this. His throws were so awkward, I had to look away watching him do this, it was that bad.

Never mind all this stuff that I'm saying today, or that I said last week, because the Mets deemed him good enough to, at least, send him to their instructional program. I mean, I could have understood a team like the Braves, they are in SEC country and they stink, or any team in LA or Florida, for the same reasons, save the Dodgers, signing him to a very incentive laden contract, but the Mets? I don't get it. He has already failed once in New York, with the Jets, and the Mets are a good team. They were in the World Series last year. Why would they sign him? They don't need the publicity and they don't need any other outfielders, but they signed Tebow anyway. My only guess as to why it was the Mets, they must have a deal with the New York Post, and other New York publications, and their sports writers need some fodder, so the Mets said they would sign Tebow, so they could have a month or two of bashing this clown show. That is literally the only reason I can even fathom that the Mets would even take a sniff on Tebow.

But, as far as the crow eating, he did get signed. I was wrong and good for you Tim Tebow. He has no shot at making the majors. He is too old, too burly and too much of a publicity stunt. He won't get past winter ball, let alone getting into the Mets minor league system. This is such a ridiculous story coming from an athlete that just won't give it up. Tim Tebow is a joke and I'm sick and tired of him getting a pass. He was a terrible NFL player and he will be an even worse baseball player. There is no doubt in my mind that he is going to fail at this baseball venture.

Not one single doubt.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. With the kickoff of the NFL season happenning tonight, you should listen to Ty tell you how the 2016 season is going to play out. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

Give it Up Tim Tebow

Tebow is not getting to first base anytime soon

Why won't Tim Tebow just give up, and give in to the fact that he is destined to be a commentator on ESPN for the rest of his life? He is very good at doing that, or hosting shows that have to do with pumping people up. Basically, he is a good looking young man, that had his shot at the NFL, couldn't cut, but has found something that he really thrives at doing. He is really, really good on TV, much to my surprise.

With the news that he is going to be holding a workout for 20 MLB teams this week, he still hasn't given up on his pro sports dream. There are many, many problems with his new plan to become a pro baseball player. First off, as I have already stated, he is great on TV. He exudes charm and professionalism while doing television spots, or talking college football. I do not like Tim Tebow, the person, at all, but damn, he is good on TV. He should just stick with that. He is really good. Next, he hasn't played competitive baseball since he was in high school. Sure, he was a decent high school player, he hit over .400, and had some power, but, I played with kids at my high school, who had no shot at the pros, that were much, much better baseball players than Tim Tebow. High school baseball is not that tough. you have to be incredibly good, Bryce Harper good, in high school, to be considered a top prospect that can make the majors at a very young age.

This leads me to the next problem with Tebow and playing pro baseball, he is 29. I know that is young in regular life, but in pro sports, that is ancient. Sure, baseball players can play well into their late 30's and early 40's, but the guys that have careers that last that long, they have been playing professionally since they were in their early 20's. Late 20's, early 30's in baseball, that is getting near the twilight of your career. Take Albert Pujols for example. When he broke into the majors, he was considered an older rookie, at 21 years old. Sure, he proceeded to be dominant for the next ten years, but when he left the Cardinals for the Angels, at 31, his career has fallen on harder times. He is not the feared hitter he was when he was younger. He was only 2 years older than Tebow is right now before his career kind of started to break down. Pujols is an all time great, but he is 36, and many people consider him past his prime. Hell, they considered him past his prime when he was 32 or 33, only three years older than Tebow currently is. Why would a team want to take a chance on a guy that may only give them one, two years tops, of good baseball.

Another player to look at, one that may not be as famous, or as respected as Pujols, Ryan Howard. Here's another 36 year old player, that was great for one or two years, in his early 20's, that has fallen off the map. He doesn't have really what it takes to be as feared as he once was. He gave the Phillies three great years, but after getting hurt, and older, he is not the same. His best days were in his mid 20's. He was younger than Tebow when he was mashing the ball, but now, he just doesn't have it.

That is just 2 examples of players that were great when they were younger than Tebow currently is, that have fallen on rough times. You could even look at some other people that have tried the whole crossover from one pro sport to another. Michael Jordan comes to mind first. He is the greatest basketball player of all time, but he could not hack it in double A baseball. He barely hit over .200, and he went back to basketball ASAP. Russell Wilson, who was drafted out of high school to pro baseball, also couldn't hack it in double A, hitting in the low .220's. Deion Sanders was great at football, and he was decent at baseball, gaining the leadoff spot for a pretty good Braves team in the 90's, but he was not nearly as good at baseball as he was football. He was also much younger when he played both sports professionally. The most famous person, that was successful at playing two pro sports at a very high level, was Bo Jackson. Tim Tebow is not even close to being anywhere near Bo Jackson's athleticism, and he never will be.

Basically, this all seems to be a publicity stunt, or he just won't let this dream of being a pro athlete die. He had his chance at pro football, and he couldn't cut it. He couldn't make the reads, the throws or run an offense the way it needs to be run professionally. Sure, he may be better than some teams second and third string QB's currently, but no NFL team is going to give a 29 year old washed out, spread option QB, that can't throw, a contract. It's not happening. And with the MLB, I mean, who is going to sign a guy that is almost 30? You don't sign with a team and then immediately become a pro, unless you are Robin Yount or Ken Griffey Jr, both hall of famers. You have to go through the minors. You have to take your lumps, and if you are lucky, you get called up after two or three years of bouncing around on buses and staying in dingy motels. I don't think Tebow can handle, or even wants to handle, that lifestyle. He is used to the finer things in life now. He had his shot, and he had a very short career in the NFL, but he made it.

I know hundreds of thousands of people that would give an arm to have his NFL career. He needs to let the dream die. No GM in the MLB will sign him. He is too old and too much of a distraction. Major league baseball likes to draft young kids, usually 18, 19 or 20, and let them grow in their minor leagues system, and then bring them in the pros when they are 21 or 22. That's how it goes.

Sorry Tim Tebow, but your pro sports window has passed, and just let the dream die. Pro baseball is not happening for you.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He once held an open workout for professional soccer. The problem was not Ty's age, it was the fact he did not like soccer and therefore was not good. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

The Chicago Cubs, Aroldis Chapman, and Our Shame in Forgetting about Domestic Violence

How much more of their lovable identity will Cubs sell out?

There was a pretty big trade that just happened a few days ago in baseball. The Cubs, who have the best record in baseball, just acquired Aroldis Chapman from the Yankees for 4 minor leaguers. On the surface, this is a slam dunk trade for the Cubs. They did not have to give up any current major league players, and they got one of the hardest throwing closers in baseball history. Sure, he has control issues, RD can attest to this (ed note: he does), but he throws 105 mph. I don't care about control, that will scare even the best of hitters.

While it's all peachy in Chicago right now, and if they do not win the World Series now, they may never, I have a few problems with this deal. Let's get the minor problem out of the way first. The Cubs, and Theo Epstein, have always talked about building from the farm system and developing players. They did that last year to the tune of getting swept in the NLCS, but the team was mostly made up of players from the Cubs minor league system. Then, this offseason, the Cubs, and Theo Epstein, decided to eschew the whole build from within motto, and they went out and signed most of the top free agents. They got Ben Zobrist, Jason Heyward, they traded away Starlin Castro for some young assets, they signed John Lackey, they basically changed 50 percent of their lineup with top of the line free agents. I don't mind teams doing this, in fact, more power to you if you can, but don't tell me that you are building from within. That is not the case when the middle of your infield is made up of free agents, your new right fielder is a free agent signing, your third starter is a free agent, you cannot use the build from within motto if you sign a whole new team. Sure, they have Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber from the farm, but even Dexter Fowler was a trade, or free agent signing. They cannot say that this team was built from within, that is patently false. They went out and got big name free agents and that put this Cubs team over the top. This is not a team built from within, this is a team built on free agents and trades for big names.

The Cubs have become the Yankees of the NL by the amount of money they have spent the past 2 years on free agency. Even last year, they went out and spent a ton of money to sign Jon Lester, and made a very shady move in how they hired one of the best managers in baseball, Joe Maddon. Like I said, this is not a team built from the farm system, save for Bryant and Schwarber, and I'm sure there is one or two more guys that are contributors, but nothing like the free agents they've picked up the last two years. No more "we are built from our minor league" retort from the Cubs, I don't want to hear it.

Then, a few days ago, they traded away three of their top minor leaguers to acquire Chapman. Once again, they dipped into the farm system and traded some of their top prospects away for a much coveted, well established reliever. They did not draft and bring up Chapman from the minors, they traded for him and he has been a pro reliever for 4 or 5 years now. He is the hardest thrower in all of baseball. He's established. The Cubs are not a team built from their minor leaguers, they are a team built with star free agents.

The second, and more important problem that this Chapman trade brings, is the fact that Chapman had his first trade this offseason to the Dodgers called off because he was accused of domestic violence. He was still a Cincinnati Red until the Yankees decided to take a chance on him. After he signed with the Yankees, he was suspended by the MLB for 30 games for his domestic violence accusation. So, after getting one trade rescinded, then getting suspended, Chapman looked like a bad decision. He was all but forgotten about because he was accused of domestic violence. People who read my stuff know that I do not tolerate domestic violence. It's a disgusting and disturbing act done by disgusting and disturbing people. Anyone that puts hands on someone smaller than them, or a loved one, is a monster. That is one of the worst things that a grown person to do to someone else. Domestic assaulters are garbage people.

The real sad thing is that after Chapman's 30 game suspension, he came back, was throwing his incredible heat, saving games for the sorry Yankees and it seemed all was forgiven. Channels like ESPN were praising Chapman's heat. They seemed to have forgotten that he was accused of domestic violence. This as just like the Adrian Peterson, Ray Rice, Richie Incognito and Hope Solo stuff. These monsters were all accused of domestic assault, but since they are good at sports, ESPN never talked about it. They only showed the highlights and talked about how they "overcame adversity". What a crock. When Chapman was doing his first press conference with the Cubs, a reporter asked him about the domestic assault charge, and he said, in not so many words, he didn't know what they were talking about. I'm sure a lot got lost in translation, but still, he should have had his interpreter fully explain the question to him, and he could have given a very cliché answer. But, he did not do that. He chose to say that he didn't understand or that he didn't want to answer the question. To me, that is an admission of guilt. That means he definitely did something. When I was watching "PTI" yesterday they had a story involving Chapman. They touched on the whole domestic assault issue, but they barely spoke on it. Being the fan boy that he is, Mike Wilbon blamed everything on the translator and said that this would not affect him cheering for Chapman. He is so blinded by his love for the Cubs that he is willing to look past the fact that Chapman is an abuser because he can throw a very fast fast ball. I guarantee that if any other team acquired Chapman, Wilbon would have chastised them for taking this guy. But since it's the Cubs, he is willing to look past any indiscretions. Co-host Tony Kornheiser also gave him a pass saying that, once he goes out there and hits 103 or 104 on the gun, the fans will forget and cheer for him.

Therein lies the problem with sports, fandom and journalists nowadays. They are willing to give these abusers 5, 6 or even 7 chances because they are very good at their sport. These people need to be banished from playing sports the moment they put their hands on a loved one. That is disturbing and gross and it shouldn't matter if you can throw a ball hard. Abusers need to be punished, not given multiple chances. It's a problem at all levels, even college athletics now. If someone is good at a sport, they are given a pass, and that is wrong. I don't care that Chapman can throw over 100 mph, I don't care the Adrian Peterson can rush for 1,500 yards a season, I don't care that Hope Solo is a good goaltender, they are all abusers. Don't forget that when you cheer on these people. Just remember when you watch and clap for them, they have a loved one, or ones, that are terrified that they will hit them when they get upset. This is a major problem in sports, giving abusers multiple chances, and it needs to stop now. It's disturbing and gross. The ESPN's of the world need to stop idolizing these abusers. They need to be condemned, not loved.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. If you are a victim of domestic violence, get help today. Follow him on twitter @tykulik.

Ty's MLB Season Preview

Here comes Ty to the plate

RD did the heavy lifting for me this week, previewing the already started MLB season. This is his territory when it comes to sports. He knows and he loves baseball more than anyone that I know. Me, I know and love baseball too, but I don't particularly care to start really paying attention until the playoffs. The season is way, way too long for one. Each team plays 162 regular season games. That's insane. I feel like the NBA has way too many regular season games and they only play 82. Almost half of what MLB plays. The season lasts almost 7 months. Ridiculous. So yeah, this early, I don't watch too closely. NBA playoffs are right around the corner and the summer time is when I catch up on some TV and movies I may have missed during the fall and winter. But, I still know enough about baseball to give my take as to how I see the season and the playoffs playing out. My preview won't be as in depth, but I wanted to let you all know how I thought the season would play out and who will win the World Series.

Let's go.

Instead of going division by division, I just want to pick who I think will win and why. First off, I'll do the American League. Before I get this all started, I think the AL is in a slight decline right now. Yeah, the Royals won last year, but they played the Mets and the Mets played out of their minds down the stretch. The AL reminds me a lot of the Eastern Conference in the NBA. So, I think the Toronto Blue Jays will win the AL East. They are one of, if not the, best teams in baseball. Yeah, they lost David Price, but he was not good in the playoffs and I don't think him not being on the team will matter all that much. They still have a good staff and a great lineup. They will hit a lot of home runs and they will shut a lot of teams down on defense. I love the Blue Jays and I love the way they play. Kansas City will win the AL Central, but it will be close. I think Cleveland, not Detroit, will be the biggest threat. This division is pretty good when you look at it. The Royals are the defending champs, the Tigers have Miguel Cabrera and a decent pitching staff, Cleveland has a great small ball lineup and Corey Kluber, who may be the best pitcher in baseball that no one knows and Minnesota and the White Sox both have decent, young players. The Royals will win the division because they have the experience and they have the best pitching staff and the best lineup. They are becoming great again and I enjoy when small market teams beat up on the big market teams. The AL West, on the other hand, is pretty terrible with 2 exceptions, the Astros and the Rangers. The Rangers have the lineup, but the Astros also have a good lineup and they have a much better pitching staff, led by reigning Cy Young winner, Dallas Kuechel. The Angels are getting older and not better. I feel bad for Mike Trout, because he is great, but that team has overpaid for aging stars for much too long and it's crippled the future of the team. The A's are just bad. And every year the Mariners are supposed to turn it around, but they never do. I do like the Rangers in this division. I know the Astros have a better pitching staff, but the Rangers will hit a lot of home runs and it is dreadful to play there in the summer time. They may be the only team in pro baseball with a true home field advantage and that will help them win the division title. So, that leaves me with two wild cards. I'm going to pick Cleveland and Houston. I really like both those teams. For the ALCS, I think it will be Houston and Toronto, and I think Toronto will go to the AL pennant, with relative ease. This, RD and I agree on.

One different thing I want to do is pick a team that will be a "bust" in each league. My "bust" for the AL is the Boston Red Sox. Sure, they got David Price, but what else do they have anywhere on the field or in the pitching staff? Not too much. Hanley Ramirez is a mess. Pablo Sandoval got beat out by some random dude, and then there is really nothing else to brag about. The Red Sox are not as good as some will lead you to believe. Don't let the Price signing fool you.

In the National League, we will start with the East. The NL East is about as bad as the AL West. There is only two decent teams and they are the Washington Nationals and the New York Mets. Sure, the Mets are the reigning NLCS champs, but they got very hot and very lucky at the exact right time last year. That won't happen again. They have a great staff and they will finish above .500, but the Nationals are going to walk with this division. They are constant underachievers, but Bryce Harper will not let this team take a tumble again. They also have a great pitching staff and a pretty decent lineup around Harper. They finally, and mercifully, fired Matt Williams and made a great hire with Dusty Baker. They will win the division and may win 100 plus games. There is no need to even mention the 3 other teams in this division because they are terrible. The NL Central will be highly competitive once again. It's a three team race with the Cubs, the Pirates and the Cardinals. The Reds and the Brewers are both going through rebuilds and they won't be a factor. What has been a division owned by the Cardinals lately, will change this year. The Cardinals lost a lot from last years team and they didn't so much in free agency. Oh, they got older too. This will most likely be a step back year for them. By step back year, I think they will only win 86 or 87 games. But, the Pirates and the Cubs will be legit. The Pirates have a very good pitching staff and a great lineup, led by one of my favorite and one of the best, and most underrated superstars in Andrew McCutcheon. He's awesome and the Pirates are really good. But, the Cubs are definitely on the rise. I hate to admit this, because I'm a lifelong Cardinals fan, but the Cubs crushed us in the playoffs last year, and they only got much, much better this offseason. They locked up Rizzo and Bryant. They signed Jon Lester last year. They lured Jason Heyward away from the Cardinals to only boost their already potent outfield. And they signed a bunch of other great role players. This could be the year that the Cubs finally break the curse. They are, on paper, the best team in baseball right now, and it's not really that close. They will win the Central and they will win more than 100 games doing it. I don't want to hear whiny Cubs fans trying to tamper expectations either. You guys are the best team and you better damn well prove that. No more excuses for them. It's an even year, so the San Francisco Giants should easily win the NL West, right? Well, I think they will win, but the Diamondbacks and the Dodgers, and maybe even the Padres, will give them a run for their money. Yes, the Giants signed two big time free agent pitchers, but the Diamondbacks got Zack Greinke and they still have Paul Goldschimdt. The Dodgers did lose Greinke, but they still have Clayton Kershaw, and he's a great regular season pitcher. The Dodgers also have a very good lineup, but they are starting to become the NL's version of the Angels. Lots of big names, but nothing to show for it. The Padres have a very decent lineup, but their pitching leaves a lot to be desired. I still think they will be, at least, a .500 team. The Diamondbacks will be the Giants main competition, but they are still a pitcher and an offensive weapon away from truly competing. I really love their signing of Greinke though. The Giants will win the West, but look out for the Diamondbacks in a year or two. So, that leaves us with the NL wildcards. This time around, the Central will only send two teams to the playoffs because I think the Pirates and the Mets will win the two remaining spots. That's right, no St. Louis and no Dodgers. They're both old, but they will both reload and be back on top soon enough. I think the NLCS will be the Cubs and the Nationals. I think this is a very interesting matchup because the Cubs are, right now, where the Nationals were two years ago. The Cubs are the new darlings and almost everyone is picking them. I'm no exception and I think the Cubs will pull it out in seven games and play the Blue Jays in the World Series.

Now, if the Cubs don't win the World Series this year, when will they? They have the best team in baseball, I cannot stress that enough. They should easily beat the Blue Jays in the World Series. As much as I hate to write it, the Cubs should, and will, win the World Series this year. They will break the curse and they will make me not watch "Sportscenter" and fast forward through a ton of "PTI" segments for the next couple of years. The Cubs will win and the sports media will be insufferable in their non stop coverage. It will be so much worse than when the Red Sox won in 2004.

My "bust" from the NL is the Cardinals. They are always good, but they will take a step back. They do have a very good pitching staff, but it's older and Adam Wainwright is coming off a torn ACL. Their lineup will not strike fear in any opponent either. They have no heavy hitters and they have players that get behind in the count way too often, I'm looking at you Matt Carpenter. Stop taking so many pitches and getting behind so early in the count. It's frustrating to watch. The Cardinals will step back and not be as good as they have been the past decade plus. It's due.

As I do with all my other previews, I will also give award predictions. The AL Cy Young will, once again, go to Kuechel. He is a beast. The MVP will be someone from the Royals, probably either Mike Moustakas or Lorenzo Cain. The manager of the year will be Terry Francona. In the NL, the Cy Young will go to Zack Greinke, the MVP, in a surprise to some, Paul Goldschmidt and the manager of the year has to be Joe Maddon.

So, there's my take on the baseball season. Sit back, because there is still a long time to go and I know RD will have something to say about my pick to win the World Series.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. The head editor is not currently speaking to Ty. The Cubs? Really? Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

The SeedSing 2016 Major League Baseball Preview

We will see you back at home in October. (or is it November now?)

Baseball season has finally begun. Our long cold winter has given way to the start of a still cold baseball season. We are talking baseball, competitive baseball. What will the season hold? Will the Kansas City Royals repeat as World Series Champions (no)? Can the Mets get back to the Fall Classic and close the deal this time (not likely)? How will the 2016 Major League Baseball season play out? Here at SeedSing we have all the answers to your specific questions, and a few predictions. Get your bets ready.

Are the Yankees and Red Sox ready to return to dominance in the AL East?

Short answer, no. Longer answer, hell no.

Let's start with the Bronx Bombers. In the off season the Yankees acquired 100+ mile per hour throwing Aroldis Chapman from the Cincinnati Reds. Chapman is the real deal and near unhittable. He is added to a bullpen that was already very good. Any team playing the Yankees can expect to score zero runs after the seventh inning.

The problem is the first six innings. The Yankees have subpar starting pitching, and that will be problematic. Most teams will be able to easily hitting the New York starters, and the defense behind the starters is old and not very good. The Yankees lineup is filled with old aging stars and is a few years away from reloading with the young talent of other teams. The only bright spot in New York, outside of a killer bullpen, is going to be watching sullen cheater Alex Rodriguez chasing down Barry Bonds (75 homers away). Enjoy that New Yorkers.

Up the coast is the Yankees hated rival the Boston Red Sox. 2015 was a disaster for Boston, nothing seemed to work. The Red Sox addressed some of those issues by getting the biggest free agent prize of the off season, starting pitcher David Price. That acquisition made a big splash, and many of the sports media (almost all east coast based) are high on the Red Sox, but Price will not be enough. There is just not enough pitching or hitting depth in Boston. This team is at least one more year away from being in the World Series conversation. The Red Sox will make some noise, but their record will hover around .500 all season.

The ESPN love for the Yankees and the Red Sox will be no match for the Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles, and Toronto Blue Jays. Tampa always defies the odds with great young talent. Baltimore has one of the best managers in baseball in Buck Showalter and a seasoned team. Toronto has built a dominant roster coming off a very disappointing loss in last years ALCS. The Blue Jays will dominant the AL East and leave the Yankees and Red Sox scrambling for next year.

It is an even number year so the San Francisco Giants will win the NL West and the World Series?

Not this year.

The Giants, like the Yankees and Red Sox, added a big time pitcher this off season with the free agent signing of Johnny Cueto. With a team mostly intact from their 2014 World Series Championship, Cueto is a big addition. The former Cy Young runner up comes after superstar Madison Bumgarner in the rotation. The problem is that after Cueto and Bumgarner the quality of pitching goes from great to mediocre. Jeff Samardzidja has shown flashes of brilliance, but has not proven to be consistently great. After the top three the Giants have an old Jake Peavy and Matt Cain. The Giants just do not have the pitching to make another even year World Series run.

The other problem for the Giants in the NL West is that the competition has gotten a lot better. The LA Dodgers have the money, star power, and Clayton Kershaw. The Arizona Diamondbacks have made some big moves, like acquiring superstar pitcher Zack Greinke, and have one of the best hitters in baseball in Paul Goldschmidt. Both of these teams will be a challenge for the Giants, and we will see the Arizona Diamondbacks beat back the others for the NL West Crown.

Is the AL West the most worthless, and over hyped, division in all of Major League Baseball?

Yes

Every year we hear about how the LA Angels, of wherever in southern California they want to be from, will once again claim the championship. If it is not the Angels, we hear about Billy Beane and the up and coming Oakland A's. The last few years we also keep hearing about the rise of the Seattle Mariners. In the last few years these three teams have faltered to the likes of the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros. The Angels, A's, and Mariners get the headlines, but the two Texas teams are producing winners. 

The Rangers and Astros will once again battle for the AL West crown. The Rangers are old but tested and the Astros are young and uber talented. The Astros will edge out the team from Arlington and make a return trip to the MLB playoffs.

Does the NL East have the worst teams in baseball?

Close, but not quite.

The NL East is going to be ugly. The Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, and Florida Marlins are not very good. The Mets are coming off a World Series appearance, but they are not quite a championship caliber team. The Washington Nationals are loaded, but have been perennial underachievers. The NL East is filled with teams that are rebuilding or are in "one year away" mode. The quality of play out east will be barely above AAA caliber baseball. Almost everyone of these teams will struggle all year.

All should struggle except for the Nationals. The team in DC is loaded, and has the best player in baseball in reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper. The Mets heavily benefited from a dysfunctional DC team last year. That will not happen again. With Dusty Baker at the helm in our nations capitol, the Nationals will easily win the NL east.

Is the best baseball being played in the central part of the country?

Absolutely. The NL central and AL central are the deepest divisions in baseball. Both wild card teams from each league will come from the central division.

In the NL central you have the defending champs, and 100 game winners, St. Louis Cardinals. The birds on the bat have the best front office, a great farm system, and a culture of winning. Catching up to the Cardinals is another well built team in the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Bucs have been climbing the ladder every year and are looking to make the playoffs for a third consecutive year. Coming off of an NLCS appearance in 2015, the Chicago Cubs are as loaded with talent as any team in MLB. The NL central will be a showcase for awesome baseball.

The AL central is as equally loaded as their NL brothers. First there is the defending World Series Champion Kansas City Royals. Even with a few off season losses, the Royals still have a solid championship core in place. The Detroit Tigers are rich with talent and experience. Cleveland has maybe the best manager in baseball with Terry Francona and a mix of veterans and younger players ready to emerge. The Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox are teams on the rise, and will not be pushovers for anyone else. 

With all the talent in both the NL and AL central divisions, someone has to win. The NL central is for the Cubs to lose with the Pirates and Cardinals taking the wild cards. The AL Central will be close with the Indians beating the Royals and Tigers for the division with the runners up going to the playoffs.

We answered your questions, now for a few predictions.

Once again, here are your 2016 MLB Playoff teams.

Division winners: AL East - Toronto Blue Jays                 NL East - Washington Nationals

                             AL Central - Cleveland Indians             NL Central - Chicago Cubs

                             AL West - Houston Astros                    NL West - Arizona Diamondbacks

                             AL Wild Cards - Kansas City Royals     NL Wild Cards - Pittsburgh Pirates

                                                        Detroit Tigers                                        St. Louis Cardinals

The Chicago Cubs and the Washington Nationals will win over 100 games each.

The Cubs and Nationals have the talent and the management to have very special seasons. Forget about what you have read, but Joe Maddon is one of the greatest MLB managers. In addition to Maddon, Theo Epstein has built a powerhouse on the northside of the windy city. Players like reigning Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta, reigning rookie of the year Kris Bryant, off season pickup Jason Heyward, and superstar Anthony Rizzo the Cubs are a dream team. Although they have to compete with St. Louis and Pittsburgh, the Cubs also have the dreadful Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers (the two worst teams in MLB) in their division. Getting to 100 wins will not be that difficult for this dream team.

The Washington Nationals are in a similar situation as the Cubs. Their lineup, led by Bryce Harper, is formidable. Their pitching is filled with potential. New manager Dusty Baker is a wizard at getting players to achieve their potential. In addition to their manager and roster, the Nationals will benefit from a weak division. The NL east will have some of the worst teams in baseball, and the Nationals will feast on this inferior competition. The nations capitol may see a team with over 110 wins in 2016.

The Pittsburgh Pirates will win the 2016 World Series. 

The Cubs and the Nationals will win tons of games, but they will not even play in the 2016 World Series. Each of these power teams have one huge weakness that will keep them away from the top of the baseball mountain.

In the case of the Washington Nationals their Achilles heel is manager Dusty Baker. Baker has taken many teams to the playoffs (Giants, Cubs, and Reds), but has never won a championship. The issue is that Baker is great at getting players to play above their ability, but cannot game manage well. Talent will win a lot of three game series, but when the playoff starts and series are five to seven games, Dusty Baker's lack of game strategy becomes a problem. It will be a problem for Washington in 2016.

The reason the Cubs will not make the World Series is mainly about experience. Players like Arrita, Rizzo, and Bryant are insanely talented and extremely young. There is not a strong veteran presence in Chicago that can guide these phenoms. It will be wait till next year for the Cubbies once again. Plus we have to take into account the goat and a variety of curses. Sorry Cubs.

So how are the Pirates going to get through these super teams and win the World Series? Pittsburgh is built a lot like the Kansas City Royals. Homegrown talent and nice off season veteran acquisitions. Outfielder Andrew McCutchen is one of the top five players in the MLB and a certified clubhouse leader. Francisco Liriano has found a second life in the Steel City. Manager Clint Hurdle has been guiding this team out of the darkness and has them believing in themselves. When the MLB season is getting to the trade deadline, a second place team like the Pirates will be more willing to trade for veteran talent than a young team like the Cubs or the Nationals. The mixture of a great manager, a superstar player who is also a leader, and a front office willing to take a chance, will lead to the Pittsburgh Pirates beating the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2016 World Series.

Let's say the series goes 7 games. That would be exciting.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head editor for SeedSing and one of the other hosts on the X Millennial Man Podcast. He is sentimentally picking the Pirates in remembrance of a hat he once briefly owned. Do you love baseball, come write for us. 

Ken Griffey Jr is 100% a Hall of Famer

Piazza and some outfielder made the Hall of Fame

Last week the Baseball Writers Association of America voted Mike Piazza and Ken Griffey Jr into the Hall of Fame. Both are well deserved. Piazza is, probably, the greatest offensive catcher of my lifetime, maybe of all time. He was a threat to get on base almost every time he stepped to the plate. He left a lot to be desired on defense, but his offense was extraordinary.

Ken Griffey Jr, on the other hand, was my generations Willie Mays. He was the best hitter, the fastest player and the greatest center fielder since Mays himself. Look at these career stats. He was a .284 lifetime hitter in an era of dominant pitchers that were on steroids. He hit against guys like Roger Clemens, Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson and hit them regularly. Those guys 100 percent used steroids, in my opinion, and he still hit almost .300 for a career. He hit 630 homeruns with 56 being the most he hit in one season. That's incredible. He did not use steroids, was never accused of using steroids and he still hit 630 career homeruns. You have to be a pretty dominant hitter to put up those home run numbers for a career. He had almost 2,000 career RBI's coming in at 1,836. That means, he consistently knocked in 100 runs every year. Also amazing. He also had an on base percentage of .907. Insane. He was on base almost all the time. He either put himself in position to score, or other people scored because he was always getting on base. He also stole 184 bases in his career. That may not sound like a lot, but for a power hitter such as Griffey, that's phenomenal.

Forgetting about offense for a moment, Griffey is the greatest defensive player I'd ever seen. Some of the catches he made were astonishing. Go and look at them on the internet, they're wonderful. The way he tracked the ball and would chase it down was awesome. He was so fast, could climb the wall with ease and seemed like he could jump out of the stadium for a ball. He was an incredible center fielder, the best since Willie Mays, in mine and many others opinion.

I know that when he left Seattle to go to Cincinnati his career took a turn due to many injuries, but what he did for the first 11 years of his 20 year career were more than enough to get him into the Hall of Fame. Going home to Cincinnati was not the right choice for him, but when he was healthy there, he was still lethal. People seem to forget that, but he was just as dominate. When he signed with the White Sox and later a two year deal to end his career in Seattle, he was a DH and that suited the end of his run to perfection. Just let him bat, his injuries took away his speed and his aggressiveness in the field, and put that fear in pitchers that he still held over them.

Griffey is also the first player ever drafted number one overall to make the Hall of Fame. He lived up to the hype and then some. Griffey is one of the top ten baseball players of all time easily.

All this brings me to my main point of my blog today, how does he not become the first unanimous player to be elected into the Hall of Fame? What asshole writers, there were three of them, didn't think he was worthy of all 100 percent of the vote? What point are they trying to prove? What else could he have done for these people to get their vote? Did he need to hit over 700 homeruns? Was it the fact that he was a career under .300 hitter? Could he have stolen more bases? Is it because he never won a World Series? If so, that's asinine. Sure, Barry Bonds hit over 700 homeruns and had an over .300 career average, but he also took a ton of steroids and HGH and anything else that could give him an advantage. He's still not in the Hall of Fame, but he's getting more and more votes every year. Sure, Rickey Henderson, who is and deserves to be a Hall of Famer, stole more bases, but he was a terrible teammate and he wasn't 1/10 the fielder that Griffey was. And the whole "he never won on the big stage" debate is tired. Many, many undeserving guys have been key cogs in World Series victories for other teams. Do you all remember David Freese in the 2011 World Series? The huge game he had that gave my beloved Cardinals the game 6 win in the World Series won't get him even a sniff to the Hall of Fame. He will never even be in the discussion for the Hall and he was part of multiple World Series titles and appearances while in Saint Louis. I'm sure Griffey is much happier with his overall body of work in baseball than David Freese will ever be. Do these three writers really think, just because David Freese won a couple of World Series rings, that he is more deserving than Griffey Jr? If they truly do, they're more moronic than I initially thought. These three particular writers seem to want to be contrary just to be contrary. No real thought, they just figured that he shouldn't be unanimous since no one has ever been unanimous. They are the "hipsters" of the BBWAA or they are just mad racist or they're just dumb. Ken Griffey Jr is an all time great and that was proven by him getting 99+ percent of the vote, but he deserved all 100 percent of the vote. Shame on those three particular writers. You guys are dicks for the case of being dicks. I hope they feel bad about themselves because they are world class douchebags.

Thank you to Ken Griffey Jr for being an awesome baseball player and an even cooler person. You were an inspiration to me as a young little leaguer and I fully intend to show my son videos of you playing as he gets older and more involved in baseball. I can't think of a better pro for my son to emulate.

One more thing. Please wear your hat backwards, your trademark, for your Hall of Fame bust, it would be awesome.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man podcast. He once climbed a ten foot chain link fence to rob someone of a wiffle ball homerun. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

Get all your Postseason Winners with Ty's First Annual Baseball Playoff Preview

Is this the next year Cubs fans have been waiting for?

Today marks the weekend when regular season baseball ends, AKA when I start to pay attention to major league baseball.

All the playoff spots are filled with the exception of the second wild card in the AL. The Angels and the Astros will take that down to the wire. Other than those two teams, in the AL, we have the division winners, the Blue Jays, the Rangers and the Royals. The Yankees have claimed the first wild card spot. In the NL, all the playoff spots are filled. The division winners are the Cardinals, the Dodgers and the Mets. The two wild card spots are filled by the Cubs and the Pirates. I know people love baseball, but let's be serious, it doesn't really get exciting until now (ed note: Wrong, it is great all year). This is the playoffs.

Up until now, we've had 162 regular season games. That's a ton of games. During the summer I'll occasionally watch Cardinals games because it's my team. I don't watch any other teams play regular season games unless they're playing the Cardinals. Now that Fall is here, football is back and baseball definitely takes the back burner, until now. Football is and always will be my number one, I'll watch every Michigan and Green Bay game, but I will watch playoff baseball, and I'll watch every team in the playoffs. Baseball is finally exciting because it's down to only 10 teams, and two of those teams are out after one game. That's exciting. So, today I'm going to give a playoff preview and predictions. This will become a yearly thing. The one time each year that I watch baseball, I'll write a blog the weekend prior to the playoffs starting with predictions.

So begins my first annual "Baseball Playoff Preview". Since I'm a Cardinals fan and have watched NL baseball most of my life, I'm going to start with the AL and save the NL for last. So on with my AL preview and predictions. I'll start with the "play in" wild card game. The Yankees claimed the first wild card spot last night, and I'm going to say that the Astros complete the meltdown, lose the second wild card spot, and the Angels will end up playing the Yankees. I think the Yankees will win the game, but both of these teams are underachievers. They both have huge stars and huge payrolls, but they barely make the playoffs, if they even do. Tanaka will outpitch Weaver and the Yankees will advance to face the Royals. That means that I think the Royals will finish with the best record in the AL. I think they will do just enough this weekend to surpass the Blue Jays for the top spot. So the division series in the AL will be Yankees-Royals and Blue Jays-Rangers. These are best of five series. In the Yankees-Royals series, I have the Royals winning in five games, but they will all be close. The Royals have better pitching and hitting and even though their closer is out for the rest of the season, their bullpen is the best in the AL. The Royals are better coached as well. Royals advance to the ALCS. In the other division series, I'm taking the Blue Jays in four. The Rangers will get one game, but the Blue Jays are the hottest team in baseball right now, they have the AL MVP in Josh Donaldson, and the Cy Young winner in David Price. I know awards aren't handed out until after the playoffs, but those two are winning those awards. The Blue Jays also have Jose Bautista to crush homers and two great starters to compliment Price in Mark Buerhle and RA Dickey. The Rangers had a nice run at the end of the season, but their run is over. The Blue Jays are a buzz saw and they will crush the Rangers. Blue Jays advance to face the Royals in the ALCS. The ALCS is best of seven, but for all the reasons I just mentioned above for the Blue Jays is why this will be a short series. The Blue Jays win in 5 games. Once again, the Royals will get one at home, but the Blue Jays are playing way too well for anyone in the AL to stop them right now. They're just way too good. They made the best move at the deadline to acquire Price and Troy Tulowitzki, and that will pay off with a trip to the World Series. Blue Jays will represent the AL in the 2015 World Series.

Now, the NL. In the "play in" wild card game we get Cubs-Pirates. This one game may be better than any series in the AL. The NL Central boasts the three best teams in baseball(the Cardinals, Cubs and Pirates). If anyone of these teams were in any other division, they'd easily be champs and avoid this "play in" wild card game. I'm going to pick the Cubs strictly because they will have Jake Arrieta on the mound, and he may be the best pitcher in all of baseball right now. The game will be close and very low scoring, but the Cubs will manage 2 runs and walk away with a 2-0 win. This makes the division series, Cardinals-Cubs and Mets-Dodgers. In the Mets-Dodgers series, we will get to see some great pitching matchups. Most pro teams have one ace and then four decent starters. The Mets and Dodgers have two aces each, and great pitchers to fill out the rotation. The Dodgers will throw Greinke and Kershaw in the first two games, but the Mets will counter with De Grom and Harvey. This will be a close, low scoring series and due to their choking in the playoffs as of the past couple of seasons, I'm picking the Mets to beat the Dodgers in five. Kershaw always seems to have a meltdown in the playoffs and the Dodgers can't recover. That will happen once again, and people will start to question if Kershaw can ever win a ring. Mets advance to the NLCS. In what will probably be the most competitive series in all the playoffs, we get Cubs-Cardinals. The Cubs have big time pitchers in Arrieta and Jon Lester and boast a pretty talented, very young lineup. The Cardinals are the Cardinals, plus they get Adam Wainwright back as a relief pitcher just in time for the playoffs. They've had injury after injury, but they still have the best record in all of baseball, winning 100 plus games. This will be close as well, but I have the Cardinals winning in five games. The Cubs are about one or two years away and the Cardinals are stacked with veterans and they have the best bullpen in all of baseball. Their pitching staff is pretty great. Cardinals advance to face the Mets in the NLCS. So we have Mets-Cardinals playing to go to the World Series, what is this, the 80's? Both teams are good, but I have the Cardinals, I know, I'm a homer advancing to the World Series, beating the Mets in seven. I wanted to pick the Mets, but the decision to almost shut down Harvey because of an innings limit, ask the Nationals how that worked for them and Strasburg, will bite them in the ass in the NLCS. It will still go the full seven, but the Cardinals will find a way to advance, it's what they do.

So the 2015 World Series will be the Blue Jays and Cardinals. This one will only go five games, and the Blue Jays will be the 2015 World Series Champions. They're the best team in baseball now, with the best player in the AL and one of the best pitchers in all of baseball. The Cardinals injuries will catch up to them, and as I said before, the Blue Jays are a buzz saw. They're the most talented team that's playing the best baseball since the franchise's peak in the 90's. The moves made at the deadline will once again pay off, this time with baseball's largest prize. David Price will win two games in the World Series for the Blue Jays and he will be the best player in all of the 2015 playoffs and take home World Series MVP.

So, there you have it, the Blue Jays will be your 2015 World Series Champs.

(ed picks: ALCS will be Blue Jays over the Yankees in 5. NLCS will have a magical run by the Cubs and they will beat the Cardinals in 7. In the bottom of the ninth of Game 7 of the World Series, the Toronto Blue Jays will be the first team since the 93 Blue Jays team to win the World Series on a walkoff home run. Maybe next year Cubs fans.)

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man podcast. Ty is way too young to remember the seething hatred all 80's Cardinals fans had for the Mets. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.

Why is Joe Maddon so Bush League?

Birth place of the modern Cardinal Way

Who in the world does Joe Maddon think he is?

Sure, he's a good baseball coach. Good, not yet great. If he can take the Cubs to the World Series and win, then he becomes great. But where does this air of superiority come from? Does he think he's the greatest manager of all time? Does he feel like he can write the rules of baseball and everyone has to do as he says?

I bring all this up because, in the recent series with the Cardinals, not only did he call out the "Cardinal Way", but he repeatedly had his pitchers throw at Cardinal batters. I understand the first time because the Cardinals hit one of the young Cub stars, Anthony Rizzo. In baseball the unwritten rule is, you hit one of our guys, we are going to hit one of your guys. This rule has been around forever and it's not going anywhere. But, to complain about the "Cardinal Way" after that particular game, and then to go out in the next game and hit three Cardinal batters, that's down right douchey. That's like a frat boy not getting the girl he wants because she already has a boyfriend and he gets his lame frat "brothers" and they outnumber the boyfriend and beat him up.

I'm trying to say that you sound like an upset frat boy Joe Maddon.

Also, why are you so against the "Cardinal Way"? This is a term I don't particularly care for, but all the Cardinals do is win, so the "Cardinal Way" must be working. Wouldn't you want to model your team after a successful team? Every other league is a copycat league, but you Mr. Maddon, like to "think outside the box". Sure, your way has gotten you to one World Series, which you lost, and won you a couple of division titles, but you've never truly won anything of importance as a manager. You act like you're the king of baseball though.

Why is that?

The only reason I can come up with is, the horrible people at ESPN love you, so they constantly do stories on you. I feel like this makes you think that your more important to the game than you truly are. No one outside of Chicago cares about you and your way of coaching. Sure, you have a good, young team that is on the verge of greatness, but you are just an okay manager. To attack the Cardinals the way you did was bush league. Spoiler alert for you Joe Maddon, the Cardinals aren't fazed by trash talk. They could care less that you called them out on ESPN. The Cardinals are an organization that goes about their business with class and style. They don't feel the need to attack other teams or players via the media unlike you Joe Maddon. It's also absurd that after you got your eye for an eye in the first game, the very next night you felt it was okay to hit three more players. What kind of amateur shit is that?! Do actions like this make you feel like you're a tough guy? It makes you look like an asshole, not a tough guy. To people outside Chicago, you're bush league. That's what a little league coach who has way too much invested in his little league team does. You're a manager of a professional sports team. Act like it for god's sakes. Don't act like a frat boy or a little brother. I thought that your schtick was okay when you were in Tampa, but now that you're in a big city, I see the true person that you are and it's an ugly, mean person.

It's funny to me that you chose the Cardinals to attack too. I guess the little fish want to attack the shark. The shark always wins Joe Maddon. The Cubs are riding their hottest streak since the early 2000's, and you're still 6 games back in the division. You guys are actually third in the division behind the Cardinals and the Pirates. But, the way you talk and the way the media talks about the Cubs, you'd think that they were in the first place. That's not the case. And how arrogant are you going to be if, the way it looks now the Cubs and the Pirates will be playing in the one game playoff, you guys lose the play in game to the Pirates? You already had your second baseman break the leg of the Pirates starting shortstop with a dirty, illegal slide, and you guys still may lose that game. If the Pirates win, are you going to call them out and say you don't care for the way they run their organization?

Well, let's look at the organization that hired you last offseason. The way the Cubs got you to be their manager is some of the shadiest shit I've ever seen or heard in my life. How many back alley deals were made? How many people in Tampa did you screw over so you could take this Cubs job? You are about as low class as they come Joe Maddon.

I hope you guys do beat the Pirates in the play in game and have to face the Cardinals in the division series. It will be that much sweeter when they kick your guys asses in the playoffs. I don't know why you think you're the greatest thing since sliced bread in baseball, and I hope you get crushing defeats in the playoffs with the Cubs, just like you did when you were with Tampa. You, Joe Maddon, are a scumbag and you deserve the worst of sports outcomes.

You're an arrogant asshole.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the co-host of the X Millennial Man podcast. The only thing he will defend more than his teams are his children, and a good steak. Follow Ty on twitter @tykulik.