California State University East Bay

The Pioneer

California State University East Bay

The Pioneer

California State University East Bay

The Pioneer

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By The Numbers: Sports from an Irreverent Perspective

First, I would like to congratulate the MLB AL champions the Texas Rangers and the NL champions St Louis Cardinals!  This 2011 MLB campaign has been one for the ages.  The season literally came down to game 162 on both sides of the league for the Wild Card spot. For the second year in the row, the AL champions are the Texas Rangers.  The high-powered offense led by Nelson Cruz aims to take the fight to the National League Champions in St. Louis and slugger Albert Pujols.  By the way, only three teams in the history of Major League Baseball have not had a pitcher exceed five innings and go to the World Series.  This year’s champions and the 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers led by Jackie Robinson.  So who is going to win the World Series?  Neither club from Texas or St. Louis has had a starter exceed five innings in the championship series.  Both bullpens are solid. Both offenses dominate their respective leagues.  It is a fair match-up.  I’m taking the Cardinals in 6.  What? The Giants did it.  Oh, and Rangers don’t have Cliff Lee.
Boston Red Sox GM Theo Epstein inked a five-year $15 million deal with the Chicago Cubs this offseason.  This makes the Cubs a possible attractive landing spot for big name free agents this winter, including big names like David Ortiz or perhaps even Prince Fielder.  There’s a lot of money coming off of those books and a lot to be spent.  Stay tuned.
Quick Hits:
MLB—St. Louis has home field advantage for the first three games of the World Series vs. Texas Wednesday through Friday.  Cue the Rally Squirrel.
NFL—Yes the Eagles won this week. *Finger twirl.*  With four minutes left in the second quarter, Raiders QB Jason Campbell dislocated his shoulder. The Cincinatti Bengals have reportedly traded QB Carson Palmer to the Raiders for a 2012  First Round Draft Pick and conditional 2013 first round draft pick if the Raiders make the playoffs. I like the trade but personally feel that a guy who slipped off the radar his last season with the Bengals and had elbow issues shouldn’t be worth two first round picks.  Also, what does that say about the future of Jason Campbell?  Could he slip to the backup position on the depth chart? How ‘bout them 49ers!  I was really impressed how they answered to that defensive front of Detroit and handed the Lions their first loss of the year.  It was the 49ers defense yet again that comes up big.  Now, I’m not going to speculate what happened there at the end of the game between coach Harbaugh and Lions coach Jim Schwartz.  However I will say this: really?
NHL—I attended HP Pavillion this weekend to watch the Sharks get routed 4-2 by the St. Louis Blues.  I wasn’t impressed with the lack of eats and shops inside the arena, but at least the exterior was neat to look at right? Bleh.
Racing: Dan Wheldon, 33, two-time Indy 500 winner died in Las Vegas Oct. 16 in a fiery wreck during the Indy 300.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.
NBA—crickets.

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California State University East Bay
By The Numbers: Sports from an Irreverent Perspective