World Series preview: Don't count out the Rockies

ON BASEBALL

Here's a riddle for you:

The World Series is about to commence inside Fenway Park.

One team has won 21 of its last 22 games, including all seven of its playoff games. Not bad, eh?

The other team had to win three consecutive games and rely on some poor decisions by its opponent to advance.

One team is being picked by the majority of America outside of the Rocky Mountains to win.

That team is not the team with the 21-for-22 streak.

Question: Why is everyone picking against the hot guys? (I thought women, especially, dig hot guys).

Answer: I'm not quite sure, but here are some guesses...

America loves the Red Sox to win their second World Series in four years after going 86 years without a championship.

People point to their ace, Josh Beckett, who is 3-0 this postseason and has been indomitable. Yes, Beckett is better than Colorado's No. 1, Jeff Francis. But let's not forget who Francis beat in Game 1 of the NLCS (Arizona's seemingly unbeatable No. 1, Brandon Webb).

People point to the Rockies' eight-day layoff and say it will affect them just like the Tigers' six-day vacation hurt them last year when they lost the Fall Classic to the Cardinals in an ugly five games.

First off, I'm sure Colorado manager Clint Hurdle has made sure his pitchers work on their fielding during the respite, so, yes, I'm positive that the Rockies' rotation won't be throwing the ball into Fenway's stands.

Secondly, I like the fact that the Rockies played a couple of simulated scrimmages to prepare. No, I'm not going to pretend a no-pressure scrimmage in front of empty seats is tantamount to a World Series game in the country's most distinguished ballpark in front of blood-thirsty Red Sox Nation and millions of others watching. But the Rockies won't be rusty fundamentally. They'll play good defense. They'll probably pitch OK. And that will give them a chance.

Thirdly, a big difference between last year's Tigers and this season's Rockies is that Detroit was a huge favorite heading into the series. The Rockies, as you might surmise, are not. There is no added pressure. No "this season will be a disappointment" butterflies fluttering around the clubhouse.

If Colorado loses, so what? Close to no one expects them to win. This season will remain memorable even if they lose. The Rockies have nothing to lose. All they need to do is play hard and enjoy the moments. Can't say the same about the Red Sox, whom everybody is inking in as 2007 World Series Champions.

Fourthly, the winning streak should be getting much more press. Forget the layoff. This team believes it's going to win every game. Even when it was down in the Game 4 clincher against Arizona, there was a resounding belief that Colorado would pull it out. That can't be underestimated. It will help the Rockies each time they're down this series.

You can point to the matchups and numbers all you want. They are what they are, but they won't determine what transpires in the next week or so. If the numbers dictated the Series' direction, Detroit would be the defending champion right now. Simple as that.

But I know you want a few Xs and Os, so here they are:

I'm not joking when I say, "Colorado's lineup 1-9 is just as potent as Boston's, especially with Big Papi struggling."

Yes, Beckett has an advantage over Francis, but I'm serious when I say, "The teams' Nos. 2-4 starters are even."

I'm not delirious when I say, "Manny Corpas is just as good as Jonathan Papelbon as a closer."

I believe it when I say, "With Brian Fuentes leading the way, I like Colorado's middle relief and setup situation over Boston's, especially if Boston's Eric Gagne enters a game in a tight situation."

It's the truth when I say, "Clint Hurdle does just as good a job managing his ball club as Boston's Terry Francona does with his."

Finally, call me insane, but I fully believe that Colorado can win this series. Will it run its streak to 25-of-26? Highly doubtful. This Red Sox team doesn't play four bad games in a row (just three). But Colorado has the players, the manager, the mojo, the momentum and the crazy fans to win its first World Series.

Call me crazy, but I believe it.

Colorado in six.

It's almost October

ON BASEBALL

October — while still 13 days away — is most definitely in the air.

Just reference the past few days.

The intensity of the games.

The crowd noise.

The comebacks.

The long games (due to multiple pitching changes).

The brisk temperatures.

Yes, it's almost time for playoff baseball, for the second best month on the American sports calender (behind March).

The Yankees and Red Sox spoiled us with a sneak preview this past weekend. Believe me when I say there's a reason this rivalry gets double the attention of any other baseball matchup. It's that much better, that much more exciting.

On Friday night I thought the Red Sox — with a 7-2 lead — were well on their way to a pivotal victory, a win that would place the Yanks in a deep, deep hole in the American League East and — combined with the Tigers' victory — cut their wild card lead to two and a half games.

But I looked up an hour later, and the Yanks were ahead 8-7 (which turned out to be the final score). As the absurd highlights demonstrated, New York had scored six runs in the eighth inning before the Red Sox could record a single out.

Red Sox' Southpaw reliever Hideki Okajima, who hadn't allowed a home run by a left-handed hitter all season, gave up back-to-back jacks.

Despite the voluble Yankees' offense, the comeback — which also came against indomitable Sox' closer Jonathan Papelbon — was shocking... and disturbing (if you're a part of Red Sox Nation or a Tigers fan).

While the Yankees, obviously a bit worn out from Friday's showing, didn't give much in a 10-1 loss Saturday, Sunday night's ESPN game — even more than Friday's comeback — came across as October baseball, and I was simply watching on TV.

In the eighth inning, with the score 1-1, Curt Schilling and catcher Jason Varitek met at the mound before every pitch of a crucial at bat for Derek Jeter, with runners on second and third and two out. Obviously, the final discussion proved ineffective, as the always-clutch Jeter ripped a fastball over the Green Monster.

Despite Jeter's blast, you didn't see any Red Sox fans heading for the exits. They all knew a comeback was in the making. And they guessed right. Against arguably the best closer of all time, Mariano Rivera, in the ninth, the Sox made the score 4-3 and loaded the bases for their clutch mastermind, David "Big Papi" Ortiz.

My friend sitting next to me guaranteed a hit and a Red Sox win. I'm sure many inside Fenway were thinking the same thing. But Rivera jammed Ortiz with a high fastball, which the slugger popped to Jeter.

And the game was over. But it was just the beginning of this fall's drama.

Entering Monday, the Tigers trailed the Yankees by a mere two and a half games in the wild card and were four and a half games back of Cleveland heading into a three-game set at Jacobs Field. While Tigers-Indians doesn't receive close to the attention of Red Sox-Yankees, it didn't fail to deliver the same kind of drama witnessed over the weekend.

In front of a packed crowd which stood for most of the final few innings, Cleveland erased a four-run deficit and won 6-5 in 11 innings on Casey Blake's second walk-off homer in a matter of four days.

The Jake went bonkers. Just like in "Major League," Cleveland can smell the playoffs. The Indians now own a commanding five and a half game advantage over the Tigers. Another win in the next two games, and you can almost pencil it in.

It's beginning to look like the spring, when the Cavaliers beat the favored Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals. A little deja vu.

But don't count out the Tigers just yet — not from the wild card or division race.

If these last few days have taught us anything, it's that during this time of year, anything can happen in baseball.

Sounds like October, doesn't it?