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Yes, the CBL's postseason is finally in our midst, so it's time to rev up the cable modems, call in sick to work and exile yourself to the couch. What's to follow? How will things unfold? There's simply no telling.
Nevertheless, here's one scribe's best guess as to how the first round will play out ...
Saskatoon vs Moose Jaw
This one should be a close one. Saskatoon leads the season series 8 to 5 but 6 of those games were within 3 runs. Moose Jaw has 3 20+ game winners in the rotation, Saskatoon has 2. Offensively though it's a different story as Saskatoon has outslugged Moose Jaw by 50 points. MVP candidate Greif leads the charge but he has a strong supporting cast. Fortunately, Moose Jaw's rotation doesn't care, keeping opponents slugging percentage to a miniscule .409.
But despite the fact that Saskatoon boasts a deeper rotation and 6 players who hit at least 30 HRs (8 who hit 25), Torin's Aging All-Stars never know exactly when to quit. Everyone knows this team should've rebuilt years ago... everyone except for Torin that is. And despite all logic (and all the retirements), this team just keeps winning.
Guts and glory win out over the only lineup to make the Yankees look like pussies...
Dragons in five.
Cold Lake vs Kelowna
Traditionally, this one would have been run scoring versus run prevention but somewhere along the way Kelowna learned how to pitch. While Kelowna's staff will never be mistaken for Toronto, Moose Jaw or even Cold Lake's, they boast three 20 game winners and more importantly an solid lineup top to bottom that'll provide the run support this team needs.
Cold Lake 's offense rides on 4 men: 3B Faulk, RF Manderson, C Bustillo & LF Ikard. They have depth in their starting rotation but no bullpen to speak of. The core is here but the supporting cast is plain and simply lacking. With any luck Faulk and co. can carry the offense and the bullpen will never get into the games.
What few hits we see in this series will likely be homeruns...
Freedom Fries in four.
Charlottetown vs. Fredricton
Fredricton has a couple of things in their favour.
An outfield from hell (.307/106 HRs/94 SBs... the PEI Argonauts as a team only hit 158 HRs). And 3B Passmore. And Fredricton is one of only four teams to slug more than .400 against Charlottetown.
But that's about. By far and away, Fredricton's rotation is the worst of all the postseason teams. And they face the most relentless playoff team of the bunch in Charlottetown.
Charlottetown is the most well-rounded team in the CBL. Owner of the best record in the CBL, Charlottetown had a losing record this year against only one team... Val D'Or (thank god they didn't make it to the playoffs). 3 teams had a higher batting average. One team walked more. No one hit more doubles. No one struck out less. Only one team had a higher slugging percentage. Charlottetown had the sixth fewest errors. 3 teams had a better ERA. Only Cold Lake walked fewer batters and no one else struck out as many. Only one pitcher won 20 games but seven! won 10 or more. Charlottetown's biggest weaknesses are grounding into double plays and giving up the long ball.
Hayden Revelez will hit a homerun. Probably off Bill Claire. But the fact remains...
Blues in four.
Quebec vs Owen Sound
Owen Sound has the greatest shortstop in the game (sorry, Bill Dennis), a good leftfielder and an old but still great first baseman and not much else in the lineup. A strong rotation is betrayed by a weak bullpen. A lot of holes on this team but they've managed to hold off a strong division all season long.
Quebec on the other hand has a strong and deep lineup and a good bullpen but the weakest rotation after Fredricton. Fortunately, Owen Sound is the team to go up against if you have a weak rotation. And Owen Sound won't be able to just pitch around Orren and Warner... put them on base and they'll just put themselves into scoring position for one of the other sluggers on this team. Not that it matters but it'll be interesting to see if Claude continues to play the third best second baseman in the CBL in rightfield for the duration of the playoffs.
Owen Sound will give it a go but the deeper Quebec lineup has this one won …
Bulldogs in five.
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