2004 League Division Series
Division Series set to start!
Division Series League Championship Series World Series

    9/24/2004 9:15 PM

Rockers and Wildcats favored in LDS; series could be short ones!

The Kentucky Wildcats (115-47) implemented a unique strategy during the free agent draft of 2004.  They mixed on some stars, but also drafted players with exceptional splits.  The Wildcats are clearly the favorite to win it all in 2004!  The West Division match up features the Cats and the Simi Valley Senators (93-69), two teams who staged twenty three battles during the regular season.  The Wildcats held the season advantage, winning 15 of the  23 played.  Barry Bonds (312-50-129) leads the Cats offense along with several role players.  The Senators have a balance attack on offense featuring Todd Helton (316-19-96), Garrett Anderson (304-30-137) and Randy Winn (320-7-114).  Their starting pitching is not as good as the Wildcats, but Vincente Padilla (12-6 4.98 ERA) and Andy Pettitte (12-9 3.83 ERA) may start four out of the seven games.  Curt Schilling (16-5 3.31 ERA) and Kevin Brown (22-9 3.77 ERA) may prove to be too much. 

The East Division match up is an attractive one, matching the Richmond Rockers (110-52) and the Northwoods Lagers (75-87) .  The Rockers took 16 of 23 regular season games from the Lagers, but the Lagers are not worried.  The Lagers have Gary Sheffield, who possibly hits the hardest baseball in the league.  Sheffield let the Lagers with 45 HR and 127 RBI, while batting .300.  The Rockers middle of the order is second to none, featuring Jim Edmonds (304-43-98), Javy Lopez (318-40-114) and Trot Nixon (325-32-84).  The starting pitching of the Rockers may prove to be the difference as Halladay (18-7 3.41) and Pedro Martinez (17-5 3.5) make up a great 1-2 punch.

National League Championship Series one for the Ages?

Squaring off in the National League West Division Series are the Moon Raiders (94-68) and the San Francisco Seals (92-70),  The Seals have the advantage on offense, with the likes of Albert Pujols (336-46-153), possibly the National League MVP leading the way.  After Pujols, the lineup has balance with Brian Giles (273-20-89) and Juan Pierre (59 SB).  The Moon Raiders hold the advantage on the mound, with 20 game winner Javier Vasquez (20-4 2.39 ERA) the Game One starter.  Ted Lilly (19-6 3.62 ERA) and Ben Sheets (13-11 3.42 ERA) make this staff difficult for any opponent to handle.  The Raiders also have some solid bats in their lineup, led by Jorge Posada (316-40-114) and Carlos Beltran (302-27-82).  This should be the best LDS match up of the playoffs.

The National League East Division series may not be as highly touted as the West Division series, but could be dramatic.  The Doolie Superbas (93-69) managed to hang on to the division crown, despite a late run by the Chemung Crawdads (93-70).  The Crawdads endured a one game playoff on the road at the Louisville Colonels to get into the postseason.  These two teams played each other twenty-three times, with the Superbas winning the season series twelve games to eleven.  The Superbas scored nearly 100 runs more than the Crawdads during the season, but each team knows that the in a short series, anything can happen.  Doolie will rely on their Big 3, Carlos Delgado (284-37-107), Chipper Jones (296-34-106) and Mike Lowell (309-34-120).  Chemung has youth and speed on their side with Carl Crawford (65 SB), Derek Jeter (355-12-52) and Magglio Ordonez (303-25-111).  Kerry Wood (14-8 3.84 ERA) and Mark Prior (16-7 2.86 ERA) could be the marquee match up of the LDS.  

AP Photo:  Barry Bonds watches his 50th HR of the season head towards McCovey Cove.

AP Photo: Albert Pujols looks to lead the Seals in their battle with the Moon Raiders.
American League East Division Series
Stats Northwoods Lagers Position Richmond Rockers Stats
263-30-100 Jeff Bagwell First Base David Ortiz 275-31-94
253-11-48 Ray Durham Second Base Warren Morris 259-5-29
278-27-83 Casey Blake Third Base Bill Mueller 307-26-89
290-19-61 Edgar Renteria Shortstop Jose Valentin 257-29-62
248-14-43 JD Drew Left Field Luis Gonzalez 309-16-76
299-3-30 Tike Redman Center Field Jim Edmonds 304-43-98
292-47-136 Gary Sheffield Right Field Trot Nixon 325-32-84
332-13-51 Greg Myers Catcher Javy Lopez 318-40-88
288-16-63 Cliff Floyd DH Juan Gonzalez 307-28-63
7-9 4.91 ERA Roy Oswalt Starter Roy Halladay 18-7 3.41 ERA
13-11 4.54 ERA Mark Redman Starter Pedro Martinez 17-5 3.51 ERA
8-8 5.79 ERA Brian Lawrence Starter Jamie Moyer 14-5 4.31 ERA
10-9 4.35 ERA Josh Beckett Starter --- ---
5-6 24 Saves Jose Contreras Closer John Smoltz 1-4 33 Saves
         

American League East Division Series Box Scores
Game 1 Game 2 Game 3 Game 4 Game 5 Game 6 Game 7
American League West Division Series
Stats Simi Valley Senators Position Kentucky Wildcats Stats
316-19-96 Todd Helton First Base Travis Hafner 299-19-67
341-10-89 Mark Loretta Second Base Melvin Mora 295-16-68
270-7-54 Ty Wiggington Third Base Corey Koskie 321-10-70
273-4-55 Jimmy Rollins Shortstop Orlando Cabrera 284-8-49
304-30-137 Garrett Anderson Left Field Barry Bonds 312-50-129
320-7-114 Randy Winn Center Field Steve Finley 296-13-58
277-12-51 Juan Encarnacion Right Field Larry Bigbie 344-14-46
303-6-75 Jason Kendall Catcher Ramon Hernandez 273-13-55
299-22-99 Edgar Martinez DH Matt Stairs 283-20-80
12-6 4.98 ERA Vincente Padilla Starter Kevin Brown 22-9 3.77 ERA
12-9 3.83 ERA Andy Pettitte Starter Curt Schilling 16-5 3.31 ERA
11-9 4.34 ERA Brian Anderson Starter Brandon Webb 18-7 2.89 ERA
--- --- Starter Tim Wakefield 22-5 3.74 ERA
1-4 29 Saves Joe Borowski Closer Eric Gagne 1-4 46 Saves
         

American League West Division Series Box Scores
Game 1 Game 2 Game 3 Game 4 Game 5 Game 6 Game 7
National League East Division Series
Stats Chemung Crawdads Position Doolie Superbas Stats
298-16-67 Jay Gibbons First Base Carlos Delgado 284-34-107
229-4-38 Roberto Alomar Second Base Brian Roberts 224-8-46
209-8-40 Eric Hinske Third Base Mike Lowell 309-34-120
355-12-52 Derek Jeter Shortstop Julio Lugo 217-6-23
281-7-63 Carl Crawford Left Field Chipper Jones 296-34-106
281-31-118 Vernon Wells Center Field Marlon Byrd 283-2-36
303-25-111 Magglio Ordonez Right Field Larry Walker 238-13-59
308-6-62 AJ Pierznyski Catcher Mike Lieberthal 314-12-76
16-7 2.86 ERA Mark Prior Starter Esteban Loaiza 16-13 2.52 ERA
14-8 3.82 ERA Roger Clemens Starter Kerry Wood 14-8 3.84 ERA
14-12 4.11 ERA Greg Maddux Starter Russ Ortiz 12-12 4.61 ERA
10-11 4.09 ERA Al Leiter Starter Derek Lowe 12-9 4.69 ERA
7-3 34 Saves Matt Mantei Closer Ugeth Urbina 5-4 33 Saves
         

National League East Division Series Box Scores
Game 1 Game 2 Game 3 Game 4 Game 5 Game 6 Game 7
National League West Division Series
Stats Moon Raiders Position SF Seals Stats
299-15-63 Frank Cattanotto First Base Albert Pujols 336-46-153
256-9-51 Adam Kennedy Second Base Mark Grudzielanek 292-1-50
241-5-42 Geoff Blum Third Base Joe Randa 259-12-71
267-19-86 Angel Berroa Shortstop Carlos Guillen 261-4-37
289-22-99 Carlos Lee Left Field Brian Giles 273-20-89
302-27-82 Carlos Beltran Center Field Juan Pierre 281-3-50
240-20-92 Jose Cruz Jr. Right Field Shawn Green 265-14-71
316-40-114 Jorge Posada Catcher Jason Varitek 244-20-73
20-4 2.39 ERA Javier Vasquez Starter Mike Mussina 18-8 3.71 ERA
19-6 3.62 ERA Ted Lilly Starter Mark Buehrle 12-11 4.98 ERA
13-11 3.42 ERA Ben Sheets Starter Jake Peavy 9-12 4.68 ERA
11-11 4.64 ERA Brett Myers Starter --- ---
4-5 22 Saves Juan Rincon Closer Shigetoshi Hasegawa 7-1 23 Saves
         

National League West Division Series Box Scores
Game 1 Game 2 Game 3 Game 4 Game 5 Game 6 Game 7