Odds against a Freeway World Series
The Dodgers and Angels are more likely to endure the baseball equivalent of a fender bender than to experience a first Freeway World Series.
The good news for Southern California baseball fans: According to baseballprospectus.com, which ran a simulation of the remainder of the season 1 million times, both teams have excellent odds of reaching the postseason.
The Dodgers, who lead the National League West, have a 98.1% chance of making the playoffs, with an 88.9% chance of winning their division.
The American League West-leading Angels have a 78.4% chance of qualifying for the postseason, with a 72.5% chance of winning their division.
The projections aren’t as favorable for one of the local teams in the playoffs. While the Dodgers enjoy 9-to-5 odds to win the NL championship -- best in their league -- according to sports.bodog.com, the Angels are listed at 5 to 1 to win the AL title. The New York Yankees and Boston are listed as 2-to-1 favorites to win the league championship.
One possible downside of a Freeway Series: out-of-town media types constantly seeking directions to Los Angeles of Anaheim.
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Trivia time
How many times have the Dodgers and Angels reached the postseason in the same year and what were the results?
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Boo birds head north
Dodgers fans showered Barry Bonds with vitriolic chants when the San Francisco Giants slugger visited Dodger Stadium on the way to becoming baseball’s home run king.
Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle was glad to see Giants fans enjoy some payback Monday when Dodgers slugger Manny Ramirez made his first appearance at AT&T; Park since serving his 50-game suspension for violating baseball’s drug policy.
“The Giants harbored Bonds, baseball’s first true steroid villain, took untold grief for it, but hello!, now we’re finding out that every team had guys up to their armpits in muscle drugs,” Ostler wrote.
“In serenading Ramirez, Giants fans will be sending the following message to the world: ‘Back at you, self-righteous twits.’ ”
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Trivia answer
Twice, in 2004 and 2008. The Dodgers lost to St. Louis in the NL division series in 2004, and the Angels lost to Boston in the AL division series. In 2008, the Dodgers defeated the Chicago Cubs in the NLDS but lost to Philadelphia in the NL Championship Series, while the Angels lost to Boston in the ALDS.
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And finally
Count the New York Jets among the NFL teams that have fully embraced Twitter. The Jets are encouraging players to tweet and recently hired a social-networking intern to help players with their updates. Matt Higgins, the team’s senior vice president of business operations, told CNBC.com: “I think our fans find it interesting that [kicker] Jay Feely’s 8-year-old daughter finds it weird he takes naps.”
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