OK, so on to the Final Four for 1901.
The ALCS:
#3 Philadelphia Athletics
vs.
#1 Chicago White Sox
Prediction:
This looks to be an evenly-matched series. Nap Lajoie is scorching right now, batting .552 through the first two playoff series. However, the White Sox have plenty of firepower of their own. This is a match up the two highest-scoring offenses in the American League, so the difference will likely come down to pitching. And while Philadelphia's pitchers have been excellent so far, that matchup favors Chicago.
White Sox in 7
Actual Series:Chicago 4, Philadelphia 2
Game 1: Chicago 4, Philadelphia 1
Game 2: Philadelphia 10, Chicago 2
Game 3: Chicago 6, Philadelphia 4
Game 4: Chicago 11, Philadelphia 2
Game 5: Philadelphia 6, Chicago 2
Game 6: Chicago 1, Philadelphia 0
MVP: Sam Mertes, Chicago (11/24, .458/.519/.875)
Nap Lajoie kept hitting - though his .476 average in the ALCS actually brought his playoff average
down to .520 with a 1.349 OPS. Matty McIntyre and Socks Seybold combined to go 20-for-46 over the 6 games, but Philadelphia got little help outside those three, and starter Eddie Plank gave up 12 earned runs in 11 innings over two starts. And while the game selected Sam Mertes as the series MVP, I think he should share it with Clark Griffith and Roy Patterson. The two of them combined for the four wins, each pitching two complete games with an ERA 1.50, and Griffith finished off the A's with a 1-0 shutout in Game 6.
...And it's late and I'm tired so I can't do the NLCS tonight. I'll get to that and the World Series tomorrow. After that, the spinner chose 1991 as the next season.