EDITOR’S NOTE: Boyd Bergquist was the sports director at KETS-TV in East Tree Stump, Nebraska for almost 40 years.  Known across the Husker state as the voice of the Boy’s High School Basketball Tournament, Bergquist was a four-time winner of the Marv J. Butz “Golden Cob” Award For Excellence In Nebraska Broadcast Journalism.  That background, along with his quick if not cliché-riddled wit and love of single-malt scotch makes Bergquist a perfect fit to be our “Question” guy. 

Well, the 2023 baseball season is in the books. For the first time in the 50-year history of the franchise, the Texas Rangers are baseball’s kings of the hill. But there were 11 other teams that made the post-season; all of them had endings not nearly as happy.

But to fully understand that, we need to take a look at how we got here. I look at the season’s progression at pre-determined points during the year.

• The Pre-Season Preview
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• The Play-Off Preview

Once we get to the play-offs, it’s simply a matter of “survival of the fittest.” All that leaves is the final look at how these teams performed in the post-season…from worst to first.

Los Angeles Dodgers – Lost National League Divisional Series

• Original Category – There’s Just One Thing Missing
• Memorial Day Category – Just As We Expected
• Independence Day Category – Contenders/Buy
• Original October Derby Ranking – #3
• Play-Off Preview Category – The Real Deal

What I Said:

Don’t look now, but the Dodgers are the hottest team in baseball as of this writing. Granted, going into Sunday’s games Los Angeles had just lost three in a row to Atlanta, but even after that they’ve gone 23-7 in their last 30. Freddie Freeman has been setting the pace with his league-leading 51 doubles. That’s an impressive total considering nobody’s knocked 60 two-baggers in a season since 1936. Just in case you were wondering, the single season record for doubles is 67.

What Actually Happened:

Clayton Kershaw happened. When you’re a sure-fire, first-ballot Hall-of-Famer, your team puts your ass on the mound in Game 1 for a reason. They expect you to get people out…and by that I mean more than one. That’s all Kershaw could manage…one goddamn out. But in that time, he also gave up six runs. Yes, that marks yet another post-season implosion for Kershaw, but this time it was the early-round knockout punch from which the Dodgers never recovered.

Milwaukee Brewers – Lost National League Wild Card Series

• Original Category – Need Some Things To Go Their Way
• Memorial Day Category – Better Figure It Out Quick
• Independence Day Category – Contenders/Sell
• Original October Derby Ranking – #8
• Play-Off Preview Category – Got A Chip And A Chair

What I Said:

I don’t care about the “resurgence” of Christian Yelich. I don’t care about the Brewers recent hot streak. This team might as well move to Missouri, because they need to “show me.” Even if they win the NL Central (because like I said, there’s the “somebody has to” rule), until they win a play-off series, I’m sticking to my declaration this team is 100% “fool’s gold.”

What Actually Happened:

I stand by my original statement on this team….and will continue to do so until they show me something different.

Miami Marlins – Lost National League Wild Card Series

• Original Category – Why Wait For Next Year?
• Memorial Day Category – Off To A Great Start, But There’s A Lot of Season Left
• Independence Day Category –  Contender/Buy
• Original October Derby Ranking – #15
• Play-Off Preview Category – Got A Chip And A Chair

What I Said:

In July, I asked if what the Marlins were doing was sustainable? The answer is summed up in Luis Arraez. After flirting with .400 for most of the season, his average has dropped to under .350…which makes it entirely possible he doesn’t win the NL Batting crown.

What Actually Happened:

It says a lot about the recent history of this franchise that a first-round face-plant still makes for a successful season. If Major League Baseball had a “participation trophy” for the play-offs, you’d have to give it to the Marlins. Not only did they make it to October, they showed up for their series…even if they lost.

What I Said:

..And the Academy Award for being secretly mediocre goes to <opens envelope>… Remember when this team ripped off an 18-9 start? Don’t look now, but this team has barely been over .500 since then, despite the fact their 3.24 team ERA in the second half is baseball’s best in that time. Am I the only one who keeps waiting for this team to hit another gear?

What Actually Happened:

Not only did the Blue Jays not hit another gear, their transmission ended up as so many shattered gears lying on the pavement. Sure, they can hide behind the cavalcade of injuries they suffered, but it’s time to consider the Toronto Blue Jays might be the baseball equivalent of the high-school valedictorian who at age 27 is still a shift leader at McBurgerQueen.

Tampa Rays – Lost American League Wild Card Series

• Original Category – Need Some Things To Go Their Way
• Memorial Day Category – Just As We Expected
• Independence Day Category – Contenders/Buy
• Original October Derby Ranking – #4
• Play-Off Preview Category – The Real Deal

What I Said:

Are they back? The Rays started 2023 at a blistering pace, but then came back to the pack with a not-so-great 8-16 mark in July. But Tampa is now just coming off stretch having won 6 out of their last 7a ,have won six of their last seven, and have chalked up five straight series wins.

What Actually Happened:

If the Blue Jays are the “straight “A” student who peaked as a fast-food shift leader, the Rays are the smart kid who is also a major stoner*, so he’s never getting past working the deep fryer. Perhaps being stuck as the proverbial brides-maid is the baseball gods’ way of telling Tampa they need to do something about that over-grown Home Depot tool shed they call a ball park.

* Despite that description. I never lived in Tampa.

• Original Category – At Least They Don’t Suck
• Memorial Day Category – Off To A Great Start, But There’s A Lot of Season Left
• Independence Day Category – Contenders/Buy
• Original October Derby Ranking – #2
• Play-Off Preview Category – The Real Deal

What I Said:

Losing Felix Bautista (arguably the best closer currently) is going to hurt, but this team still knows how to just win games. That’s obvious considering their 24-12 mark in one-run games. Need more on that score? Baltimore has not had a three-game losing streak in two months.

What Actually Happened:

The Orioles couldn’t have picked a worse time to have their first three-game losing streak, but to be fair, even the best bird-dog is gun-shy the first time out. The core of the Baltimore Orioles is made of young players who have turned this team from a 100-game loser to a 100-game winner in two years. That’s amazing. But they had never seen the bright lights of the big stage of October baseball, and the effect was noticeable.

Atlanta Braves – Lost National League Divisional Series

• Original Category – Ready To Win Right Now
• Memorial Day Category – Just As We Expected
• Independence Day Category – Contenders/Buy
• Original October Derby Ranking – #1
• Play-Off Preview Category – The Real Deal

What I Said:

The Dodgers were on fire until they ran into the extinguisher known as the Atlanta Braves. Coming into Sunday’s games, Los Angeles has dropped three straight to the Braves. Atlanta has a veritable lock on the best record in the bigs, and barring a catastrophe not seen since Sherman’s “March to the Sea,” they have the NL East in the bag. The troika of Max Fried, Spencer Strider, and Charlie Morton are performing as well as anybody’s top three starters. Combine that with a guy who has a shot at being baseball’s first 40 HR, 80 SB guy (Ronald Acuna Jr.) and another with 50 HR in his sights (Matt Olson) means betting against the Braves is just jumping into the lifeguard-less pool…enter at your own risk.

What Actually Happened:

Of all the teams I had ranked in the top Play-Off Preview Category, the Braves made the least-meek exit. They won Game 2 and kept Game 4 close, but getting shut-out Game 1 and seal-clubbed in Game 4 made all the difference. The bottom line: The Phillies’ bats showed up, and the Braves’ didn’t.

Minnesota Twins – Won American League Wild Card Series, Lost ALDS

• Original Category – At Least They Don’t Don’t Suck
• Memorial Day Category – Just As We Expected
• Independence Day Category – Contender/Sell
• Original October Derby Ranking – #13
• Play-Off Preview Category – Got A Chip And A Chair

What I Said:

I checked. There’s an actual rule that somebody has to win the AL Central. The Twins have a six-game lead and host the second-place Guardians for a three-game series starting today. If Minnesota can take two out of three, that should seal the deal. Watch them not get it done…again.

The Good News: The Minnesota Twins finally won a play-off series. The last time that happened, George W. Bush was in the White House and the Los Angeles Angels won the World Series.

The Bad News: It was only one series. However, at least the Twins put up a pretty damn respectable fight in the ALDS against a Houston team that clearly out-gunned them.

Philadelphia Phillies – Won National League Divisional Series, Lost NLCS

• Original Category – There’s Just One Thing Missing
• Memorial Day Category – So Far, So Good
• Independence Day Category – Contender/Buy
• Original October Derby Ranking – #9
• Play-off Preview Category – It Could Happen

What I Said:

Just like last year, the Phillies are rounding into form at exactly the right time.

What Actually Happened:

Philadelphia fell to the fate which so often strikes teams that rely on the “big blast” for their run production. When the power outage strikes, it has a nasty habit of happening at precisely the wrong moment. How else do you explain a team belting 11 dingers (5 by Kyle Schwarber alone) and scoring 30 runs in a seven-game series, yet lose 4-3 to team they out-homered by 6 and outscored in total by 9?

More on the “timing” thing when we get down to the Arizona Diamondbacks…

Houston Astros – Won National League Divisional Series. Lost ALCS

• Original Category –  Ready to Win Right Now
• Memorial Day Category – Just As We Expected
• Independence Day Category – Contenders/Buy
• Original October Derby Ranking – #7
• Play-Off Preview Category – It Could Happen

What I Said:

Houston has not had a winning streak of more than three games since before the All-Star break. But they are still in the midst of the race. In fact, of the three current contenders in the AL West, the Astros have the most-favorable remaining schedule…including six games with Kansas City and three with Oakland.

What Actually Happened:

The city of Houston gets unbelievably hot in the summer. Well, their baseball team did the same thing in August. They nosed out the Rangers for the AL West crown, easily brushed aside the Twins, and were giving as good as they got with the Rangers, until Dusty Baker started doing Dusty Baker things, like ordering* the plunking of Adolis Garcia in Game 5 of the ALCS. That turned what was a closely-played series into two blowout losses to a pissed-off Texas team in Games 6 and 7.

* While I have no proof Dusty Baker did in fact give that order, it feels like such a “Dusty” thing to do I feel fairly safe in my belief.

Texas Rangers – American League Pennant Winner and World Series Champion

• Original Category – There’s Just One Thing Missing
• Memorial Day Category – Just As We Expected
• Independence Day Category – Contenders/Buy
• Original October Derby Ranking – #6B
• Play-Off Preview Category – Got A Chip And A Chair

What I Said:

In a call-back to the classic TV game show To Tell the Truth, will the real Texas Rangers please stand up? In other words, we’ve asked all the questions, and now it’s time for you to show:

1. Are you the Rangers who traded for an entire pitching staff, then after the deadline rattled off eight wins in a row and 12 of their first 14 in August, or…
2. Are you the Rangers who recently dropped 9 out of 10, falling from leading the AL West to the third AL wild-card spot?

What Actually Happened:

The real Texas Rangers stood up, and they weren’t the ones originally ranked behind the #6A Seattle Mariners who didn’t even get into the post-season. They were the ones who went 12-0 on the road. But the real reason the Texas Rangers rolled through the American League side of the bracket comes down to two words: Bruce Bochy. The man is simply the best manager in the game today. The guts of this championship team and those of the 2022 team that lost 94 games are largely the same. The difference was the manager.

If you doubt that, just look at the “big-time” moves the Rangers to put this team over the top. Jacob deGrom pitched a grand total of 30 innings, and Max Scherzer and Aroldis Chapman were middlin’-to lousy at best. The exception was Jordan Montgomery, who proved to be the workhorse the Rangers rode through October.

Given all that, Tampa and Baltimore offered only token resistance, and while the Astros proved a formidable opponent for the AL Pennant, the combination of the Rangers’ road prowess and Houston’s inability to win at home took Texas to the World Series title.

Next stop: The 2024 Pre-Season Previews!

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Got a question for our 70’s TY Sports Anchor? Got your own take? Nothing is “off-limits,” and no take is “too hot.” The only questions or comments Boyd Bergquist can’t handle are the one you don’t send!

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