October sports

One of the great times of the sports calendar is here and it’s the month of October. It’s going to an active time on the blog here at TheSportsNotebook. The heart of Octoberfest is the baseball playoffs & World Series.

In October, the college football season has taken shape and conference play heats up, while the NFL continues to build momentum as their season hits its second quarter. Nor should we overlook some openings—the NHL & NBA each begin their seasons. And at the end of the month, the greatest spectacle in horse racing, the Breeders Cup, will run.

Below is the outline of both the major events, along with how they’ll be covered at TheSportsNotebook. Posts will be in the top module on the home page and this particular post will also have links to each article as they go up, making this a one-stop summation of the greatness of Octoberfest.

Here’s the rundown…

Wrapping Up The Baseball Season
Major league baseball finishes up today, October 4 and before the postseason begins, we hand out some hardware. We’ll pick complete All-Star teams in both the American League and National League, along with weighing in on who should win the major awards.
The Firm Foundation Of The Red Sox Future
American League All-Star Team Picks
National League All-Star Team Picks
AL MVP, Cy Young & Manager Of The Year Picks
NL MVP, Cy Young & Manager Of The Year Picks

Wild-Card Roundup: October 6-7
The American League goes Tuesday and the National League on Wednesday. We’ll have a general preview of all four teams looking at their chances of replicating the feats of the San Francisco Giants and Kansas City Royals from last season and that’s make it all the way to the World Series. There will also be a look back on each game after it’s played.
Four On The Floor: The World Series Chances Of The Cubs, Pirates, Astros & Yankees
AL Wild-Card Roundup
NL Wild-Card Roundup

Division Series Dynamite: October 8-15
It’s the lightning round of the baseball playoffs, four best-of-five battles to survive. There will be previews of each series and daily commentary on the games as they unfold.
AL Division Series Previews
NL Division Series Previews
The Price Isn’t Right In The Playoffs
The Lackey-Lester Story Gets Another Chapter
Two Big Innings Even Both NLDS Matchups
Likely & Unlikely Heroes Emerge For The Astros
Heartbreak In Houston
Cubs Move On; Three Game 5s On Deck

Pursue The Pennant: The League Championship Series From October 16-25
The best-of-seven series to settle the AL & NL pennants are on tap and again TheSportsNotebook will preview each series and comment on each one throughout the ALCS.
Royals-Blue Jays: How They Got Here & What’s Ahead
Mets-Cubs: How They Got Here & What’s Ahead
Volquez Leads Royals In Game 1
Daniel Murphy Keeps Carrying The Mets
The Legend Of Daniel Murphy Part II
Cueto Gets Rocked In Game 3
Can The Cubs & Blue Jays Rally Back?
The Mets Win The Pennant
Back-To-Back Pennants For The Royals

The World Series: Begins October 27
Who takes their place on our wall of champions? One more series preview here at TheSportsNotebook and reflections on each game when it’s over.
Preview: Royal Relievers & Mets Aces
Game 1 Comes Full Circle
The Good Johnny Cueto Reappears In Game 2
Mets Get Back In The Series With A Game 3 Win
Kansas City Gets To The New York Bullpen Again
30 Years In The Making: Kansas City Wins The World Series

But it’s not all about baseball. Be sure to stay check in for the following…

*A weekly college football post, usually sometime Sunday, looking back on a key development from the previous day.
Can Michigan Win The Big Ten East?
Utah Football Muscles Ahead The Old-Fashioned Way
A Look Back On The Sparty Stunner
A Renaissance Year In Iowa
How Good Is Notre Dame?

*A midweek NFL post, in the Wednesday-Thursday range, digging into an intriguing storyline.
Cool The Rhetoric About The Patriots Going 16-0
The Redskins Quarterly Report
Why The Steelers-Chargers MNF Finish Will Settle A Playoff Spot
Finding Nice Things To Say About Jay Gruden
Luck-Mania Begins Devouring Its Own

*The NHL season starts October 7. We’ll have an early look at the Stanley Cup contenders and with this site having a special affection for Boston, there will be a look at the Bruins included.
The Bruins & Kings Seek Redemption

*The same day the World Series begins, October 27, also tips off a new NBA schedule. Take an early look at the championship hopefuls, along with the site favorite of the Celtics.
Seeking A Challenger To Cleveland In The East
Can The Celtics Build On Last Year’s Progress? 

*Keeneland Racetrack in Kentucky is host to 14 championship horse races, including one with Triple Crown winner American Pharaoh, on October 30-31. That’s a Friday-Saturday of wall-to-wall horse racing and we’ll have a post both before and after looking at this great event in racing.
The Breeders Cup Extravaganza: American Pharaoh’s Last Ride
A Horse For The Ages: American Pharaoh Sets A New Standard For Greatness

All this activity comes in addition to the core of TheSportsNotebook’s mission and that’s to preserve the modern age of sports history. Make sure to peruse our home page for anniversary seasons, along with a look at the histories of site favorites, like the Redskins, Notre Dame, Boston sports and the Big Ten.

Most important, sign up for notification when the forthcoming book on the greatest sports moments of the modern age is released and share any favorite teams, moments and memories of your own. Happy Octoberfest and enjoy this great month of sports.