COLLAPSE

It looked for awhile like there could be a Freeway World Series this season.

So, how can we explain that neither the Dodgers nor the Angels made it out of their opening playoff series? Well, we can try.

The Dodgers did what the Yankees did for many years – take advantage of the fact there is no salary cap in baseball, unlike the NBA which fines teams heavily who go far above the salary cap.

With new ownership, the Dodgers collected the most expensive roster in baseball history but learned the hard way that can't guarantee success on the field.

The chemistry wasn't very good. It looked at times that the various millionaires were going their separate ways. Equally important, there were sub-par performances and in some cases key injuries.

Pitcher Josh Beckett threw a no-hitter but later went on the disabled list. Pitcher Chad Billingsley was out all season Slugger Matt Kemp struggled with an injury before he came on strong later in the season. Shortstop Hanley Ramirez made enough errors to raise speculation that he may not get a new Dodger contract next season.

But the biggest problem was the ineffective bullpen. The Dodgers surely tried. They signed Chris Perez to pitch seventh innings and former World Series hero Brian Wilson (Giants in 2010 and 2012) to work eighth innings before their own ace, Kelsey Jansen, would pitch the ninth.

But Perez did so poorly he didn't even make the playoff roster and Wilson couldn't overcome a consistent lack of velocity.

Manager Don Mattingly didn't have a set bullpen plan when the playoffs began. The Cardinals' biggest hit in Game 3 was a home run against Scott Elbert, who had spent most of the season in the minor leagues.

Frankly, it would have been an upset if the Dodgers had beaten the Cardinals unless their super star pitcher, Clayton Kershaw, could rescue them. But, alas, Kershaw lost both of his starts following a 21-3 regular season.

Now there is speculation that Mattingly may not be asked back next season.

This will be the first major test for the new owners. Will they fire the manager, as some owners do to remove blame from themselves? "Hey, we gave the guy a championship roster and an early elimination isn't our fault," the reasoning would go.

Or, will they realize Mattingly was merely doing the best he could with all the problems?

Well, we go on to next season and there is speculation that Dodger games will become available on cable TV after Time Warner didn't make deals with the other cable outlets this season. New ownership there should aid the negotiating process.

As for the Angels, they couldn't recover from the loss of pitcher Garret Richards, who became disabled August 21 after being hurt while running to cover first base against the Red Sox in Boston.

Richards, a big surprise, was the Angels' best pitcher in 2014. The Angels won enough in the regular season to seem well equipped for the playoffs but that was false.

In the playoffs, good pitching often defeats good hitting. The Royals had much better pitching than the Angels. The Angels' ability to score suffered when Mike Trout got only one hit, a home run, and Josh Hamilton, got none. Hamilton had missed 22 of the Angels' final regular season games due to a shoulder injury.

In the Angels' last game Manager Mike Scioscia pulled starting pitcher C.J. Wilson in the first inning. By the sixth the Angels has used eight pitchers.

So, their final playoff game was treated like a spring training exhibition game.

If you are an Angel fan you probably won't join me in saluting the Royals for their approach – excellent pitching, excellent defense, speed on the bases and even an occasional home run.

It's a great story that the Royals have gotten this far after failing to make the playoffs in the last 29 years.

I admire the Royals and also the Orioles, who overcame the loss of three very important players due to injuries, including Manny Machado, a youngster with superstar ability.

In conclusion, the Freeway Series was only a dream.

Perhaps it will happen someday.