There has been a lot of talk about Baseballs post season set up. There have been arguments that the post season should be expanded to make room for one more Wildcard team per league, the reasoning being that the Wildcard should have a more difficult path to the World Series. Since the inclusion of the Wildcard into the post season mix the Wildcard team has fared pretty well, but is this a sign of a broken system? According to former player Eric Karros it isn’t. On a local radio show he pointed out the real reason behind this sudden call for change: the sports writers are bored.
You see this year’s pennant race isn’t much of a race. Even the Wildcard race is rather lackluster this year. So what do writers do when there isn’t a wire finish in the NL East? They ask baseball to change the rules. What are we going to do? We’re going to tell you who’ in and who needs a little help.
The AL East
Early on in the season it looked like the AL East was Boston’s to win or lose. Apparently the Yankees had something to say about that. The Yanks turned it on after the all star break and never let up off the gas earning not only a playoff spot but the best record in the American League and quite possibly all of baseball.
Based on the numbers it looks like Boston will likely win the Wildcard.
Bold Prediction:
A lot of experts are comparing this Yankees team to the great teams of the early parts of this decade. Based on that I’m going out on a limb and saying that this is my pick for winning the American League.
The AL Central
This is closest thing resembling a race in all of baseball. The Minnesota Twins are 2 games back and have won 8 out of their last 10 games. If you want to see baseball that really matters then tune in to the Twins and the Tigers.
Bold Prediction:
Look for Jim Leland and the Tigers to just barely hang in there and limp into the playoffs where they will lose in the first round maybe against the Yankees.
The AL West
The Anaheim Angels are going to win the west, which sadly isn’t saying much. They are 6 games up on a Texas team that just couldn’t get over the hump despite performing better than the expectations of critics.
Bold Prediction:
I hate to admit it, but this will be the year that the Angels beat the Red Sox in the playoffs. Only to lose to the Yankees in the ALCS.
The NL East
While it’s true that the Braves are surging, it’s too little too late for them to overtake the Phillies. The defending champs are headed back to the post season.
Atlanta does have a shot at the Wildcard still.
Bold Prediction:
Honestly the NL is much tougher to call, but I don’t think the Phillies are ready to repeat. If they meet the Dodgers or a Wildcard team in the first round then look for them to at least compete in the NLCS.
The NL Central
This race has been over for months, the Cubs just never had the juice to hang in there with the surging Cardinals.
Bold Prediction:
The Cardinals have a winning combination of pitching and hitting that is unmatched in the National League. No matter how the playoff brackets work out, this is the team to beat. I see them losing a great series to the Yankees.
The NL West
The West Coast just isn’t that strong when it comes to baseball these days. The best team in the West is the Dodgers who have clinched a playoff berth. They could still lose the division however and then go in as the Wildcard.
The Colorado Rockies have made the last few weeks interesting and are the leaders in the Wildcard race right now.
Bold Prediction
While it would warm my heart to see my Dodgers win it all, I have to admit that we’re not quite there yet. If we can manage to keep this team together then the sky is the limit next year. This year the Dodgers just don’t have enough pitching to take on the likes of St. Louis.
In closing:
While the last few weeks haven’t been the best as far as excitement or competition but that has no bearing on how great this year’s post season will be. Tune in and see who prevails.
