After an exciting chase for the two AL wild card spots that involved the game 163 that has been teased the past few seasons but not ultimately needed, we finally have the postseason teams identified:
NL Wild Card: Reds at Pirates AL Wild Card: Rays at Indians
NL Division Series: Reds/Pirates vs Cardinals, Dodgers vs Braves
AL Division Series: Rays/Indians vs Red Sox, Tigers vs Athletics
My picks: I like Rays and Pirates in the elimination games, and the Cardinals, Braves, Rays and Athletics in the division round. The Cards beat the Braves in six games in the NLCS, while Oakland beats the Rays in four or five in the ALCS. Then the Cards beat Oakland in the World Series.
ALDS: Red Sox over Indians, Oakland over Detroit NLDS: Pirates over Cardinals, Dodgers over Braves
ALCS: Red Sox over Oakland NLCS: Dodgers over Pirates
WS: Dodgers over Red Sox
"As you may have read in Robert Parker's Wine Newsletter, 'Donaghy Estates tastes like the urine of Satan, after a hefty portion of asparagus.'" Jack Donaghy, 30 Rock
A's over Tigers Red Sox over Indians Dodgers over Braves Cardinals over Pirates
Red Sox over A's Cardinals over Dodgers
Cardinals over Red Sox
"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone." --- Bart Giamatti, on baseball
Talk about destroying tradition I now see what the fuss is about at Wrigley Field, those horrible tarps on the outfield fence to prevent people from across the street and on rooftops from watching the game.