Early Playoff Look

Baseball Playoffs are so close we can all taste it. What does that mean to me? Cold weather baseball, 5 hours games, and this my first year in Philadelphia with the Phillies in the playoffs.
With 9-10 games left for all of the teams, some teams have some big obstacles to overcome.

The AL Race...

Cleveland and LA are locks and are fighting for the first chance to pick their series schedule. The number one team in the AL gets to pick when thier off days are allowing their 1 and 2 to pitch 2 games in the opening series on full rest. What an advantage, especially is they are playing the Yankees.

The wildcard will obviously come from the AL East. The Yankees and Red Sox are locks for the postseason, who will win the division remains to be solved. The sox without Manny and confidence have been falling faster than the presidential approval rating. They are downright terrible, but have plenty of time to change that. The Sox should roll off 5 wins in a row here down the stretch, and then have a questionable series with Minnesota who could steal a couple out of the 4 game series. Look for Boston to finish 7-2 or maybe 6-3 depending on if they need a win to close the year out. But the Yankees will lose a couple games in Toronto, but should handle Tampa and Baltimore. If for some reason Boston slides, the Yankees would happily take the division. But My prediction is Boston takes it.

Which Leaves the playoffs series as this:
LA and NY and what a match up it will be, with the top 2 starters from both teams going on full rest twice. I wouldn't want Cleveland if I were NY in that position.
Boston and Cleveland

ALCS- Cleveland and LA, and the Angels prevail.


Ok NL time, this league is so fun right now.

Ok lets start with the Locks...
Now that I got that out of the way, here we go.
Starting out west, a two horse race with Arizona and San Diego. SD is rolling, but has a tough schedule with Colorado and Milwaukee on the schedule. Arizona has an easier schedule with only Colorado on the schedule to be scared of.
Arizona takes the west.

In the Central, again a two horse race with the Brewers and the Cubbies. Its the Cubs, they are going to blow it. The brew crew have a not so hotlanta and chilled Cards team to deal with finishing up the year with the Padres. They won't see Peavy though. The cubs have an easier schedule, but division foes who are playing for nothing. My hunch is The Brewers take it, but it could come down to the tie breaker which the cubs own.
The Brew Crew take it.

And then we have the East. The Phillies are hot, the Mets are not. But that could all turn around. It is crunch time and the Mets will start playing. Both teams are keeping it in the division which could be disastrous for both. Playing teams that have nothing to play for. Mets play the Marlins 7 times and the nats 3 and a make up cards game giving them no rest. The phils play the Nats 7 times and the Braves 3. This is a pissing contest. I really think the Phils win with the tie breaker. Leaving the mets to fight the Pads for the Wild Card.
Jimmy was right!
The Mets finish 6-5 Leaving them at 90-72
The Padres finish 7-4 leaving them at 91-71

Arizona will play the Pads, and the Phils play the Brewers
The Pads advance on Peavy's back, while the phils beat the Brewers
Phillies win the NLCS and that is where the story ends, I can't pick against my Phils in the series.