Playoff Preview

Here we are, at the most exciting time of the baseball year, as the playoffs start in just a couple of hours. It's really nice for me this year, as a) the Dodgers are in the hunt, and b) there is not a team that I hate in the playoffs for the first time since time since '93 (thanks mostly to no Yankees and/or NL West rivals). There are some great stories this year as well. Just a couple to watch:

- The Tampa Bay Rays will be the darling of everyone who doesn't have a horse in this race, having come from worst to first and with alot of young talent.
- The Chicago Cubs will try to break their 100-year curse with a World Championship.
- The Milwaukee Brewers dodged a huge collapse to make the playoffs for the first time since 1982.

Some intriguing possible World Series matchups:

- Red Sox vs. Dodgers- Manny vs. his old teammates
- Angels vs. Dodgers- The LA team vs. the pretends-to-be-LA team in the first-ever Southern California Series
- Rays vs. Brewers- The Fox execs' heads would explode at this small-market match-up, but 2 teams that have never won it all is always exciting.
- White Sox vs. Cubs- an all Chicago series would be super-annoying, but would make a Cubs victory all the more satisfying.

So here are my predictions:

NLDS

Cubs over Dodgers in 4 games
Phillies over Brewers in 5 games

ALDS

Rays over White Sox in 5 games
Angels over Red Sox in 4 games

NLCS

Cubs over Phillies in 7 games

ALCS

Angels over Rays in 6 games

World Series

Cubs over Angels in 7 games

Remember, these picks are un-scientific and not guaranteed to make you any money whatsoever. Enjoy the next 4 weeks of baseball at its best!