Time for the Fall Classic

The baseball season ended yesterday and its time for the post season. Here in Washington, Nationals fans celebrated the end of Frank Robinson's tenure as coach of the Nationals. The legendary Hall of Famer, Frank spent 51 years in a baseball uniform and spent the last two years as the skipper of the Nationals. The team did their best, yet posted a losing record. Like many Cubs fans, we are left wanting and uttering, Wait Til Next Year. I hope the Nationals find something for him in the front office. There is too much baseball knowledge in that man to let him get away.

However, let us turn to the arrival of the playoffs. The AL East Champions are ready, and as expected, it is the New York Yankees. All is right with the world. Making the world spin off its axis however, are the boys who play in that purple stadium, the New York Mets, who posted an identical record as the Yankees (99-65) and dominated the NL East all season. More on the boys from New York in a minute.

Across the coast, the AL West title went to the Oakland Athletics. The AL Central saw an epic battle between the Minnesota Twins and the Detroit Tigers. The defending World Series Champions, the Chicago White Sox even managed to stay in the mix until the waning days of the season. On the final day of the season, the Twins beat the White Sox, 5-1 to capture the AL Central, but only after the Tigers lost to the last place Kansas City Royals in twelve innings. As a result the Tigers nabbed the Wild Card spot in the AL, "winning" the chance to take on the Yankees in the first round.

In the National League, only the aforementioned Mets had locked up their playoff spot early on. The NL Central and NL West featured different first place teams almost every day. When the dust finally settled, the St. Louis Cardinals managed to avoid the biggest September collapse in baseball history. With less than two weeks to go in the season, the Cards had a seven game lead in the division, which dwindled to a half game lead over the Houston Astros. I am sure that manager Tony LaRussa is wandering around the clubhouse saying, "Let Us Never Speak of This Again." Out west, the division lead alternated between the Padres and the Dodgers. In the end, both teams finished with identical records (88-74) but the Padres won the division with a better record over the Dodgers in head-to-head play. That gave the NL Wild Card spot to the Dodgers and plane tickets to Shea Stadium to face the Mets.

Here's the schedule and the predictions. All series are best of five.

• New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers
• Tuesday, 8:19pm, in New York
  
• Wednesday, 8:09pm, in New York
• Friday, 8:09pm, in Detroit
• Saturday, tba, in Detroit (if necessary)
• Sunday, tba, in New York (if necessary)

If necessary? Nah. Yanks in three.

• Minnesota Twins vs. Oakland Athletics
• Tuesday, 1:09pm, in Minnesota
  
• Wednesday, 1:09pm, in Minnesota
• Friday, 4:09pm, in Oakland
• Saturday, tba, in Oakland (if necessary)
• Sunday, tba, in Minnesota (if necessary)

The Twins have guts and Johann Santana. But Oakland will not go quietly. Twins in four.

• New York Mets vs. LA Dodgers
• Wednesday, 4:09pm, in New York
  
• Thursday, 8:19pm, in New York
• Saturday, tba, in Los Angeles
  
• Sunday, tba, in Los Angeles (if necessary)
• Monday, tba, in New York (if necessary)

Never been a Mets fan (well maybe occasionally, if the tickets were free and I was feeling a little depressed). But you have got to give them credit. The Mets have an amazin' team this year and the Dodgers are beat up. Mets in four.

• San Diego Padres vs. St. Louis Cardinals
  
• Tuesday, 4:09pm, in San Diego
  
• Wednesday, 4:09pm, in San Diego
  
• Saturday, tba, in St. Louis
  
• Sunday, tba, in St. Louis (if necessary)
• Monday, tba, in San Diego (if necessary)

These guys are tired. Both teams. I foresee the Cards continuing their losing ways. Padres in five. Watch here for results and see how I did with my projections.