LET THE FUN BEGIN

It looks like the post-season about to begin will be exciting. Some of the best teams to compete in many years are going to knock heads, and there are a lot of interesting stories that will develop.

Looking around, the best run organization in baseball, the Texas Rangers has once again returned to the playoffs. The team’s Adrian Beltre with his over 35 home runs and .319 average can carry this team all the way to the promise land.

The A’s look to impact the playoffs for the first time since 2006, creating an interesting dichotomy with little power and average, they can pitch their way through the games.

Detroit hasn’t surprised anyone, and Prince Fielder can now find a showplace for his quest to be enshrined some day in the Hall of Fame.

The Yankees are the Yankees and what can you say? They have the talent with a suspect relief corp. So as long as they hit, they will beat you into the ground.

The Orioles are the surprise team in this league, and you have to hand it to Bucky Showalter for the incredible job he did this year. There is enough inspiration in the team to do what the 69 Mets did to Baltimore.

Over in the National League you just have to love those Giants. Lincecum had an off year, and still they won a lot of games. Had he done his thing this team would have won over 100 games. The team itself hits for average that is high among their regulars. They are a good bet to be in the World Series.

Cincinnati is baseball, as much as the Yankees are. The oldest franchise in baseball, rich in tradition is going to the post season for the first time in a long while, and you can thank Joey Votto and Dusty Baker. Votto will kill you just like that and Dusty Baker after a mini-stroke will bring a new dynamic to an already dynamic season.

Like Baltimore, the Cinderella team of the National League resides in the East too. The Washington Nationals have played like the perfect team, going out and executing. This is the results of hiring the best manager in the National League, Davey Johnsin. This is a young team that should be around for a long time, finally giving Washington a winning season in a new league.

The Atlanta Braves have returned to what was once a given, sneaking into the playoffs by playing winning baseball. They deserve the final spot, but I think they will exit quickly.

To me, the most interesting World Series would be Baltimore and Washington. It would be great for that area of the country, it would have the two Cinderella teams and the two best managers in baseball. Frankly I would hate to predict the winner of that one.

That’s all I wrote, folks.