Pedictions

As I did last year (via Twitter), the time has come to predict the MLB playoffs.  Last year, I did VERY well, correctly predicting all 8 teams.  Without further ado, here is where things stand now:

AL East                    AL Central               AL West
Boston                       Detroit                        Texas
New York                 Cleveland                    Los Angeles
Tampa Bay                Chicago                      Oakland
Toronto                      Minnesota                  Seattle
Baltimore                   Kansas City

NL East                    NL Central                NL West
Philadelphia               Milwaukee                  Arizona
Atlanta                       St. Louis                     San Francisco
New York                 Cincinnati                   Colorado
Washington               Pittsburgh                   Los Angeles
Florida                       Chicago                      San Diego
                                  Houston

I think we can all agree that Baltimore, Seattle, Kansas City, Minnesota, Oakland, and Toronto are out in the American League (yes, Blue Jays fans, I realize I left the White Sox in with their losing record...ya'll are in the AL East...'nuff said).  Likewise, it is safe to say that Houston, Chicago, San Diego, Los Angeles, Colorado, Florida, Pittsburgh, Washington,  and New York are also looking to 2012 by now.

That leaves 8 teams in the AL and 7 in the NL still battling for 4 spots in each league.  Let's start with the Junior Circuit.

The Boston Red Sox started slow, but will finish strong and win the East and secure home field advantage.  As the Yankees will be the Wild Card, and they are in the same division as the BoSox, Boston will open up at home against...wait for it...the Detroit Tigers.  Detroit will ride Justin Verlander to the Central title, nipping a game but overmatched Cleveland Indians club.  The Yankees will open at West repeat champion Texas Rangers, who will put away the Los Angeles Angels this month (7 games in the next two weeks).  Tampa Bay will make it close, but will be unable to make up their deficit to the Yankees for the Wild Card.  And the White Sox?  Well, you can't win the division with a losing record.  And the Sox can't win at Comiskey.  Next year, South Side!  On to the Senior Circuit.

Oh, to be a Philadelphia Phillies fan!  Start with arguably one of the best starting rotations in the league, then add Hunter Pence into the mix and, damn.  The Phillies will run away with the East, leaving the Wild Card Braves deep in their wake and secure home field.  Again, as in the AL, the Phillies will not open with the Wild Card Braves, but host the Milwaukee Brewers, champions of the Central, come playoff time.  St. Louis and a surging Cincinnati Reds team, feasting on weaker clubs in the last two months of the season, will fall just short, but keep the Brew Crew on their toes through the final week of the season.  This leaves Atlanta to once again hit the road for..."I left, my hearrrrrrrrrrt, in Saaaaaan Franciscooooo!" The Giants will awaken their offense, and their stellar pitching staff will carry the Giants through to the West championship.  Arizona, playing way over their heads, will falter on a vicious 10 game road trip through Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Washington beginning Tuesday, then wither under the pressure of playing the surging Giants 6 times in the final month.

So there we stand on this day, August 15th, 6 weeks left in the season.  Red Sox-Tigers and Rangers-Yankees in the AL.  Phillies-Brewers and Giants-Braves in the NL.

You read it here first.

P.S. It's too early to predict the political side of 2012, other than to say one thing:

Obama is toast, and will go down as the worst president ever.