My playoff predictions

Even though I have gypsy blood, I'm not usually the best at predicting the future. However, I'm going to look into my crystal ball anyway and reveal my picks for each postseason series:

American League Division Series

New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers-I'd love to go with the sentimental favorite and say that the Tigers will win this series. But, with apologies to my friend Jessie from the Detroit area, I begrudgingly choose the Yankees. This pains me deeply as I absolutely despise the Bronx Bombers. However, considering the Tigers blew their division lead today and have been in a freefall for over a month, I think the Yankees will emerge victorious and advance to the World Series. YUCK!

Minnesota Twins vs. Oakland A's- To me, this series is pretty much a toss-up. The Twins are hot right now, but the A's have better starting pitching. I'm going to choose the Twins on a virtual coin flip. It would be a nice tribute to Kirby Puckett for Minnesota to win this series.

National League Division Series

New York Mets vs. Los Angeles Dodgers-On paper, this looks like the most exciting match-up. I have a feeling this series will last 5 games. Although I'm pulling for the Dodgers with former Cubbies Maddux and Garciaparra on their roster, I think the Mets are the better team. However, the fact that Pedro can't pitch will make this battle all the more intriguing. I'm going with the Mets, hoping that my dad and Ron Santo won't hate me for being disloyal to the '69 Cubs.

San Diego Padres vs. St. Louis Cardinals-Talk about a Cubs fan's worst postseason nightmare. BLECH! The Padres should sweep, considering the Cards almost blew it down the stretch. I can't stand either of these clubs and will probably not tune into this series out of pure bitterness.

My World Series prediction: Yankees over Mets in 6 (although I'd much rather see a Tigers-Dodgers match-up)

I'll be back tomorrow with much more baseball banter as the Cubs will announce the future of Dusty Baker/resignation of team president Andy MacPhail. This off-season is going to be interesting to say the least...