Playoff Predictions

I, like my brother, wouldn’t bet on these picks.

That said, I’ll take on the experts and offer my own prognostications regardless. And unlike Jayson Stark, I don’t think we’ll see the Yankees on top.
Twins-Athletics: Twins in 4. Joe Maurer is unbelievable and the Twins starting pitching is too good for a five game series. Frank Thomas’s coming-out (again) party comes to a crashing halt.

Yankees-Tigers: Yankees in 4. A rested, confident team versus the reeling Tigers? No contest.

Mets-Dodgers: Dodgers in 5. Pedro’s out. More importantly, in one game this season the Dodgers hit four home runs in a row in the ninth inning to tie, then eventually won on a walk-off home run by Nomar. You can’t beat that kind of magic.

Padres-Cardinals: Cardinals in 4. The Cardinals have been, well, unimpressive of late, but the Padres haven’t exactly been spectacular either. Despite a weak rotation, Pujols and his gang will survive.

ALCS: Twins-Yankees. Ladies and Gentlemen, your World Series. Twins in 7. An epic battle of two balanced and healthy teams. Twins win by virtue of having not only the Kirby Puckett tribute angle going for them, but also Brad Radke.

NLCS: Does anyone really care? Dodgers in 6, for Kirk Gibson’s sake.

World Series: Twins in 5.