From the Desk of the GM - October 8, 2009

"The MLB Playoffs are Here!"

If you are a fan of baseball - which I have always been - the first round of the MLB playoffs is something to look forward to. Ever since they added a wild card team from each league into the playoff mix in 1995, there are usually three games a day for the first week of the playoffs. If you aren’t a huge baseball fan, I can only assume that having your significant other change the channel to the baseball game during each commercial break on the show you are trying to watch can be somewhat annoying.

Having said all that, today’s blog will feature my predictions on the outcome of this year’s playoffs. Before I get to my predictions, a few notes on some of the teams involved:

• What the Twins accomplished just to get into the playoffs is amazing. They were seven games back of the Tigers a month ago; three back with four to play; lost Justin Morneau to a back injury three weeks ago; and needed to win 16 of 20 just to force the one game playoff with the Tigers. And then, to make things even more exciting, they won the 163rd game in the 12th inning.
• If a team features a former Goldeyes player or staff member, I will cheer for them. George Sherrill pitches for the Dodgers and Dong Lien is the strength and conditioning coach for the Phillies, so in the first round of the NL playoffs I will definitely be a Dodgers and Phillies fan. If they both advance to the NLCS, I’ll have to lean towards George’s Dodgers since Dong already got a ring last year.
• The Red Sox have won it all twice in the last five years, and have defeated the Angels in the first round in 2004, 2007 and 2008, so I’ll be cheering for the Angels to get past the Sox.
• The Cards have arguably the best player in baseball in Albert Pujols, along with great starting pitching, so I'm sure many will be picking them to go all the way.

I make no secret that I have been a Yankees fan for as long as I can remember. Reggie Jackson was my favorite player, I loved the way Billy Martin managed with great intensity and Goose Gossage was lights out when he stepped on the mound in the late innings.

Well, that was a roundabout way of getting to my picks for who will be in the World Series, and who will ultimately be drinking champagne on the field sometime during the first week of November.

My pick: Yankees vs. Dodgers in the World Series, with the Yankees winning it all in 6.

Think I’m out of my mind? That’s okay, you’re not alone. Send me your comments and picks to andrew@goldeyes.com and I’ll post some of them in upcoming blogs during the playoffs.

Go Yankees!

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Until next time…