MLB pennant race is heating up

I have to say that this is one of my favorite times of the year. Even though I hate to see the hot weather leaving and I hate the thought of having to endure another long Saskatchewan winter, this is one of the best times of the year for a sports fan (which I of course am).

NHL training camps are now in full swing with the new-look NHL set to kick-off in less than 3 weeks. The NFL season is underway (which I really don't care about but it's nice to have the option to watch if I'm really bored on a Sunday afternoon). Major Junior hockey is entering it's final weekend of exhibition play before regular seasons open up next week. The CFL is getting into it's final weeks of the regular season. And last, but certainly not least, the MLB regular season is winding down and providing plenty of intriguing story lines to watch over the final few weeks.

For starters there's the Wild Card race in both the American and National Leagues. When the wild card format was introduced a number of year's ago baseball purists everywhere bashed Commissioner Bud Selig for implementing a change that many thought would ruin baseball. I have been a fan of the wild card format since year one. I think Bud Selig was a genius for bringing this about. The wild card race has produced an exciting race for fans to keep a close eye on through the home stretch in September.

In the NL we have 4 teams giving everything they've got for that coveted final spot. Philadelphia, Florida, Houston and Washington are all vying for that final playoff spot and are providing incredible entertainment for their fans as the summer winds down. Everyone knows what the Marlins did as the wild card team a couple years back.

I predict that the City of Brotherly Love will be enjoying post-season baseball for the first time since Joe Carter broke the city's hearts with his World Series winning walk-off homerun off Wild Thing Williams in the '93 series. I think Houston will fade, Washington just isn't deep enough, and it will come down to a very tight race between the Marlins and Phils. With the ups and downs the Marlins have gone through all season though I think they're destined to finish as the season's biggest disappointment.

The Braves will win their millionth consecutive NL east title; the Cardinals had the central wrapped up in October 2004; the Padres will be the "champs" of the pitiful NL west.

I believe that means the Braves would play the Padres and the Cards & Phils would square off. That should set-up a meeting of the NL's top two teams in the NLCS with St.Louis & Atlanta. I'll take St.Louis to make a return trip to the World Series as the NL's best team.

In the AL I find myself glued to the highlights as one of my favorite teams, the Cleveland Indians, look to regain the magic of the late 90's that made them one of baseball's best franchises. Having been to a game in Jacobs Field when the Indians were at their best I can tell you that it is one of the greatest baseball cities and parks to have baseball fever in. It's great to see "The Jake" full to the rafters again and those great fans getting a chance to watch winning baseball again.

I truly believe that the Tribe will hold off the Yankees and A's and take the wild card spot in the AL. They have a deep lineup of hungry young players, they have solid starting pitching and the best bullpen in the AL and they've got a team that is firing on all cylinders right now.

There are still some other questions to be answered in the AL though- such as will the Yankees forget about the wild card and focus on beating out the Red Sox for top spot in the east?

Right now the Sox are riding on the shoulders of should-be AL MVP David Ortiz. If he gets hurt or goes in a slump then I think this team is done and the Yankees will very easily catch and surpass them in the east.

In the west I think Anaheim will hold off the A's and stumble into the playoffs as the AL West champs. The White Sox will make it as the AL Central champ but not before Cleveland closes the gap even more and gives them a good scare.

That will leave New York and Cleveland to square off while Chicago and Anaheim meet in the other series (I think that's how it would work anyways). I'm going to stick with Cleveland continuing their resurgence and Anaheim making quick work of the overachieving White Sox. In what would be a great ALCS I think the temperature in the city of Cleveland will rise as baseball fever continues along with the Tribe to the World Series.

I think Chief Wahoo's train though will be derailed by Albert Pujols and the Cardinals and St. Louis will be your 2005 World Series Champions. The Cardinals have played like champs all season long and sport the games best hitter (Pujols) and pitcher (Chris Carpenter). It will be a great final series but the Cardinals are the class of MLB this year.

I'm sure it won't play out this way- if it does then I hope some newspaper or magazine out there offers me a job- but it's always fun to predict.

It definitely is a great time of year- unless you're the wife of a sports nut like me, in which case you probably hate this time of year.

Enjoy the playoffs.