OK my friend – you’ve succeeded in provoking me. Here’s something for you to chew on – now that you’ve admitted that you’re at least smoking the right stuff.

 

And it must be good, cause it’s one thing to pick the Indians to win their division: But the Cubs?!? Sure, the Cubs could win their division. But that’s because they’re swimming in a sea of mediocrity. And I think you know that. Hell, you picked the Pirates to finish second. I could make a case for any of the six teams to win the NL Central – except maybe for the Cardinals, who seem to be unusually weak. But why bother? My prediction is that whoever wins the NL Central will lose in the first round of the playoffs.I don’t really want to spend much time thinking or writing about the National League. All the teams are flawed in one way or another. I do agree with you though that the Dodgers will win the West. In fact, I like the Dodgers to go to the World Series. I like their pitching – and replacing Grady oh-so-Little with the best manager in baseball has to help.

Let’s go back to the Indians. They’re a damn good team – second best in the majors last year, and second best again this year. The pitching staff has a lot to like. The middle relief is tremendous, although a Cleveland lead can be too easily wiped out by Borowski. The two guys at the top of the order (Sabathia and Carmona) are very good. Carmona is particularly nasty.But until these two erase the memories of last year’s playoff series with the Red Sox – who all-too-easily unnerved Fausto – they’re still playing second fiddle to the defending world champs. Many others have made the same point that I’m about to make – and the same prediction – so I won’t belabor it.

The Red Sox should be favored to repeat as World Champions because they have two essential components of any winning post-season formula — a proven, top-of-the-line ace in Josh Beckett and a lights-out closer in Jonathan Papelbon. And I don’t need to dwell on the strength of their line-up. Some teams have decent-enough line-ups and the potential to replicate the Red Sox winning ways.

Zambrano and Woods?

Santana and Wagner?

Penny and Saito?

Maybe. But until they demonstrate it, put your money on the Sawx.