Oh, October. A sweet, sweet month highlighted by the NFL and NCAAFB seasons in full swing, the NBA and NHL seasons getting underway and, of course, the MLB playoffs. The crux of the American sports universe lives here and it’s a wonderful thing. The race to the Fall Classic begins today and what else for a quasi-journalist to do other than make predictions that are bound to be wrong and to face intense ridicule. Sorry, I can’t pick everyone’s favorite team to take home the Series trophy, so here is how I see it.

NLDS

St. Louis Cardinals vs. LA Dodgers: Cardinals advance 3-1

The Dodgers were doomed once the Rockies started doing well. Because the Dodgers can’t play their own division in the NLDS, it was either the Phillies or the Cardinals in the first round and neither team are beatable in a 5 game playoff series. The Cardinals will start Carpenter and Wainwright, arguably the Cy Young Award front runners, in games 1 and 2. Welcome to the playoffs, Torre & Co. The only chance the Dodgers have is if the starting pitching staff can go deep into games with only giving up 3 or 4 runs a start.

Colorado Rockies vs. Philadelphia Phillies: Phillies advance 3-2

The Rockies are the epitome of the hardworking, low budget team. They are the mirror to the American League’s Minnesota Twins. However, they pulled a tough opening round match up with the defending Philadelphia Phillies. Although the Phillies bullpen is suspect, they’ve got the experience and the hard-hitting lineup to out-bash their way into the NLCS. The major questions are which Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels we will see. If these guys don’t show up, the Rockies could very easily pounce on this vulnerability and sneak into the NLCS.

ALDS

Minnesota Twins vs. New York Yankees: Yankees advance 3-1

The Twins wiggled into the playoff picture late in the season and took over the stagnant Detroit Tigers in dramatic fashion. They’ve got momentum on their side. They’ve got the league’s best contact hitter in Joe Mauer and a combination of scrappy, young players that work hard to achieve things beyond their payroll. However, they meet the Yankees in the first round. The Yankees are as good as they’ve been in a decade and we all know what they accomplished a decade ago. I give one game to the Twins when they go home down 2-0 and are playing on adrenaline and emotion facing elimination in what would be the last Twins game in the Metrodome.

Boston Red Sox vs. LA Angels: Angels advance 3-1

The Red Sox quietly made the playoffs again for the sixth time in seven years, showing again they have a sound, veteran team that knows how to win. However, the major crutch of the Red Sox is their age. Although few in Red Sox nation would ever admit it, the team is past its prime and this could be the last hurrah for a group of guys who don’t have the intensity that we saw from 2003-2006. Combine that with an Angels team that plays the most fundamental baseball in the Majors, with a top-tier coach to boot, don’t expect to see a media-frenzied Yankees/Red Sox ALCS.

NLCS

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Phillies: Cardinals advance 4-2

While the Phillies know how to hit the long ball, the Cardinals aren’t so susceptible to it. Also, the Phillies bullpen cannot sustain itself in the second round. They can make it through a five game series, but as the starting pitching wears and relievers the likes of Brad Lidge come in, hitters the likes of Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday will make them pay. Although the Cardinals can’t outlast a slugfest with the Phillies, conventional wisdom suggests it won’t even get to that point. The St. Louis staff is known for inducing ground balls–an asset that got them the fourth best ERA in the National League.

ALCS

LA Angels vs. New York Yankes: Yankees advance 4-1

The Yankees, as I said earlier, are as good as they’ve been in a long while, and it spells trouble for anyone who has to face them. The Angels are a well-rounded team without many noticeable weaknesses, but as good as they are, the Yankees are flat out better. The Yankees are a matured, vivacious bunch that can win in any situation. Plus, playing in October in New York is one of the most nerve-racking things for any team to experience.

World Series

St. Louis Cardinals vs. New York Yankees: Cardinals win 4-3

This year we will experience a World Series with great historical context. For the first time since 1964, the two most successful teams in Major League history will go head-to-head in the World Series. The stakes will be high, the implications even higher. Who will win such a match up is a complete toss up. However, the trendy pick this year, and one that I agree with, is the Cardinals. Everyone not on the Yankee bandwagon looks to side with the Redbirds. However, LaRussa and his bunch can be grossly inconsistent. They go through streaks of hot and cold that can make their fans uneasy going into October. On top of that, they’re entering the playoffs with a 3-7 record in their last 10. Having said that, in 2006 this was largely the same story. However, this year they have a much better offense, healthy pitching, and arguably the best coach in the Majors. It’s St. Louis’s year. Again.