Baseball: It's official ... Oakland blows. They are the new Atlanta squared of the AL West ... yet again they get to the playoffs and lose in the first round. And, yet again, they win the first two, but drop three (this happened less often, but even once it's rare ... but twice?) and are eliminated. They couldn't win Game Three because of their own incompetence. Game Four because the pitching matchup finally caught up with them (starter out after one). Game Five ... they were destined to lose. Pedro started and left after six ... 4-2, Sox, on a four run inning. The As got another run in the eighth. They got first and second with no one out in the ninth. Second and Third with one out. Couldn't do it. So sad.

Many are hyped for a Red Sox/Yanks matchup ... they played close to 20 games already. I personally am bored with these guys ... they will be some exciting games, pitching and hitting duels. Pedro will be matched by Yankee pitching and might very well have a stellar effort [seven innings or so and an average of three runs is not really stellar ... suggesting a key to the team's problems]. Each bullpen is questionable but has shown itself to be stellar in key spots (the Red Sox pen in latter games vs the As surely did so, when push came to shove). And so forth. The edge, as it usually is, is slightly on the Yankees' side. If they lose, it would be special -- Red Sox v. Cubs or Marlins -- but really nothing special. Just things going their way, as it sometimes does, though not at the end.

The Marlins/Cubs matchup seems more interesting. I actually think the Marlins might have an edge ... they have stellar pitching and a bit more offense. The Cubs bullpen is questionable; the Marlins bullpen has shown their stuff repeatedly vs. the Giants. The Cubs won the season series, but only four of six, and it is almost meaningless given the greatly changed situation (and belief in the Marlins mind ... actually, they won more games! They are the underdog only because they won the Wild Card, not a division). And, unlike the Red Sox, the Cubs never quite was in this position before.