No time for a full length post today but…

Just kidding. I looked back at my previous posts and I think the last 4 or 5 all began that way. So I’m making up for it with an extra-long post. With an intense two-weeks now squarely in the rear view mirror, I hope to return to some semblance of normal posting here.

And what better way to get back in the saddle than with my annual Major League Baseball predictions for the upcoming season. For the record, last year I successfully picked 3 of the 4 AL playoff teams. And while I didn’t fare as well in the NL, I went against the grain and predicted the Phillies would win the NL East — albeit on the final day of the season! Nevertheless, here are my picks for the ’08 season, complete with witty commentary.

AL East: Boston Red Sox
Not really going out on a limb here, but the Sox are simply the class of this division. Sorry Yankee fans, I know you’re not going to like this, but Boston should win this division easily and they’re in perfect position to repeat as Series Champs. I really worry about the Yanks pitching, so I’m picking the Blue Jays to finish to finish second in this division (sorry Lane). And look out for the Rays. You heard it here first: in two years, they’ll be contending for a championship. Until then, there should be plenty of joy in Beantown.

AL Central: Cleveland Indians
Does somebody want to tell the Tigers the season has started? I really wanted to go with Detroit here based on their killer lineup. But with the injuries of Zumuya and Rodney, their bullpen goes from strength to huge question mark. The Indians might be the most balanced team in baseball: speed (Sizemore), power (Hafner & Martinez), solid starting pitching (Sabathia & Carmona), a lights out pen (Betancourt & Perez). If Joe Borowski doesn’t implode, the Indians could challenge the Sox for the AL Crown. This is a great division from top to bottom. With KC on the upswing, there are really no pushovers here anymore.

AL West: Seattle Mariners
Those of you who know me well know that I love the Angels. I love Guerrero. I love Mike Scioscia’s NL-style of small ball. I love their organizational philosophy to groom their youngsters rather than trade them for over-the-hill vets. Every year it seems, I pick the Angels to win their division and make a playoff run. But the injuries of John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar really hurt them. The move Seattle made to acquire Erik Bedard makes them the logical choice here. If Lackey comes back completely healthy in May, or if the Angels make a move for a frontline starter, I’ll probably be kicking myself for this. But for now, I’m taking Seattle.

AL Wild Card: Toronto Blue Jays
I’m really going oppo here, I know. But I really think this club is more complete than either the Tigers or the Yankees at this point. In Halladay and Burnett, the Jays have two aces that can match up with anybody. Dustin McGowan is a young stud in the making and the bullpen will only be that much better when BJ Ryan comes off the DL. As for offense, the core of Alex Rios, Vernon Wells, Frank Thomas, Lyle Overbay, Aaron Hill, and Scott Rolen should make sure they put enough runs on the board to be competitive. If everything comes together for this squad, they could be partying like it’s 1993. Or something.

NL East: Atlanta Braves
I know everyone is high on the Mets with their addition of Johan Santana. And I’m tempted to follow suit. But my gut tells me that this Braves club is just as good, if not better. I love Smoltz and Hudson fronting the rotation and Glavine slides in as an adequate #3. I love the switch-hitting duo of Chipper and Tex in the heart of the order. I even love Rafael Soriano in the closer’s role. With the caveat that this division could very easily go to the Mets or the Phils, I like Atlanta to begin a new streak of division titles in ’08.

NL Central: Milwaukee Brewers
You honestly didn’t expect me to pick the Cubs here, did you? Although they’re quite the chic pick this spring, I simply can’t bring myself to do it. Beyond Big Z, I’m not nuts about the starting pitching. Kerry Wood will be a lights out closer…until he breaks his wing in May. The offense is solid with Soriano, Lee, Ramirez, and Fukudome. But the Brewers’ time has come. A lineup of Weeks, Fielder, Braun, and Corey Hart matches up with anyone in the league. Sheets and Gallardo are studs. Jeff Suppan is dependable. And although Eric Gagne is probably the only closer in the game who is MORE injury prone than Wood, there are reliable options behind him in Derrick Turnbow and David Riske. All in all, I see no reason why the Brewers can’t win this division.

As for my Cards, although they’re hot out of the gate, they’re pitching over their heads and we all know it. Still, I’ll take a 5-1 start. Honestly, I didn’t know if we’d win 5 games the whole month of April, much less the first week. Best case scenario: we stay close to .500 until Piniero, Mulder, and Carpenter all return from injury. We’ll see.

NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers
I think this will be a tough division. San Diego has great starting pitching; ditto for Arizona, who also has a core of young position players that I love; and Colorado represented the Senior Circuit in the World Series last year. Still, I like the Dodgers out West. The pitching is really good with Penny, Lowe, Billingsley, and Kuroda in the rotation. The ‘pen is in good hands with Broxton and Saito. The offense should improve with Ethier and Kemp as regulars. I expect Andruw Jones to return to form this season. And Joe Torre will be the perfect leader for this blend of vets and youths. The only certainty in this division, though, is that San Fran will be in the basement. When they’re drawing 12,000 per home game in July, ownership might reconsider that move not to resign Barry.

NL Wild Card: New York Mets
I just can’t see the wild card not coming from the East. With a great offense and solid starting pitching, the Mets should compete with the Phillies for this final playoff spot. I’d hate to face Johan and Pedro twice each in a short series. This pick assumes that Pedro is good for 20-23 starts (not looking so good right now). But even if they have to go out and make a move, Omar Minaya will probably get his guy.

AL Playoffs: Cleveland over Toronto; Boston over Seattle
NL Playoffs: Atlanta over Milwaukee; Los Angeles over New York

ALCS: Boston over Cleveland
NLCS: Los Angeles over Atlanta

World Series: Boston over Los Angeles