With the 2006 playoffs starting Tuesday that means there will be a million predictions between now and the World Series.  With that in mind, I felt I could give some of my knowledge and predictions for the playoffs even though none of my favorite teams are in.  So let’s get our hands dirty and begin the diagnosis.

I feel the eight teams in the playoffs aren’t flukes.   There are teams like Detroit and St. Louis who came into the post-season on a sour note, either losing the division or almost losing the division.  Then you have the two New York squads who won their divisions by ridiculous margins.  There were teams that also started out a little slow (Minnesota, Los Angeles) but showed that they can play with the contenders. 

Finally, you have those who are full of surprises (Oakland, San Diego) – and have a very good chance of making their respective league championships.  But with all of these titans clashing in the playoffs how can we predict the champion?  Easy.

The first round series I am looking most forward to is the Dodgers and the Mets.  Despite the Mets having home field throughout the playoffs based on their record, I believe the Dodgers have the best rotation in the playoffs.  New York counters that with one of the league’s best scoring offenses.  Also, the Mets record at home during the season was an astonishing 50-31. 

For reference, the only team with a better record at home was the Twins at 54-27.  The Dodgers have Derek Lowe, Greg Maddux, and Brady Penny starting the first three games of the National League Division Series.  Conversely, with ace Pedro Martinez now out for the year, the Mets will start Orlando ‘El Duque’ Hernandez (now pending the health of his leg), Tom Glavine, and the aging Steve Trachsel.  What’s more: the Dodgers also are one of the better offenses in the National League. 

I am especially looking forward to the Game 2 match-up between Glavine and Maddux, both because of their tremendous – and likely Hall of Fame – careers and their decade as teammates.  By way of prediction, I look for the Dodgers to win the series in four games, surrendering only the second contest at Shea Stadium.

The next series will answer a lot of questions about the Tigers being contenders or pretenders.  Based on the way their season ended, I have a sinking suspicion they are the latter.  I don’t think this will be much of a series despite the Tigers spectacular pitching; the Yankees hitting is that much better. 

The Bronx Bombers put up over 900 runs this season and the only thing that the Tigers have going for them is that they have the best road record in baseball.  But going to Kansas City is like going in a candy store where being the visiting team going into Yankee Stadium is like walking into Hell.  They just won’t come out. 

But the Yankees pitching staff is also shaky, giving up more than 100 runs than the Tigers did this year.  But I wouldn’t worry about that because the Yankees will put at least seven or eight runs up on the scoreboard before the Tigers know what hit them.  The Yankees have Chien-Ming Wang, Mike Mussina, and Randy Johnson for the first three.  I am not sure if Johnson will be available to pitch because of his herniated disc, but he is on the roster. 

The Tigers have Nate Robertson, Justin Verlander, and Kenny Rogers on the mound.  I don’t think there is a spark in this Tiger team but I guess we won’t know till’ the series starts.  I look for the Yankees to give Detroit the broom.

The Cardinals played some of the worst baseball in recent memory the last two weeks of the season and if the Astros got on a role two days earlier, we would be talking about a much better series.  The Padres, on the other hand, are going into the playoffs playing well and look to be the overwhelming favorites in this series.  The Cardinals have one of the worst offenses in the playoffs – but still better than the Padres.  But even though the Padres are behind in that category, they have given up about 100 runs less than the Cardinals pitching staff. 

I think San Diego has the momentum going into the series and even though they can’t hit as well, they are going to be facing pitchers that should be in Triple A and not the major leagues.  The Cardinals send Chris Carpenter, Jeff Suppan, and Jeff Weaver – the other, older and less talented, brother – to the hill.  The Padres send Jake Peavy, Chris Young, and Woody Williams.  And let’s not forget Trevor Hoffman is the closer for the favorites.  I see the Padres winning in four to take on their West Coast rivals, the LA Dodgers.

The final first round series – the Minnesota Twins taking on the Oakland Athletics – could end up being the best of them all. Record-wise, the Twins have been the best team since June.  The Twins will have home field throughout this series where they are scary good, posting a 54-27 there; the A’s, meanwhile, are just 44-37 away from Oakland.  Minnesota, in my opinion, has the best to offer pitching wise even though they are without Francisco Liriano.  They have Johan Santana whom they will use two times in this series if need be. 

And Minnesota also has a damn good offense, too.  The A’s have one of the worst, scoring only 771 runs this season.  The Twins send out Santana, Boof Bonser, and Matt Garza in the first three; Oakland counters with Barry Zito, Dan Haren, and Esteban Loaiza.  I think the first game of the series could be the best game of the first round because of the pitching match-up between Zito and Santana.  I look for the Twins to win the series in five games.

With the opening round out of the way it is time to discuss the two league championship series.  My predictions are the Padres and Dodgers in the NLCS and the Yankees and Twins in the ALCS.  I think the AL match-up is what everyone wants to see, including me.  On the senior circuit, NL West foes play each other to see who will put themselves face-to-face with the winner of the American League pennant.

The Dodgers and Padres may not be the dream series that most of us on the East Coast may be looking for, but I feel that it can be a great series.  This pits maybe the two best pitching teams in the league against each other, so it will definitely be a low scoring series.  We could have a couple games in which the winner triumphs by scores of 2-1 or 3-1.

If any series were to go into extra innings every game this one would have to be it.  The Padres will have home field in the series but I don’t think it makes that much of difference seeing that it is in California.  I think the Dodgers offense will be very explosive during the battle and feel that they can give Trevor Hoffman a couple blown
saves.  That said, I think the Dodgers have the advantage and will represent the NL in the World Series after beating the Padres in six games.

The Twins and Yankees will be like the World Series because I think either team will beat the Dodgers pretty easily because of their explosive offenses.  The Yankees will have home-field advantage throughout the series and the winner of the duel will have home field in the World Series.  Pitching will ultimately decide the winner here. 

I think the Twins win this category and I also feel they have more heart and more desire to win this series and to be the champions.  The Yankees, because of their owner, George Steinbrenner, feel like they are expected to win.  I see the Twins winning the two games in the Bronx and then another two in the Metrodome because the Twins didn’t come this far to lose.  I see the Twins winning in six and representing the American League in the Fall Classic.

The Twins and Dodgers may not be the Mets and Yankees but I think the series can still manufacture some excitement.  With the Twins having home field advantage, playing their games in the Metrodome, I just don’t see a way they can lose the series because they are guaranteed at least three games there.  The Twins will do whatever they have to including pitching ace Johan Santana in every situation possible.  When all is said and done, I see the Twins winning in five to be the new champions of baseball.

The picks I made maybe popular or they may not be.  I was going on baseball instincts when I made them.  All Yankee fans may want to kill me right now because almost everyone in the world thinks they will win it all, but I don’t think they have as much heart as the Twins.  Yankee fans enjoy the year because the Red Sox will be back next year.  I hope this is an early celebration for you Twins fans but you just never know – because this is the Fall Classic.

Got anything to say.  I want to hear it.  Send emails to andrewuxley@atomicsportsmedia.com.