Cleveland last made the playoffs around 2006 or 07. Kansas City has baseball's longest postseason drought. They haven't seen the postseason since winning the 1985 World Series with a little help from the most infamous blown call in WS history in Game 6 (apologies to Carlton Fisk and the '75 Red Sox).

The Indians were last in the postseason in 2007. They beat the Yankees in 4 games of the ALDS in what was Torre's last season. Then Cleveland held a 3-1 ALCS lead to Boston and collapsed (again). The manager for the 2007 Red Sox? Current Tribe skipper Terry Francona.

Looking like Rays v. Cleveland in the wild card. If the Rays clean the Yankees' clock one more time thats it for the pinstripe boys.

Joba's rookie season. Everyone thought he was a future star.

Remember this? Torre should have demanded that play be halted due to the insects.

There's speculation that Joe Girardi will be the next manager of the Cubs.

Actually, Joba should have manned up and pplayed the game.

The best thing about that was the Yankees players getting bug spray. It turns out that those bugs were attracted to and not repelled by the spray.

Oh, please, please Rays, clean their clocks, so I can revel in the humiliation of Rays fans all over the world as Cleveland makes them cry like girlie-men.

It was a nice send-off for Rivera. I watched the final home game exit. Yhe broadcast caught a poignant moment when Jeter and Pettite walked to the mound to take out Rivera with 2 out in the ninth, and you can clearly read Jeter's lips, "Time to go."

Not a Yankee fan (other than Mantle) but that stuff last night with Rivera was awesome. Class guy and a class send off. He said he wanted to play CF in his last game against the Astros. It would be awesome to see him play CF and then come in for the save.

Mo is truly a class act. I definitely teared up when Pettitte and Jeter approached the mound. I think the fact that the Rays came out of the dugout and gave him a Standing O speaks volumes about the kind of man he is.

The Rays treated Mo well, especially, since it has to be against the rules for two position players to come out and pull the pitcher, with a long "conference" on the mound.

The Rays were also the team that Derek Jeter got his 3,000 hit against. They came out of the dugout and gave him a standing ovation.

The way that every team in baseball has treated Mo has been amazing.

I'll pick the Rays with David Price on the mound to beat the Rangers, but I'll take the Indians over the rays in the WC game. The Red Sox will beat the Indians in 6 while Oakland beats Detroit in 7. Boston will then advance to the series by beating Oakland in 6.

The NL wild card may be wild indeed as both starting pitchers are often lights out. With Cueto having two solid starts for the Reds after months on the DL, there's reason to be optimistic, but Liriano has a 1.47 ERA at PNC this year, so I'll give the edge to the Bucs over the Reds.

I would love to see the Pirates advance, but the Cardinals will winn the division series in 7 while the Braves beat the Dodgers in 7. The Cardinals will then beat LA in 6, and will meet the Red Sox in the Series.

I'll pick the Cardinals in a close series. That team always seems to excel in the postseason.

The series I'm hoping for is Oakland/Pittsburgh.

..and just as the Pharaoh Ramses said, "So it is written, so it shall be done." The Almighty Klydon1 says "so it shall be submitted on the Gangster BB, so it shall be done."

The Matt Kemp injury really changes the dynamic for the Dodgers. That is a devastating loss.

I think the World Series will be St. Louis over Boston. But it will be a fun ride along the way with Pittsburgh, Cleveland, & Cincy in the postseason.

Thought it was interesting that despite being in MLB for more than 100 years, this is the first time CLE & PITT have been in the playoffs together.

Here are my postseason predictions:

-Pittsburgh over Cincinnati
-Tampa Bay over Cleveland (only because I think Cobb will have a big game for Tampa Bay)

-St. Louis over Pittsburgh
-Los Angeles over Atlanta

-Boston over Tampa Bay
-Detroit over Oakland

-St. Louis over Los Angeles
-Detroit over Boston

-Detroit over St. Louis

One for one with the Rays.

Predicting baseball playoff winners is almost like a crap shoot. There are too many variables in an individual game from hard hit outs and bloop hits, vicissitudes in calling balls and strikes, errors. Over the course of the season it's easy to separate the very good from the good, but in a 7 game series, a couple of weird things inherent in the game can make the difference between a 100-win team losing to a wild card struggler.

Kemp's loss will be felt undoubtedly. I also think that the extent Craig can play for St. Louis is a concern, though he's not quite Matt Kemp.

Pittsburgh/Cleveland would be a fascinating series, adding another dimension to the rivalry between these two cities.

Beat 'em Bucs!

I've been looking for that old song from the 60s and can't find it. I think the Pirates should revive the "We Are Family" song that was used during their drive to a championship in '79. The word "Pirates" was removed from the top of their dugout, and replaced with "The Family."

That '79 team with Omar Moreno, Dave Parker, Willie Stargell, Ed Ott, Bill Madlock, Phil Garner and Bill Robinson was solid. John Candelaria, Bert Blyleven, and Bruce Kison were excellent starters, and the bullpen of Jim Bibby, Enrique Romo, Grant jackson with the lights-out closer, Kent Tekulve gave up nothing.

Rays v. Dodgers in World Series.

Kudos to that team year and that signature song. Who could have imagined that they would fall so low. Thank God they have risen ... kind a like the BlackKnight.

What year?

Pitt/Cleve would attract the baseball purists and a bunch of curious fans, but the networks would be cringing. Two small-market, rust-belt teams going at it. Superstars where are you?

Great to see Pitt win last night. Tonight Rays v. Cleveland to see which team beats the Red Sox.

Exactly true, which is why baseball has been reluctant and slow to level the competitive playing fields for the big markets against the small.

Football with its equitable revenue sharing and caps levels the field as the NFL knows that the Super Bowl delivers the ratings whether you have Pittsburgh, Green Bay or Baltimore as opposed to New York, San Francisco and Chicago.

The NBA is a little different in that they don't market the (like the NFL) or the history and big city rivalries (like MLB). The NBA markets the superstar where entities like Kobe, LeBron and Durant soar above their respective teams.

I haven't seen every MLB stadium in the league, but I've never seen one more beautiful and scenic and fan friendly as PNC Park, and for years I always thought it was too bad that their teams never lived up to the splendor of their surroundings. Last night's game was an energetic atmosphere never previously reached in PNC's history. The moment was finally realized.

I'm sure the Cardinals were hoping for the Reds to win last night.

I haven't visited all the MLB stadiums either, but I agree that PNC is one of the gem baseball ballparks.. Living in Cleveland, I have been spoiled by the splendor of Progressive Field, but PNC is a tad nicer. My favorite place may be Camden Yards, but not by much. I also visited the Washington Nationals stadium last year and enjoyed it.

While I can appreciate the historical significance, one of the worst stadiums I have ever been to was Fenway Park. The charm of the place was lost on me.


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The Indians hitters were a huge disappointment to me last night. The moment seemed too big for Swisher, Cabrera, and Bourn. Not what I would have expected from these veterans.

I'm looking forward to the two NL games today. I hope that Pittsburgh can hang with St. Louis, but I think the Cardinals experience will win out over the course of a five game series.

Really? Nick Swisher disappearing in the playoffs, where have I heard that before? I knew Cobb would have a big game but I'm surprised that Tampa was able to muster 4 runs (I thought it would have been closer). I just hope they can beat Boston because now Price and Cobb have already pitched and it looks like Moore will start Game 1 with Price going in Game 2 and I'd expect Cobb in Game 3.