All I have to say is, thank you Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie for picking up your sad-sack teammates who couldn't keep a 21-point lead. Either way, a win is a win. I've started out 1-0 in my locks of the week, so I'm sure this will give me a huge amount of credibility and casual gamblers will begin flocking to RTJ. On to week two...

OK, I didn't do too badly in the Division Series round. The only team I didn't have advancing was the Dodgers, and if Matt Holliday catches that ball, we have a completely different series. So let's move on to the NLCS and ALCS.

NLCS
Phillies (defeated Rockies, 3-1) vs. Dodgers (defeated Cardinals, 3-0)
Analysis: I'm too lazy to actually do some research and figure out when Cliff Lee will be able to pitch again, but I dislike the fact that he won't be able to go in Game One. The Phillies still have the deeper rotation, but that didn't seem to bother the Dodgers at all in the first round against a pair of Cy Young-esque pitchers. I think the genius of Joe Torre has to be factored into this series. He realized his starting pitching wouldn't match up to St. Louis', so he went to the bullpen at the first sign of trouble. Philadelphia's lineup is the tiniest bit better, but both are good. What does all this mean? I have no idea what's going to happen. With that being said...

Now that my Twins have made the postseason like I knew would happen (don't pay attention to the incorrect picks, please) it's time to break down the postseason.

Go ahead and write these down and then jump on BoDog and make your millions. I'll take 10 percent.of the cut.

NLDS
Colorado Rockies (92-70) vs. Philadelphia Philles(93-69)
Analysis: The Rockies have this stupid 'Rocktober' slogan going. That alone makes me want to pick against them. But, alas, I will try to be unbiased. The choice to throw Cliff Lee instead of Cole Hamels in Game 1 for the Phillies was a good one. Just because Hamels was dominant in last year's postseason doesn't mean it will be an indicator of this year's success. Lee has been better all year. In the end, it won'y matter. The Phillies' lineup is better top to bottom, and so is the starting pitching. Colorado's bullpen has settled nicely and Philly's is a train wreck, but it won't be the difference-maker. I expect the Phillies to win a pair of games at home and cruise.
Prediction: Phillies in three.

Isn't it weird how, when your team falls out of the pennant race, you naturally gravitate to other clubs?

Personally, I have no reason to root for the Minnesota Twins. I have no family from Minnesota, never been there, and don't have any ties to any players on the team.

But I'm giddy with this AL Central race. After winning the first of the double-dip today, the Twins are somehow within a game of the Tigers despite a pitching staff that I'm fairly certain has a bet to see who can have the highest ERA without being taken out of the rotation.

Even at this point, I'm only giving them a 20 percent chance of making the postseason. But if they do, I'm naming my first born child Cuddyer.

I'm teling you. Pay me $1 million a year to be a GM and I guarantee I won't mess up a baseball team this badly:

Step one: Trade for a terrific pitcher, but one that won't play for you this season. Instead, pay him a bunch of money to sit on the bench and go to rehab. Furthermore, keep the same trade offer on the table for months after it was originally nixed, even if the injury and the other team's desparation gives you all the leverage. It's all about being fair in this league.

Step two: Trade a potential starting first baseman/DH for a middle reliever. Those high-celing potential guys never work out, anyways.

Step three: Find a player that is due to be paid $552 million in the next 23 years and claim him off waivers. Don't actually trade for him before the deadline, because then you'd have leverage to make the other team pay some of his salary. No, take it all and then put that average player with the awful contract in the middle of your lineup. At least you didn't have to give up a 27-year-old Double-A prospect in the deal.

Step four: Not even one month later, toss in the towel. Give away all your top players for cents on the dollar.

Kenny Williams and the Chicago White Sox, I salute you.

As has been documented several times around these parts, I am in love with Streak for the Cash.

I'm sad to report we had our first fight today.

With a streak of six heading into Usain Bolt's 200-meter run at the World Championships, the prop on the board was whether he would run the race faster or slower than 19.69 seconds.

Easy, I thought. I'll take faster.

I've been reading varying opinions about the American League MVP debate recently, and frankly, I'm stunned.

How can there be any varying opinions this season? Let me spell this out for everyone: Despite missing the first month of the season, Minnesota's Joe Mauer is hitting .378 with 25 home runs and 77 RBIs. His OPS is 1.095, an astronomical number. And did I mention he plays catcher, the toughest position in baseball?

For some reason, this isn't a no-brainer to some people. And when I say 'some people', I mean dim-witted New Yorkers.

First off, let me preface the question posed in the headline. Knee jerk reactions are easy for sportswriters because their opinions are rarely brought up again years down the road. Compare that to general managers, who will be vilified for their decisions because they are constantly in the public eye. Furthermore, hindsight is 20/20. It’s easy for journalists now to blast the Expos for trading Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee and Brandon Phillips to Cleveland for Bartolo Colon.

But still, is it time to give a sportswriter a try in the front office? It has partially happened. Noted baseball stat-man Bill James gives advice to the Boston Red Sox, who are run by stat-boy Theo Epstein.

With this in mind, would it work elsewhere?

Take Kansas City, for example, and respected Kansas City Star columnist Joe Posnanski.

OK, well here was my MLB season preview.

What we've learned since:

- The Indians and Diamondbacks are horrible: Both teams started slow and never recovered. Hello, 2010.

- The Giants can't hit, but it doesn't matter: Lincecum and Cain have been so good that San Francisco doesn't even need to hit to win.