The wacky baseball playoffs

So much for Cy Young award winners being all that in the postseason. Clayton Kershaw of the LA Dodgers, a lock for another Cy Young and maybe even MVP award, started two games against the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL divisional playoffs series -- and lost them both. As they say in the 'hood, the Dodgers be history this year. Outta here.

The Detroit Tigers put up three former Cy Youngers in a row against the Baltimore Orioles. None could manage to win a game. The Motowners were unceremoniously swept out of the playoffs by the O-birds.

Just a little while ago, the Washington Nationals bit the dust. They had put up the best regular season regular in the National League. Yet they got bounced by the San Fran Giants, merely a wild card team.

The LA Angels were certainly considered to be amongst the most overall talented teams -- and they ran away with the AL western division title. Then the Halos were broomed by the KC Royals, only a wild-card team themselves, that barely snuck into the playoffs.

Granted, the Orioles moving on after dispatching an overrated Tigers team is no great surprise. Baltimore's been quietly getting it done all year. And even though former manager Tony LaRussa is gone, would anybody seriously doubt, from top to bottom, the Cardinals remain the most fundamentally sound team in the major leagues? Never count out the Redbirds until it's over -- and it ain't over yet.

Yet it seems weird that between the Nats, Tigers, Dodgers, and Angels -- all division winners and projected to go far by many -- nary a one of them survived even the first round of the playoffs.

So now it's KC/Baltimore in the AL, and San Fran/St. Louis in the NL squaring off to get to the World Series.

And if anybody reading this post saw THAT coming, you need to drop whatever you're doing and head to Vegas with whatever cash you can scrape up to bet on the next playoff rounds. Because you are obviously tuned in to a wavelength far beyond the comprehension of anyone else.

My picks? I like Baltimore over KC because they're a better team. But (see previous post), the Royals have to be a sentimental favorite.

In the NL, it's an even numbered year so the Giants are supposed to go far. But who would bet against the Cardinals after they rolled the team with the highest payroll by far, including tagging their superstar pitcher with a couple losses? In situations like this, there's only one logical thing to do.

Flip a coin.