MLB Playoffs: What The @#)($* Is Going On Here?

Ok, so let me be the first to say that I'm a baseball fan, first and foremost.

Secondly? I live in Southern California, and more specifically orange county, so you shouldn't have any questions on my loyalty, implicit or otherwise, in this rant.

But here it goes.

What the @#($* is happening this year in baseball?

Seriously, if you're a baseball historian, the potential playoff picture this year has to be some sort of precursor to the apocalypse. Let me break it down for you like this...

The Four Horseman of this years baseball apocalypse, in no particular order:

The White Horse (Conquest): The New York Mets

Constantly overshadowed by their AL neighbors, the most storied franchise in professional sports New York Yankees, the Mets have a half game lead over Philly and are quietly playing great baseball since the half. Non violent means of solid pitching, good run production and the lack of intense media speculation and second guessing have the OTHER New York Baseball team a half game up on rival Philly for the NL East Lead.

The Red Horse (War): The Tampa Bay Rays

Kicking butt and taking names all the way to the second best record in baseball, the I-Can't-call-'em-upstart-anymore-because-it's-September continue to be the toast of the AL East. In a division that touts the World Champion Boston Red Sox AND the New York Yankees, the Rays have continued to have great success against pretty much everyone in the league. It's barely september first, and the team that almost everyone expected to wilt down the stretch is 80-51, with a 3 1/2 game lead on 2nd place Boston. A massive improvement on the 66-96 last place finish of last year. These guys continue to defy the odds and continue to put up quiet W's.

The Black Horse (Famine): The Chicago Cubs

The black horse of the apocalypse signifies famine, drought and mass starvation. Essentially: Being a Cubs fan. The irony in the Cubs story this year is that it is the centennial anniversary of their last world series victory. 1908. What a feather in Manager Lou Piniella's hat it would be to bring the windy city another shot at world series glory. With arguably the best 1-2-3 pitching staff in all of baseball in Dempster, Zambrano, and Lilly, this team looks frightening in a 7 game series and downright deadly in a 5 game series. Will all the legendary curses finally lift on this team?

The Pale Horse (Death): The New York Yankees

And I looked, and behold a pale horse; and his name that sat upon him was Death. and Hell followed with him. - Book of Revelations

Ok ok I know. That's a bit dramatic, but WHAT is up with the Yankees this year?  The highest payroll in baseball history, and they are third in the amazingly stacked AL East by a whopping 10 1/2 games. Clearly former manager Joe Torre couldn't win with them, so management indirectly sent him packing to Los Angeles and much less stress. New skipper Joe Girardi couldn't have been expected to walk in and win them another World Series...or could he? Oh yeah, this is the Yankees. A team that boos their star players when they have a night of O-for... The same Yankees that stormed back from a large deficit last season with a run to the playoffs via the wildcard. The last time the Yankees missed the post season? 1995. With a staff containing the likes of Alex Rodriguez, Johnny Damon, Xavier Nady, Joba Chamberlain, Mike Mussina, Andy Pettite, Jason Giambi, Robinson Cano, and Derek Jeter, how do these guys play only 8 games above five hundred ball come September?

All in all, I think this season is shaping up with GREAT baseball, and decidedly plenty more to come.

Just watch out for the signs, sports fans. The apocalypse maybe upon us sooner than you think...