Game 163 and The MLB Playoff Preview

In a season where pennant races were few and far between, the Twins did catch the Tigers to create a one-game playoff for the American League Central Division Title.

The winner gets to go to New York to face the best team in baseball.

The New York Yankee infield of Mark Texeria, Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, and Alex Rodriguez might be the best infield to ever play the game. The pitching staff, led by C.C. Sabathia, is going to be tough on any team in a short series.

The biggest question mark for the Yankees revolves around the postseason slumps of Rodriguez and Sabathia. Are these two guys ready for prime time yet? This is Joe Girardi's first taste of playoff baseball as the Yankee skipper, but he has guided them to a great regular season, so he just needs to keep doing his thing.

Sabathia seems to be full of energy this time around and should improve on his woeful '07 and '08 playoff performances. A-Rod is a different animal as his struggles have become career defining and as good as the Yankees are, they do need their superstar to come up big this postseason.

The winner of the AL Central should be a quick series for the Yankees but they will face the Red Sox in the ALCS. The Angels play the Sox but they have an A-Rod type of postseason issue with the boys from Boston. That should continue in 2009.

Look for the Yankees to get back to the World Series for the first time since 2003.

In the National League, the first-half dominance of the L.A. Dodgers is a distant memory as they limp into the playoffs. The Dodgers might not even be the best team in the NL West right now as the Rockies have been lights out for a few months.

Both the Cardinals and the Phillies are playing better than L.A. as well.

Look for the Phillies and Cardinals to meet in the NLCS and for the St. Louis Cardinals to make it back to the World Series for the first time since they beat Detroit in 2006.

New York and St. Louis are the two best teams in baseball and the World Series will be the showcase for what they can do over seven great games.

The Yankees will find a way to get it done in Game Seven at home, as the All-Star-Game win for the AL pays dividends this postseason.

As for game 163, look for the Tigers to finally win the AL Central.