The field is set; and if the way the regular season ended, with the White Sox having to essentially play two elimination games while the world watched, and more specifically on a diving catch that was a direct product of great managing--we're in for a treat.

       Call me crazy, but before a single pitch is thrown, I must say this could very well be the best post season in recent Major League history--probably since 1980. If not the best, certainly the most intriguing. Even the casual observer would have to admit, there is plenty to watch for. In case you haven't really put it into perspective, consider all of these things:

No New York--the Mets and Yankees both missed out on the post season. More importantly though is the Yankees' absence, simply because now fans will not have to be force-fed the saturation of media coverage that surrounds their progress. Did anyone really look forward to a play by play of every A-Rod at-bat? Now, the spotlight is out there for anyone to take it.

50% Chance Of A Surprise Champ--that is correct, 4 of the 8 playoff teams have been a complete surprise (with the Brewers being the least). The White Sox were supposed to finish behind the Tigers, Indians, AND Twins; the Brewers should have never supplanted the Mets; the Dodgers were not supposed to beat out the Rockies or Diamondbacks; and the Rays were supposed to finish behind everyone. On top of it all, there is guaranteed to be a surprise team in the ALCS as the Rays and White Sox face off in the ALDS.

Cubs Finish A Regular Season--After many a late season collapse, the Cubbies finally followed through to the end. The story of stories, of course, is the 100-year drought that the franchise and its fans have endured. Whether you root against them or for them, their attempt to break 'the curse' is always entertaining. I heard Wrigley is checking ID's at the gate to make sure Bartman doesn't get in.

Races Down to the Wire--The fate of 4 teams were decided as late as possible. The Mets had a chance to clinch, and blew it on the final day against the Marlins...again. The White Sox stopped their back peddle in time to earn two must-wins and sneak back by the surging Twins to earn a spot. I have seen a 1-game playoff before, but I personally had never seen a game have to be made up so a team would have to win it and earn the right to a 1-game playoff, let alone having that team win both the make up game and the 1-game playoff! Man if I had to say all that out loud I woulda lost my breath.

Story Lines

Can Jim Thome and Ken Griffey Jr. finally get a ring? These guys have 1,152 home runs between them; they have fought through injury plagued seasons, heartbreaking post seasons, and each have played on two previous teams. Still, between them they have zero championships. Both are consummate pros, and them getting a ring is certainly something to root for.

From Curse to Dynasty? For decades upon decades, the Red Sox were the butt of many a joke--they were cursed. The most popular post season image was that of Bill Buckner letting the series roll through his legs. Now they have a chance to become the first repeat champions since the Yankees, ironic?

AL Imports, Can they keep it up? There were three major moves during the season that shaped the post season in the National League. Rich Harden to the Cubs, C.C. Sabathia to the Brewers, and Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers. I find it absurd, by the way, that none of these men will be given fair consideration for league superlatives, however I think a Series would be adequate consolation for any of them--who will it be?

What if the Brewers win without Yost? Would an email suffice? Should they give him a ring? I think it would be in poor taste if he does not receive adequate recognition, or compensation.

Possible LCS Match Ups

Brewers-Cubs: C.C. vs. Harden, wouldn't that be a nice Game 7 pitching matchup?! These two teams are division rivals, and any series between division rivals is typically as good as it gets (Sox-Yanks, Dodgers-Giants, etc.) Plus, either of these teams in the Series would be a good story.

Rays-Red Sox: Anyone remember the Coco Crisp, James Shields brawl? If there is one thing I have learned in my years of watching baseball, it is that those things do not just disappear. Now you put these two teams in a 7 game series, with a World Series berth on the line....talk about intense.

White Sox-Red Sox: Well, for one, it'd be exciting to keep Ozzie Guillen around as long as possible as that would increase the likelihood of an entertaining sound byte. Also, if you have had any conflicts about what color socks to wear each day, this series can solve that problem forever.

Possible World Series Match Ups

Rays-Brewers: What would you have said to someone who insisted that the Rays and Brewers would face off in the World Series? Well I would have probably laughed as that person would have obviously been trying to make a joke--then when I realized he was serious I would have been consumed with awkward embarrassment, only to talk about his lack of sanity with someone else.

Cubs-White Sox (The Windy Series [copyrighted]) Ozzie Guillen suffered from a mild case of penis envy a few months back when he complained about how the Cubs were always getting attention despite the fact that his team brought a title to Chicago more recently. This could make for one of the most intense atmospheres ever--yes even more than the Subway Series.

Red Sox-Dodgers (Manny Mania) How interesting would this be? Would Francona have him beaned? After the way he quit on the Sox, I wouldn't blame them--but I would still root for L.A. If Manny get the Dodgers to the Series, and doesn't win some kind of award....um....I will...blog about it!

Angels-Dodgers (Hollywood Series) People on the East Coast would probably hate this since the games would probably all start at 9 or 10 pm. Broadcasting corruption of sports aside, this would be a flashy match up. This would probably be the first time in World Series history that more stars would be in the stands than on the field.

Angels-Phillies (Blah) Spurs-Pistons anyone? Who would care outside of Philly and Anaheim?

So you see, this post season, there is no shortage of causes to pick and root for. As of now, there seems to be more uncertainty about how this playoffs will play out than I have ever seen--every team has its strengths, weaknesses, and feel-good stories...but who's will we still know about 20 years from now? Tune in to find out!