So that's that

Six months to Opening Day. I know: there's still another month of baseball to go, but (on paper, at least) it's not looking like a terribly exciting postseason.

I could be wrong about that, of course, but I keep jumbling the possible matchups in my head, and nothing really screams drama to me. I'd enjoy a Tigers-Dodgers series the most, I guess, although the smart money has to be on the Twins right now (the only team with a formidable and healthy pitching staff). I'm sure there are several million people somewhere who'd appreciate another Yankees-Mets rumble under the freeway. But if I had one wish for the postseason, it'd be to see the Yankees knocked out early — like by the end of the week, please.

The Ms cobbled together 78 wins — a step in the right direction, after two seasons below the 70 mark, but still nowhere near where they should be with their payroll. That horrifying August road trip is the big(gest) black mark on their season — 11 consecutive losses, all against their own division. If they had managed to win just 5 of those games, they would have finished over .500 and cleanly in third place. And a 4-game sweep of the Angels in August would've landed them in second place.

Sadly, it's not looking too good for next year, unless they can turn up a busload of pitching and a bona fide #3 slugger (Sexson sure ain't it) to hit behind Ichiro and ahead of Raul and Kenji. And they should stick Beltre in a cryogenic freezer right now — don't thaw him out until late March. And then tell him it's still September.

While they're at it, stick Hargrove in a freezer, too. And leave him there, for all the difference it would make.