| October 2, 2006 (New York, NY)- Now that 22 | | | | the Cardinals are 18-8 in their last 26 games in |
| teams have been banished from the post season | | | | San Diego, but just 2-7 in their past 9 road |
| party, we may now get down to the business at | | | | games. Over/under is 7! |
| hand, of anointing the 2006 World Series | | | | The Detroit Tigers are in the playoffs and that |
| Champion. The proceedings get under way just | | | | should be cause for celebration in Motown. |
| shortly after 1:00 pm EST on Tuesday when the | | | | Unfortunately for Tiger fans, what looked like an |
| AL West division champion Oakland A's travel to | | | | opening game at home to the A's was squashed |
| Minneapolis to face the Twins. | | | | when they got swept this past weekend by the |
| Oddmakers at my favorite sportsbook have | | | | inept KC Royals. They now will head to the Bronx |
| installed the Yankees and Mets as the odds on | | | | Zoo and chances of survival for a young tiger |
| favorites to clash in the Fall Classic with the | | | | there is not good. |
| Minnesota Twins expected to be the main | | | | The Yankees will not hand the ball to $19 million |
| opposition for the Bronx Bombers in the AL. The | | | | per year Mike Mussina, nor $16 million Randy |
| Twins will get the betting action going when they | | | | Johnson either. They are paying Chien-Ming Wang |
| invite the Oakland A's to the noisy Metrodome | | | | exactly $353,175 and have entrusted him with the |
| and the Barry Zito and the rest of his A's mates | | | | start Tuesday opposite Nate Robinson for Detroit. |
| will need an early wakeup call. Game time is 10:00 | | | | With a click of your mouse, you can wager on |
| PST on Tuesday. Johan Santana starts for the | | | | this tilt and the Yankees are -205 with the run |
| Twins! | | | | total sitting at 9 ½. |
| Don't expect too many runs when Zito and | | | | The Mets and Dodgers will not get it on until |
| Santana hook up and the over/under has been | | | | Wednesday and while the Mets are favored in |
| set at 7. | | | | game, the Dodgers are sizzling these days. LA, |
| The St. Louis Cardinals basically backed into the | | | | winners of 7 in a row and the past 6 on the road, |
| playoffs winning the NL Central division and | | | | will send Derek Lowe to the hill. This is the same |
| avoiding one of the greatest September collapses | | | | guy who led the Boston Red Sox to their |
| of all time. The Redbirds flock to San Diego for a | | | | memorable World Series win in 2004 and he and |
| clash with the Padres and manager Tony LaRussa | | | | his experienced mates will be a handful for Mets |
| will hand the ball to Chris Carpenter in the opener. | | | | starter Orlando Hernandez. |
| San Diego will start Jake Peavy and neither of | | | | The pressure is squarely on the shoulders of |
| these teams is getting any respect from the | | | | manager Willie Randolph and his troops as they |
| online sportsbooks who are offering the Cards at | | | | try and take a step towards a Subway Series |
| 12-1 and the Padres at 10-1 to win the World | | | | with the cross-town Yankees! The Mets are being |
| Series. | | | | offered at 5-1 to win the World Series! |
| The Padres are the slight home favorite although | | | | |