Kyle Staff

In March every baseball fan feels great about their team's chances. Along with the spring air comes the smell of hotdogs and the sight of pinetar on bats. It is a time of year when anything is possible. Over a season of 162 games, the contenders create distance between the pretenders.

The ebb and flow of baseball was summed up eloquently by former commisioner Bart Giamatti.

"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart."Bart Giamatti"The game begins in the spring when everything else begins again and it blossoms in summer, filling the afternoons and evenings and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone," Giamatti said.

"You count on it. Rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and high skies alive and then just when the days are all twilight, when you need it most, it stops."

 The 2007 season will be remembered as one of the most exciting in recent history. Numerous milestones were reached by individual players, however the most compelling and unnoticed story is that each division has a new champion. There are seven new teams in the playoffs this season, and the new blood should go a long toward reaching casual fans who have no rooting interest.

Here is a breakdown of each series in the opening round of the playoffs, which begins today.

New York Yankees vs. Cleveland Indians

How they got here: The Bronx Bombers stumbled out of the gate,  falling behind Boston by 14.5 games in May, and there were questions surrounding the stability of Joe Torre's future in New York. The team rebounded behind probably MVP Alex Rodriguez to nearly catch the Red Sox. The Indians played solid baseball throughout the season despite some early struggles from Travis Hafner. While most experts favored the Detroit Tigers to take the Central crown, it was the Tribe who quietly built an insurmountable lead in August.

Season Series: Yankees 6-0.

My thoughts: While the Yankees won every game and dominated by outscoring Cleveland 49-17 in the season series, I expect this to be much more competitive than that would indicate. Getting out of the divisional series has been a problem for the Yankees in recent seasons, and I like how Cleveland took care of business in the final month of the season. Cleveland's Jacobs Field in October is a completely different environment than a regular season game, and Indian fans should be fired up with this being the team's first playoff appearance since 2001. It will not intimidate the Yankees but it will provide a huge lift for the Indians. The Indians have a great 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation in C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona along with some stoppers out of the bullpen in Rafael Betancourt and Rafael Perez. 

The pick: Cleveland in five.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim vs. Boston Red Sox

How they got here: The Boston Red Sox finally usurped the Yankees for the AL East crown. They did it through outstanding pitching and steady hitting. Josh Beckett matured into a dominant ace, and Mike Lowell was the key to the offense as neither David Ortiz nor Manny Ramirez played at their usual level. The Angels also led their division from start to finish, holding off a pesky Seattle team in the process. The Angels play a National League style of ball in the American League. Vladimir Guerrero is the main threat in the Los Angeles lineup but the tone is set by Chone Figgins and Reggie Willits. The Angels, like the Red Sox, have solid starting pitching with John Lackey, Jered Weaver and the underrated Kelvim Escobar. Francisco Rodriguez is one of the best closers in the game.

Season Series: Red Sox 6-4.

My thoughts: The first game is the most important because it sets the tone. Unfortunately for the Halos, Lackey has terrible career numbers in Fenway Park. Both of these teams are great and small edges are huge. That is why I like the Red Sox.

The pick: Boston in five.

Philadelphia Phillies vs. Colorado Rockies

How they got here: These teams took the most improbable route possible to the postseason. The Phillies are in their first postseason since 1993. Despite getting off to a 4-11 start and trailing the Mets by 7 games with just 17 to play, the Phillies took advantage of the Mets epic collapse and made it into the playoffs. The Rockies blitzkrieged their way down the stretch by winning 14 out of 15 games along with Monday's instant classic victory over the Padres in a one-game playoff for the Wild Card. The Rockies will be making their second postseason appearance with their first coming in 1995.

Season Series: Rockies 4-3.

My thoughts: Let me premise this by saying you will not find a bigger Phillies fan than yours truly, so maybe you should take this with a grain of salt because I'm biased. This will be the most exciting of the divisional series. Neither manager has a clue in how to manage a bullpen and both lineups are extremely explosive. It should make for great TV. Baseball is a game of streaks and no team is hotter than the Rockies at the moment, however I believe the Philies are positioned to extinguish the flames. The Rockies are not a good road team and the Phillies are outstanding at home. Like the Sox-Angels series the first game will set the tone. Jeff Francis has been shelled by the Phillies in the past and the Rockies have not seen Cole Hamels. Hamels has been dominant since coming off the disabled list. If that doesn't convince you then watching this video will change your mind.

The Pick: Philadelphia in four.

Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Chicago Cubs

How they got here: Both teams shot up through the standings to become division champions after finishing last in their divisions last year. The Diamondbacks, also known as the Baby Backs due to their youth, are the only playoff team to be outscored by their opponents. They made up for this by thriving in close games, going 32-20 in one-run games. The Cubs got off to a disappointing start but after Lou Pinella's outburst in early June everything started to come together for the Cubs as they overcame Milwaukee's 8.5 game lead.

Season Series: Diamondbacks 4-2.

My thoughts: This is a very difficult series to project because on one hand you have a very young team, but on the other you have a team with nearly 100 years of history that tells you to never pick them. In the end I like the Diamondbacks because I love the enthusiasm they play with. The bottom line is that they don't know they aren't supposed to win and teams like that are a safe bet. I also think the Cubs postseason hopes ride entirely on Carlos Zambrano, and he is too inconsistent for my taste.

The pick: Arizona in five.

It should prove to be a very exciting postseason. Come back throughout the playoffs for thoughts from the staff on the playoff action and also for our picks before the Championship Series and World Series. Here's a look at what others at TNJN think about the Divisional Series: