Jaap's Preseason Picks
(Rough draft form only, not meant to be taken seriously until I've had more time to flesh out these unsubstantiated gut reactions and opinions.

AL East. Picking against the Yankees is like betting there won't be an invasion of Iraq. It's just stupid. The Yankees will do everything they want and need to win their division at least. Pick: Red Sox
AL Central: How long can the Twins stay motivated by the existence of Bud Selig? Pick: White Sox
AL West: The A's and the Mariners both lost their managers and have no budget. Texas just gained one of the better managers and has an unlimited budget. Pick: Texas. with a PS that the Angels will finish last and perhaps even set a record for worst record after a World Series Championship. Note to check on that record.
AL WC: Yankees.

NL East: Prediction one is that Larry Bowa will crack under the pressure of expectation. The Phillies have improved but that only puts them over .500. Prediction two is that Art Howe will fail miserably as manager of the Mets. In fact, everything poor old Wilpon touches will turn to sand. Glavine is past his prime. The bullpen sucks. There is a HUGE hole in the infield and the outfield couldn't field to save its own life. Bad news for Mets fans like me. Prediction: Atlanta
NL Central: The Cubs, like the Giants, quietly retooled with a great efficiency. And they will both win with Dusty Baker. Pick: Cubs
NL West: see above. Pick: Giants
NL WC: A race b/w St Louis, Los Angeles, Houston and Arizona. Arizona will collapse as soon as one of the two members of their team collapses. Houston has Kent, a clubhouse cancer. Los Angeles is still one of the more classic underachievers in baseball once Peter Angelos decided to destroy his team a few years back. Pick: St. Louis.

Post season:
Yankees defeat White Sox
Red Sox defeat Rangers
Red Sox defeat Yankees b/c the Yankees won't be able to buy more help in the post season. And also because this is the year of the goat.
Cubs defeat Atlanta (the annual Brave post season collapse)
SF defeats St. Louis
I can't decide who has done more to help themselves in the off season. Question is: Who is Dusty Baker better with, the Cubs or the Giants? Answer is: based upon 2003 Super Bowl results, former manager defeats former team, CUBS.

World Series: Cubs-Red Sox. Who ends their draught?

Answer is: Red Sox. Why? Last two seasons, world champions come from east or west in baseball, football and basketball, the only sports that matter. If the only two teams remaining are an east coast team and a midwest team, the logic naturally follies, as old A. Bunker used to say, with the east coast team.

Red Sox world champions.
You heard it here first, and I'm not even a Red Sox fan.