I figured I'd take a little time out of busy, end-of-year schedule to talk about baseball. And honestly, I've never been more into a baseball season - ever. But I suppose that comes with the territory being an Arizona Diamondbacks fan from Hyde Park, New York. My D-Backs are just on a tear so far, and it's been a blast to follow. They have the best pitching, led by aces Brandon Webb and Danny Haren, and the best offense, highlighted by young stars Conor Jackson and Mark Reynolds. Add rookie pitching dynamo Max Scherzer, who retired the first 13 major league batters he faced, and you've got a powerhouse of a team. Even though all of this is just awesome, the best part to me is that the team is going to be great for the foreseeable future. These young kids are just going to keep getting better and better. That just makes me ecstatic - and also kind of makes up for disappointing seasons for my Buffalo Sabres and Minnesota Timberwolves. Some of my other early thoughts on baseball season: I think the Texas Rangers will just always be bad. Josh Hamilton was a solid pick up, but they haven't had decent pitching in what seems like forever. Until they get it, or develop it, they can get really familiar with the bottom of the AL West. Though the Orioles and Rays have been nice stories, the AL East will obviously still come down to the Yankees and Red Sox. Anyone who really thinks otherwise is just, well, stupid. One team that I don't think is a total fluke is the Florida Marlins. Seriously. I love the way they are building this team (minus the whole trade-our-best-players-when-we-can't-afford-to-keep-them philosophy). They have one of the best scouting departments in the majors, and routinely find young, talented players. I can see them sticking with the Phillies, Braves and Mets in the East. Now, looking into the crystal ball (and yes, I'm aware it's REALLY early on still), here's what I've got for the playoffs. AL East - Red Sox, AL Central - Tigers, AL West - Angels, Wild Card - Yankees NL East - Mets, NL Central - Cubs, NL West - Diamondbacks, Wild Card - Phillies