As a die-hard Colorado Rockies fan, I was hoping to be able to cheer for my team in October. But this will not be possible after a minor case of the chokes. This being said, I have other teams I have decided to cheer for (depending on the round).

This baseball season has been an up and down one for many teams that made the cut and teams that didn’t (see the Rockies for a great example.) Some teams were shoe-ins to the playoffs and barely made it and some didn’t make it at all. Overall, the end to the 2010 baseball season was one of the most exciting I remember in recent memory.

People who say watching baseball is boring should give it one more try this postseason because it promises to be exciting since some of the teams we haven’t seen in October for a decade. This seasons playoff contenders are a mix of surprises and the expected.

The surprises and perhaps, but not always, the underdogs are the Atlanta Braves, due to the horrible ending to their season, losing the division title; the Texas Rangers, making their first appearance since 1999 and having never won a playoff series; the San Francisco Giants, who made a roaring comeback to steal the division from the Padres; the Cincinnati Reds and the Minnesota Twins.

Here is who I think will win, compared with who I want to win throughout the playoffs:

NLDS: Philadelphia Phillies vs. Cincinnati Reds – I think the Phillies will win. I hope the Reds win.

NLDS: San Francisco Giants vs. Atlanta Braves – I think the Braves will pull it out, barely. I hope the Braves win it for Bobby Cox and Billy Wagner.

ALDS: New York Yankees vs. Minnesota Twins – I think the Yankees will win (you know, here they go buying those World Championships again….) I hope the Twins win.

ALDS: Tampa Bay Rays vs. Texas Rangers – I think experience will win and the Rays will pull it out. In this series I would be okay with either team winning.

NLCS: I think the Phillies will be there and beat the Braves but not without great effort.

ALCS: I think the Rays will upset the favored Yankees. In a gut-wrenching seven games.  

World Series: Phillies.

It’s not a big surprise, considering my fan allegiances, that I will be cheering for the underdogs. However, I’m not banking on one of the them winning the World Series championship because of the all-to-powerful Phillies.

I pick a Phillies vs. Rays matchup for the title, a rematch from the 2008 season. Although I don’t think the Phillies will roll through the competition, their combination of pitching and hitting is unmatched and in the end will prove to be a deadly combination. I truly hope my prediction isn’t true because I would love to see another team take the title.

As a sports fan, I encourage you to sit down and watch a few of the MLB Postseason games, you might just see something that captures your attention and makes you a baseball fan for life.