Braun:

Believe me, when the Dodgers lost three out of four to the Pirates this past weekend, I was less than thrilled. I was enraged, or furious. Whatever.

But then I remembered the boys in blue had clinched a playoff spot and can clinch the NL West division with one more win or Colorado loss.

Well, whoop-dee-frickin-doo.

Over the past few years, we’ve seen not the best teams in the World Series, but the hottest teams. Last year, while the Dodgers were struggling to win the lowly west with Manny Ramirez on the team, the Phillies were busy doing work, locking up the NL East and securing the NL’s top record before the playoffs.

A year before that, the Rockies won 21 of 22 games to finish the season, and what did they do? How about rock every team in the playoffs until the Red Sox told them they had no business playing a superior AL team.

I won’t get into the argument of whether or not the AL or NL is better (obviously it’s the AL), but one thing is certain: The team that ends the season the best will be the team to beat in October.

It won’t be the Randy Wolf and the Dodgers or Kendry Morales and the Angels. Even though they will end the season with fewer than 90 wins, you just can’t count out the Twins. They’ve cut a lead in the AL Central people thought was locked up for Detroit, and now are immersed in a series that could see the Tigers fall from grace.

Even with the Twins’ hot play, the Yankees look poised to win their first World Series since 2000. But if they win it won’t be because of their great season, it will be because of their strong play as of late.

Bleach:

I’m going to put a stop to this nonsense right now.

The Twins-Tigers series has been nice. It has given September baseball a bit of life, and I love seeing my friends who are Twins fans squirm.

So again, their little duel is something I appreciate.

But Jason Bohannon has a better chance of dunking in a game than the AL Central has of winning the World Series in 2009.

Seriously, momentum can only take you so far. I don’t care how much of a roll the Twins are on, they still start Scott Baker, Nick Blackburn, Brian Duensing and Carl Pavano. You won’t find many Halloween costumes scarier than that starting card for the playoffs.

Also, clinching up a playoff berth early allows for a phrase senior citizens and college kids love; “R&R”.

Got a tweaked elbow? No problem, sit the last three weeks out.

Sore back? Hey, we clinched two weeks ago, sit these next road trips out.

The ability to help players get healthy and let every day starters get some much needed rest could be crucial for a deep playoff run. Besides, these guys are professionals, they know what it takes to get themselves ready for the playoffs.

While your point Jonah, of wild card teams making deep runs is a good one, the reasoning comes down to something else then momentum.

The playoffs are a total crap shoot. I don’t care if you have won 85 or 105, once you reach October, all chances are relatively the same.

Momentum sounds nice, but total domination (i.e. clinching your division early) is better. An Angels-Cardinals World Series will tell you the same thing come October.