Around the majors

Barry Bonds has recently been getting a lot of attention because of his 29 home runs through two months of the season. He deserves it.

But did anybody else hear Willie McCovey's comment? He said Bonds will go down as the greatest left-handed hitter ever in the National League? Maybe the greatest left-handed power hitter in the National League. But a better hitter than Tony Gwynn?

Gwynn should go down as one of the greatest hitters of all time in either league. If he wanted, he could pad his stats and go to the American League and be a designated hitter, but he won't. I'm not a Padres' fan, but do recognize a great hitter. Tony Gwynn is a great hitter.

Taking a look at the six divisions, the division leaders on June 1st may still be there on September 1st. The only exceptions may be the Cubs, who despite a 12-game winning streak, are only three games up in the Central. I look for a Cardinals-Astros race down the stretch with the Cubs battling for a wild card.

The D-Backs should begin to pull away in the West. The Braves will make a run in the East at the Phillies, with the Mets making a wild card run. So we can end the season now and start the playoffs. It's the start of June, and here's the predictions. D-Backs vs. Cubs and Cardinals vs. Braves. The D-Backs will play the Cardinals in the National League Championship Series. The pick here is the D-Backs.

The American League is a little easier. It should be the Yankees in the East with the Red Sox earning the wild card. The Mariners have already clinched the West I think. Don't be surprised to see the A's make a wild card run. The Indians will overtake the Twins in the Central. The picks here are the Mariners vs. Red Sox and Indians vs. Yankees. The Yankees will then play the Red Sox in the American League Championship Series, with the Yankees winning a classic seven game series.

As for the World Series, I think the D-Backs versus the Yankees would be a classic. Curt Schilling vs. Andy Petitte. Roger Clemens vs. Randy Johnson. Great matchups and a fun series to watch. But that's a long time from now. I do think that the Yankees would win, but in six or seven games. But at least I have it here in writing. We'll be talking about the NFL, NBA, and NHL, before the baseball season ends. Is that not proof that the season is way too long? Think about it -- 162 regular season games, 30 preseason games and, potentially, 19 games in the post season. That's over 200 games a year! Who wants to watch or even play that many games?