Call the National League what you want.  It may not be as loaded as the American League is but at least there’s a little bit of parody.  Who honestly didn’t expect the Red Sox to be in the ALCS?  Who honestly didn’t believe the Yankees would make the playoffs…again.  Now i pose a new set of questions to you.  Who would have thought the Rockies would essentially run the table and find themselves in the NLCS?  Who would have given the Diamondbacks a chance over teams like the Mets, Phillies, and Cubs?  Not many.

As we embark on this NLCS, many of us have no idea what to expect.  It’s hard to make judgements on two teams that most of the country didn’t know existed or could hardly name a player from.  The Rockies?  People along the eastern seaboard thought they were contracted a few years back with the Expos.  Now they’re four wins from being in the World Series and boast one of the best offenses you’ve never heard about.  Matt Holliday, Troy Tulowitzki, and crew are bashing their way through opponents the old fashioned way with timely hitting and decent pitching.

On the flip side are the Snakes out in the desert.  The Diamondbacks have been here before, though it was with a completely different roster and coaching staff.  They’re only three years removed from a season in which they lost 111 games.  Now they, like the Rockies, are knocking on the door of the World Series.  Many people wonder how they get it done.  The answer seems to be relatively simple.  It’s a youth movement and everyone’s invited! Guys like Justin Upton, Stephen Drew, Mark Reynolds, and Chris Young have emerged from the farm system to become the catalyst for this team.

I’ll be honest when I say that I have absolutely no idea who’s going to win this series.  While pitching matchups such as Ubaldo Jimenez vs Doug Davis may be tough to get excited about, we know that the games will be exciting.  Funny how the NL West went from the NL Worst to the apparent NL Best.