MARINERS WIN DIVISION SERIES AFTER ALL: What was I possibly thinking, for doubting The Best Team Ever after one rout loss on Saturday? Our doodz played their kind of game (pitching, defense, hit-and-run, manufactured runs) and steadily, systematically, sent Cleveland home.

At the time of the Ms’ victory, there was a chance that the AL Championship Series might very well have pitted Seattle against the Oakland A’s. I was psyched for an I-5 Series, for the chance to show those NoCal snobs that, no, Seattle isn’t some hick cowtown.

But no. It’ll be a Mariners/Yankees ALCS for the second consecutive year. With any luck (and with our much stronger lineup and their aging staff), it won’t be a repeat of the ’00 series, which the Ms essentially threw away on the tired arm of relief pitcher Arthur Rhodes (who has more than redeemed himself thus far this year).

Of course, this matchup also means us Mariner fans are in the unenviable position of wishing to deny the citizens of New York City the spirit-lift they could so dearly use these days. I say to that: New Yorkers are a tough and resiliant lot, as has been so elequently proven these past five weeks. They’re bouncing back from something infinitely worse than a lost pennant. They’ll easily be able to bounce back from a Mariners win.

Another note: All four remaining playoff teams have seven-letter hometown names (Seattle, New York, Arizona, Atlanta). And the NL finalists both start and end with the same name. Somebody who follows baseball superstitions might be able to come up with an intriguing comment on this coincidence. I can’t.