PICKS TO CLICK: With such a baseball...

PICKS TO CLICK: With such a baseball authority so close at hand, we couldn’t resist soliciting M.C. Hammer’s playoff predictions:

National League: I got to go with the Giants to beat the Cubs. Get the chalk out at Candlestick for the Series. I see the Giants winning in five. They have better hitting with that tremendous Kevin Mitchell/Will Clark one-two punch. I’m telling you--watch Kevin hit the Wild Thing (Cubs relief ace Mitch Williams). He lives on fastballs inside. The Giants pitching speaks for itself. Big Daddy (Giants starter Rick Reuschel) will be taking them to school!

American League: I’m going with Oakland over Toronto in seven. I wish Baltimore could’ve made it--they were a great Cinderella team. But no one can match Oakland’s pitching. They have a super closer with Dennis Eckersley, four starters with more than 15 wins and a middle-reliever--Todd Burns--who could be a starter on anyone else’s team. Then you have sluggers like Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco--and they even have a catcher, Terry Steinbach, hitting .300. Add Ricky Henderson who we got in a great trade--(Yankees owner George) Steinbrenner is already trying to get rid of the guy he got for him--and Oakland is awesome. The Blue Jays are tough--but Oakland’s too much for them.

The World Series: I pick Oakland over San Francisco in seven. The Giants have their great hitters, but they don’t have anyone to match Henderson’s speed or Eckersley in the bullpen. Last year, Oakland cracked under the pressure. But this year they smell the blood. The Giants will be happy just to make it to the Series--they haven’t been since the ‘60s. But the A’s will only be happy if they win it.