Boomer's Diamond/Gridiron Notes: MLB Hall of Fame announcement & Divisional round in the NFL Playoffs

Early polls have Houston Astros great,
Craig Biggio elected into the Baseball
Hall of Fame later this afternoon.

The end of college football, conference play heating up in college basketball, the NBA, the START of the NHL season, and the NFL Divisional round playoffs, could mean only one thing, BASEBALL IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER.

Before pitchers & catchers report down south for the start of training camp, the Baseball Hall of Fame voting results will be announced later this afternoon. ESPN writers project just one player heading to Cooperstown this season. That one guy, being 7x-All Star Mr. Astro, Craig Biggio. With career numbers of 3,060 hits, 291 HR's, 1,175 RBI's and 414 SB's, as well as the modern day record of being hit-by-pitch 285 times over his career. He is deserving of this honor in a career that also included stellar play in the field with his 4-Gold Glove Awards. Biggio played his entire 20-year career with the Houston Astros, and was part of the 2005 World Series team, that were swept by the Chicago White Sox.

Some notable 1st-time candidates on this year's ballot included: Mike Piazza, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Curt Schilling, and Sammy Sosa, all of whom were suspected and/or known to have used PED's at sometime over their baseball careers.

The Divisional Round provides us with three regular season rematches,
with the other showcasing two-teams with something to prove.

NFL Divisional Playoffs

What some folks say is the best weekend of the NFL season, the Divisional Round games this weekend, should give us a entertaining weekend (unlike last week's Wild Card weekend). Baltimore takes the Ray Lewis finale tour on the road in a rematch from Week 15, when they go up against Peyton Manning & the Denver Broncos. The Broncos were victorious in Baltimore winning 34 to 17. In the primetime Saturday night game, the Packers head out west to square-off against the SF 49ers. These two teams faced each other way back in Week 1, with the Niners winning 30-22 in Green Bay.

The only match-up this weekend that did not occur in the regular season, is the Seattle/Atlanta game down in the ATL Sunday afternoon. The Falcons are out to prove they can finally win in the playoffs with QB Matt Ryan and use the home-field to their advantage. While the Seahawks try for their second-straight road playoff win, after winning their 1st in almost 30 years a week ago vs. the Redskins outside of D.C. Since 2001, this series is tied at 3 a piece, with the "Game 7" winner punching their ticket to the NFC Championship Game. In the weekend capper, the NE Patriots host the Houston Texans. Back in Week 14, these two teams faced off in what was suppose to be an epic MNF game. The only thing "epic" about it where those high school letterman's jackets that the Texans showed up in. As for the game, the Patriots with Tom Brady dominated the Texans' in a 42-14 rout on national television. The Texans are out to prove in the rematch on national television that they are a much better team then what you saw in the first meeting back in December. We shall see, regardless it's shaping out to be one interesting weekend in the NFL playoffs.

Picks:
AFC
Broncos over Ravens
Patriots over Texans
NFC
Packers over 49ers
Seahawks over Falcons

Wild Card picks: 2-2