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(Game 5) * 4 = A fan's dream

Before my last post was soiled by the resident NegatiVe Nancy, someone asked who I would like to see win the World Series. Since I was just 5 years old the one and only time my Brewers made an appearance in the Fall Classic, I’ve had many opportunities to root for a different team to win it all. However, something inside me prevents me from actually doing so.

What I do root for during the MLB postseason is excitement -- I want every series to come down to that deciding Game 5 or Game 7, depending on the series. I’m aware that fans of other sports can make legitimate arguments for certain dramatic situations in their games, but to me a win-or-go-home baseball game is equal in excitement to the series finale of "Cheers" when it comes up in the rotation.

Last week, for the first time in MLB history, all four division series were tied 2-2 after four games, causing each to have a deciding Game 5. For fans of those teams involved, and for baseball fans in general, it may have been one of the most-exciting weeks ever.

The Oakland A’s were THE story of the 2012 season. They were pretty much left for dead in July before making a historic comeback. They were in first place for only one day all season and, lucky for them, that day was the final and most important day of the year. The Amazing A’s needed a ninth inning comeback in Game 4 to force Game 5 in their playoff series against the Detroit Tigers. Unfortunately for Oakland, the Tigers had ace Justin Verlander on the mound for Game 5, who put an end to all the talk about how amazing the A’s are.

Also in the Junior Circuit, former Brewer J.J. Hardy and the Baltimore Orioles took on the New York Yankees. If there weren't so much on the line, this would have been a fun series for the fans of those teams no matter who won. Of the 52 innings these teams played the game was tied, or within one run, in 46 innings. Game 3 went 12 innings and Game 4 went 13. Game 4 ended with J.J. knocking in the winning run and forcing Game 5. Thrills all around.

The Cincinnati Reds went to San Fran and shot out to a 2-0 series lead before coming home, looking to clinch. I KNOW the confidence level the Reds fans had as they looked at the schedule. Winning 1-of-3 at home is almost as much of a sure thing as there is in baseball. The Giants, of course, had different plans and took three straight to advance to the National League Championship Series. This would be heartbreaking from a Reds fan's perspective and, in fact, one of the Dr’s I work with likened it to the Bartman collapse .

The other National league series pitted the winner of Wild Card No. 2, the St. Louis Cardinals, against the artist formerly known as the Montreal Expos, now known as the Washington Nationals. In 2012 the Nationals did the opposite of what the Expos did most of the time: They won a lot of games during the regular season. This series featured the team with the most regular-season wins against the playoff team with the poorest record in the field.

Trailing two games to one, the Nationals got a walk-off home run from Jayson Werth in the bottom of the ninth in Game 4 to force that decisive Game 5. The Nats were in control for the first eight innings of Game 5, and their fans were ready to celebrate their first-ever playoff series win and a trip to the NLCS. Unfortunately for them, the Cards weren’t ready to call it quits and pulled off one of the greatest come-from-behind victories in MLB postseason history.

After those heartbreaking series, I am confident that more than a handful of Reds/Nats fans were thinking like this or maybe even ended up here over the weekend.

We now move on to the respective league championship series, with the Yankees taking on the Tigers and the Cardinals trying to knock off the Giants to make a second straight trip to the World Series. Take a moment to answer our poll with your picks, and see your fellow Peace & Glove readers believe will win the World Series. For the record, my vote is for Prince Fielder and the Detroit Tigers. Thoughts?

Tim Thompson is a carsalesman, farmer, and huge fan of the Milwaukee Brewers. He lives in Milton area with his wife and two kids. Tim is a community blogger and is not a part of The Gazette staff. His opinion is not necessarily that of the The Gazette staff or management.