Re: It's the All-Star break...
Doug Pensinger wrote: Julia wrote: I wrote: Do you really think 5 games (Rangers) or even 7.5 (A's) games behind is too much to overcome in seventy some odd games? For the Rangers, yes. Just off the cuff. The Rangers have a pattern of doing fairly well before the All-Star break, and then blowing it the second half of the season. I'd say the A's have a better chance of it than the Rangers, based on what I read above. (I have no idea what the current standings are -- but I can tell you who won the stage yesterday in the Tour de L^HFrance.) Well, the A's have won 7 straight, have picked up 2 games on the Angels (5 behind) and they've won something like 37 of their last 50 games. They took sole possession of the wild card lead tonight with a 13-4 win over the Indians. I could gush at much greater length, but you're probably bored already 8^). Bottom line - the A's have become the odds on favorite to win the wild card spot even if they can't catch the Angels. Which of course, if you're asking me, they can... I believe you. One recent day, the front page of my sports section informed me that the A's had swept the Rangers. :) I looked upon this as a perfect illustration of my point above. Julia ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: It's the All-Star break...
Julia wrote: I wrote: Do you really think 5 games (Rangers) or even 7.5 (A's) games behind is too much to overcome in seventy some odd games? For the Rangers, yes. Just off the cuff. The Rangers have a pattern of doing fairly well before the All-Star break, and then blowing it the second half of the season. I'd say the A's have a better chance of it than the Rangers, based on what I read above. (I have no idea what the current standings are -- but I can tell you who won the stage yesterday in the Tour de L^HFrance.) Well, the A's have won 7 straight, have picked up 2 games on the Angels (5 behind) and they've won something like 37 of their last 50 games. They took sole possession of the wild card lead tonight with a 13-4 win over the Indians. I could gush at much greater length, but you're probably bored already 8^). Bottom line - the A's have become the odds on favorite to win the wild card spot even if they can't catch the Angels. Which of course, if you're asking me, they can... -- Doug ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: It's the All-Star break...
Doug Pensinger wrote: Gautam wrote: She is, however, a really nice person, and in her honor I will root for the Rangers...except the Angels are just a little too far ahead. I am suspicious, however, of any team that plays Erstad at 1B. Socia's old school, and the A's are a second half team. And if you rely on ESPN (TV or web) or the local media for your news, you don't know just how good the A's might be. Our young staff has been very impressive over the last month+, our relief core is much improved and our defense is outstanding (except Jason Kendal couldn't throw _me_ out.) If these kids can keep improving at the plate and Chavez has his typical hot second half (he's raised his average nearly 70 points since late May) we will certianly be in the wild card race, and we may challenge the Angels for the division. Do you really think 5 games (Rangers) or even 7.5 (A's) games behind is too much to overcome in seventy some odd games? For the Rangers, yes. Just off the cuff. The Rangers have a pattern of doing fairly well before the All-Star break, and then blowing it the second half of the season. I'd say the A's have a better chance of it than the Rangers, based on what I read above. (I have no idea what the current standings are -- but I can tell you who won the stage yesterday in the Tour de L^HFrance.) Julia ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: It's the All-Star break...
Gautam wrote: She is, however, a really nice person, and in her honor I will root for the Rangers...except the Angels are just a little too far ahead. I am suspicious, however, of any team that plays Erstad at 1B. Socia's old school, and the A's are a second half team. And if you rely on ESPN (TV or web) or the local media for your news, you don't know just how good the A's might be. Our young staff has been very impressive over the last month+, our relief core is much improved and our defense is outstanding (except Jason Kendal couldn't throw _me_ out.) If these kids can keep improving at the plate and Chavez has his typical hot second half (he's raised his average nearly 70 points since late May) we will certianly be in the wild card race, and we may challenge the Angels for the division. Do you really think 5 games (Rangers) or even 7.5 (A's) games behind is too much to overcome in seventy some odd games? I'm routing for Miggy and the Orioles by the way. Hey, maybe Sammy's just still in withdrawall and he'll be OK in a bit. 8^) What pitcher did is your friend marrying? -- Doug ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: It's the All-Star break...
Behalf Of Gautam Mukunda NL Central: St. Louis (this one's too easy) Please, please, *please* don't jinx them! Although I did see someone who has already calculated their magic number last week. It was 68 as of 7/6. As for the playoffs...insert my standard disclaimer about playoff games being essentially random events here...the Cards are clearly the class of the NL. Why, thank you. We like to think so. Even when we aren't leading the division... slightly better. So anybody can win this one - I'll say the Red Sox just because they were _so_ superior to the Cards last year and the Cards have not improved, although the Sox clearly have fallen back. I don't agree with the above. Yes, the Red Sox dominated the Cards in the WS. But that was more a case of the Red Sox coming off an emotional high (beating the Yankees) and having an extremely hot streak. While on the other side of the diamond, the Cardinals were clearly drained by the series with Houston and were flat as all their bats went silent at the same time. As an admittedly biased Cardinals fan, I'm not convinced the Sox were the better team overall. They got hot at the right time. But they were the better team when it counted, that's for sure. There's no denying that! Which is why they have the rings and the Cardinals don't. Just wait until October! As long as we can win that pesky All-Star Game and get home field advantage. (Did I mention how much I hate Bud Selig and his stupid idea...?) - jmh ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
It's the All-Star break...
And things are getting interesting. Particularly for someone whose two major team allegiances are to the Red Sox and the Orioles! There's this third team in the AL East that might challenge for the playoffs too - they really worry me. But I think the Blue Jays are still too handicapped by the need to pay players in US dollars :-) In all seriousness - things are getting interesting. So, in an attempt to kick off a discussion on a _really_ important topic, I will make my midseason picks for the playoffs and see what people think: AL East: Red Sox AL Central: White Sox AL West: Angels AL Wild Card: Twins (sigh...) NL East: Braves (yes, again!) NL Central: St. Louis (this one's too easy) NL West: Hmmm...this one I'm really not sure of. San Diego is so far ahead (and the other teams in the division are so unimpressive) that I guess it has to be them. NL Wild Card: Washington I note that all of these - with the exception of the Braves - are the current division leaders. Quick explanations for why I think so, in reverse divisional order: NL West: 5.5 games is a lot, and no one else in that division is very good. LA, if De Podesta decides to make a move. NL Central: No need for an explanation here NL East: Washington really isn't all that good - they've just been astonishingly lucky. They won't keep it up. The Braves will beat them out. They are, however, sufficiently far ahead in the WC standings that I think they'll probably make it. AL West: The Angels are too far ahead. I have a slight tie to Texas, which is a story worth sharing. I was at the wedding of one of my best friends a year ago, and his soon-to-be-wife (also a good friend) saw me and said Let me introduce you to my bridesmaids! As I issued a heartfelt thank you, I quickly realized that she wasn't actually doing me a great kindness - because all of them were married(!)...save one who was, even better, dazzlingly pretty. Except, as I soon found out, she was engaged - to a pitcher on the Rangers! Several of my other friends also went through the same chain of thinking. We reached, however, a consensus that none of us felt even a little bit upset about this. Like most American men, we felt that professional baseball players were definitely members of a higher league ;-) She is, however, a really nice person, and in her honor I will root for the Rangers...except the Angels are just a little too far ahead. I am suspicious, however, of any team that plays Erstad at 1B. AL Central: I don't think the White Sox are anywhere close to this good, but they're so far ahead it doesn't matter. AL East: Ah, now this is an interesting race. The Yankees are actually back in it, despite my little joke in the opening (hi Bob!) :-) They are, however, really not a very good team. Their hitting is spectacularly good, but their pitching is only mediocre, and their defense is beyond atrocious. Moving Bernie out of CF helps that, but they have too many defensive holes at other positions cough shortstop /cough. The Orioles may actually have even better hitting and have been devastated by injuries - but they just don't have the pitching to keep up (as we've seen in their recent slide), I refuse to believe that Brian Roberts is _this_ good, Sammy Sosa has clearly fallen off the map...and besides, given the suffering I've gone through since 1997, I sure as hell am not getting my hopes up now. Given the choices, the Red Sox seem clearly to be the most complete team in the division, although they are hardly without holes. The Twins are enough better than the O's, and play in a softer-enough division, that I think they'll take the WC. As for the playoffs...insert my standard disclaimer about playoff games being essentially random events here...the Cards are clearly the class of the NL. In the AL, ummm, probably Boston by default. So a replay of last year's WS is my pick (unlikely though that is in practice)...and emotionally I want to say with the same result. In practice, though, I think it's a tossup between two pretty similar teams, both with excellent hitting and mediocre (at best) pitching. Pujols is the best player on either team (by a lot) - but once Schilling is back Red Sox pitching should be slightly better. So anybody can win this one - I'll say the Red Sox just because they were _so_ superior to the Cards last year and the Cards have not improved, although the Sox clearly have fallen back. Gautam Mukunda [EMAIL PROTECTED] Freedom is not free http://www.mukunda.blogspot.com Sell on Yahoo! Auctions no fees. Bid on great items. http://auctions.yahoo.com/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
