Well I'm currently hallucinating from a fever that I acquired from a night on the town with Norman Chad, Michael Wilbon and the Swedish bikini team. Lets just say Norman Chad bought us all a lot of rolling rocks. Nonetheless I do have a duty to perform. Baseball is nearing the one-third mark. We've played enough baseball that you pretty well know the teams that will be contending and the teams that will be having the back to school sales of various players. Here's a small run down of those that I see as being in good shape.
Hot but unknown:
Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox and the San Diego Padres
-Nobody really gave any of these teams a chance to be serious playoff teams in Spring Training (well Mo had the Padres winning out West, I only had them as a Wild Card and Hart was still trying to figure out how use the blender) but guess what 50 odd games in they're at the top of of their divisions. Will their pitching keep it up? The Orioles closer didn't give up a run in the month of May. Too bad nobody knows his name or I'd vote for him for the all-star squad. The White Sox are playing NL style ball. San Diego is cheating. Thats right, they poison the opposing teams, every night. I would never want to be associated with Orioles or Chisox bandwagons (I'm fairly indifferent about the Padres) but hey they might do it....
Walking Wounded (i.e. the Preseason Favorites)
Boston Red Sox, The Angels of multiple cities and The Yankees.
-The Preseason AL Favorites mainly came from these 3 teams. They've had track records, post-season experience and most importantly Country Size budgets. They've each had their slumps, their injuries and in the case of Boston apparently Kevin Millar's batting arm atrophied in the off-season. While the Angels are in first place they don't seem to conjure the spector of a deep playoff run. Boston has struggled as of late to score. The Yanks have been a tear in May but can they keep the pace up? This is still the same team that bottomed out in April (we think at least..Steinbrenner may have turned his Yank squad into radioactive supermen while we weren't watching).
League of their own
Saint Louis Cardinals
In the struggling NL the Cards are the only team to really show that they are a constistent playoff team. Despite injuries , they keep winning. Sure it helps that they play is baseball's worst division but hey got to every advantage. Cards are going to need a little bullpen help and an extra outfielder that isn't over the age of 39 but thats what the trading deadline is for.
Others
Minnesota, LA Dodgers, Arizona, Florida, Atlanta, Toledo Mudhens, and the Tokyo Bombers all have shots but apparently my fever is kicking into high gear so I'm signing off. Damn you Norman Chad!
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2 comments:
How could you forget about Texas? They have been playing great. Anyways, this could be the year the A-Rod curse goes into effect where his former, pathetic team makes the playoffs while his own team just sits at home. Yes, I'm saying (and rooting) for the Yankees to sit at home. I realize this may bother some of the readership, and I apologize.
I continue to maintain my long-held position that Alex Rodriguez will never win a title. That said, his current team is still more likely to make the playoffs than his former one. Baltimore won't keep this up.
My updated predictions for the AL: Boston and Anaheim will make it. Last two spots a fight between Chicago, Minnesota and the Yankees. As for the NL, gotta put St. Louis in as a lock, likely to see San Diego in there somewhere, and probably two teams from the East (most probably Florida and Atlanta) in as well, unless somehow the Cubs can right their ship and take advantage of their opportunity to beat the crap out of their weak-ass division while the teams out east and west take each other down. Not likely though, which I hate to admit.
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