This column, and the ones that follow, will serve as obituaries for the teams likely to be mathematically eliminated from postseason contention during the week. Each team will be identified and their deathwatch number will be written in parenthesis next to their name (deathwatch number will be as of the previous day’s games).
1. Cleveland Indians (3). The 2006 Indians were among the biggest disappointments of the year. Predicted by most to contend for a division title or the AL Wild Card, the Indians dipped under .500 during the season’s 10th week and have not been able to tread water since. After a frustrating off-season in which they were not able to secure their own free agents (Kevin Millwood, Bob Howry) or convince others to join them (Trevor Hoffman), the Indians traded Coco Crisp to Boston for minor league prospect Andy Marte. The Indians struggled with their pitching and defense and consequently, MVP-type seasons by DH Travis Hafner and CF Grady Sizemore were wasted on a fourth-place team.
2. Atlanta Braves (2). The incredible run seems to be over. After 14 consecutive division titles (3 NL West – ’91-‘93; 11 NL East – ’95-‘05), the Braves will be watching the playoffs from home this October. This day has been coming for quite some time, as the Braves’ dominance in their division had been as much about great pitching as it had been about poor competition. As the Mets transformed themselves into a juggernaut, the Braves’ trademark pitching began to fall apart two seasons ago. The Braves have nothing to be ashamed of. I hope that the generally-apathetic fans of Atlanta go out to Turner Field for the team’s last homestand and give them a long and well-deserved standing ovation. Bobby Cox and company have earned the vacation from October.
3. Pittsburgh Pirates (2). What to say about this team? They were poorly constructed, their minor league pitching prospects (Zach Duke, Oliver Perez, Tim Gorzelanny) did not pan out as expected in ’06, and the offense, with the exception of Jason Bay and Freddy Sanchez, was poor. The Pirates haven’t had a winning season since 1992 and they don’t look any closer to turning it around in 2007. Baseball’s pretty close to dead in the Steel City.
4. Chicago Cubs (1). I was bullish on the 2006 Cubs but, as all things go on the North Side of Chicago, Derrek Lee’s injury ended Chicago’s season before it really ever began. Coupled with Juan Pierre and Aramis Ramirez’s atrocious first half, and the ever-predictable injuries to Kerry Wood and Mark Prior, Chicago dipped under .500 in the season’s 6th week and now resides in the basement of the game’s worst division. They’ll be put out of their misery within the next 48 hours. If team ownership and management has any baseball acumen whatsoever, Dusty Baker will be fired the day after the season ends. There is really nothing else positive to say about this team. If ever there was a team desperate for wholesale changes in its approach to baseball operations, it’s this one.
Note #1 – I did not prepare obituaries for the three teams already eliminated from postseason play (Kansas City Royals, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Baltimore Orioles) because those three teams suck harder than words can describe. Suffice it to say, these teams died the type of early and painful death befitting franchises that do not care enough to compete among the ranks of the “varsity” MLB teams.
Note #2 – The next group of teams to be listed on deathwatch:
Boston Red Sox (11);
Toronto Blue Jays (9);
Texas Rangers (10);
Seattle Mariners (7);
Milwaukee Brewers (10);
Arizona Diamondbacks (12); and
Colorado Rockies (11)
1. Cleveland Indians (3). The 2006 Indians were among the biggest disappointments of the year. Predicted by most to contend for a division title or the AL Wild Card, the Indians dipped under .500 during the season’s 10th week and have not been able to tread water since. After a frustrating off-season in which they were not able to secure their own free agents (Kevin Millwood, Bob Howry) or convince others to join them (Trevor Hoffman), the Indians traded Coco Crisp to Boston for minor league prospect Andy Marte. The Indians struggled with their pitching and defense and consequently, MVP-type seasons by DH Travis Hafner and CF Grady Sizemore were wasted on a fourth-place team.
2. Atlanta Braves (2). The incredible run seems to be over. After 14 consecutive division titles (3 NL West – ’91-‘93; 11 NL East – ’95-‘05), the Braves will be watching the playoffs from home this October. This day has been coming for quite some time, as the Braves’ dominance in their division had been as much about great pitching as it had been about poor competition. As the Mets transformed themselves into a juggernaut, the Braves’ trademark pitching began to fall apart two seasons ago. The Braves have nothing to be ashamed of. I hope that the generally-apathetic fans of Atlanta go out to Turner Field for the team’s last homestand and give them a long and well-deserved standing ovation. Bobby Cox and company have earned the vacation from October.
3. Pittsburgh Pirates (2). What to say about this team? They were poorly constructed, their minor league pitching prospects (Zach Duke, Oliver Perez, Tim Gorzelanny) did not pan out as expected in ’06, and the offense, with the exception of Jason Bay and Freddy Sanchez, was poor. The Pirates haven’t had a winning season since 1992 and they don’t look any closer to turning it around in 2007. Baseball’s pretty close to dead in the Steel City.
4. Chicago Cubs (1). I was bullish on the 2006 Cubs but, as all things go on the North Side of Chicago, Derrek Lee’s injury ended Chicago’s season before it really ever began. Coupled with Juan Pierre and Aramis Ramirez’s atrocious first half, and the ever-predictable injuries to Kerry Wood and Mark Prior, Chicago dipped under .500 in the season’s 6th week and now resides in the basement of the game’s worst division. They’ll be put out of their misery within the next 48 hours. If team ownership and management has any baseball acumen whatsoever, Dusty Baker will be fired the day after the season ends. There is really nothing else positive to say about this team. If ever there was a team desperate for wholesale changes in its approach to baseball operations, it’s this one.
Note #1 – I did not prepare obituaries for the three teams already eliminated from postseason play (Kansas City Royals, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Baltimore Orioles) because those three teams suck harder than words can describe. Suffice it to say, these teams died the type of early and painful death befitting franchises that do not care enough to compete among the ranks of the “varsity” MLB teams.
Note #2 – The next group of teams to be listed on deathwatch:
Boston Red Sox (11);
Toronto Blue Jays (9);
Texas Rangers (10);
Seattle Mariners (7);
Milwaukee Brewers (10);
Arizona Diamondbacks (12); and
Colorado Rockies (11)
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