Oh wow, actual day games. Gotta do this a little quicker.
Best Game
STL (42-29) vs CHC (40-31)
Clement (7-5, 3.07) vs Carpenter (7-2, 3.95)
And we’re right back where we started, 2 games seperate them, though the rest of the division has inched a little bit closer.
A subplot, or at least one until battiers started getting ejected and relivers started indicating to their manager that they’re #1, was a match up of the two best third baseman in the league. Which is good if not actually true:
VORP – NL 3B top 5
Rolen STL 40.7
Lowell FLA 31.7
A-Ram CHC 29.4
Beltre LAD 27.8
Castilla COL 21.4
Top 3 should all probably make the All-Star team, though I wouldn’t be surprised if one ended up on the Last Man In ballot instead. Between this selection, Melvin Mora and Hank Blalock having good AL seasons, and the best player not named Barry moving to third, the position seems to have recovered from a lack of interesting and good talent the last few years.
Worst Game
DET (31-39) vs KCR (28-40)
Robertson (5-3, 3.76) vs George (1-0, 4.01)
One of the things you quickly realize about doing these previews is you’ll usually end with one game a day where you hvae absolutly noting interesint to say. This is that game. The AL Central is often that game – but I think it’s because the AL Central is easily the most boring division in baseball.
Story by Divison
- AL East: Yankees vs Red Sox? can they all finish in the same order again?
- AL West: Did the Angels buy the division? Can Beane pull off another big deal? How far are the M’s going to fall? Can Texas stick around all season?
- NL East: Champions – but Marlins still don’t get no respect. When will Bowa explode and will he finally be fired? The sad end of the the ’90s Braves.
- NL Central: Three team race? Everyone but Pittsburgh still in it at the end of June?
- NL West: Barry Bonds. LAD vs SFG with the Padres maybe sneaking in.
And then there’s AL Central. You’ve got the Twins vs the White Sox in the third year of a direct rivalary that’s captured the imagination of no more than five people who don’t live in Minneapolis and wherever the White Sox play. There’s no credibility in winning the division leading anywhere, because the AL Central crown has just meant a playoff cameo and out in five games. The other three teams are in a non-competitve mode, ChiSox collapes aside, and not bringing much to the table.
There’s no Bonds or Prior or D-Train or (pick a Yankee here) in this division. There’s Pudge, but he’s on a non-competitive team. There’s Carlos Beltran, but not for long. Frank Thomas’ mid-career lost seasons have stripped him of his superstar aura. Torii Hunter is a highlight creation – someone who gets time in the post game coverage but isn’t a draw to go on. There’s no guy here who I want to go out of my way see. Which makes it kinda boring.
At least to me. Maybe I just hate the AL.
Closest Game
OAK (39-31) vs ANA (39-32)
Mulder (8-2) vs Ortiz (3-5, 4.68)
Split the series so far has allowed Texas to pick up a game on each team, and turned this into a second place battle. It’s probably too soon to imagine that end of the season series to have the same effect?
Reports after the fact had Houston believing the “Dotel to OAK, Beltran to HOU, prospects to KC” deal was as good as done, which would at least explain why they were clearing outfield space last week. Given Dotel’s own problems closing games for Houston, I think the A’s might have gotten lucky not doing it. One man’s garbage is another man’s treasure, but one man’s mentally scarred closer has a good chance of being a mentally scarred closer for you as well. It wouldn’t be Oakland without the big deal, but maybe they should avoid going after one troubled setup man turned closer when they already have one guy who failed at that transistion.
Lopsided Game
NYY (44-25) vs BAL (29-38)
Vazquez (7-5, 3.43) vs Ponson (3-9, 6.49)
Ah, Javie and the Fat Man.
We’ve got one of the moves that’s worked out the best from the off-season – Giambi playing the field isn’t good, but given Nick Johnson’s season, he would’ve been doing it anyway, and Vazquez has been great in April and June – and one of the worse, with the O’s paying $7.5 for the 14th worst pitcher in the majors this season. O’s are playing about a million dollars per Ponson win.
K/9
2003 Pre-Trade: 6.08
2003 w/Giants: 4.50
2004: 4.77