Just out of the gate from the All-Star break, the Cubs have been hot, jumping up two spots by winning their last three games and seven out of their last ten, while in the American League the Athletics have pretty much done the opposite, losing seven in a row and dropping four spots.
The playoff races are starting to shape up and has the makings of a very exciting summer, with 14 teams within five games of the division lead or the wild card.
The American League has continued its dominance in the All-Star Game, going 10-0 with one tie over the last 11 contests, and they continue to dominate the Power Rankings as well, with the top four teams all coming from the junior circuit.
In other news, it appears Mark Buerhle will officially not be leaving Chicago, and All-Star MVP Ichiro Suzuki could be on the verge of signing a monster contract worth about $100 million, that would make him one of the ten highest paid players per season, in the game.
Fourth of July is a time for fireworks, barbecues, apple pie, and of course, the National Pastime, so enjoy week 13 of SportsColumn’s MLB Power Rankings.
As always, questions, comments, and complaints are welcome.
Welcome to week 12 of the Sportscolumn.com MLB Power Rankings. The big movers and shakers of this week are the Braves and the White Sox, who both dropped four places, and ironically, both have coaches moving in opposite directions in their own power rankings. Ozzie Guillen is unquestionably on the hot seat, even though general manager Kenny Williams in noncommittal either way, while Bobby Cox set the new statistical standard for… well, let’s just call it like it is… he set the statistical standard for bitching, moaning, and acting like a horse’s ass. Congratulations.
As always, questions, comments and complaints are encouraged.
The big news of this week has been the health of several aces. The news is bad for two teams in the NL West, as the Dodgers lose Jason Schmidt and the Diamondbacks lose Randy Johnson, both for an undetermined amount of time. Schmidt has already spent most of the season on the disabled list and has made comments that he never really felt like himself, posting a 1-4 record with an ERA over 6.00.
Johnson, on the other hand, began the season on the DL, but more often than not has looked like the 2001 World Series winning Big Unit, instead of the Booed in the Bronx Big Unit.
While the news out West is bad, Red Sox nation is breathing a sigh of relief, when Curt Schilling’s MRI revealed no damage to his shoulder, and he shouldn’t miss more than a start or two.
The amateur draft has come and gone, and the next event in line for the baseball season is the All-Star game, a juxtaposition of what baseball has done right and what they have done wrong for the sport.
Televising the draft can only be a positive thing, even if the ratings and reviews weren’t that good for its first season. It will surely be a work in progress, but definitely has the potential to increase interest in the sport at all stages, including the upcoming College World Series, where fans of MLB teams can take interest in a variety of players from different schools.
On the other hand, the All-Star game is an exhibition, and the idea that an exhibition game will determine home field advantage for the World Series is ridiculous. Bud… if you’re reading this… immediate All-Star game reform is a necessity.
What is it with the American powers-that-be and their long, obsessive, and expensive pursuits of pointless conflicts? Golf, the War in Iraq, the Mitchell Investigation, etc.
In the year or so that the Mitchell Investigation has been conducted, it has cost Major League Baseball $2 million per month, and has yielded little or no evidence concerning the current or past state of illegal performance enhancing substances in the game. And more, it has done nothing to solve the problem of former “cheaters” or how to eliminate “cheaters” from the game today.
There’s been a changing of the guard in Major League Baseball. Over the past year and a half that I have been writing this weekly article the Royals have had the worst or second-worst record in the league for essentially every single week, and have occupied the 29th or 30th spot in the power rankings each and every single week. Despite getting swept by Seattle, it’s time for Kansas City fans to rejoice… they’ve clawed their way out of baseball’s cellar and seen the light of day.
Of course, their meteoric rise has not been because of their good play, by any means, but because of the horrid play of the Cincinnati Reds and the Texas Rangers. There is still some hope, however, for the dwindling fan base of the Reds and Rangers, as the Royals still have the worst home record in baseball and are still riding a four-game losing streak.
On the other hand, the NL West, once revered as the weakest division in baseball, now looks to be one of the most competitive, with three teams in the top ten for the second week in a row.
Well, it’s Ping Pong Ball day in the NBA- where franchises have the chance to rise from the ashes of mediocrity in one fell swoop of David Stern’s hand, but I’d like to focus on something with a touch more importance.
If you haven’t done it already I strongly recommend that you check out PeeYourPantsForTheBrewers.com, a site that encourages all fans of the Crew to join together in urination if, and when, the Brewers clinch the NL Central title this season. It is easily the funniest baseball-related thing I have seen all season. Maybe the funniest ever. I can’t say what would possess people to want to pee their pants in elation, but apparently Brewer fans are just a different breed of people.
The site’s introductory paragraph says it all: “I have never seen a full Brewers season where they make the playoffs. Born in July 1982, I missed that amazing World Series run. It’s been a long 24 years- the longest playoff drought in baseball. With a young team of quality stars and shrewd management, we’re boldly making our move. I get so excited thinking about the Brewers now, a little pee comes out. In fact, when the Brewers make the playoffs I will pee my pants.”
Already 4,822 people have made the pledge to celebrate the Brewers in unison. You, too, could join their ranks, if you’re a Milwaukee fan who is unperturbed by wet, filthy, unsanitary pants, just by going to PeeYourPantsForTheBrewers.com and filling out the registry.
This week the big movers are the Minnesota Twins. Unfortunately, they’re moving in the wrong direction, as they slide four spots into the 14 spot. One of the Twins big issues is that Johan Santana hasn’t been as dominant as he was in past seasons. The good news though, if you’re a Twins fan, is that Santana is typically a slow starter, who is playing his best baseball toward the end of summer. His career ERA in the months of March, April, and May is over 4.20, but in August, September, and October his ERA is under 2.40.