Tag: mlb power rankings

The Detroit Tigers seem to have lost their stranglehold on the #1 slot, but keep it because they were able to win two games against the division rival White Sox. Perhaps I’m just an optimist in thinking that National League teams have as much chance at winning a World Series as American League teams, but the New York Mets still hold the #2 slot. The Yankees looked primed to make the upward jump after sweeping the Red Sox in a critical five-game series, but then go and lose two of three to the pathetic Seattle Mariners. As they say, I guess that’s why they play the games.

On a more individual note, two veterans changed teams this week: Jamie Moyer brought his 200 career wins to the City of Brotherly Love and Shawn Green takes his 300 career homeruns to the Big Apple. Two other players had significantly different outcomes with non-baseball related ailments: Tom Glavine avoided surgery on a possible blood-clot, while Chan Ho Park went under the knife, hoping to solve internal bleeding.

At this point in the season, we’re starting to separate the playoff contenders from the pretenders. The contenders are mostly the usual suspects, with the addition of the recently red-hot Dodgers, the Twins, who remain within striking distance, and the Reds, if they can maintain at least their wild card lead after an important set with the division leading Cardinals. The pretenders, on the other hand include a mix of the usual suspects and some teams that normally don’t fall into that category. The pretenders: Seattle, who has lost 17 divisional games in a row; Toronto, who continues to firesell its expendable players despite being only 6.5 games out; Atlanta, whose pitching looks worthless for the first time in 15 years; and Houston, who despite only being 6.5 games out, doesn’t look to have any ability of making a late-season run and will probably finish the year well under .500.

The All-Star Game has past. The trade deadline has past. Barry Bonds’ grand jury has expired. Which means the playoffs are rapidly approaching, however, while this should be the beginning of the most exciting stretch of the baseball season, we are inundated with news from football training camps across the country, and for some of us, a panic that our basketball team might pack their bags and head east.

And speaking of heading east, your faithful weekly power rankings writer will be doing the same, taking a jaunt into the Idaho wilderness for an obscure music festival in the mountains. How does this affect you? It probably doesn’t, but for four days you’ll be able to talk all the smack you want without me being able to defend myself.

Welcome again to another week of the Sportscolumn Power Rankings. The Tigers extend their lead in the AL Central and the Yankees have overtaken the Wild Card. The Dodgers have fallen off the face of the earth and Cincinnati is still clinging to playoff hopes by the skin of their teeth. And although the division leaders are all still the usual suspects, half of baseball is still in the playoff hunt. Right now there are 12 teams within four games of the division leader and 3 more teams within four games of the Wild Card.

The trade deadline is nearing and teams are taking it to the wire trying to figure out who should be buyers, who should be sellers, and who should just stand pat.

It seems there are quite a few more superstar caliber players on the trading block this year than in past years, a list which includes Greg Maddux, Alfonso Soriano, Bobby Abreu, Miguel Tejada, Shea Hillenbrand, Carlos Lee, Adrian Beltre, John Smoltz, Barry Zito, Jason Schmidt, and Juan Pierre. So far, things have been relatively quiet on the trading front, but that shouldn’t last for too much longer.

Remember being in school? Summer vacations all to yourself, no homework, not a care in the world. Except of course, that one thing that looms over your freedom: the report card from the previous school year, lingering in the mail somewhere between the school and your home, just waiting to be received by judging parents.

Well, that time has come for the 30 teams of Major League Baseball, and some teams have a long, boring summer ahead, and some pissed off parents. Based on current standings, pre-season expectations, payroll and a variety of other credentials, here are the midseason report cards for the MLB.

The All-Star Game is upon us, which means it’s time for all the stuff that goes along with it: the homerun derby, the battle for homefield advantage, and of course, this year’s edition of the timeless discussion on the snubs and the all-stars who don’t deserve to be (or the Mark Redman Award).

This year’s Midsummer Classic also provides us with something else to enjoy: finally a game in Pittsburgh worth watching.

With the US Open, Stanley Cup, NBA Playoffs and Draft, and College World Series in the rearview mirror, and the World Cup finals nearing, Major League Baseball can have the undivided attention of sports fans… that is, until NFL training camp starts.

Whether you see the baseball season as half over or still having half to play, we are at the half-way point, which means it’s time to hand out some mid-season awards and recognitions. Meaningless, of course, but fun, nonetheless.