MLB Playoff Push is Down to the Wire

Before I reflect on my predictions from way back when, actually August 30th, I'll talk about some of the cool happenings from around the leagues.

Leading off (pun intended), Zambrano's no hitter: Today, Zambrano became just the 2nd pitcher of the year (after Jon Lester) and the first Cubs pitcher in 36 years to throw a no-hitter. And he did it at a time when his performance was unclear. The ace had not started a game since September 2, yet was hitting 98 on the gun with his heat early in today's game. The doubt erased, we will see how far Zambrano can carry Chicago in this postseason. Plus, Harden's addition will prove even more valuable once the team enters the playoffs.

For more important matters (unless you're a Cubs fan), on to the playoffs:
On August 30th, the teams I predicted would make the playoffs are:
Los Angeles Angels
Minnesota Twins
Tampa Bay Rays
Boston Red Sox
LA Dodgers
Chicago Cubs
Milwaukee Brewers
Philadelphia Phillies

Of those predictions, the only ones that are really up in the air right now are the Twins, Phillies, and Twins (all of which have 67 losses and either 82 or 83 wins). I was hoping that the Mets were not going to make it, and Philadelphia has been holding up their end by winning their last 4. Just that Milwaukee's 4 straight losses are guaranteeing that the NL East sends 2 teams to the NLDS.

And the midseason worries about the NL West being represented by a sub-.500 ballclub seem to be discounted now that the Dodgers have been surging by winning 8 of their last 10 games. And if Arizona doesn't watch it, the Giants (8-2 in their last 10) might overtake their 2nd place spot.

It would appear that the only possible reason to mention the Giants in an article of any decency would be to discuss Tim Lincecum and his shot at winning the Cy Young Award. But being a true Giants fan myself, I have to give credit to their scrappy playing of late. But back to Tim for a second. His 237 strikeouts and 2.43 ERA combined with only 3 losses make him arguably the most dominant pitcher in the NL, if not all of the Major Leagues. And with his first career shutout thrown yesterday, Lincecum has showed his maturation from a young flamethrower to a lightly seasoned ace.

Zambrano's no-no wasn't the only milestone this week - K-Rod recorded his 58th save of the season, to beat Thigpen's previous mark of 57 for saves in a season. Not surprisingly, Rodgriguez pitches for the best team in baseball. There was an era when closers were simply washed up starters who didn't have the endurance for multiple innings. Until the last couple of decades, closers routinely were asked to record 4, 5, or 6 outs to secure the win. But now days with the glorification given to closers, these specialists are called upon to record almost primarily 3 outs, and sometimes even fewer. No doubt that this is still a great record to break; it just sets the bar even higher for the next great closer on the next great winning ball club.

So finally, my playoff predictions:
I'm gonna stick with Minnesota overtaking the White Sox and their 1.5 game lead with about 13 games left in the season. However, I will replace Milwaukee with New York to make it to the playoffs because of each team's performance over the last handful of games.

Thats it for now. Let's see how many teams I pick correctly. If you would like to make your own predictions, please do so and comment.

Today's Notable Baseball Happenings

This day in baseball featured a two important announcements, a milestone home run, and a bizarre occurrence. Sorry, next time I'll have to be a little more vague.

Since the two announcements actually have to do with the success, or lack of, for two teams, I'll lead off the order with them.

1. Joba off DL - The Yankees have decided that the starting rotation puts too many innings on the young and fragile (if fragile means one that can thrown 100 mph) rotator cuff. To reduce Joba's workload for the remainder of this season and the start of the next, he has been moved to the bullpen, where he will act as the 8th inning setup man. While I agree that this is the correct spot for Joba to pitch from, I think that Joba and his young arm are too valuable to use this year. I mean, come on Yankees, face it: you are not going to make the playoffs this year. So there's no reason to put more innings on a young arm like Joba's.

2. Kent DL'd after surgery on left knee - Not too much of a mystery here, the man has been playing for a long, long time. As mean as it is to say, I tend to root against Kent and others of the sort because of my loyalty to the Giants. However, in past articles I have predicted that the Dodgers will make the playoffs. This is why the injury to Kent hurts me just a little. Kent has been one of the biggest RBI men for the Dodgers, so we'll see how LA does without him in the lineup. The Dodgers are optimistic that Kent will be back in around two weeks, if not as a 2nd baseman then at least as a pinch hitter. And it looks like the NL West will be a close race, one that I still believe the Dodgers are going to win.

3. ARod tied for 12th in career HR's - Congratulations to ARod, who today smashed his 548th hr of his career to tie Mike Schmidt for 12th on the all time hr list. ARod, in his first year of a ten-year contract with the Yankees, appears to be finishing the season off on a high note. And if he manages to pass Barry Bonds some time in the future, that 10 year contract could be worth as much as $300 million. I've got to say that this man is amazing; I mean he's only 33 years old and is already passing legendary players' career marks. At least the Yankees believe he has many more productive years, 9 to be exact.

4. Hidden ball trick? - At least not intentionally. During the Cubs game today at Wrigley Field, Hunter Pence lined a triple into the ivy. Yet while center fielder Jim Edmonds dug out the Pence-hit ball, another popped out of the ivy as well. Although no confusion ensued, the occurrence was nonetheless amusing. I'm just surprised that this has not happened more often. On another level, outfielders could even try hiding a ball in the ivy to dig out when a home run was almost robbed or a ball actually does get stuck. Officials suspect that the ball was hit into the ivy during batting practice.

That's it for today. I'm most interested in hearing your opinions on Joba, since its the only topic that merits much discussion.

Rays Win Streak at 5 - Extend AL East Lead

I'm not sure what has surprised baseball enthusiasts more this year:

1. The fact that the Rays are playing above .600 ball

2. That the Yankees will not make the playoffs

It sure seems like neither of these two have happened before and were certainly not expected for this season. I personally find it quite refreshing to think that a team which was so lousy one year can be so great the next. Perhaps it was the loss of the "Devil" as an additional aspect of the team's name. It is more likely that the success can be attributed to the Rays' lights-out bullpen, which has accumulated a 3.35 ERA (compared with 6.24 at this time last season). Compare this to pretty much every other team and you'll see why the Rays are where they are in the standings.

Bullpens are an underrated trigger for success or failure, and more commonly failure. At least for me, I remember the times when the likes of Tyler Walker or Jack Taschner blow games for the Giants, yet seem to take it for granted when the lead is preserved. For the Rays fans, however, it is only once in a blue moon that leads are relinquished.

So at this point, I am ready to guarantee that the Rays will make the playoffs. They have shown their toughness by enduring injuries to their best players: Crawford and Longoria; not just breaking even but producing wins with their absences. Look for the Rays to meet the Angels in the ALCS this year.

Sabathia's No-hitter? Not Quite - At Least Not Yet

In today's game featuring the Brewers and the Pirates, CC Sabathia pitched a gem of a game. The only blemish to the potential no hitter came in the 5th inning, when batter Andy LaRoche hit a swinging bunt down the 3rd base line. When CC hustled off the mound and attempted to pick the ball up with a bare hand, he didn't get a firm grip and botched the play. Although I am not saying that it was by any means a routine play, to award a hit to LaRoche is a bit uncalled for. And perhaps I was biased by my hopes of witnessing a no-hitter. But CC should really have made that play, and that play therefore should have been ruled an error. As expected, the Brewers have already appealed the call by sending in a DVD of the play to the commissioner's office. And if the call is overturned, it would mark the first time in MLB history that a no-hitter has been awarded after the fact.

A video clip of the questionable hit can be seen at:

http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200808313397707

Please give your opinion on whether the call should stand or be changed to an error.

MLB Playoff Picture

Here are my playoff predictions for the MLB. The 8 bolded teams are my picks to make the playoffs.

AL West:
I think it is fair to say that the only team clearly in the playoffs is the Los Angeles Angels, with its 18 game lead over the Rangers. No further explanation necessary.

AL Central:
The Chicago White Sox are currently half a game ahead of the Minnesota Twins, which essentially makes the two teams even for playoff contention purposes. One of the largest differences between the two teams is their home run production, with Chicago hitting more than twice as many as Minnesota (195 to 95). In the remainder of the season, each team will play in 8 series after finishing games this Sunday. Of the 8 teams each will face, the White Sox and Twins have four teams common between their schedules. That leaves 4 series to determine who has an easier schedule. However, the two teams face off in a series as well towards the end of the season. So, discounting that series, 3 series can be used to determine schedule difficulty. The Sox, in those 3 games, will face the Angels, Yankees, and Indians, who combine for a .545 winning percentage. The Twins, however, will face the Royals, Orioles, and Rays, who combine for a .502 winning percentage. Now, this gives a huge advantage to the Twins and their easier schedule. Because of this, I call that the Minnesota Twins will make the playoffs.

AL East:
Also, Tampa Bay sits in an ideal situation. Even though they are only ahead of the Red Sox by 4.5 games, the cushion for playoff birth is much more generous because of the wild card, which will likely be given to an American League East team once again. However, this time it won't be the Yankees and Red Sox advancing to the World Series. Sorry, I said it: The Yankees will not make the World Series. And the pin stripes are 11.5 games out of first place and 7 games out of the Wild Card race. So why did I have to wait so long to make the call? Because the Yankees have made the playoffs for over the past 10 years, and every year which Torre has managed the ball club. And it is quite obvious why they aren't going to make it this year - a pitching staff plagued by injury and inconsistency.

NL West:
Ok, so this is a sad division to talk about because of their one team above .500 (The D-Backs sit precariously at .511). It really seems like nobody wants to win this division. At least the Rockies have fallen far enough back that they can be discounted from the race, unless of course they pull something off reminiscent of last year. And this would have to be a spectacular run. But I frankly don't see them doing the same this year. Even though the Dodgers are 3.5 games back of the D-Backs and currently below .500, I pick them to win the division. Here's why: the Dodgers have had a consistent pitching staff, combining for a 3.81 ERA (2nd best in the NL). Furthermore, the Los Angeles Dodgers have added Manny to their lineup, which has been paying its dues in the form of a 4 for 5 day to lift the Dodgers over the Diamondbacks.

NL Central:
The Cubs have been playing so well this year that I don't foresee any team challenging their 5.5 game lead. The Cubs' pitchers have earned the best ERA in the NL and their batters have earned the 2nd best batting average in the league (which is .025) points ahead of the Brewers. I pick the Chicago Cubs and their .625 win percentage to win the division handily. That's not to say "too bad" to the crew however. Their .585 win percentage will not be for naught. That's why the wild card was created many years ago. The Milwaukee Brewers will make the playoffs by winning the NL Wild Card.

NL East:
The race is too close between the Mets and the Phillies to give any team an advantage in standings position. I just can't bring myself to say that the Mets and their horrible bullpen are going to make the playoffs. I will give that honor to the Philadelphia Phillies, who lead the NL with home runs as a result of a potent lineup stacked with the likes of Howard, Utley, and Burrell (each of whom has 30+ hrs).

That's it for my predictions. But just in case you want a condensed version, here is my list:
Los Angeles Angels
Minnesota Twins
Tampa Bay Rays
Boston Red Sox
LA Dodgers
Chicago Cubs
Milwaukee Brewers
Philadelphia Phillies

MLB Approves Instant Replay

Well, this is certainly a change for the better. With the new use of technology, many more (but still not all) "boundary calls" will be made correctly. So no more incidents like what happened to Delgado or ARod will occur. Of course there will be times when the umpires will feel confident that they saw the flight of the ball correctly, regardless of whether they actually did. But on the ones where the blues either don't see the play or aren't sure of the call, the correct call will be safe. On one hand it is a sad goodbye to wins caused by fortune (although there are still plenty of non-boundary calls to change the tide of the game). But looking on the bright side, no longer will batters be robbed of home runs nor pitchers charged with them unnecessarily. I think that this is a good choice, as tennis adopted the use of instant reply for serves and other borderline shots. And football has had replay for a while, which has enhanced the viewing experience. As MLB has predicted that the whole process from the time instant replay is called upon the be 2.5 minutes. I have to say that if it gets any longer than this amount of time, the pitchers will start to stiffen up, changing the course of play. Other than the possible delay of game, however, I see no possible downsides to instant replay.

Dodgers Don't Stop with Manny

Manny Ramirez is the key to getting in the playoffs, right? Well, at least not him alone. The Dodgers acquired future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux from the Padres for two minor leaguers to be named later. After today's games, the Dodgers remain one game back from the first place Diamondbacks. So now the additions of Manny Ramirez, Casey Blake, and Greg Maddux will be put to the test. I guess I should have added Joe Torre to the list since this is his first year with the Dodgers organization. This recipe has worked before. I'm talking about when the Dodgers added Maddux in 2006 during their postseason push and were successful. My money is on the Dodgers all the way, even with the Diamondbacks' acquisition of Adam Dunn. It seems that the NL West, which now has two teams above .500 (wohoo!) has come down to a race between two teams. As much as I hate to say it because of my support of the Giants, the Dodgers will make the playoffs. And why should that be surprising? After all, Torre made the playoffs every year from 1996-2007 with the Yankees.

USA Olympics Baseball Advances

Ok, so even with shaky pool play, USA's baseball team will get to play in the semifinals on Wednesday against Japan. USA's win over China, however, proved to be more than just advancing to the medal rounds. The matchup featured the Chinese pitchers hitting a combined five U.S. batters. In return, as the U.S. would never let China's deeds go unpunished, Nate Schierholtz absolutely decked the Chinese catcher, sending his mask and helmet flying. I'm glad of course that our home-country team, and somewhat of a favorite, was able to advance. After all, the four best teams (Japan, Korea, Cuba, and U.S.A.) all advanced to the semis. U.S.A. has not faced Japan yet during this Olympics, but Japan has lost to both Cuba and Korea in pool play. The same can be said about U.S.A. So whoever does win in the Japan vs. USA matchup will face a team that they have already lost to. As much as I hate to say it, I think USA will be lucky to salvage a bronze medal. My predictions for the baseball tournament:

Gold: Cuba

Silver: Korea

Bronze: U.S.A.

Fourth: Japan

Go USA!

Cuban Baseball Team Beats USA 5-4

Oh boy, the USA Olympic baseball team is now 1-2. As the game was decided in the 11th inning, the new extra-inning rule that I detailed in my last article was implemented. And an obviously biased group of US players after the game denounced the rule. Now I know that everybody has to play by the rules, but this rule is one for the hating. A Phillies AAA shortstop stated "I'm not a big fan of it, because in extra inning games you have to earn the victory." Obviously, the loss as a result never gave the rule a fair chance. But to some extent, I do agree with what Donald (the shortstop) said.
There is no way to deny, however, that the team is 1-2. And I understand that the baseball team is one of the only teams that USA fields which is not a "dream team." Unlike in basketball, the USA's baseball team is composed of minor league players combined with a few college players. This is due mostly in part to the large contracts that pros sign and the overlap of the season with the Olympics.
And USA's next game, which was against Canada, just ended with a US victory 5-4. So now the red, white and blue will take their 2-2 record to Wukesong stadium to battle China on Monday. That will sure be an intense matchup. I think that the US will beat China and advance to the semi finals at the end of group play.

Olympic Baseball Update and Rule Explanation

Uh oh, everybody: USA lost to Korea in the Olympic Opener. Both sides fought hard to the end, when Korea's walk-off sac fly in the 9th secured an 8-7 victory. The inexperience of the US team was obvious, with botched pick offs as well as offline throws to the plate. The wacky extra inning rule was almost used. I will explain shortly what it is. I understand that in the Olympics, with teams having to play on many consecutive days, 16+ inning games can crush both the winning and losing teams. But the new-fangled rule that pretty much limits games to 11 or 12 innings seems a bit absurd. The procedure for games tied entering the 11th inning goes as follows: both managers can pick two consecutive players from the batting order to place on 1st and 2nd base. Then, the batter following those two leads off the inning. According to an article published by ESPN.com (http://espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs2000/2000/1010/811158.html), in this situation, the batting team has historically averaged 1.63 runs/inning and scores at least one run 66% of the time. With such a high probability of scoring, the ties will be broken in only a couple of innings. I personally think this is a bad policy. I hate to say it but I'd rather see a tie than a game decided by the tie-breaking rule. Back to team USA. Don't worry: since 4 out of 8 teams advance from pool play, which consists of 7 games, USA still has a good chance of playing in a medal game. They play next today against the Netherlands at 10:30 pm.

Picture of Wukesong baseball stadium from http://dynalite-online.com/default_code.htm?http://dynalite-online.com/case_studies/Beijing%20Olympics/index.htm

MLB's First Place Teams

1. ↓ Tampa Bay Rays: Perhaps my article was a jinx for the team, because the first place ball club now has 2 of its star players on the DL. Carl Crawford and All-Star Evan Longoria are both currently on the DL, a terrible blow to the Rays' offense. I still think the Rays have a good shot of making the playoffs, just that it won't be as easy as I first suspected. The 4 game cushion should hold up until both leaders can return to the lineup.

2. ↑ Arizona Diamondbacks: The NL West leaders added another slugger to their potent offense. Long-time power hitter Adam Dunn was signed by the D-backs of waivers on Monday in exchange for two minor league pitchers. Although Dunn has a .247 career batting average, over the last 4 seasons, he has crushed at least 40 home runs, and is poised to repeat that feat this year. Bottom line: this guy knows how to drive in runs. To me, this is exactly what the young Diamondbacks team needed. Furthermore, the addition of Dunn to Arizona balances out the Ramirez trade with to the Dodgers. I know, I know: Ramirez is a much better hitter than Dunn, but both players will have a similar effect. I think that the Diamondbacks will get to the playoffs, which is not a very bold position. On a more risky note, I also think that Arizona will advance at least to the NLCS if not the World Series led by a great pitching staff in a weak National League.

Rays Stun Fans

Perhaps it was the dropping of the "Devil" before the team's name that catapulted the Rays to their best season in franchise history. But it is more likely that their success is due to the run production of young ballplayers, such as Carl Crawford (27), Evan Longoria (22), and B.J. Upton (23). The Rays, who had never won more than 70 games in a single season, are now at 71 wins with 45 games remaining. At this pace, the team boasting the 2nd best record in MLB will have 98 games, completely shattering their previous mark. Although the Rays certainly have a young team filled with talent and are poised to make the poised to make the playoffs, I have a bad feeling about their World Series ambitions. Because of their inexperience when compared to, say, the Angles, White Sox, or Red Sox, I believe that their regular season glory WON'T reflect in postseason advancement. So although it has been a fun ride for all Rays fans, as well as fans of any team (other than the Red Sox and Yankees), I'm sorry to say that another team will win the Commissioner's trophy.

Picture from http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2007/5/8/devil_rays_to_make_history_in_orlando.html

Olympic Baseball

With baseball having been voted out of the 2012 Olympics in London, the sport must make a good showing in hope of being revived for the 2016 games. USA plays their first game on Wednesday the 13th against Korea, which will most likely be one of the strongest opposing teams the Americans will face. Starting with Wednesday's game, USA will play games on 5 consecutive days, a sure test for any team's pitching staff. Fortunately, the pitching staff is composed of top minor leaguers who's performance on the bump is as good as hard money. So if you are having debt problems, simply gamble on the Americans and their team stacked with top-rated prospects. A Giants fan myself, I watched Nate Schierholtz crush the ball for the professional ball club. Now that he gets to tee off against inferior pitching, there's no limit to the success that the red, white, and blue will have. Hopefully, this will not be the last Olympic games to feature baseball as a sport, but if it happens to be, at least we can end on a high note. If USA does not win the gold this year, then I will seriously have to congratulate whoever does happen to dethrone them. In my opinion, America will win it all.

(Fantasy) Baseball Corner

1. Don't worry Yankees Fans:

Starting pitcher phenom Joba Chamberlain is expected to join the Yankees rotation some time this month. At only 22 years old, Joba is naturally a quick recoverer, and could ultimately decide the fate of the Yankees this year. The Yankees do, however, have the odds against them because of their losses of Wang and Hughes. Yet I think that the return of Joba and his electric pitching style could spark the team and bring some confidence. To me, the Yankees have appeared to be a team lacking and heart or competitive nature, when compared to say, the Angels. I guess it could just be that the Yankees are used to winning, but the attitude they had up until now isn't gonna cut it during their fight to make it in the playoffs, something that has become expected of the stripes. Along with Chamberlain, Hideki Matsui also appears to be rehabbing well, and should be able to return to the lineup this season. So if whether you have Joba on your fantasy team or you are a diehard Yankees fan, I wouldn't worry too much because he'll be back soon. One quick note about Hideki Matsui: he chose not to undergo season-ending surgery. Therefore, (if and) when he does return, I personally don't think he'll be the same batter he was for the first part of the season. However, his presence will certainly bring experience and leadership to a lackluster ballclub.

2. Angels Fans: you should be real happy. The only division that has a clear winner right now is the American League West, where the Angels sit 12 games in front of the second place Rangers. Now, with the addition of Mark Texiera, an even more potent lineup will tee off against the upcoming games against Seatle and Cleveland, both of which are last placed teams. When most people think of the Angels, they think of Vlad crushing home runs. But this year, with only one regular player batting above .300 (Howie Kendrick at .322), the Angels have had to rely on a shut down pitching staff. Led by Ervin Santana and Joe Saunders, the 5 starting pitchers have a combined 55 wins. And the consistency with which K-Rod has been converting saves has put an end to all possible late inning meltdowns (which currently plague teams such as the Mets and Braves). So as the Angles look ahead to the ALDS, where they will possibly meet the Red Sox, it will be the workhorses of the Angels that will make the difference between win and loss.

Image from http://baseball.about.com/od/newyorkyankees/ig/2007-New-York-Yankees-Gallery/Joba-Chamberlain.htm

CC Strikes Gold in Milwaukee

C.C. Sabathia, who was recently traded from the Cleveland Indians to the Milwaukee Brewers, has really found his groove with the new ballclub. For his new team, Sabathia has won 5 out of his 6 starts, the 6th being a no decision. In that stretch, the big lefty has also posted a 1.88 ERA. For you fantasy baseball players out there, the 28-year-old will only get better with age. This season, CC is dominating Johan Santana in not only wins but also strikeouts and is among the league leaders in almost every category. This year, I drafted Johan Santana first round in my fantasy league, a decision that I now regret based on his season's performance. Next year I definitely won't make the same mistake, and if I do decide to draft a pitcher first round, it will be Sabathia. As the Brewers stand 5 games behind the Cubs in the NL Central race, CC will attempt to carry over on his pitcher of the month performance to bring the Brew Crew to the top. If you can get a late season trade for the hard throwing pitcher, don't hesitate to accept, as he is a valuable asset for any fantasy team.

Picture taken from http://thesportsflow.blogspot.com/2008/07/cc-sabathia-headed-to-beertown.html

Welcome Back Mr. Bonds

Sorry for the misleading title, but just to clear the air: no, he is not playing again. The Giants are hosting a celebration for the greatest outfielders to ever wear the black, orange, and white. And Barry Bonds definitely meets the criteria. The big name (accompanied by a big creature), has not made an appearance to the fans in San Francisco since the end of last season. Now is the time for Bonds to shine once again on the field and especially to thank the fans for the support that we have given him. Of course Barry is the only one to make this decision, but the ceremony without Bonds is almost equivalent to the British Open without Tiger. I hope that I see Barry there, because he was truly one of the greatest outfielders to ever play the game.

The picture was taken from http://snarkerati.com/movie-news/bigger-stronger-faster-bulks-up-big-screen/

"Happy Birthday Dear Roger..."

So with all the hype regarding the playoffs, last minute trades, and so on, the whole steroids discussion has gone on the low down. Personally, I am in favor of less talk about the whole steroids thing. All I want to say is Happy Birthday to one of the best pitchers in the game, Roger Clemens, who turned 46 this fine day. In his honor, I would like to rattle off some of his stats, in case you may have forgotten:
- 354 career wins (8th all time)
- 4672 career strikeouts
- 3.12 career ERA
- 46 Shutouts (26th all time)
- 7 Cy Young Awards

Greg Maddux is next behind Roger in wins with 352 (and will likely pass him). Only Randy Johnson has more strikeouts as an active players, and Clemens leads active players in not only shutouts but also complete games. It is my opinion, and most likely almost everybody's, that Roger Clemens is a definite Hall of Famer, even with all the controversy that surrounded him at the end of his career. Happy Birthday Roger!

Stats were founds at http://www.baseball-reference.com/c/clemero02.shtml

National League West: Not Pretty but Still Undecided

All baseball fans know that this year, the National League West is the weakest division in the sport. Not one of the five teams in the division posted a winning record in interleague play, and the first place team in the division, the Dbacks, stand at only .514. That record would make them third or worse in any other division. While the records might be disgusting, the lack of a clear leader will make the remaining games even more exciting. While Arizona and L.A. seem to be the only teams battling for a playoff birth, we can't count the Rockies out yet, who sit 7 games out entering Monday's games. Remember that it was the Rockies who won 14 out of their last 15 games last year to win the wild card for the National League. And with the help of a surging Matt Holiday (9 Hr, 21 RBIs, 25 Runs, 5 Stolen Bases, .447 OBP), a comeback of 7 games is definitely not out of the picture. We'll get so see Arizona's aces (Webb and Haren), the Dodgers' Manny Ramirez, and the Rockies' Matt Holiday battle it out for the remaining 52 games in the season. Oh boy, this'll be a good one!

Manny Finds Power Surge in LA

After batting .299 with 20 home runs and 68 RBIs through 100 games with the Sox this year, Manny got off to a lightning hot start with the Dodgers. In his debut series, the last-minute acquisition proved to be more than worth the "baggage" that he carries with him. Ramirez went 8-13 with 2 home runs and 5 RBI in just 3 games. A Giants fan myself, I not only fear that the Dodgers have become an even more formidable rival, but also sympathize with the Dodger's front office, which decided to gamble on Manny's raw talent over his distractive nature. Although the Dodgers lost 2 of 3 from the division leading Dbacks, Arizona's 1 game lead over Manny's new ballclub may not remain much longer.

Ramirez and Co. to Dodgers

Normally, baseball is not my thing, but Manny Ramirez is involved in a blockbuster trade to the Dodgers... a team struggling to get above .500. Anyways, in return the Red Sox get a great batter with Jason Bay but nothing else... do you people think this was a legit trade?