Random thoughts and tidbits July 29.

I am not too sure how they are doing it, but Pittsburgh is still only a game and a half out of First Place.  They survived a grueling series with the Atlanta Braves that saw a 19 inning game, 10 inning games, a two hour rain delay, and finally a 47 minute rain delay for good measure. Through it all,  the Pirates managed two wins against the second best team in the National League. The Pirates scored 12 runs over the course of 47 innings in Atlanta.  They did manage to hold Atlanta to 9 runs, but still this series made it more evident than ever that they can not score.  This team does not have the fire power to get by, but they have the grit, and now apparently the bullpen to squeeze out some wins.  Pitching can only take you so far, and more of the same from the Atlanta series seems to be on the way this weekend in Philadelphia.  The Phillies will trot out Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee, arguably the best 1-2 punch in Baseball since Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling.  The Pirates will send out their overachieving bunch of starters and their makeshift lineup against one of the most successful National league clubs over the past five seasons.(While St. Louis and Milwaukee got Houston and Chicago this week) But at some point, this staff will not be able to string together all these great starts in a row.  At some point they will have a pedestrian start, and this offense does not have the firepower to overcome a starting pitcher giving up five runs early on. I know asking prices seem out of hand right now, but something needs to be done.  The race is upon us, the deadline is Sunday.  Something needs to happen, or this dream season will remain just a dream.

Looking to the starting Pitching matchups, and a preview of this weekend's series against the Philadelphia Phillies...


Tonight 7:05, Charlie Morton (8-5 3.69)  vs.  Roy Halladay (12-4 2.55)
The master and the apprentice in a sense.  Halladay has been a consistent and dominant starting pitcher in this league for some time now.  Charlie was a guy that was labeled as a guy with "great stuff" but never had it figured out.  Well it seems he has this year, after using Halladay's pitching motion and mechanics(see below).  Halladay is still by far the better pitcher, but Charlie is much better than last season.  Its a testament to both pitchers to how good they really are.  Halladay's mechanics saved Morton's career, and Morton's ability to adapt to different mechanics deep into his career is also impressive.  Should be fun to watch, but Philly has the distinct advantage Pitching wise and also with the bats.  Although they struggled against San Francisco this past series, the Phillies still have guys like Utley,Rollins and the ever dangerous, Ryan Howard.

 










Saturday 7:05, James McDonald (7-4 3.95)  vs.  Cliff Lee (9-7 3.05)
McDonald is coming off an impressive performance on ESPN's Monday Night Baseball setting a career high in Strikeouts with 9.  The knock on him is that he does not go deep into games, but if he can keep providing six innings a night, its hard to complain.  Cliff Lee has lost his past two decisions and has not been quite the same since his dominant June (5-0, 0.27)  but still is one of the best the league has to offer.

Sunday 1:35, Jeff Karstens (8-5 2.41)  vs. Vance Worley  (7-1 2.02)  Not sure where the Phillies are finding these guys, but this guy is their 5th starter.  He is 23 years of age and is coming off a complete game three hitter.  Karstens has been outstanding for Pittsburgh. He does not have special stuff, but he works quick and changes speeds.  He gives you what he has, and it seems like teams can not hit him. This caps the series of great pitching matchups.


-Pittsburgh and Philadelphia both find themselves in the Playoff race. (Phi-First in East)  (Pit-Second in Central)
-Both teams have been linked to Hunter Pence, He could be in Philadelphia before Sunday
-Pittsburgh has gone 5-5 in what was labeled as their toughest stretch in the season.
-The Phillies have gone 8-5 since the All Star Break
-Andrew McCutchen is 1 of 6 players with 15 Homers, 60 RBI's and 15 Stolen Bases.
-Neil Walker has Three straight Multi-hit games, yet only 1 RBI in those games.
-Chase Utley is batting .343 over his last 10 games.
-Pittsburgh will face Chicago and San Diego next week, much easier than this past week's grueling schedule.

Fourteen Pirates Talking Points, Answered.

In reading the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Columnist, Bob Smizik has a daily blog, which he does a nice job with. And with his most recent entry following the Pirates 3-1 victory over the Braves, he raises 14 topics of interest surrounding the club as they are in the midst of one of the most exciting stretches in recent memory.  I will provide my take to each question and answer them reasonably and honestly.

Side tidbit, The Pirates season has been absolutely tremendous, and the coverage of this team is fantastic, and a new take on providing information is Twitter.  I seriously recommend Twitter to the avid Sports Fan.  Almost any athlete, writer, insider, analyst ect.  has a twitter and it is a great way to stay current on Sport's news and information. It is direct and genuine, even if you do not Tweet yourself, you will love the instant information.  Pittsburgh writers like Dejan Kovacevec, Jenifer Langosch, and Rob Biertempfel do great things, plus players Neil Walker, Joel Hanrahan, and Paul Maholm are interesting to see, and all ESPN and national media personalities are great follows as well.


1. Let's start with a tough one because there's no middle ground on this question. The Pirates are six games over .500. What do they have a greater chance of doing this season: Winning their division? Finishing under .500?


I would have to say finish over .500.  Winning the division is great, and right now seems within reason. But still this team has 62 games remaining, 38 of which against contenders for Playoff berths.  The Pirates have a better team than in year's past.  But they still lack a formidable offense to combat against Milwaukee and St. Louis.  Pittsburgh needs 29 more wins over 62 games to attain .500.  Very reachable in my opinion.

2. What record would you consider a success for the six remaining games with Atlanta and Philadelphia?


2-4.  That would give them 3 wins against the best two teams in the league on the road.  That is really good for this team.  Hanson, Jurrjens, Halladay, and Lee are four of the pitchers they must face.  Realistically this team could potentially lose all 6 of these games, but the resiliency Hurdle's team has shown is impressive.  They can probably do something completely unexpected and win 4 of these remaining 6 games.

3. Which Pirates has been the biggest surprise this season?


You could potentially put over the half the team here and not be wrong.  But I would have to say Charlie Morton.  And a lot of this has to do with where he was last season, and to where he is now.


Charlie went 2-12 last season with a 7.57 ERA.  I will never understand why he got 17 starts with those numbers, either way he is now 8-5 with a 3.69 ERA.  He is relying more on his Sinker, and has modeled his windup to Roy Halladay, and no doubt it has worked.  His recent struggles show that he is throwing less Sinkers than he was during the beginning of the year, and he has not been as effective of late.

4. Which has been the biggest disappointment?

Easily Pedro Alvarez.  I do not think anyone was expecting this guy to ever be a hitter with a good average, but 20 Home Runs and 60 RBI's right now?  Yeah, thats what he should be doing, and needs to be doing. I understand he missed nearly two months, but April and Early May showed no signs that he would be having a productive year.  He can be a 100 RBI type of guy for many years in this league. Who knows maybe the Bucs may have added the best Bat before the Trade Deadline?


5. If they finish above .500, do you think the Pirates should raise ticket prices next season? By how much: $2, $3, $4, $5.


I do not really see management raising them. Actually I do not believe they should anyway. They finally started getting crowds again, and who knows if they have really turned the corner. What happens when you raise prices, and the team goes into the tank?  Would not look good.  Stand pat, see what you have, and raise them if things really have changed.


6. When Ryan Doumit is healthy, who should be the Pirates No. 1 catcher: Doumit or Michael McKenry


McKenry, no doubt.  His bat has been adequate, but his defense has been outstanding.  I do not remember a Pirates catcher with his Defensive skill set since Kendall.  He handles the staff well. Doumit has been inconsistent his whole career.  Sure his offense is way more promising  than McKenry, but his defense is horrible.  Doumit could see some At Bats as First or Right, depending on what happens before Sunday. Backups catchers usually have to play anyway. Doumit would not be underused. 

7. Which position do you think Neil Walker will play most in his MLB career?


Neil is playing a good second base, but a slick fielding, quicker kid may come up at some point and supplant him.  Neil could go back to Third if the Pirates ever experiment with Alvarez at First Base.  I could also see him moving to Left Field potentially.  He can move and he is an athlete, stick him anywhere and he will produce and play solid defense.  But who knows, Second Base may end up working out for the long haul. 


8. Which two Pirates, other than Andrew McCutchen, do you consider the most untradeable?


Neil Walker and Pedro Alvarez. At this point those are my two.  Neil is a great player, and was very undervalued by Huntington's front office.  He has turned out to be a consistent defender, and a nice middle of the order bat that can produce. He has versatility down the line, and he is the Hometown kid. He is popular, and its not everyday that you can have an All Star caliber player on the Pirates that is from the Pittsburgh area.  Alvarez, is the future.  He was drafted highly, and it will take a lot for this management group to admit that he is a bust.  They can not be faulted for selecting him, any team would have. He just had a bad few months, and it feels like people are writing him off.  He is good, he can be really good, and this club needs him to be good sooner rather than later.

9. Which team do you think will win the NL Central?


St. Louis.  Pujols, Holliday, and Berkman is a lethal heart of the order. La Russa gets the most from his role players as well. They have the best manager and player on their side.  Two things I would feel comfortable with. Milwaukee could win it. Cincinnati has a great offense, and Pittsburgh is doing enough to stay in it. But St. Louis is the best team.


10. If you could only choose one position, which do you think should be the Pirates off-season priority, either in trade or free agency?


I would love to see Pittsburgh go out and get a First Basemen.  They seem set with McCutchen and Tabata in the Outfield. Marte isn't too far away and Presley can hold things up for a while. Maybe they go for a quick 2 year fix there.  Alvarez and Walker are set.  Catching seems abundant.  McKenry is young enough to Catch for a few years, and maybe Tony Sanchez will overcome this bad year and be in Pittsburgh by 2013. First Base seems like the logical choice.  Overbay was a bust, Curry in AA has been great this year but who knows if it is for real.  They need a guy that can provide insurance in the 6 hole, and play solid defense. I do not want them to go to high price, and I'd rather see them spend money and securing the players they have.  If they can upgrade over Ronny Cedeno, hey maybe look to do that.  But again, would not go out of my way to sign somebody unless he is at the right price.


11. Which of these free-agents to be would you prefer to see the Pirates acquire: Left-handed hitting first baseman Carlos Pena, .239, BA, .779 OPS, 20 homers, 51 RBIs? right-handed hitting outfielder Josh Willingham, .241 BA, .750 OPS, 13 homers, 50 RBIs?


Carlos Pena fits the needs of this team more.


12. Eliminating Carlos Beltran and Hunter Pence, which player would you most like to see the Pirates acquire for the stretch drive?


BJ Upton.  He is young, aggressive and fits the mold of Hurdle's style of Baseball. He could play here for a few seasons.  He has pop and speed.  Might take something to get him, but he is very, very intriguing.  Doubt to see him in Pittsburgh though.  If they pursued Ryan Ludwick I would also be happy.  He has 62 RBI's and would give this lineup another threat.  Very attainable.

13. In the final 62 games, how many home runs will Pedro Alvarez hit?


He is capable of getting red hot and striking for 14 or so.  Will he?  No.  I see 7-8, and hopefully 30 + RBI's come with those Homers.  He is supposed to one of the team's best power producers, and they made it to First Place basically without him.


14. Which reliever should be used as the eighth inning setup man: Jose Veras, Chris Resop, Daniel McCutchen, Joe Beimel?


I prefer Resop.  He has pitched out some key situations.  His Fastball touches mid 90's, and has done an overall great job this year. This whole Bullpen has, and these other guys are also qualified.  

National TV, First Place, Trade Deadline Buyers? What?!

Couple of random thoughts as we enter the biggest week for Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball in well, forever.

-The Pittsburgh Pirates will make their debut on ESPN for the season, and for the first time since Sunday Night Baseball in 2002.  Never in their wildest dreams could anyone imagine a spot on ESPN in late July.  Baseball Tonight personalities, SportsCenter anchors, and National reporters have really taken a fondness to this team. I do not believe any of them think this team can win this year, but it is fun to see them still in it week after week, and be the lead of Baseball Tonight more often than not.   

-99 Games into the season.  52-47, 3 way tie for First Place in the National League Central.   If the Pirates played in almost any other division they would be in third place with that very same record.  Sure the Pirates are playing great, but the inconsistency of Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Cincinnati is also a big factor in this thing.  Playing a numbers game, first for the fan that believes the playoffs are out of the question.  The Bucs need 6 more wins to surpass last season's total.  The Pirates also need to win 30 of their next 63 to end the 18 year losing streak.  The Pirates remaining schedule includes-

1. Four games with Atlanta. 
2. Three with Philadelphia                                        
3. Three with San Francisco
4. Ten with Milwaukee
5. Ten with St. Louis
6. Six with Cincinnati
7. Three with Arizona

That is 39 of the remaining 63 games against all of the contenders left in the National League. A big two months looms for this improbable First Place club beginning tonight in Atlanta.

-The Trade Deadline is less than a week away, and several approaches can be taken.

1. Neal Huntington can take a minimal approach and maybe add a Reliever, and stand pat on offense.  Pedro Alvarez is tearing up in AAA.  And despite the naysayers on this guy, he is still the key piece to this franchise.  He is the centerpiece and this team this year needs him, and the team needs him for many years to come.  Huntington may have to hope that him, Tabata, and Doumit will provide enough offensive spark for the team.  At this point watching d'Arnaud and Wood playing  Third Base is getting harder and harder everyday.  Presley is joining the army of the wounded, and by no means are Pearce, Paul, and Diaz better than Tabata.   Doumit is an often injured guy with a good bat, will upgrade over Eric Fryer, and maybe take some of Overbay's at bats.
2. The Pirates can go out and make a small upgrade, or even a less sexy upgrade.  Ryan Ludwick would be a welcomed addition. Carlos Pena, Josh Willingham, and a player of that nature could also help. Yeah they can help, and may be  enough to help this team.  But at the end of the day, not one of those guys makes Pittsburgh better than the other three teams in the NL Cental.                                           

        Ryan Ludwick is batting .243 with 11 HR's and 61 RBI's. Respectable addition.                                     

       Josh Willingham is batting .241 with 13 HR's and 50 RBI's. Average addition.                              

       Carlos Pena is batting .221 with 20 HR's and 51 RBI's.  Not Bad addition                                                 

3.  The Pirates can go out and make a splash. They go after Hunter Pence, Carlos Beltran ect... The more I hear, people seem against that.  I am not sure why.  People do not want to mess with the future.  Hello?  This IS the future. This team is anchored by two players under the age of 25, in Walker and McCutchen.  Two other guys that are younger are supposed to be doing the same in Tabata and Alvarez.  I would say those four, along with Taillon and Heredia in A ball are the only "untouchable pieces" in the entire organization.  If the deal breaker was Jose Tabata, I'd even let him go.  Stetson Allie, yeah he would be in a package deal if it meant making this team better.  Why wait? They have caught lightning in a bottle this season.  This team is in First on July 25.  The Minors have been built up for this very reason, to add to the Major League club.  People will argue this team has chemistry, and not to mess with chemistry, fact is this team is 25th in the league in Runs Scored, and 23rd in Batting Average. That is not very good, especially in this division.  The Reds and Brewers can smack the ball around.   Hunter Pence can make this team competitive with their lineups, and Beltran helps sure things up as well.  One of those guys will make a world of difference, and they are not the same price.   Beltran will be cheaper, and Mets will eat contract and he is only a Pirate for August and September and playoffs if he leads the team that far.   Pence would be a lot more expensive, but you get to have him play alongside McCutchen for two more seasons, and have him as trade bait in a couple seasons as well.

Either way the Pirates will be playing against the two best teams in the League in the next seven days.  The Pirates pitching will have to be really good to compete with the pitching they will face.  The offense can not score 2-3 runs and win games.  Aggressive base running, timely hitting, and a trade happening sooner rather than later can be the difference in the week. But the Bucs are in First entering the week of the Trade Deadline,  Isn't this fun?

Let's Make a Deal, but seriously.

I think through this whole 18 years of misery, Pittsburgh has been a closet "baseball town."  It is hard to show the true passion, or even show your own face wearing a Pirates t shirt during the past decade and change.  The Pirates brought shame to this very proud sports driven area. Well it is funny how a few wins over .500 can make any town into a "Baseball town."  But the way this team is playing has done just that. Pirates fever has spread and will only keep spreading if this month finishes up well.  There is no reason in the world to not believe the Pirates will come out and do what they've been doing.  They have taken down the mighty Red Sox and Phillies, and played with the other best teams in the National league thus far.  They seem unfazed and loose and the most noticeable thing is, they believe they can win any game. The fans behind this team have the same belief, nobody is turning games off after the Bucs go down 3-0 after the fourth, because certainly Neil Walker can come up with another timely two out hit, or Andrew McCutchen can hit the ball in the gap and run for days, and even one of the twenty rookies this team seems to have will get the base hit when needed. A team playing with confidence is a dangerous thing for the opposition, and that is just what is happening in Pittsburgh. And this is turning into the Summer to remember in Pittsburgh. The start of Steelers' training camp is the last thing on everyone's mind, and for an avid Baseball guy, and a casual NFL fan that brings a smile to my face.  Pirates baseball is the number one game in town, and it seems more and more people are willing to admit they are Pirates fans again.

      This all brings me to the point of it all. The Pirates are undeniably the least talented team in the four team race brewing in the National League Central. With that said, The Pirates need to make an upgrade, or an attempt at an upgrade, for several reasons.  The first being the fans are finally starting to believe in this team, and more importantly this management group.  They can not miss this opportunity to make a good impression on the fan base. Also have the Pirates really turned this whole thing around?  Or this may just be some sort of freak thing happening right now, whatever it is winning has not been an option around here too much lately.  This is something you have to pounce on and give it all you got.  Stretch out Pirates fever as long as possible. And the last reason is, forgetting all things Pittsburgh, this is a team that is a half game out of first on July18, any other team in their right mind would be adding too. These are all no brainer reasons to improve the Pirates where they stand right now.  

        The pitching has been absolutely out of this world. Never in a million years could anyone imagine Jeff Karstens(expect for my buddy Freeman, had to throw it in) and Charlie Morton  anchoring a top flight pitching staff, but it is happening. Maholm and Correia have been great, and McDonald has been, well alright.  Is this where Pittsburgh makes its upgrade?  Starting pitching, in my opinion, is the only reason why this team is competing. But with that said, it is coming from an unlikely bunch.  Who is to say they do not revert back to the level that they pitched at during their whole career? There are no guarantees in baseball, and I could see something of that nature happening for a few of these guys.  So maybe make a deal for a Pitcher to sure things up?  How about Ubaldo Jimenez? He currently sits with a 5-8 record, 4.08 ERA and 99 strikeouts, but has a whip of only 1.31 and let us not forget he plays for a non contending team and that always hurt stats, not to mention having his home park being Coors Field.  So he would certainly make a huge splash, he did have 19 wins a year ago.  Thats something to keep an eye on especially since Colorado does seem like they would be willing to trade him.  Houston has Wandy Rodriguez, who is the middle of his third straight solid season.  He's 32, and would definitely add another veteran presence. He is 6-6 with a 3.67 ERA,1.37 WHIP and 93 strikeouts(including 17 strikeouts his past two outings against the Bucs) .  It is all a matter of what you have to give up for these guys. The Pirates farm system seems much stronger in the lower classes rather than AAA, and AA. But the Bucs do have intriguing pieces abound.  Starling Marte is one of the top Outfield prospects in all of Baseball, but do they really want to trade him? They have four potential top line starters in A right now, with Jameson Taillion, Luis Heredia, Stetson Allie, and Colton Cain along with first round pick, Gerrit Cole.  Stetson Allie or Colton Cain seem like the most expendable in that group, do they part with them? Huntingdon has done a great job of building up this depth, I think its worth giving up some prospects to improve this years team.  Do they upgrade the offense rather than sure up the staff?  I would be in favor of it, if the guy is an All Star. I would not trade for someone and pray he is better than Lyle Overbay.  Carlos Pena and Derek Lee do not really get me excited, same with Josh Willingham and Connor Jackson.  Guys like Ryan Ludwick, Carlos Beltran, and Hunter Pence?  

 Yeah I'm very much excited.  There are a few ways this can be approached, they can add a guy like Pena and bench Overbay and pray that is the answer, they can stand put on offense and hope Presley is as good as he has been playing, and Tabata and Alvarez come back and provide enough of a spark. And they can go out and be aggressive and try for Carlos Beltran.  An outfield of McCutchen, Beltran, and Tabata is something to be reckoned with. Either way, people need to understand that to get something, something has to be given up.  And for once, Pittsburgh will get the better end of the deal more than likely and not get 30 prospects that never work out.  I am in complete favor of getting guys like Beltran and Jimenez, not Willingham or Derek Lee.  They do not have to make a deal for the sake of doing it. If you are going to be a "buyer", be a buyer in the sense of how the Yankees and Red Sox would be and go out and get a guy that will significantly improve the team, not a guy that you hope might give it a spark.

All Star Break Power Rankings

1. Phillies (PrevRank-1) (57-34) - The Phills support the most wins at the All Star break, and for good reason.  They have a rotation full of aces and the seasoned offense is producing enough runs to win games. They seem like the National League's team to beat, but there is a lot of baseball yet to be played.
2. Red Sox (PR-3) (55-35) - Boston is red hot of late, winning 9 of 10.  They have climbed into the lead in almost every team offensive category. They support five players with at least 44 rbi's.  Adrian Gonzalez looks like one of the best offseason acquisitions in years, holding 2 of the 3 Triple Crown categories.
3. Yankees (PR-2) (53-35) - Yankee icon, Derek Jeter finally reaches the 3,000 hit club.  Hard to imagine he is the only Yankee ever to reach that milestone.  Not the Jeter of old, but he still is contributing to this dominant offense. Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira each have 25 Home Runs.
4.  Braves (PR-4) (54-38) - Atlanta has been red hot lately and have been putting pressure on division leader, Philadelphia.  While the AL East's race is about offense, the NL East is all about pitching.  Atlanta's staff has been incredible up to the break.
5. Giants (PR-5) (52-40) - The Giants seem like the biggest contender to add something in the future Trade deadline. Their pitching is great as always but the offense looks lost without Buster Posey. San Francisco has a team that can certainly win the West division, but needs a bat to win the National League.
6. Rangers (PR-7) (51-41) - The Rangers are in the midst of a seven game winning streak, but its hard to forget the tragedy that happened this past weekend. I hope Josh Hamilton can get over this, this guy has gone through so much.
7. Tigers (PR-11) (49-43) - The Tigers sit 6 games above .500 and yet have a -8 run differential. Their offense has some big bats, but is very top heavy. They need to add some role guys and some speed to help them hold off fading Cleveland, and surging Chicago.
8. Angels (PR-14)  (50-42) -  The Angels have been hot, they have won 8 of 10. The offense this year has been solid, but nothing special.  But the pitching is great. Jared Weaver will take the mound for the American league All Stars as the starter as he is enjoying the best year in his career.
9. Brewers (PR-8) (49-43) - Milwaukee is tied atop the wild and open NL Central.  The past has shown that the Brewers will play for the season at hand and upgrade their current roster.  This is definitely Fielder's last season in Milwaukee, and the Brewers are going to ride him out.
10. Rays (PR-6) (49-41) - It is really tough for a team like Tampa, they would lead almost every other division in Baseball, but find themselves in third.  It is going to be an uphill battle all year long, I think they need to add some pieces if they are seriously going to contend for a playoff bid.
11. Diamondbacks (PR-12) (49-43) - Arizona has been quite a surprise this season. Nobody saw them being ahead of Colorado, but they are scoring runs without a key big bat in the middle.  I like their aggressive play and I can see them being a thorn in the Giants' side.
12. Cardinals (PR-10) (49-43) - St. Louis got a boost by Pujols' early arrival. But they are still in the midst of the tightest division in Baseball. The Cardinals definitely need to add some arms for the stretch run.  But if not, it wouldn't be the first time a La Rusa team wins with some improbable guys.
13. Indians (PR-9) (47-42) - The Tribe had somewhat of a June swoon, and it has carried into July.  The great start is the only thing saving this team right now, Chicago and Minnesota are starting to play better, and Detroit seems like the class of the division.  Cleveland needs to add a bat to hold Choo's place.
14. Pirates (PR-13) (47-43) - Pittsburgh is above .500, in a division race, and has three All Stars.  By far the best first half in years for Pittsburgh.  Don't see Pittsburgh being big players in the trade market, they have good organizational depth and will be getting some injured players back.
15. Mets (PR-16) (46-45) - Hard to imagine the Mets are above .500 with all the injuries they have sustained. I don't project the Mets being able to overcome the Braves or Phillies, unless something dramatic happens.  Reyes may be on the DL for the trade deadline, but Beltran may bring in a good haul for New York.
16. Reds (PR-15) (45-47) - Cincinnati has one of the best offenses in the league, but still can't seem to win enough.  They've sent some key players down and are giving other guys looks, trying to spark something, anything.
17. White Sox (PR-17) (44-48) - The Sox enter the break losing 3 of 4 crucial games to Minnesota, those were big games and they could have made up some ground on Cleveland.  Still the turnaround from the beginning of the year until now is quite impressive.
18. Blue Jays (PR-19) (45-47) -Toronto is playing good baseball, just a tough division to make up ground.  In the future it would be cool to see Bautista play on a winning team in Canada. Maybe the Jays will catch on with the rest of the AL East and go sign somebody.
19. Nationals (PR-18) (46-46) - Washington is not a team of the present, but hold one of the brightest futures.  Danny Espinosa has been outstanding this year, proving to be one of the best Second Basemen in Baseball.
20. Mariners (PR-21) (43-48) - Seattle has shown improvement from last season but still has a way to go.  They sit in last in all offensive categories, but things are definitely better than anticipated this season.
21. Rockies (PR-20) (43-48) - Colorado is a tough team to figure, but the pitching wasn't what it was last season. So do they become sellers, or hold out and see if Tulowitzki can carry them into the postseason?   I suspect the former.
22. Marlins (PR-29) (43-48) - Well the old man knows his stuff, Florida is playing better baseball with Jack McKeon.  The Fish are riding a 5 game winning streak, still way too far back to make any sort of postseason noise though.
23. Twins (PR-25) (41-48) - Minnesota has been playing well towards the end of the first half, Maurer is back and is still hitting.  Hey this Central Division is wide open, and the Twins have been known to make runs. Maybe something can happen.
24. Dodgers (PR-27) (41-51) - The Dodgers are in the midst of ownership trouble, and they also happen to be sellers in the trade market, not a good thing at all.
25. Athletics (PR-22) (39-53) - Oakland is seemingly wasting the terrific pitching they've received this season.  I don't see them being able to unseat any teams ahead of them with the offense they have.
26. Padres (PR-23) (40-52) - San Diego is another team that has great pitching but no offense. They are too far back in the standings to make a move.
27. Royals (PR-28) (37-54) - Kansas City has seen their season go way down from the great start. They are young and have a bright future, but things are bleak this year.
28. Orioles (PR-26) (36-52) - Its hard to imagine Baltimore ever being a factor in the AL East, but they have set up with some young pitching, and have money to spend in the offseason. Maybe their time is coming
29. Cubs (PR-24) (37-55) - The Cubs have some decisions to make in the near future, Aramis Ramirez and Carlos Pena could bring in some nice returns, and help set the tone for the future, because this year is shot.
30. Astros (PR-30) (30-62) - Well the worst record in Baseball will get you here. Tough time to be an Astros fan, I don't think they should be too eager to run to the American League like Nolan Ryan wants.


All Star Break Cy Young
American League-CC Sabathia  13-4  2.72 ERA  126 Strikeouts
National League- Jair Jurrjens   12-3 1.87 ERA  65 Strikeouts

All Star Break MVP
American League-Adrian Gonzalez .354 17 HR  77 RBI
National League- Prince Fielder .287 22 HR 72 RBI

Baseball Power Rankings July 4

1. Phillies (53-32)-The Phillies haven't left the top 5 much at all this season. The pitching of Lee and Halladay has been outstanding, and Chase Utley is starting to heat up.  They have the best team in the league hands down when healthy, and they have been showing it lately.

2. Yankees (50-32)- The Bombers have been red hot of late, winning 11 of their past 14.  The offense is second in the league in runs, and have 6 guys with double digit home run totals before the All Star break.

3. Red Sox (49-34)-The Sox started to heat up in the month of June, and it was on the back of Adrian Gonzalez.  He has been incredible to this point.  Already racked up 74 RBI's, oh yeah Carl Crawford has been injured. 

4. Braves (49-36)- Atlanta has been playing near flawless Baseball recently and still find themselves four games out of first.  How about Jair Jurrjens?  He has been nearly unhittable, quietly having a dominating season.

5. Giants (36-45)- The Giants, like always, rest their laurels with pitching.  All 5 starters possess an Earned Run Average of less than 4.  Quite impressive, especially out of journeyman Ryan Vogelsong.

6. Rays (47-37)- Tough life in the AL East, 10 games over .500 and stuck in third place. Matt Joyce has been a pleasant surprise with his bat, batting over .300.

7. Rangers (44-40)-The Texas lineup is as scary as they come, Cruz,Hamilton,Young and Beltre is a lethal middle of the lineup.  Will they make a "Cliff Lee type" trade this season?  They may need another arm.

8. Brewers (45-40)- The Brewers find themselves in a tie for the lead in the wide open NL Central, They survived a brutal June schedule, and end up with 3 starters in the All Star game,impressive. 

9. Indians (44-38)- Cleveland's comfortable division lead has all but withered away, and they lose Shin-Soo Choo for perhaps this season. They might not be able to hold of the Tigers much longer.

10. Cardinals (45-40)- St. Louis has been able to stay in the Central without slugger Albert Pujols,thanks in large part to Lance Berkman.  He appeared to be going towards to down slope of his career to starter in the All State Game, incredible season by the veteran. 

11. Tigers (45-40)- Justin Verlander may have established himself as the best pitcher in Baseball this season. He is having a tremendous season with 11 wins and a 2.32 ERA, its the rest of the Detroit staff that has causes for concern.  26th in the league in Team ERA.

12. Diamondbacks (45-40)- Arizona has been quite a surprise in the NL West this season,the offense has been great and Justin Upton is having his best season to date.

13. Pirates (43-41)- A winning first half is a big deal in Pittsburgh, and pitching and Clint Hurdle are the main reasons why.  Andrew McCutchen is having a really nice season, the biggest All Stat snub out there.

14. Angels (44-41)-The veteran Angels have become the more popular team in the City of Angels, Jared Weaver has put together a great season as the ace, but the team does lack a power bat in the heart of the order, expect a move in the upcoming month,
15. Reds (43-32)-The Reds have as strong as an offense as they come, but they still are only one game over .500. Tough to figure out, but the Central is an open race, seems like anything can happen.
16. Mets (42-42)-The Mets have played alright ball despite all the injuries plaguing them. Jose Reyes as proven himself to be one of the best players in the game today, interesting to see where he will be playing next year, or next month even.
17. White Sox (42-43)- After the slow start to the year, the Sox got things going in June and find themselves in the Central race.  Konerko is having a great year.
18. Nationals (42-43)-The Nats unexpectedly have a new manager and they have been playing good ball.  Definitely a team of the future, as making the playoffs this year is very unrealistic in the East Division.
19. Blue Jays (41-44)-You have to believe if this team did not play in the AL East, they would be near a division lead.  Jose Bautista has been playing on a level of his own this season. He will get loads of MVP consideration.
20. Rockies (41-43)-The pitching just isn't the same as it was last year, but the Rockies found themselves in a similar position last year and went on a big run to close the year. With a guy like Tulowitzki in the lineup, anything is possible.
21. Mariners (41-43)- Seattle is only 2.5 games back and possess some young talent rivaled by few in the league. Pineda and Hernandez are two of the best young pitchers out there, and Dustin Ackley is a 23 year old Second Basemen that can play.
22. Athletics (38-47)-The A's still struggle with offense and have solid pitching, but Jemile Weeks looks like a player they can build around on offense. The young second basemen has given this team a spark.
23. Padres (38-47)- The Padres have won 8 of 11 and are playing good ball, but still have a long climb towards contention.  The offense only has to look at Adrian Gonzalzez's numbers in Boston and wonder what if?
24. Cubs (35-50)- The Cubbies look like sellers this season.  They appear to have found their middle infield of the future, and they need to start building around Barney and Castro.
25.Twins (36-46)- The Twins are a lot better off than they were a month ago. They still probably can't contend this year, but stranger things have happened.
26. Orioles (36-45)- The O's have been losing a lot more then winning lately, they had such a promising start and Showalter has things going in the right direction, just need some pitching.
27. Dodgers (37-48)- The proud Dodger franchise is looking day these days, and no doubt the troubles may have affected the team's play.  Someone needs to take charge, its getting embarrassing.
28. Royals (34-50)-The Royals had a dreadful June, and pitching is the cause of the problems. The offense looks promising for years to come.
29. Marlins (38-46)- The Fish have had a forgettable June. With the lengthy losing streak, and the manager switch. Its plain and simple, Hanley Ramirez has struggled and the Marlins take the lead of their star player.
30. Astros (29-56)- Houston we have a problem!  The Astros have the worst record in Baseball, and just seem like they can;t finish games. But Hunter Pence is one of the best in the league.



The roughly Midseason Cy Youngs
American League- Justin Verlander    11-3       2.32 ERA   130 K's
National League-Roy Halladay          11-3       2.44 ERA    131 K's


The roughly Midseason MVP
American League-Adrian Gonzalez    .350   16 HR's   74 RBI's


National League-Jose Reyes  .354  15 Triples  32 RBIS's  65 Runs 30 Stolen Bases