Sports Blog

N.L. EAST
1. Philadelphia 48 - 38
2. Florida 46 - 44
3. Atlanta 43 - 45
4. NY Mets 42 - 45
5. Washington 26 - 61

Supposedly, one of the strongest divisions going into the season, the N.L. East has been a big disappointment.  Philadelphia coming off a championship season has had a potent offense but have struggled to find consistent pitching.  Look for them to make a big deal at the trade deadline, possibly Roy Holliday, to further separate themselves from the rest of the division.  The Mets have been loaded with injuries and have been forced to play with many people out of position.  Good news could be on the way, however, because Jose Reyes and Carlos Delgado might be back to start the second half of the season.  That will give them a chance to compete for the division in the second half.  Florida has been solid all season but the question is: will management make a move to help them seriously compete for the division?   It doesn’t look like it going to happen.  Atlanta’s close too but I don’t see them staying there in the second half.

Predicted Finish: Philadelphia, NY Mets, Florida, Atlanta, Washington

N.L. CENTRAL
1. St. Louis 49 - 42
2. Milwaukee 45 - 43
3. Chicago 43 - 43
4. Houston 44 - 44
5. Cincinnati 42 - 45
6. Pittsburgh 38 - 50

St. Louis has been the class of the division, with Albert Pujols, for the first half.  Its been sort of a surprise that they have been this good.  They are going to have to keep playing good baseball if they want to stay in first because four other teams are within striking distance to start the second half.  Milwaukee and the disappointing Cubs have the best shot at catching them for the division and could make a big deal to put them ahead in the race.  I think it will be a fun race to watch with the second place team possibly winning the Wild Card.  Houston and Cincinnati are close but a bad start to the second half could make them both sellers at the trade deadline.

Predicted Finish: Chicago, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, Houston, Pittsburgh

N.L. WEST
1. LA Dodgers 56 - 32
2. San Francisco 49 - 39
3. Colorado 47 - 41
4. Arizona 38 - 51
5. San Diego 36 - 52

The Dodgers have been the best team in baseball, with or without Manny Ramirez, for the first half.  Good news is that they will have Manny for the whole second half.  Their pitching has been surprisingly solid so far, as it was looked upon as a weakness to start the season.  If they keep playing the way they are, the second place team in the division can only hope for the Wild Card.  Speaking of the Wild Card, San Francisco and Colorado are first in second in that race at the break.  San Francisco’s pitching has been unbelievable and they are a bat away from becoming a very dangerous team for the playoffs.  Colorado has a solid all around team that is capable of going on long wining streaks.  It will be a fun race till the end.

Predicted Finish: LA Dodgers, San Francisco(Wild Card), Colorado, Arizona, San Diego

Image Source: AP Photo

Over the past few seasons, a super hyped prospect has been brought up mid-season and had a huge impact on Fantasy Baseball.   Ryan Braun and Evan Longoria are two names that should jump right out right away.  This year there are several prospects that have a potential to make that same kind of impact. Their respective teams are handing over a starting position to them in efforts to see what they can do.  So ready or not, they are getting the chance to prove themselves.

You’re Probably Already Too Late:

1. David Price SP, Tampa Bay Rays

Price has been a known commodity in baseball for two years now.  His stuff is absolutely nasty and he established himself in last years playoffs as the real deal.  The only reason he was not brought up to the majors at the beginning of the season was because the Rays wanted to keep him from quickly reaching his arbitration years. (The same thing they did with Evan Longoria last year)   The only thing bad about Price is that he will have his pitch count monitored very closely to avoid an injury.  So you wont really see him pitching to deep in games. I n his 9 IP this season, he has 17K’s.  That’s unbelievable!  His first week line: (1 W, 9 IP, 17 K, 7 BB, 1.78 WHIP, 3.00 ERA, .243 BAA)

2. Matt Wieters C, Baltimore Orioles

Wieters probably had the most hype then any prospect coming into this year.   He’s a switch hitting catcher that can hit for average and power.  That’s fantasy gold!  Like Price he had to wait for a mid-season call up for the same reason, future money.  By the time he was brought up last week the hype and expectations had gotten so large that Orioles fans gave him a standing ovation on his first AB.  Talk about pressure!  Needless to say, he has not lived up to the hype so far.   In 21 AB’s he has 3 hits, good for a .143 AVG.  The potential is still there, just reaching it with all the pressure the fans are putting on him will be hard.  His first week line: ( .143 AVG, 1 R, 3 H, 0 HR, 1 3B, 1 2B, 1 BB, 5 K)

Get Them Quickly, While They Last:

1. Tommy Hanson SP, Atlanta Braves

Hanson is a power pitcher who has been dominating Triple-A batters this year (1.49 ERA, 90 K’s in 66.1 IP).   The Braves made room for him in the starting rotation by cutting future Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Glavine.  His first start will come this Saturday against the Brewers.   Pick him up now and reap the benefits he can provide for the rest of the season.

2. Andrew McCutchen OF, Pittsburgh Pirates

McCutchen has been tearing up Triple-A and the Pirates think so highly of him that they traded away all-star Nate McLouth to make room for him in the Majors.  Though his power potential is not there yet he has legitimate speed to steal bases, score runs and hit for average.  In his debut yesterday he only went 2-for-4 with three runs scored, one RBI, one walk and one stolen base.  Not too bad! Pick him up while you still can.

3. Gordon Beckham SS, Chicago White Sox

Also tearing up the minors, Beckham got the call up this week to get a chance to prove himself on the major league level.  He was the 8th overall pick in only last years draft, so he’s gotten to the show quick.  He has shown that he is a pure hitter and should put up some decent numbers given the chance.   The only question is where he will be playing.  Is it 3b, 2b, or ss?   Pick him up cause they’ll find a spot for him!

Image Source: Yahoo! Sports

Smell that? That’s nostalgia in the air.

Ken Griffey Jr. has decided to reject the offer from the Atlanta Braves to return where he started it all. In Seattle.

Griffey has signed a one-year deal with the Seattle Mariners for $2 million, with more money to be in earned in incentive bonuses and attendances. Griffey would platoon in left field and could also serve as a designated hitter. Something he couldn’t do in Atlanta since they play in the National League.

Lets hope that Griffey’s second tour in Seattle will bring back the home runs and excitement, rather than pulled hamstrings and broken wrists.

Source.

Photo Source.

This week in sports blogs and news:

• Ryan Howard is officially cool: Rolls to a party with Snoop Dogg - Deadspin
• Atlanta will do anything to bring fans into the seats. Even Bribery - Sports by Brooks
• Hideo Nomo retires - Sports Illustrated
• Brady Quinn’s photo end up on an unlikely website - Larry Brown Sports
• Top 7 Fantasy to Real Life Baseball Discrepancies - Joe Sports Fan
  
• Get your New York Yankees update with the Yankees Chick
• The Sports Hernia tries to explain what’s wrong with Ryan Braun - The Sports Hernia

This week on the Smarter Sports Blog we covered:

• “Why is this fun again?!”
• Darth Vader Always Gets His Way. Even in Golf
• Who in the World is Josh Hamilton?
• Rampage Jackson Leads Police on a Chase. Arrested in California
• Clippers Steal Marcus Camby from the Nuggets

The second time was the charm, as the New York Mets’ Tom Glavine pitched 6 1-3 innings to get career win No. 300.

Glavine became the 23rd pitcher in Major League Baseball history to join the 300-win club in the 8-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

The win was only his 57th in a Mets uniform, as the other 243 came when he was with the Atlanta Braves.

Photo Source.

Mark Teixeira must have really wanted to get out of Texas.

According to the Star-Telegram, Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks said that they had offered the first baseman an eight-year, $140 million contract, but he turned it down. The new extension would have made him the fourth highest player in the league.

OK, there are only a few explanations why Teixeira would turn down a contract of this magnitude.

1. He really wants to play for a contender. Although this is heartwarming and may be true, the Atlanta Braves aren’t necessarily a lock to make the playoffs, although they did increase their chances with the addition of him and Octavio Dotel. They are an even stronger contender now to get the Wild Card.

2. He wants more money. His agent is Scott Boras, so this one is most likely true. Boras is known for testing his players’ value on the open market and he always weasels some owner to pay up more for what a player is worth.

The Rangers were probably wise to let Teixeira go. They acquired some good young talent for the future and they don’t have to put up with a hefty new contract to a player who doesn’t deserve to get that much. Yes, he puts up 30-plus, 100 RBI a year the past few seasons, but he doesn’t stand out above the rest. He’s not even the best at his own position.

Let alone the fourth best in the majors.

Source: Star-Telegram