Post by dustdevil28 on Jul 12, 2005 0:57:15 GMT -8
Well the first half has come and gone in '05 and here's where we'd be if the playoffs started today.
For the NL the Padres, Cardnals, and Nationals would be division champs with the Braves getting in as a wild card.
Take a look at that for a second. One team didn't exist until this season and before that they were known as the lowly Montreal Expos, another team is more known for having their piching staff embarrased by Barry Bonds than posting winning records. Than you have the Braves as a wildcard? This is a team that has won 13 consecutive division tittles and are trailing the former Expos currently.
All and all the Nationals have played exceptional. The amount of production their getting from pitcher Livan Hernandez is great after his career was left for dead years ago. Jose Guillen has proven to be a great off-season aquisition and Brad Wilkerson is continuing to post good numbers so I believe they'll give the Braves a run for, but the Braves will get healthier and push their way past the Nats for tittle No. 14.
The Cards are about 10 games above the Cubs so baring a complete collapse they'll win their division,
The Pads are very interesting. Of all the division leaders in both the AL and NL, the Pads have the worst record, yet are up 5.5 games on the Diamondbacks. Jake Peavy is doing well enough to go to the All-star Game. Adam Eaton was producing until he recently got injured, but despite this, nobody can overcome the lackluster Pads. I'd expect more of the same as the Pads will go to the playoffs and meet a early Exit
.
In the AL we have the Angles, White Sox, and Red Sox leading their divisons, with the Twins as the wild card. Now the thing you may notice here is that the Yankees are not leading, nor are they even a wild card.
Don't be too discouraged though if your a Yankee fan. They are only 2.5 games back with a whole half of baseball left. I wouldn't put it too far ahead of the highest paid team in baseball to make a push here in the second half. It's too close to call for me, but if I had to pick I'd say the Yankees will overtake the Red Sox and win the divison.
Like the Cards, the White Sox have about a 10 game lead on the Twins, as well as the best record in baseball, so I'd say their pretty much a lock to win the division.
The Angles have been playing absolutly lights out. John Lackey and Bartolo Colon are leading a impressive pitching staff while Vlad Guererro and Garret Anderson lead the team on the offensive side. The Rangers are about 5 games back and the A's are 7 games back. I don't see the Rangers making the push unless they can beat the Angles for on thing (they got spanked 7 out of 9 games against them a mounth ago) and they need to beat other teams that matter. The A's have be born again since Bobby Crosby came back from injury as well as outstanding rookie Nick Swisher and pitching ace Rich Harden. They tied for the best record in June when these three came back and took 5 out of 6 from the best team in baseball (White Sox) so it's in the realm of possibilty for the A's to make a run, but the Angles have to slide as well. Give the tittle to the Angles with a possible Wild card run by the A's.
Anybody else have any views
For the NL the Padres, Cardnals, and Nationals would be division champs with the Braves getting in as a wild card.
Take a look at that for a second. One team didn't exist until this season and before that they were known as the lowly Montreal Expos, another team is more known for having their piching staff embarrased by Barry Bonds than posting winning records. Than you have the Braves as a wildcard? This is a team that has won 13 consecutive division tittles and are trailing the former Expos currently.
All and all the Nationals have played exceptional. The amount of production their getting from pitcher Livan Hernandez is great after his career was left for dead years ago. Jose Guillen has proven to be a great off-season aquisition and Brad Wilkerson is continuing to post good numbers so I believe they'll give the Braves a run for, but the Braves will get healthier and push their way past the Nats for tittle No. 14.
The Cards are about 10 games above the Cubs so baring a complete collapse they'll win their division,
The Pads are very interesting. Of all the division leaders in both the AL and NL, the Pads have the worst record, yet are up 5.5 games on the Diamondbacks. Jake Peavy is doing well enough to go to the All-star Game. Adam Eaton was producing until he recently got injured, but despite this, nobody can overcome the lackluster Pads. I'd expect more of the same as the Pads will go to the playoffs and meet a early Exit
.In the AL we have the Angles, White Sox, and Red Sox leading their divisons, with the Twins as the wild card. Now the thing you may notice here is that the Yankees are not leading, nor are they even a wild card.
Don't be too discouraged though if your a Yankee fan. They are only 2.5 games back with a whole half of baseball left. I wouldn't put it too far ahead of the highest paid team in baseball to make a push here in the second half. It's too close to call for me, but if I had to pick I'd say the Yankees will overtake the Red Sox and win the divison.
Like the Cards, the White Sox have about a 10 game lead on the Twins, as well as the best record in baseball, so I'd say their pretty much a lock to win the division.
The Angles have been playing absolutly lights out. John Lackey and Bartolo Colon are leading a impressive pitching staff while Vlad Guererro and Garret Anderson lead the team on the offensive side. The Rangers are about 5 games back and the A's are 7 games back. I don't see the Rangers making the push unless they can beat the Angles for on thing (they got spanked 7 out of 9 games against them a mounth ago) and they need to beat other teams that matter. The A's have be born again since Bobby Crosby came back from injury as well as outstanding rookie Nick Swisher and pitching ace Rich Harden. They tied for the best record in June when these three came back and took 5 out of 6 from the best team in baseball (White Sox) so it's in the realm of possibilty for the A's to make a run, but the Angles have to slide as well. Give the tittle to the Angles with a possible Wild card run by the A's.
Anybody else have any views
