This Week in Baseball

[Conspiracy_Victim]

The Cubs still have 11 games with the Astros, I believe. Likewise, St. Louis. If the Cubs can be bothered into putting together a good run and win these important games, they can get back in it. Or they can take themselves right back out. It hinges on Prior, Maddux, and Zambrano having good outings, Hollandsworth having his playing time drastically reduced in favor of Matt Murton or a new arrival, and the bullpen, the bullpen, the bullpen. Good gawd.

 

I mean, look at the team. It's not a bad team at all. Lee, Walker, Barrett, Burnitz, Ramirez are all highly capable of doing some excellent hitting. They're just not doing it at the right time: they're batting <.200 with runners in scoring position and it drives me up a wall. Also, Dusty Baker seems to not know when to run which style. The wind is blowing out and he's got everyone bunting, the wind is blowing in and they're swinging for the fences. Frustrating stuff. The potential is definitely there for this team to make the postseason, it's a matter of catching the teams they need to catch and playing...well I won't ask for smart baseball yet. We'll start with playing not-retarded baseball and take baby steps from there.

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Good reasoning, but why did you omit Houston from your race for the WC? One of, if not the, best top 3's in baseball, a speedy CF who has an arm, bats near .300, and only forgets how to catch the ball once in a while, and an offense that has been one of the best in the NL since their horrible start in the first 45 games of the season. Lance Berkman is healthy and knocking the ball all over the place, Biggio is on pace to set a career high in homers, and Ensberg basically carried our offense the first two months of the season. While I won't debate the fact that losing Kent, Bagwell and Beltran (playoffs Beltran, at least) hurt the team, they seem to be doing it in other ways.

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

For Houston to be third in the National League in runs allowed while playing in that ballpark is nothing short of astounding. They are a force to be reckoned with, and a legitimate World Series threat.

 

And CanadianChris, Brandon League will be a very good pitcher at some point. Give him time.

[sfaJack]

The thing about the Astros is that they are absolutley playing as well as they possibly can right now. The law of averages (and history) says that they'll even out over the final 60 games and slide back a bit.

 

Not that they still can't win the WC. I just don't think it's going to be the cakewalk everyone here is saying it will be.

[Fartsauce]

Al, I can see David Bush being a breakout star. He has great stuff and has proven a few times now that he can go the distance. He just has to maintain his composure on the mound at times.

[CanadianChris]

For Houston to be third in the National League in runs allowed while playing in that ballpark is nothing short of astounding.  They are a force to be reckoned with, and a legitimate World Series threat.

 

And CanadianChris, Brandon League will be a very good pitcher at some point.  Give him time.

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I'm sure he will, but I sure didn't want to see him enter the game at any point last night.

[megaadvice]

Any team with the pitching staff like Houston have got were always going to go on a run sometime during the season.

 

Looks more and more possible that the winner of the NL west will finish under .500, when was the last time this happened?

[Bored]

Never. It would have happened in the A.L. West in 1994 if it wasn't for the strike.

[The Czech Republic]

Cubs blow another lead in the late innings. This team is stupid.

[Bruiser Chong]

I need a gun, alcohol, and perhaps, some sort of cake.

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

Any team with the pitching staff like Houston have got were always going to go on a run sometime during the season.

 

Looks more and more possible that the winner of the NL west will finish under .500, when was the last time this happened?

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I highly doubt the winner of the National League West will own a record below .500. The unbalanced schedule makes such an occurance nearly impossible.

[The Czech Republic]

The Cubs. Why do they do this to me. Good win, though.

[strummer]

Cubs win it in the bottom of the 9th

[Vern Gagne]

Any team with the pitching staff like Houston have got were always going to go on a run sometime during the season.

 

Looks more and more possible that the winner of the NL west will finish under .500, when was the last time this happened?

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I highly doubt the winner of the National League West will own a record below .500. The unbalanced schedule makes such an occurance nearly impossible.

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Not .500 but it sure looks like it will be an 83-84 win team. I still think San Diego has the talent to at least make the NLCS. They get any sort of offense, and play with some heart it's a good team.

 

Couldn't agree with you more about Houston Al. Clemens, Pettite, and Oswalt are just the kind of pitchers who can carry a team to a title. I think last year Houston would of given Boston a much better series because they had two hard throwing aces in Clemens and Oswalt.

[Bruiser Chong]

Call off the gun and booze. I'll still have the cake, though. I forgot that their closer is awful. Watching Valverde dominate in the eighth, I wonder why he isn't their closer.

[Gert T]

If the Cards have any healthy starting everyday players left by October, I could see an NLCS re-match.

[The Czech Republic]

What was the NLCS last year?

[USC Wuz Robbed!]

Houston/St. Louis

[CanadianChris]

Chan Ho Park was pulled from his start tonight against Toronto. He appears to be about to be traded.

[Bruiser Chong]

Apparently it's a trade that'll send Park to San Diego and Nevin to the Rangers. Good move, Texas. Add an aging offensive player and trade away one of the few bright spots for your horrid pitching staff.

[Vern Gagne]

Getting about 7 runs a game of support does not mean he's been good.

[Guest TheDon]

3 Way Trade rumor. Mike Cameron to the Red Sox, Danny Baez and Manny to the Mets and prospects to the Devil Rays.

[Mik]

Man, the Devil Rays would make out like bandits there. Getting Yusmeiro Petit and Lastings Milledge for Danys Baez and Aubrey Huff! They can't win now, so why not trade for the prospects. Their team is going to be unreal with Delmon Young, BJ Upton...wow. I don't even think Chuckles Lamar can mess it up.

 

As for the trade, I hope it doesn't happen. Manny on the Mets is not a good thing for the rest of the NL East.

[Guest Brian]

So the Sox are going to give up Manny for Cameron, basically?

[Mik]

And Aubrey Huff, I think.

[The Czech Republic]

Houston/St. Louis

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I was joking, because nobody watched the NLCS.

[USC Wuz Robbed!]

Houston/St. Louis

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I was joking, because nobody watched the NLCS.

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Can you blame them? It was a foregone conclusion.

[Bruiser Chong]

Houston/St. Louis

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I was joking, because nobody watched the NLCS.

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Can you blame them? It was a foregone conclusion.

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Yeah, such a foregone conclusion that they had to play seven games to get a series winner.

[Mik]

Oh, man.

 

Ha.

[Precious Roy]

That would be an amazing trade for the Mets, and the BoSox might as well just hand over the AL East, so I'm all for it!

[Brett Favre]

Damn look at the possible Met lineup:

 

SS: Jose Reyes

3B: David Wright

CF: Carlos Beltran

RF: Manny Ramirez

LF: Cliff Floyd

C: Mike Piazza

 

After that, it doesn't matter. With Baez coming out of the bullpen, and a solid rotation, I wouldn't be surprised to see them win the NL East because their main problem has been scoring runs.

 

As for the Red Sox, last year it worked with Nomar, but Manny Ramirez scares the shit out of me at the plate. This trade would be like taking Sheffield out of the Yankee lineup. I wouldn't make it.