Look at that! An NL Central team won a playoff game!

When the Cardinals won the 2006 World Series, it was the last post season highlight for an NL Central Champion for a while.

The 2007 Cubs were swept by the Diamondbacks.
The 2008 Cubs were swept by the Dodgers.
The 2009 Cardinals were swept by the Dodgers.
The 2010 Reds were swept by the Phillies.

But the 2011 Brewers have put a big fat W on the board! (No offense Prince Fielder.)

Actually the Brewers are the only NL Central team to win a playoff game since 2006... they did so in 2008 as the Wild Card team against the eventual World Champion Phillies.

The AL Central hasn't fared well either.
Since the Indians took a 3-1 lead on the Red Sox in the 2007 ALCS, the AL Central has lost 13 out of 14 games.

The 2007 Indians lost its last 3 against the Red Sox.
The 2008 White Sox lost to the Rays in 4.
The 2009 and 2010 Twins were swept by the Yankees.
And the 2011 Tigers are down 0-1 to the Yankees.

You want to build up baseball interest in middle America?
Here's a tip.
Win a few games when they matter.

10 Reasons why the Milwaukee Brewers winning the 2011 World Series would be good for baseball

It's time to continue the Why Each Team's Potential World Championship Would Be Good For The Game series. The next entry? The Milwaukee Brewers.



On July 26th, the Brewers were in second place behind the Cardinals and just 1/2 a game ahead of the Pirates. 1 game separated 3 teams. And the Defending Division Champion Reds were a mere 5 games back.



The NL Central promised to be a dog fight to the end... that is until the Brewers starting winning.



Since that day, the Brew Crew is 27-8. No team in baseball has played better than Milwaukee since July 26th and their magic number is 16.

Playoff baseball is returning to Wisconsin. But why would an average baseball fan want to see the Brewers win?



Read on...

10 Reasons why the

Milwaukee Brewers

winning the 2011 World Series

would be good for baseball

1. Wisconsin fans would appreciate a "Multiple Championship" Decade



There's no doubt who the biggest team in Wisconsin is. The Defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers reign supreme. But it would be great for their fans to experience an embarrassment of riches. Places like New York, Boston, Detroit, Miami and Tampa Bay have experienced multiple titles in different sports last decade. Hell even Anaheim had a World Series and Stanley Cup champ close to each other. Why not in Wisconsin? You know it will be a great party.





2. Prince Fielder's defection would not be as harsh if he delivered a title to Milwaukee.



Prince Fielder is as good as gone. It wouldn't make sense for the Brewers to devote such a gigantic chunk of their payroll to a first baseman. And no doubt a team in need of a PR boost this off season will overpay for Mr. Fielder. But stars who depart without a ring leave their old city with unfinished business. Fielder can erase all that in October (and match his father with rings, making the most public Father and Son rivalry even more intriguing.

3. A World Championship would help make Ryan Braun a legit star.



Ryan Braun could very well win the NL MVP this year. And I have a feeling that if you said his name to most sports fans, they would say "Who?"



The former NL Rookie of the Year has put up 5 years of wonderful numbers and not a lot of fame to go along with it. Maybe shining on the national stage would change that.



How could America NOT embrace a power hitter named Braun?



4. It would simplify the question "How long have Brewers fans waited for a World Champion".



How long have Brewers fans waited for a World Champion? Well the Brewers have NEVER won a World Series... but the Braves have. Not the Atlanta Braves, even though THEY did as well. The Milwaukee Braves won in 1957. But have Brewers fans been waiting 54 years? What about the few years there was no team in Milwaukee? Do those count? It is very complicated. But if the Brewers win, it is cut and dry.





5. A Brewers title would mean a lot of Hall of Famers would be celebrated



For a team that has exactly one pennant to its credit, there would be no shortage of Cooperstown enshrined heroes to throw out the first pitch.



It helps matters that the 1982 pennant winners had four, count em, FOUR Future Hall of Famers. Paul Molitor, Robin Yount, Rollie Fingers and Don Sutton.



And some fellow named Hank Aaron finished his career as a Brewer and supposedly had some decent years in Milwaukee as a Brave. I'll have to look him up.





6. A Ron Roenicke led title could be traced back to Walter Alston



Bear with me.



Walter Alston, whose big league playing career consisted of one strikeout, worked his way up to the bigs as a manager. He became a World Champion and a Hall of Famer.



One of Alston's coaches was Tom Lasorda, who became a World Champion manager and a Hall of Famer.



One of Lasorda's players and coaches was Mike Scioscia. He became a World Championship manager and I believe is putting together a Hall of Fame caliber career.



One of Scioscia's coaches was Ron Roenicke. If he wins a World Series title, it bodes very well for for one of the coaches on his staff to pass on the Alston wisdom.





7. A THIRD unlikely championship for Craig Counsell would be amazing.



Counsell has bounced around between the Rockies, Marlins, Diamondbacks and Brewers. Hardly marquee big budgeted franchises. (He played 1/2 an unmemorable season with the Dodgers as well.) Yet he was a World Champion in 1997 with the Marlins and 2001 with the Diamondbacks (winning NLCS MVP honors.) 3 rings in three decades without being a Yankee or a Red Sox would be impressive.



If the Brewers are trailing in Game 7 of the World Series, look out for Counsell. Incredibly, he was a part of two Game 7 comebacks.



He hit the game tying sacrifice fly in the 9th inning of Game 7 of the 1997 World Series. In the 11th he would score the World Series winning run.



In Game 7 of the 2001 World Series, he was hit by a Mariano Rivera pitch in the 9th inning and was on base when Luis Gonzalez blooped his World Series winning single. If the Brewers are trailing in the 9th, they might send Counsell up just to see what happens.





8. National exposure to Miller Park rituals would be wonderful for the game.



Just imagine casual baseball fans seeing a Brewers game for the first time.



"Wait, they have a race with men dressed as sausages?"



"Explain to me why Bernie the Brewer goes down the slide from his chalet after each homer?"



There's no logical explanation for these rituals, which makes them being seen on National TV even better.





9. A Brewers championship would be a subtle middle finger to Bud Selig

Of course Bud Selig would be thrilled to see the Brewers win and I bet he would gleefully hand the World Series trophy to owner Mark Attanasio. But lest we forget all of those years Selig was owner of the Brewers and never won that trophy himself.



And remember he took part in the cabal that ousted Fay Vincent and put himself, the owner of a team, as "temporary commissioner" in 1992. Here we are 19 years later and he's still here.



In 1992 the Brewers had a terrific season. Then year in and year out for the rest of the time that the Seligs ran the Brewers, they had a losing season. And all the while, the refrain that came from Selig was that smaller market teams couldn't compete. Attanasio took over the team and in 2 years they were a .500 team. In 5 years they were a playoff team. Now they are a World Series contender.



Maybe Selig could have done that as owner, if he wasn't too guilty colluding.

10. How great would a Bob Uecker World Championship call be?



Seriously. Bob Uecker calling the final out of a Brewers title. Have a few beers in him and build up the excitement and I have a feeling it would be the phone ring of everyone in Wisconsin.



And you thought his "Jusssssst a bit outside" call in Major League was memorable. Imagine him happy with the World Series result!







So it looks like post season ball in the Dairy Land is going to happen again. I for one wish they went back to the "ball in glove" hat from the 1970s and 1980s. But guess what? I am thinking that Brewers fans won't be too picky about what hat their team wins in they win it all.



And that is a distinct possibility.

















If you liked this then go ahead and read the entries for the other teams.



CHICAGO WHITE SOX

CLEVELAND INDIANS

LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM

NEW YORK YANKEES

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

Albert Pujols will be a Dodger or a Met… and I predict a conspiracy theory

A bizarre and round about series of events and coincidences have made it clear to me that Albert Pujols will almost certainly not be a member of the St. Louis Cardinals next year.

Before Pujols files for free agency, two large market franchises will change ownership and be in position to bid for him, and I believe Bud Selig will be manipulating the whole thing to help preserve his legacy.

That’s right, I am predicting a conspiracy before there are any facts or events to back up my theory. I admit that is no easy trick. But I think I am on to something.

Follow me…

Bud Selig is retiring in 2012. With the steroid era evidently behind him and if baseball avoids a work stoppage (and the NFL and NBA have one) then he will be able to claim that he left the game clean and thriving with labor peace.

But there are four gigantic messes he needs to clean up before riding off into the sunset.

Two won’t be covered here, but I will mention them: The Rays and the A’s stadium disasters. Neither team can last in their current dumps and nor have a viable solution for survival, especially if the Giants can block the A’s move to San Jose. But that is another post.

The big BIG mess is the state of the Mets and Dodgers, two of the flagship franchises of the National League. According to USA Today, only the Yankees and Red Sox are worth more than the Dodgers and those teams plus the Cubs are the only ones worth more than the Mets.

I don’t think it is stretch to call New York and Los Angeles big markets. And guess what? They are both in financial chaos.

The Dodgers have been mismanaged to the point where MLB had to take the unprecedented steps of essentially removing the owner from power. (We’ll see if Frank McCourt surrenders the power of the team.)

And the Mets should be on notice. If the twisted finances of the McCourt divorce can make Selig and company take over the Dodgers, then being swindled by Bernie Madoff (and not being sure what they knew in advance) should be even a greater cause for MLB to step in and take the car keys away from the Wilpons.

In the very least, the Mets should be forced to sell.

So that would mean the Mets and Dodgers would have new ownership going into the 2012 season. And also have a disillusioned fan base, declining attendance and a natural division rival playing well (the Phillies for the Mets and the Giants for the Dodgers.)

Whomever is going to run the Mets and the Dodgers will need to assure their paying customers (and TV viewers and sponsors) that not only are the bad days behind them but glamorous superstar days are ahead.

The Giants were in a similar boat when Peter Magowan took over the team in the wake of the proposed move to Tampa Bay. He found the quickest way to get the fan base energized: He signed the best player in baseball, Barry Bonds.

Which brings us to Albert Pujols. He’s a free agent to be. He has nothing left to prove in St. Louis when he finishes this, his 11th season. He has given the Cardinals a championship, post season heroics, MVPs and done so with class and a flair for the dramatic. And, as I said in a previous video, Cardinal fans can NEVER boo him.

Pujols could need a new challenge in his life, the biggest contract in baseball history and a chance to be a hero in a brand new market.

(See Rose, Pete. See Jackson, Reggie. And Albert is better than both of them!)

And if just so happens that the Dodgers have an opening at first base. I may not be 100% sure how VORP works, but I can guess that Albert Pujols replacing James Loney is an improvement.

And the Mets have Ike Davis, who is a nice player. When you have the chance to get one of the great offensive players of all time, you might think about sacrificing a nice player or two!

Both the Dodgers and the Mets will have new owners, money to spend and a city to impress. And they will BOTH bid on Albert Pujols.

Why do I say that with such certainty? Because Selig will make sure of it. Captain Bud will not let an owner take over the Dodgers nor the Mets unless they were intending on trying to sign Pujols.

It makes sense for the Dodgers to win back their fans and show there is a new era in Chavez Ravine.

It makes sense for the Mets to turn the page on the Wilpon fiasco (and no doubt Sandy Alderson and Terry Collins would welcome Albert’s arrival.)

It makes sense for labor peace as players making big contracts is always looked on fondly by the Players Association.

And it makes sense for Selig as he leave the game with franchises other than the Yankees and Red Sox bidding over the biggest free agents.

And which ever team can’t land Pujols will have a nice consolation prize in Prince Fielder.

Think Selig is above this sort of backroom dealings? Or perhaps not clever enough?

PUH-lease. I am not going to even go into the whole “Used Car Salesman” past of Mr. Selig.

This was the guy who maneuvered the ownership of the Expos, Marlins and Red Sox around so his hand picked successor would take over in Boston instead of the McCourts.

This was the guy who claimed to have no clue about the steroid culture, even though allegations were made public as far back as 1988, when Peter Ueberroth was commissioner.

This was the guy who was part of the owners group that ousted Fay Vincent for not doing their bidding and installing himself as owner/commissioner. It was supposed to be temporary. That was 1992.

This was one of the many owners found guilty of collusion in the 1980s.

Shady wheeling and dealing are right in Bud Selig’s wheelhouse.

So a nudge here and there and making sure the new owners come with an aggressive eye on Albert is not as outlandish as colluding, kicking the commissioner out and not noticing that the players all were bigger than the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.

You heard it here first on Sully Baseball.

I am declaring it a conspiracy before it actually happens.

Colluding is and always will be part of Bud Selig’s legacy.

I know I've said this about the Brewers already but...

They NEED to go fulltime back to the M-B glove logo.

They just LOOK like the Brewers when they play with that hat.

Look, if you don't want the block letter uniform with the stripes, fine.

I like them but I can take or leave them. But the hats have to stay.

The Brewers had a fantastic rally last night in the 9th inning capped by Prince Fielder (who looked like he was wearing 2 uniforms worth of material) getting a strange hit off of a sidewall in Miller Park to score the tying and winning runs.

And the whole thing looked cooler in the Harvey Wallbanger get up.

TELL ME I'M WRONG!

I know I've said this about the Brewers already but...

They NEED to go fulltime back to the M-B glove logo.

They just LOOK like the Brewers when they play with that hat.

Look, if you don't want the block letter uniform with the stripes, fine.

I like them but I can take or leave them. But the hats have to stay.

The Brewers had a fantastic rally last night in the 9th inning capped by Prince Fielder (who looked like he was wearing 2 uniforms worth of material) getting a strange hit off of a sidewall in Miller Park to score the tying and winning runs.

And the whole thing looked cooler in the Harvey Wallbanger get up.

TELL ME I'M WRONG!

Midseason look at my predictions

At the beginning of the year I made my 40 Fearless Predictions... and I also made my divisional picks...

I am sure some look prophetic and others looked pathetic.

I don't hide from my bad picks. 

In fact I sometimes flaunt them.

Either way, how are my fearless 40 doing?

1. THE YANKEES WILL MAKE THE POST SEASON BUT NOT MAKE IT TO THE WORLD SERIES... AND JOE GIRARDI WILL BE FIRED IN NOVEMBER

As of this writing the Yankees are in the Wild Card spot despite a rotten start, an A-Rod injury a tattered bullpen and panic in the Bronx in April. 

That bodes well for their playoff hopes. Their 5-15 record against teams currently in first place doesn't bode well for it being a deep playoff run. And if they miss the ALCS, Girardi will wish he took that Baltimore job a few years ago.

2. THE RED SOX WILL MAKE THE PLAYOFFS BUT MISS THE WORLD SERIES. FRANCONA'S JOB IS SAFE

So far the Sox have the best record in the American League. But October is a strange month and the Tigers could be that kind of team that wins a game in Fenway and next thing you know the Sox are facing elimination on the road.

Either way, Francona isn't going anywhere.

3. IF DAVID ORTIZ'S BAT IS SLOWING DOWN, HE'LL BE ON THE TRADE BLOCK

When Ortiz was well below Mendoza's standard and had one more homer than me, the Red Sox would have dealt him in a heartbeat if they could find a taker.

Now he's hitting again and all of Red Sox nation aren't watching his at bats as if we were watching Charlie Brown in the spelling bee.

4. THERE WILL BE A HOMOSEXUAL SCANDAL SURROUNDING ALEX RODRIGUEZ

There are still 2 1/2 months to the season... and you know it is possible.

5. FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ WILL FLOP WITH THE METS

If you told me that one game after the All Star Break the Mets would be 4 games UNDER .500 and trailing the Phillies by 7 1/2 games, 8 in the loss column, I would be almost 100% certain this prediction came true.

But alas, this is one of my stinkers.

K-Rod has possibly been the only bright spot for the wretched Mets team. And I have a hunch that his spotty post season record won't be tested this year.

6. ORLANDO CABRERA WILL HAVE ANOTHER YEAR THAT MAKES RED SOX, ANGELS AND WHITE SOX FANS SAY "WHY DID WE LET THIS GUY GO?"

Well I still have no clue why the Red Sox didn't resign him after the 2004 World Series... and that was exasperated today with the dumping of Julio Lugo.

But that doesn't cover up the fact that Cabrera's 2009 season has hardly been awe inspiring, and the A's frankly stink. 

But more on that later.

7. VLAD GUERRERO WILL NOT BE A FACTOR THIS YEAR DUE TO INJURIES... AND THE ANGELS WILL PLUMMET IN THE STANDINGS

Well, Vlad is on the DL now and his numbers are hardly MVP worthy.

And the team suffered injuries, slumps and tragedy in the first half. The fact they remain in first place at this point in the season is a terrific argument for Mike Scioscia's second manager of the year award.

8. ROY OSWALT PITCHES IN THE WORLD SERIES THIS YEAR... JUST NOT WITH THE ASTROS

One of the great things about the parity in baseball, especially in the National League, is the majority of teams are still in it after the All Star break.

The bad thing is most teams think they have a shot.

The Astros are old and while a game over .500, don't have a shot. They need a shot in the arm (and not the kind Miguel Tejada used to get.)

Trading Roy Oswalt would fetch them 2 or maybe 3 building blocks. This prediction is logically sound. The same can't be said for the management of the Houston Astros.

9. J. P. RICCIARDI AND CITO GASTON ARE FIRED BY MID JULY.

Well, it is Mid July now... and they both still have jobs.

But the feel good story of the year doesn't feel so good anymore. On May 18th, the Blue Jays were in first place with a 3 1/2 game lead on the Red Sox heading into Boston to make a statement.

They are 17-32 since, have a losing record and are dangling Roy Halladay the way the Astros should be dealing Roy Oswalt.

If the Orioles continue improving, the Blue Jays could finish in the cellar.

10. BOBBY COX CALLS IT QUITS IN MID SEASON AND TERRY PENDLETON BECOMES THE MANAGER

Cox has nothing left to prove, but I have the feeling he wants to leave the Braves as a winner. The team no longer has Maddux, Glavine or Smoltz and the new Braves are hovering around .500.

So far this prediction is wrong, but if they finish above .500 for the season, I think he'll call it a Hall of Fame career.



11. THE BREWERS SLIDE BACK INTO MEDIOCRITY AND PRINCE FIELDER HITS THE TRADE BLOCK

Now THIS what you call a lousy prediction... at least so far.

The Brewers are a modest winning streak away from being a first place team.

They are also a 4 game losing streak away from being sub .500.

Ah, the perils of parity in the National League.


12. THE UPTON BROTHERS BOTH HAVE BREAKOUT YEARS.

Well Justin is holding up his end of the bargain. He's already established a career high in homers and RBI, has a batting average of .301, an OPS of .918 and made his first All Star team.

B.J. came back from surgery slowly... like sub .180 batting average and sub .500 OPS slowly.

But he got his average up to the .240s and his OPS in the .700s... maybe he'll have a monster second half.


13. CHAD TRACY WILL HIT 25 HOMERS AND MAKE THE ALL STAR TEAM

This was a hunch pick.

I thought the D'Backs were going to be decent and I thought some of their bats were going to wake up.

Instead Bob Melvin is searching the help wanted section and Chad Tracy missed all of June with injuries.



14. MANNY RAMIREZ WILL HIT 50 HOMERS, WIN THE NL MVP AND TAKE A WIZZ ON THE LEFT FIELD SCOREBOARD


Oh yeah, like YOU knew he was going to test positive!

Missing 50 games makes 50 homers a stretch.

There's still time for him to take a leak on the scoreboard.

15. THE GIANTS WILL CONTEND FOR THE NL WEST CROWN INTO SEPTEMBER

Don't look now, but the Giants are a playoff team. They have a 1 1/2 game lead for the Wild Card as I type this.

And also, don't look now, but that Dodger lead, which was 9 1/2 games in early June is down to 6 1/2.

A good August by the Giants, whose starting rotation is looking scarier by the week, and a mediocre month from the Dodgers could bring SF to within striking distance.

Just saying.

16. THE NL WEST WON'T BE AS BAD AS PEOPLE THINK

The Dodgers have baseball's best record.

The Giants are the wild card team.

Jim Tracy has righted the ship in Colorado.

Only the Padres (division champs of 2005 and 2006) and the Diamondbacks (division champs of 2007) stink.


17. CLIFF LEE'S 2008 WAS A FLUKE

The whole Indians team has fallen apart and Lee isn't on anyone's short list for Cy Young contenders.

But his 3.31 ERA plus a few recent gems thrown should make him very very interesting trade bait for the Indians who need more pieces to the puzzle and probably won't be a pennant contender until Lee is in his mid 30s.


18. KEN GRIFFEY JR'S FAREWELL TOUR IN SEATTLE WILL BE NICE BUT IN THE END KIND OF SAD

I've written about the strange cross road that the Mariners have hit. They would be trading veterans all over creation and possibly laying down the foundation for the next great Mariners team... if only this team did what it was supposed to do and suck!

But save for a few homers, Griffey is a shell of his former self. And it's always kind of sad to say goodbye.

19. THE FLORIDA MARLINS WILL WIN 90 GAMES

A few weeks into the season, it looked like the Marlins would win 100 games!

If only they could play the Nationals every day.

Either way, they have their nose above .500 and a solid second half could bring them over the top. No team is as streaky as Florida!



20. WASHINGTON NATIONALS WILL LOSE 110 GAMES AND PASS ON STEPHEN STRASBERG IN THE DRAFT

110 losses looks like a given at this point.

As for Strasberg, they did pick him, but if they don't sign him it could be a disaster.

21. MATT WIETERS ISN'T READY

Well they took their time bringing him up, for obvious financial reasons.

Weiters isn't on anyone's shortlist of Rookie of the Year candidates, but he hasn't embarrassed himself either.

22. TRAVIS HAFNER WILL BE TRADED, PAVING THE WAY FOR MATT LaPORTA'S ROOKIE OF THE YEAR SEASON

Man I drank the Kool Aid with Matt LaPorta, who didn't exactly tear up big league pitching this spring before returning to Columbus.

But his .312 average and .929 OPS in AAA show he might be ready to break out in the second half... and Hafner, whose numbers aren't horrible, needs to go.

23. THE PADRES WILL DEAL JAKE PEAVY TO THE CARDINALS AND INCLUDE DAVID ECKSTEIN IN THE TRADE

Ohhh man how happy are the White Sox that their trade was rejected!

And how mad are the Padres that they didn't pull the trigger on a deal when they can?

The Padres will never get their peak value for Peavy... and the suffering in San Diego continues.



24 . PADRES MANAGER BUD BLACK WILL BE FIRED BEFORE JUNE.

Bud Black is still the manager for the Padres.

Isn't that strange?

Anyone have any idea why?

25. THE PIRATES WILL MAKE A RUN AT .500

Maybe this was wishful thinking...

The Pirates should just declare themselves a farm team at this point. 

It would be funny if it wasn't so sad to see one of the great proud franchises in baseball reduced to sending away players when they get good, getting little in return and continue their irrelevance streak to 17 years.

26. JOSH HAMILTON IS FOR REAL

He has the second half of the season to show that he is... and to retroactively earn that spot on the All Star team.

27. THE RAYS WILL STUMBLE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, RELAX AND MAKE A RUN AT A PLAYOFF SPOT

Hey! A prediction that so far looks pretty good.

The Rays are too talented a squad to be the team that began the season so poorly.

Plus they are a lot younger than the Yankees. If they can pick up a pitcher, they'd be in great shape.

Wonder if the Tigers will be willing to trade back Edwin Jackson?

28. DAVID PRICE WILL JOIN THE RAYS FOR GOOD IN MID MAY

Mid May was an easy prediction. But he's been off and on with his effectiveness. He's have to win 9 games in the second half to match my prediction of 12 wins.

He's not showing a lot of control. Where was that lack of control in the 8th and 9th inning of last years ALCS?


29. THE CINCINNATI REDS WILL BE THE MOST EXCITING TEAM TO WATCH ALL YEAR

They haven't been boring, that's for sure.

There are some days they look like they are about to break out.

Then there are some days they look like a sub .500 team going nowhere.

They are sub .500 and 5 1/2 games out now... they'll need a pretty exciting second half to make this an accurate prediction.


30. THE PHILLIES WILL WIN THEIR THIRD STRAIGHT DIVISION TITLE

Just a few weeks ago, it looked like there might be a 4 way tie in the NL East.

But with a rotten pitching staff, Brad Lidge imploding and Jimmy Rollins having a HORRIBLE first half, the Phillies find themselves with a 5 game lead and visions of Roy Halladay dancing in their heads.

Pretty safe bet.


31. DESPITE CHRIS IANNETTA'S BREAK OUT YEAR, THE ROCKIES WILL BE OUT OF IT BY MAY

It takes a really lousy crystal ball to get TWO things wrong in one prediction!

Iannetta has been anything but a breakout star, but the Rockies have been one of most pleasant surprises of the year.

After purging Clint Hurdle, Jim Tracy has piloted the team to a 30-13 mark and brought them to within 1 1/2 games of San Francisco.


32. THE ROYALS WILL HAVE A WINNING SEASON, BUT FINISH A DISTANT THIRD PLACE

It's a marathon, not a sprint.

That's a cliche I know, but some cliches are there for a reason. The Royals started out great led by Grienke.

Now they are 37-51, sinking like a rock and thinking about rebuilding... again.


33. THE GHOSTS OF 2006 PERSIST IN DETROIT

The success of the Tigers completely baffles me... to the point that I don't even want the Red Sox to see them in October.

I thought they were a mess, but here we are!

The Tigers have a 3 1/2 game lead over the White Sox and look like they may have the horses (and the arms) to pull this off.

Who knew?



34. GARY SHEFFIELD WILL HIT .198, 3 HOMERS AND BE CUT AGAIN IN JUNE

It's shocking to see Sheffield had anything left in the tank. I kind of thought the Tigers cutting him was a sign that it was all over.

But true to form, Sheffield plays well with a chip on his shoulder.

The Mets are going nowhere in a hurry, maybe a team in need of a DH should take a flier on him.

Why not? The Tigers are paying for him anyway!



35. JUSTIN MORNEAU WILL LEAD THE TWINS TO AN EASY DIVISION TITLE

Morneau held up his end of the bargain! He's as good an MVP candidate as anyone along with his teammate Joe Mauer.

The Twins are 4 back of Detroit.

The Division might not be so easily won, but it is not out of reach!

36. THE BEST TEAM IN CHICAGO WON'T BE IN WRIGLEY

This looked like a daring prediction when I made it, but I felt the White Sox were getting short changed in the "respect for defending Division Champion" department.

The White Sox are 2 games over .500.

The Cubs are 1 game over .500.

So far, so good.

37. MILTON BRADLEY IS A TERRIBLE FIT IN CHICAGO

What a shock!

Lou Piniella and Milton Bradley weren't a good fit!

Do GMs not read the newspaper?

38. SORRY CUBS FANS

I am probably the only person who didn't think the Cubs were October bound this year.

They aren't out of the race. In fact they are only 3 games out... but a few things need to break their way, and so far NOTHING has this year.



39. PEDRO MARTINEZ RETURNS TO THE DODGERS

The Dodgers were still the only place where it made sense for Pedro to go.

And yet he is a Philadelphia Phillie.

What do I know?

40. COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR? ERIC CHAVEZ OF OAKLAND

This picture of Eric Chavez is not from this year.

I couldn't find  a picture of Eric Chavez playing this year.

He's only played in 8 games so far this year.

He has a .100 average.

He's not winning that award this year.

So there you have it... some right, some jaw droppingly wrong.

But a whole second half of a season to go.

Maybe Eric Chavez can turn it around!